Like it or not, the advent of A.I. transformed the electronic music scene into a technological tinderbox in 2021. And before it really takes off in a scary and exhilarating direction, VNCCII is here to enlighten you.
The aspiring producer, rapper and singer-songwriter has just released her latest single "i-LIBERATE", a velvety house track that underscores the line of her unique story that revolves around her eponymous "superhero". User picture.
VNCCII posted a sprawling commentary on worldmusic.blog in 2020 where she gets poetic about the intricate relationship between AI and electronic music. "We need builders, dreamers, repairers and doers," she wrote at the time. "Like it or not, AI is here and will stay."
In celebration of her sultry new dance album, we have reconnected with VNCCII to discuss the track's conceptual origins and how she plans to expand her efforts as a futurist in electronic music.
worldmusic.blog: It's been a minute since we last spoke to you. How have you developed in the last 18 months?
VNCCII: In the past 18 months, the world has evolved on a macro and micro level. People have become more confident.
Personally, all of my new music has gone through a complete evolution. I've dug really deep to mirror what the world is going through, but also to project futuristic storytelling with my super-sensitive AI. "Superhero" character, VCCII.
worldmusic.blog: Which brings us to your new single "i-LIBERATE". Tell us about it.
VNCCII: Musically, I will put my voice and my songwriting in the foreground of my new songs to underline my love for a front person. I've evolved with a full-fledged debut album over the past 18 months.
I have a complete arc of an A.I. The plot of the Space Opera – and a whole world my character is in with other characters. The result is a dynamic, emotional, and empowering narrative. As a creative fuel I use futurism, science fiction, artificial intelligence and the "open metaverse". These elements together with the technological singularity make up the fictional plot of my VNCCII alias and its universe.
VNCCII.
VNCCII music
worldmusic.blog: So do you consider yourself a futurologist? Can you explain what you mean by that?
VNCCII: I'm not a technical futurist, but what I call a creative futurist. A lot of my friends are what I call technical futurists and I am inspired by them every day because I know that they help shape the future we want to live in.
I don't make predictions about the future, but I study trends in various industries and study the evolution of technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, 5G networks and augmented reality – consisting of virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality – will affect the future. I am an optimist and believe that technology can be used as a force for good.
worldmusic.blog: You are very tech-savvy. Where do you connect with your fans?
VNCCII: For my first vodcast episode on my YouTube show Future Humans 3.0, I spoke to the amazing Cathy Hackl, a leading futurologist and thought leader. She is known in the tech community as the "Godmother of the Metaverse". It's people like Cathy who inspire me to combine my love for futurism with music and multimedia storytelling.
worldmusic.blog: Back to your single "i-LIBERATE". What does the title refer to? What is this single about?
VNCCII: It is a futuristic dance anthem about intrinsic empowerment, self-expression and the liberation of humanity. The song is a transition from “POWER 2 LOAD” as I move towards vocal driven songs. The song was born in the heart of Lockdown, Australia and I wanted to create a timeless piece.
worldmusic.blog: How do you feel about your fans? How do they react to your partly human, partly virtual existence?
VNCCII: I have been the VNCCII avatar since 2018, but it wasn't until this year that I became a “V-Tuber” as a medium to create content full of character and to get in touch with my fans. To accomplish this, I bought a Rococo SmartSuit Pro motion capture suit and used broadcast technologies with Unreal Game Engine and AR iPhone Face Capture to broadcast and stream live from what I call VNCCII's “Holoship”, a virtual one futuristic music studio.
This setup is really cool as I can create content as a VNCCII 24/7 during the live stream. For my Future Humans 3.0 vodcast, I spoke to some really cool guests including Cathy Hackl, Teddy Pahagbia, CitizenMetaOne (aka Matt Workman) and Spottie WiFi (the King ALPHA CryptoPunk rapper).
VNCCII.
Chris Dahmen
worldmusic.blog: Intensive! And we assume that you also stream DJ sets live?
VNCCII: Yes, I stream Ableton Live music production sessions and on the virtual mezzanine I have a virtual Pioneer DJ booth where I stream DJ sets live as VNCCII. My goal is to make these streams more interactive, like Code Miko, but I'm going to approach this from a music and futuristic perspective.
worldmusic.blog: Are the fans digging it?
VNCCII: Yes! Fans have reacted positively to this partly human-partly virtual existence as I have a feeling that people want to explore their fantasies and be challenged. It also enables them to think about their own future identity and how they would like to be perceived by other people and AI entities in the “open metaverse”.
worldmusic.blog: Do you think that the way you exist as an artist is the future of all music entertainers?
VNCCII: Certainly. I call this a "phygital" (physical and digital) approach for music artists. An online identity that can be experienced in the 3D world is crucial in order to get in touch with fans on a whole new level. People can reinvent themselves. I also do personal meet-and-greets – inspired by the TwitchCon world of cosplay – where fans can team up with virtual characters for IRL meetups and shows (in real life). That's the future.
worldmusic.blog: What's next for VNCCII?
VNCCII: The VNCCII story and other characters will be revealed shortly, along with an interactive roadmap on how fans and community can experience this and grow together in Web 3.0. I'll be releasing my full-length debut album that I'm working on this year; It's the best music I've made in my life.
FOLLOW VNCCII:
Officially: www.vnccii.com
Facebook: facebook.com/vncciiofficial
Instagram: instagram.com/VNCCII_official/
Twitter: twitter.com/VNCCII_OFFICIAL
Spotify: spoti.fi/3pdeVtW
Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UCHYl-nfACf-ghcnRN_cjogg
