Every DJ knowns that at some point in the event, you will need to play some ABBA. The group themselves seem to feel the time is right to brighten up the 21st Century, and are joining other musicians such as Bjork and Gorillaz by using virtual reality (VR) tech to create a reunion of the mega-famous Swedish pop band.
Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog split up in 1982 after 10 years of creating music together. Though there has never been a physical reunion of the singers, Benny Andersson has said that a digital reunion using VR technology is in the works.
Andersson told Swedish publication the Expressen that plans were already in motion: “It will take a bit of time, it takes time to digitalise a face. It’s fun that it’s so technologically advanced. It will be interesting.”
The project involves the members of ABBA, former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller and record company Universal. It isn’t currently known what form the VR ReunionTour will take, if it will be released on home VR devices such as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, available for mobile VR or even set up as an out-of-home VR installation.
Fuller said: “The creativity and ideas flowing from the members of ABBA over the past few months have filled me with great excitement. We are exploring a new technological world, with Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence at the forefront, that will allow us to create new forms of entertainment and content we couldn’t have previously imagined.”
Björn Ulvaeus commented: “We recorded ‘Mamma Mia’ in 1975. What happened that year in the UK and in the world? One thing is for certain – it seems unbelievably long ago!”
VRFocus will bring you further information on the ABBA VR Reunion as it becomes available.