How much is the price of a Steve Vai gig ticket? Well, that doesn’t matter anymore, because the electric guitar virtuoso has just launched an app that lets you beam him directly into your home.
Crafted with 4DR Studios, the Zeus In Chains iOS and Android app lets users project a pre-recorded video of Vai shredding the track from which the app gets its name, wherever they please.
Of course, it’s not quite the same as a live show, and you are only beaming a recording of Vai, not Vai himself, onto the screen of your phone, but it’s a pretty neat concept regardless.
Want to see Vai shred his Ibanez signature guitar in your garden? Or how about while standing in the middle of a swimming pool? Desperate for a toilet break, but need some shredding motivation?
All of that, and whatever else your brain can come up with, is possible. Heck, the recording could even be used as entertainment for your pets, or some in-meal entertainment while you’re eating your dinner.
According to a press release, Zeus in Chains uses the latest advancements in technology to optimize volumetric video and create a hyper-realistic model of Steve Vai, which is then projected using augmented reality.
“Volumetric video creates 3D avatars of real people, capturing genuine emotions, bringing soul to the digital realm,” explains 4DR Studio’s Natasja Paulssen. “Using our technology to capture Steve is the ultimate proof of this. The app is the beginning of a new journey into the virtual worlds that are coming into existence now.
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“This moment signifies the true commencement of a symbiotic relationship which enriches both what music can bring, and get, from this new world.”
The project began “several years ago” when Vai was introduced to Paulssen via a mutual contact, after Vai had discussed the possibility of using holographic technology for a performance of some kind.
Years later, that has now become a reality – thanks to a recording that utilized 48 cameras – and Vai will now be using the fan-generated clips of him shredding in a cereal bowl and tapping away on the palm of someone’s hand in an upcoming video for Zeus in Chains.
“This app allows the user to visually capture me performing Zeus in Chains into any environment through their phone,” Vai notes. “I encourage folks to download this app and create some crazy content of me performing at a historical location near you, or in a hilarious situation, and upload your video to a platform of your choice to help me finish this video.”
What’s more, Zeus in Chains has been described as “the first step” on the road to more holographic content.
“The virtual world is the third wave of the digital revolution, following the Internet and then social media,” he goes on. “The primary intent of this undertaking is to explore new ways to experience songs, and more broadly tie an immersive fan experience in to the realm of artist performances.
“This is the initial first step within a broad vision tied to exploring the virtual world in augmented reality via co-creating this video with the fans.”
Fans can upload their clips to any platform the wish with the #VaiEverywhere tag.
The Zeus in Chains app is available for $2.99 on iOS and Android now.
