Indie Artist D∆WN Releases New Experimental 360 Music Video VR Experience

One of music’s most distinctive voices and songwriters D∆WN (aka Dawn Richard) teamed up with creative coder Sander Sneek from SNAKE Productions to create an experimental 360-music video experience for the release of D∆WN’s new album REDEMPTION.

The 360-stereoscopic video is completely CGI and used several techniques Sneek was experimenting with. It highlights each track and gives the audience an ultimate sneak peek of D∆WN’s new album.

The 360 video starts with welcoming you into a new utopia. By using a specific color scheme and abstracting the characters, Sneek visualizes a place for all souls no matter color, gender or creed.

Later in the video it tells the story of two best friends with big dreams of making it in Hollywood. Where they find that idea lost in the LA streets and the world is closing in. By playing with the concept of a bendable world Sneek tried to give the user this enclosed feeling.

At the end of the video, D∆WN calls to others out there looking for something better. A huge pyramid stands for the place where there are open dreams. Where rebels are the “majority” and a different skin color isn’t “minority”.

D∆WN loves that VR becomes the narrator in this visual story. Redemption speaks to self-discovery. She thinks this visual draws that reference and takes you into the journey of self-appreciation and awareness.

D∆WN – REDEMPTION – 360 Stereoscopic Video
https://youtu.be/NUeb7UfaXAU

In April 2016 D∆WN became the first ever artist to perform live in 360 degrees on YouTube. With collaborations in the VR world, she looks set to continue breaking down barriers of music, performance and technology.

Background information

(Out Nov 18 through Local Action/Our Dawn Ent.) D∆WN (aka Dawn Richard) is one of music’s most distinctive voices and songwriters, developing her own unique style via a tirelessly independent route.

D∆WN’s last album Blackheart was FACT Mag’s #1 album of the year, and was in Best Album of 2015 charts by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Vogue, LA Times, Spin, Elle, Noisey and The Guardian, who called it “the most ambitious and revelatory album of 2015”.

Her first single of 2016, ‘Not Above That’ has sold over 2,000 units and 1,000,000 streams across Spotify and SoundCloud, and she followed it with a series of show-stealing shows at SXSW (at the Pitchfork, Spin, FACT and Hype Hotel showcases). She also collaborated with Kingdom on ‘Honest’, which received Pitchfork’s Best New Music.

In April 2016 D∆WN became the first ever artist to perform live in 360 degrees on YouTube, as part of YouTube’s collaboration series with The Verge. She also partnered with Wired for the release of a virtual reality version of ‘Not Above That’, and recently curated her own Boiler Room in London, performing from a specially-build LED pyramid. With future collaborations in the VR world due for release, she looks set to continue breaking down barriers of music, performance and technology.

Her new solo album REDEMPTION strikes the perfect balance between future-facing electronic music (with production from Machinedrum and Noisecastle III) and the music of D∆WN’s New Orleans upbringing, bound together by an untouchable approach to song- writing and flawless vocal range. The final part in a trilogy that started with GoldenHeart and continued with Blackheart, it represents her most focused, complete album yet.

Key 2016 moves:
• Not Above That (750k plays Spotify, 200k Soundcloud, 2,000+ sales)
• Honest & Infa-Red EP (80k plays Spotify, 120k plays Soundcloud)
• Wake Up (175k plays Spotify, 100k plays Soundcloud)
• Played Pitchfork, Spin, FACT and Hype Machine shows at SXSW
• First artist to perform live in 360 on YouTube (partnership w/ the Verge)

• Released a 360 VR Experience for Not Above That
  • Curated Boiler Room in London
  • Joined Adult Swim as content creator

Reviews for last album Blackheart:
• “A stunning personal statement” – Best Albums of 2015, Pitchfork
• “When will the world be ready for Dawn Richard?” – Best of 2015, Rolling Stone
• “Like nothing else” – Number 1 Album of 2015, FACT
• “Deserved sales and critical praise” – Best Albums of 2015, Vogue
• “The most ambitious and revelatory album of the year” – The Guardian
• “Takes her creativity to the next level” – Best Albums of 2015, Rap Up
• “One of the most explosively inventive electronic albums” – Noisey
• “She has created a singularity” – #1 Electronic Album of 2015, Popmatters

Press pick-up for Redemption announce:
• Billboard
• Pitchfork
• Entertainment Weekly
• Fader
• Resident Advisor
• FACT
• Idolator
• NPR
• Stereogum

Key 2016 Interviews:
• Pitchfork Interview
• Vogue Interview
• Wired Interview/VR premiere
• Rolling Stone interview
• Verge Interview
• Jezebel Interview
• MTV Interview
• RBMA Fireside Chat
• Adult Swim/FADER feature
• Upcoming: Hunger TV feature, FACT TV documentary, Boiler Room feature, Clash 
 interview/photo-shoot, Mixmag interview

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