Close Talker bringing a new 3D mix to their upcoming shows, including Regina
Audience will hear the band through headphones but it will be pretty much silent if they take them off
Close Talker is bringing a new 3D mix to some upcoming shows this summer.
The Saskatoon trio will play their music, including their album How Do We Stay Here, but rather than blasting the audience with a booming P.A., the music will be heard through headphones.
"What's unique about this event and this new form of live music is we're now able, with kind of the rise of virtual reality gaming, we're now able to process 3D audio live in real time," band member Matthew Kopperud told CBC Radio's The Afternoon Edition on Wednesday.
The audience will hear binaural sound, which is just a fancy way of saying the audio mimics the way you as a person hear the world around you. Imagine the sound of footsteps coming up behind you. Now, imagine that's the sound of a bass drum, a snare and a hi-hat.
Close Talker will bring that not-quite-surround sound to Saskatoon — a show that's already sold out — in June and then to Regina in August.
The project has been in the works since January 2018, Kopperud said. It spawned from a brainstorming session when the band wanted to something different from the usual tour cycle.
"It's really immersive. I mean that's that's kind of the buzzword we're throwing around this project but the hope is that the audience will truly feel a part of things, more more than ever before."
Kopperud said the band is aiming at turning the concert into a communal event that people can enjoy both individually and as part of a crowd.
What happens if you take the headphones off? You might hear a "little pitter patter of the drums," Kopperud said but it will be an almost silent concert "and kinda strange."
Local artists will also perform along side the band during the show. Artist Eric Hill will perform with Close Talker in Regina.
Tickets for the Regina show went on sale Wednesday.
With files from CBC Radio's The Afternoon Edition