French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre plans a mixed reality show “surrounded by all the elements of French digital savoir-faire”, at the famous Château de Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, on December 25.
The event celebrates the 400th birthday of the Château de Versailles, which was the favorite hunting staycation of Louis XIII, and then became a symbol of absolute monarchy and an embodiment of classic art during the rule of Louis XIV, in 1623.
“The idea of the concert, which hosts spectators live and virtually on social media, is to surround oneself with the French digital savoir-faire as a tribute to the continuation of creativity,” Jarre told Agence France Press (AFP).
The electronic musician recalled that Versailles was a destination for “the dreamers who created automatons, the ancestors of robots, for example.”
According to Jarre, the concert is planned “in three modes at the same time.” First, the live concert at the Hall of Mirrors for the attending audience. Second, in virtual reality at a gallery reconstructed in collaboration with Vrroom, a French platform and studio specializing in designing immersive shows.
The virtual audience can access the concert on VR headsets, tablets and smartphones. The third mode is the live broadcast on the French TV channels, including (Groupe M6-W9), international TV channels, on radio (RTL) and other platforms.
During the concert, Jarre will be wearing a VR headset fashioned by Lynx, a French startup specializing in mixed reality. “It’s an exceptional headset that allows me to connect with the audience in the hall and on social media,” the musician explained.
The program includes some of his greatest hits, some of which were specially redistributed for this event.
The renowned musician, also known as JMJ, said that what he loves the most about VR is “the ability to invite the audience to live in their dreams.” He also promised to introduce a world that blends Tron, a famous sci-fi movie from the 1980s, with the works of Tim Burton inspired by magic and darkness. The show also recalls the “passing through mirrors” idea, inspired by Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and The Beast.
For his event, JMJ plans on using artificial intelligence for his virtual content. “In this case, when it comes to graphics, AI is the extension of my imagination. It’s a super-collaborator which I keep under control,” he explained.
Jarre, who was the president of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), acknowledged the AI-related concerns about property rights. A recent fake duo that used the voices of Drake and The Weeknd without their consent, stirred remarkable controversy.
“Every tech innovation has a tech response. When an algorithm is capable of doing something like this, we should develop another algorithm that determines the source of what we are using, like the share of The Weeknd, Gainsbourg or Jarre (laughing), to make sure rights are distributed fairly,” he says.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of regulations. Behind regulations, there is freedom. We invented the driving license that allows us to drive on roads,” he adds.
Jean-Michel Jarre, the immersive performance savvy, performed a VR concert on December 31, 2020. Sponsored by UNESCO and virtually held at the Notre Dame Cathedral, the event was free, accessible around the world and broadcasted on YouTube and Facebook.
