Music is so prevelant in my life, it kind of surprises me sometimes. It's virtually everywhere, I mean literally Virtual, as in Virtual Reality. When I arrived at Sheiny's house on Tuesday night, his friend and co-worker Tom was set out in front of the computer with is piano keyboard. Shein and Tom work for a company that has developed a 3D Virtual World program called 2nd Life. This 2nd life is a virtual chance to remake your personality and live in a world much like our own. Tom was cyber sitting is a pleasant court yard wth two or three others, the sun shining lightly on the neon green grass. He was speaking into the microphone and playing piano for his virtual audience, who are virtual real people listening to actual music from their actual computer monitors. Of course I could only hear one side of the conversation. So in between songs I heard,
'Aw thank you'.
pause
'Well yes, I would say so'
pause
'Only when I'm -'
pause
'Well, I wouldn't go as far as to -'
pause
Laugh 'Aw, you're very sweet'
Shein DJ'ed in the 2nd life yesterday and I threw on a few tracks as well. He played at a club called 'The Bunker' that a user built in the program over the course of a Saturday. The floors moved back and forth to wierd colors and the chairs were made out of granades. Shein hooked up his real-world turntables and played some of the records out of my real life bag to an audience of about 8. They had programmed ways to dance on the floor or in their chairs, spin fire, and even use glow sticks. Shein received virtual money that can be used inside the game, and even traded for real money here on Earth. There are even burning man festivals in 2nd life. It's a very trippy place.
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In the real real world, Shein has been working on some tracks for a record label that he is starting with a friend here in SF named Henry Navarro. Henry has been releasing records since 1997, mostly on the Urbanloops label. They have two house tracks ready to be pressed to vinyl, and I was lucky to be invited in on some of the finishing touches last night. Henry uses the software program Reason (and many others) along with actual instruments to record tracks. Being able to watch them work (I even have a voice cameo) was a treat.
