It’s official, the world of virtual reality is finally here. With the release of the Oculus Rift and the new HTC Vive, the main devices are finally on the market following years of waiting. The gaming industry has long been looking to achieve new standards in dynamics and realism, and this desire extends to much wider forms of entertainment. That includes the music industry, which has also been looking for new ways to create a more immersive experience for consumers.
As artists are looking for new ways to connect with fans, virtual reality literally opens up a new world of possibilities for interaction. So, it comes as no surprise that many of the most progressive and experimental artists are embracing this technology to find new ways to share their art. Indie hip-hop legends Run the Jewels (El-P and Killer Mike) has created a unique 360-degree video for “Crown,” from the pair’s second album, and the results are powerful, to say the least.
The song and video tell two different stories, one being a memory from Killer Mike‘s past as a drug dealer in which he sold his wares to a pregnant woman and the remorse he felt concerning his actions, alongside the political themes of El-P‘s verse on the military and the increasingly young age at which people join. The song by itself is an acerbic diatribe against social problems in the United States. However, in VR, the message of the song becomes all the more visceral as the listener and viewer are put face to face with daunting militaristic imagery combined with the rapid-fire wordplay of the two MCs.
Run the Jewels isn’t the only act taking advantage of this medium. Bands have been shooting 360-degree music videos for some time, but the technology has finally caught up to the concept and the results are impressive. British indie rockers Foals released a video in a similar style last year for their single, “Mountain At My Gates.” However, the browser-based video was only the tip of the iceberg of what is now possible thanks to hardware like the Vive and Rift, not to mention significantly more affordable apparatuses such as Samsung Gear and Google Cardboard. Even McDonald‘s have their own Papercraft VR headset, provided you don’t mind the smell of french fries.
The application of VR technology quickly parted ways with traditional video games, though gaming is sure to remain the primary use for the technology, at least for the time being. It’s just hard to envision a consumer plunking down the necessary coin for such expensive hardware for the sole purpose of watching movies or music videos.
As the technology progresses, time will tell if VR will become as ubiquitous as television or is just another fad—much like the advent of 3D several years ago. Regardless of the outcome, creatives have been quick to take advantage of the medium and we can’t wait to see where they go with it next.
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