New York/London – Pop group Gorillaz will be unveiling its new album with two location-specific immersive AR experiences in the US and UK. The first will be at Times Square (17 December), followed by Piccadilly Circus (18 December).
Gorillaz has a long history of working with tech innovations – being one of the first virtual bands, formed in 1998 by Blur front man Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, and consisting of four fictional members: 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs. They have teamed up with Nexus Studios and Google’s new Geospatial API, which uses its Visual Positioning Service (VPS), to create the concerts – which will happen through a new Gorillaz Presents app.
‘We’re always excited when music and entertainment can bust out of the usual to meet fans and tell stories in new places,’ says Chris O’Reilly, Nexus Studios co-founder and executive creative director. ‘Working with our friends Gorillaz and Google, this was a perfect opportunity to bring our dual passions of real-time animation and immersive tech together. Experiences told on top of cities at this level of visual fidelity are full of exciting promise.’
In Programmable Realities, we saw AR technologies being used to elevate food and hospitality experiences, and now music experiences are tapping into the digitally driven Awe Economy.
Strategic opportunity
Consider how new and immersive tech can serve up awe – in a different way to the natural world – and are expanding beyond entertainment and urban environments