Being Waves Update
A VR music experience
This spring, we shared an event we organised featuring our Arts Council supported VR music experience, Being Waves.
The project is an immersive exploration of how audiences can connect through music in new and innovative ways, featuring generative immersive environments that can be explored together, created by music in realtime.
Being Waves blurs the lines between real-world and virtual spaces. Collaborating with the London-based jazz band, Kinkajous, we've transformed their 2021 album, 'Being Waves,' into a visual accompaniment that synchronises with the music, running at around 45 minutes, with up to 8 users exploring the space around them together.
Led by drummer/producer BenoƮt Parmentier and saxophonist Adrien Cau, Kinkajous, navigate the musical spaces between jazz, electronic, and orchestral genres. Their unique sound sets the stage for this immersive experiment.
Our test event went well, with 65 participants attending three showings. Their feedback has been instrumental in improving the experience and shaping our future direction. Working with our friends ZeMind in Toronto, we've continued to develop the project and integrated key the lessons learned from the test event audience, exploring aesthetics, as well as user experience design and accessibility.
Being Waves and transforms an album or song into a virtual destination, using generative code. The experience takes you on a journey through sound and space, creating a mesmerising audio-responsive environment.
Our goal with Being Waves was always to bring people together through music, as music has always done. A new way to make a connection through something timeless.
The custom-built engine behind Being Waves is designed to continuously improve and evolve, allowing for the creation of more complex and sophisticated virtual environments, always responding to the music while keeping people connected in real-time.
But while Being Waves explores innovative ways for music to connect audiences, it also takes you on a powerful, immersive journey that resonates deeply.
Weāre excited to see where this journey will take us. As we progress, we'll keep you posted here on our developments with Being Waves. More info can be found on beingwaves.com.