It’s January 2021 and there’s still no sign of any festival. Yeah, we’ve seen some events go down in COVID-free (and some not-so-free) places, but we’re nowhere near a return to the places we love. After almost a year, people all over the world have lost interest in attending livestream events. The energy is not the same, and it will never be. Now, the next chapter on what searches to fill the void live festivals left is finally here. Described as “a fully immersive digital entertainment platform”, Hydeout: The Prelude is the next digital extravaganza, and we’re dying to see it in action!
20 virtual stages. Customizable avatars. 40 of the most successful musical artists of the moment. A utopia for people who like gaming and concerts, Hydeout: The Prelude aims to fill the void left by live events with the closest thing possible. CGI artists come to life as performances aim to please the crowd on a way live stream failed to, connecting people as they share the intimacy of watching an artist live. Some of the DJs set to make an appearance on what the creators of this world have defined as chapters are: Alison Wonderland, Don Diablo, Martin Garrix, and DJ Snake. These last two will cap off the world’s inauguration on January 29th and 30th respectively.
While the idea sounds great, futuristic, and a huge step in the right direction of innovation, one may wonder: will it actually work? We can’t actually know how good Hydeout is until we’ve tried it. However, there are a few concerns regarding the whole thing. First of all, after looking at the whole trailers and videos, I’m not sure my MacBook has the requirements to run such a complex thing, even if it’s an on-browser program. Second, there’s not a lot of information about what will your avatar be able to do once you’re IN the concert, so we might end up with something pretty similar to the Fortnite concerts Marshmello, Major Lazer and others delivered. Finally – and don’t hate me for this – let’s consider that EDM thrives on live events.
Hear me out: I love EDM. I listen to it all day, and I enjoy every single second of it. But having something to relate a song to is priceless. It doesn’t matter if it’s the biggest, most mainstream festival or a warehouse party where your friend is playing for 20 people. These memories potentiate a dance track to a whole new level. Even with the best technology and a virtual experience, it won’t be the same. And I’m not talking about doing acid at a concert being the real experience. I’m talking about human connection. Standing in between thousands of people, dancing, singing, screaming, throwing your hands in the air. That is the real experience.
With that in mind, we wish Hydeout: The Prelude nothing but the best. These guys came up with one of the best solutions we’ve seen, and hopefully, they’ll find an audience who can recognize their amazing skill and all the job they’ve put into it. Who knows maybe you’ll catch us wearing an EDMTunes shirt at their next episode. Make sure to go check out their website, and experience this new world by yourself!
