Soundscape VR, the world’s first virtual reality music stage, made its official debut at last week’s Sonic Bloom music festival at Hummingbird Ranch, CO. Groove Science Studios, creators of the Soundscape VR platform, offered festival attendees the opportunity to explore and interact with the company’s audio-reactive virtual reality worlds while onsite at the music festival. First presented at Burning Man, and then Suwannee Hulaween, Sonic Bloom marked the version 3 unveiling of the latest changes to the expanded stage
Soundscape VR is home to the most advanced visual arts and music experiences available in virtual reality. Users can fly, explore, play, create, and immersive themselves in massive surreal audio-reactive worlds with breathtaking visuals; alone, with friends, or other fans – Soundscape VR is a social, musical, metaverse without limits.
“We’ve grown the stage to allow for more participants at the same time, increased visibility to 360º so all spectators can experience what’s happening ‘in world,’ and enhanced our state-of-the-art VR hardware to the most powerful in the world – when you couple all of that with the live music pumping through the new P.A. system, it’s a shared immersive audiovisual experience unlike anything ever seen before,” remarked Eric Alexander, Founder and CEO of Groove Science Studios.
“Our intention has also been to bridge the gap between what’s capable live, on-stage, and what we can experience ‘in-world’ through virtual reality. said Alexander, “It’s incredibly satisfying to work with other artists who ‘get’ what’s happening with music and virtual reality, and it only emboldens Soundscape to push the boundaries of what we can do. After all, if it wasn’t for music, this wouldn’t exist at all!”
Soundscape VR is catching the eye of the industry. Earlier this year, the company announced the addition of three pre-loaded sets to the platform, including Big Gigantic’s Nocturnal album, STS9’s 2018 Hulaween set, and EOTO’s performance from Denver, CO in 2018.
“We’re working with artists who really love utilizing new technology and concepts to engage and interact with their fans. Soundscape offers a 24/7, enhanced festival environment where bands and fans can intermingle, experience music in new ways, and connect, regardless of location or time. It’s the next generation in social music,” commented Matt Hogan, Director of Artist Outreach, “And because we have the capability to build out custom environments, the artists we work with can curate their own ‘always-on’ venues and worlds.”
Soundscape VR can be found on Oculus Home and Steam, and downloaded for free for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and the Valve Index. The platform has already seen a number of additions this year, including 244-player social interactivity, character upgrades and customization, and the addition of a third, brand-new 20 sq km fantasy world “Twilight Thicket.”
