Last week I recreated the Raw Space live experience for the incomparable Stephen Fry and his wonderful husband Elliott Spencer. First I performed "Little Moth" (the song I wrote for Elliott Smith) and "As You" in the anechoic chamber with Stephen and Elliott sat in the antechamber watching me through a virtual window and hearing the anechoic sound direct from the chamber. As I performed, the lyrics streamed out of my mouth, notes floated off my guitar, and the visuals transformed the chamber into the world of that track, e.g. Elliott's basement hotel.
To paint a better picture, The New Scientist described it as:
"Light seemed to stream from Wolfe’s mouth and the guitar strings. Small moths floated around her, coming together to form the words she was singing, and filling up the room – which then transformed into a forest scene with firefly-like baubles scattering across the floor. The enchanting effect was achieved using KINECT motion-sensing devices, designed for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 games console, to track her movements, said Nick Hardeman of Design I/O, with graphics following her round the room in real time."
After I performed the two songs with the live AR and Stephen and Elliott watching from outside, it was time for them to come and join me in the chamber of secrets for the third song, "The Man Who." Upon entering Elliott rushed forward to say how much "Little Moth" had touched him, being a big Elliott Smith fan himself, and Stephen said that "Vincent" by Don McLean was a worthy comparison for such a beautiful tribute. Stephen also said how much he enjoyed the AR animation, saying that it really added to the storytelling aspect and emotions of the song rather than distract from it as he found AR/VR often did. All round a magical experience!
Beatie Wolfe performing to Stephen Fry in the Bell Labs anechoic chamber
"Little Moth" (a tribute to Elliott Smith) coming to life via live augmented reality in the Bell Labs anechoic chamber
"As You" (from Raw Space) coming to life via live augmented reality in the Bell Labs anechoic chamber