SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viacom’s emerging entertainment technology group Viacom NEXT today premiered an original virtual reality music experience for the song “Withdrawal” by Atlantic Records recording artist Max Frost at the 2017 Microsoft Build Developer Conference.
The video harnesses cutting-edge Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture technology, bringing fans face-to-face with photorealistic holographs of Frost, who sings and plays multiple instruments simultaneously in an immersive, underwater environment.
Watch the debut trailer for Withdrawal here.
Frost said, “It was fun to work with Viacom and Microsoft to create this interactive fan experience for Withdrawal. Microsoft's Mixed Reality Capture technology allowed us to blow past current 360˚ videos to produce an awesome VR music experience.”
Chaki Ng, senior vice president, Viacom NEXT, said, “Withdrawal opens the door to a new medium of music and performance; it’s a first look at the future of music-based VR content. Using Microsoft technology we can now create even more immersive worlds for audiences to explore and enjoy. Withdrawal is one more milestone in Viacom’s continued collaboration with pioneering artists and innovators to produce a new generation of personalized experiences for audiences around the world.”
Withdrawal marks the latest project of Viacom’s in-house VR production team, which also partners with Viacom’s entertainment brands, including MTV and Paramount Pictures, to deliver original experiences for branded content and live events.
In February 2017 at the SXSW Film Festival, Viacom NEXT presented Hot Sugar’s The Melody of Dust, a first-of-its-kind deconstructed VR music album that Rolling Stone dubbed a “new art form.” Other productions include Chocolate by animator Tyler Hurd, recipient of the Vision VR/AR Summit 2017 Artist Achievement Award, and Smash Party VR, a game released for the HTC Vive headset.
About Viacom NEXT
Viacom NEXT is working on the future of entertainment. We explore, prototype and develop novel projects with our brands (which include MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Paramount Pictures and BET) and with external partners including startups, academics (e.g., MIT, CMU, and major NYC universities via the NYC Media Lab) as well as creators, artists, and musicians. With a focus on Virtual Reality, we are making room-scale interactive music experiences, narrative worlds, games, and exploring live-action capture techniques. Visit us online at http://viacomnext.com
About Max Frost
Max Frost is a singer, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Austin, TX. Frost has toured with Gary Clark Jr, Fitz & The Tantrums, HONNE, Wild Child, and more—and recently completed a successful first headline tour in 2016 with sell-outs across the United States. His recent single “Adderall” has over 1.6 Million Spotify streams. Recent collaborations include Lovespeake’s “Novocaine” and Mike Waters’ “Drowning.” Frost was named one of “10 Artists You Need To Know” by NPR and Rolling Stone. Stay tuned for new music coming this year!
Connect with Max:
Spotify: http://bit.ly/MaxFrost-SP
YouTube: https://youtube.com/maxfrostmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxfrost
Facebook: https://facebook.com/maxfrostmusic
Instagram: https://instagram.com/maxfrost
SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/maxfrostmusic
