In the 1990s, the concept of attending a concert in the metaverse was purely science fiction—a hypothesis, an abstraction. Today, I frequently explore various metaverses. Yesterday, I attended my first virtual festival. Here are some of my impressions.
"Player One" in Everyday Life
Steven Spielberg's 2018 film "Ready Player One" once seemed fantastical. Decentraland, created in 2015 and opened to users in 2020, has evolved significantly. In 2024, I had the pleasure of personally participating in a virtual music event. While it's not as expansive as the film's depiction, there are many intriguing places to visit today.
In the movie, there's a virtual dance club, but I don't recall a concert in the metaverse. In Decentraland, there are games, clubs where you can listen to music, and even farms where you can grow virtual vegetables. There are also festivals.
The upcoming fourth Decentraland Music Festival is scheduled for November 20–23, 2024. This event will be a four-day journey through cosmic electronic music, featuring exclusive sets from international DJs, interactive visuals, and special editions of virtual clothing and emotes to collect.
Yesterday marked the end of Viva La Calaca, a 3.0 festival celebrating Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in the metaverse. The second edition of this event took place from November 2–5, 2023. The festival offered musical performances, art, and games in a virtual space, blending traditional Mexican celebrations with modern technology. During this event, Flemming Rasmussen's protégés—DEAD STAR TALK and KARO GLAZER—performed. Karo is likely the first Polish artist to perform at a festival in Decentraland.
How did this come about? In April this year, at my invitation, Arnold Travieso, who leads the label Crypto Música, came to Poland. Arnold was also responsible for promoting Viva La Calaca 2024.
Crypto Música Records is a decentralized music label. Its mission is to strengthen Latin culture in the NFT world, offering artists a platform to distribute and monetize their work through blockchain technology. The label also organizes educational events, such as "NFTs Music and Showcase," aimed at introducing managers, producers, and music labels to the benefits of using NFTs in the music industry.
Since Arnold and I share a vision of the future of music linked to blockchain, the metaverse, and AI, we decided to join forces and work together to popularize modern solutions for the music industry.
DEAD STAR TALK and KARO GLAZER Performed in the Metaverse
Streaming a complex live concert isn't easy to achieve in the metaverse, so the festival opted to present pre-recorded performances.
First, KARO GLAZER "performed" with the songs "Maybe" and "Turn off the Light" from her latest live session, followed by DEAD STAR TALK with "Solid State Chemicals" and "Do It Now (Somehow)" (both tracks recorded live during the Polish Solid State Chemicals VINYL Promo Tour).
Yesterday's lineup: Metrozubdivision – Xattan – Amanda Tovalin – Karo Glazer – DEAD STAR TALK
Below, you'll find a gallery of "photos" from the festival. Actually, these are screenshots. I would have had a better experience watching these concerts through VR goggles, but even on a screen, there was plenty of excitement.
Since childhood, I've dreamed of being in such a world; it's a wonderful place for gamers. Today, I hardly play video games, but I have a great fondness for these worlds. In Decentraland, you can, of course, play games. You can also meet people from all over the world and chat with them. That's how I met the festival organizers, MujerMaravilla and Unai.
This entirely new dimension of the festival was a wonderful experience for me. Not only because friends performed, but also because it combines everything I love: music, adventure, technology, and friends.
Many people may not like it. For me, it's the fulfillment of a child's dream who played games on a Commodore C-64 and read Lem.
Nothing can replace the experience of live art. In my opinion, both can coexist. Attending a festival in the metaverse is different from going to an event in real life. I believe we are dealing with a new medium, a new platform for presenting music.
I encourage artists to jump on this train because there's still plenty of room, while streaming platforms are already bursting at the seams.
I invite you to future events!
Pan Winyl
