Lakeshore Records have announced that they are releasing the soundtrack to the three chapter virtual reality (VR) series entitled Spheres. The immersive experience focuses on the human connection with the cosmos with a soundtrack that enhances the journey. Composed and performed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein (S U R V I V E, Stranger Things) the soundtrack has been released digitally in stereo, binaural and surround for total immersion.
Spheres was written and directed by Eliza McNitt (Fistful of Stars, Without Fire) and is planned to be released on the Oculus Rift later this fall and be presented by City Lights and Protozoa Pictures. Recently the series won the ‘Best Virtual Reality Award’ at the Venice Film Festival, where the first and third chapters made their debut. Through the three chapters viewers are treated to an interactive and immersive VR experience that explores the Universe through sound.
In chapter one: Chorus of the Cosmos the planet Earth sings and the solar system becomes an instrument as viewers listen to the music play out while the chapter is narrated by Millie Booby Brown. In chapter two: Songs of Spacetime, users dive into the heart of a black hole to uncover the breakthrough discover of gravitational waves. Fall into the darkness and find the light with narrative by Jessica Chastain. The final part of the series, chapter three: Pale Blue Dot viewers journey from the edge of the cosmos to uncover the strangest song of all while narrative by Patti Smith.
“When Eliza asked if we wanted to work on this project it didn’t take much to convince us. One of the most exciting aspects of writing for this type of experience is the interactivity and utilizing the spatial orientation of the viewer to control different parameters of the audio.” Said Dixon and Stein: “With all of the interaction and spatial arrangement, it made sense for the album to have as much movement as possible, so we created 7.4.1, 5.1 & Headphone X binaural mixes to try and recreate the score as accurately as possible. Technology aside, it’s always great when your director says “it’s not weird enough” or “it sounds too much like music.” Coming from an experimental background this is exactly the kind of note we like to get when creating a score.”
The soundtrack for Spheres can be listened to right now on Bandcamp and for more on the soundtrack and the VR experience in the future, keep reading VRFocus.