Last Tuesday, we held an Abbey Road Red takeover of the British Music Embassy at SXSW. By night, the venue played host to the UK’s most exciting new artists, while by day, the music industry held a variety of meet-ups and presentations.

Our day was dedicated to exploring the most innovative trends in music technology and our second panel was focused on immersive content and how immersive mediums are influencing our music making and listening. Called 'Immerse Me in Your [Content] Splendour', our panellists were experimental music technologist, Chagall, electro-pop maestro, Femme, together with two start-ups from the Abbey Road Red incubator - COTODAMA’s Taka Suzuki and Broomx’s Russell Vargo.

1. How is technology enhancing performance and the immersive experience?

• Artists spoke about how technology enhances their music creativity and how they want to present the music. Chagall uses tech to push boundaries on performance and to have the audience more invested in the overall artistic picture. Femme talked about growing up with tech and actually tech empowering her to produce herself and not be at the behest of someone else’s vision for her project

• Broomx and Cotodama talked about their tech enhancing the consumer experience and helping artists express their vision (you can fill in the gaps)

2. When and how does immersive content add to rather than take away from the music itself?

• Chagall spoke about the Ukiyo Cave project – using VR designed to focus the user on the music
• Broomx spoke about visuals enhancing the music with experience
• Cotodama spoke about artist reactions to the power of their own lyrics

3. What is the one piece of tech you can’t live without?

• Chagall – her gloves and VR rig
• Femme – her computer!

4. What is coming next?

• Chagall – excited about AR and what that brings to her set
• Broomx – projectors in your living room
• Cotodama – speaker, app and visualisation of podcast

At the end of the panel COTODAMA presented their new immersive lyric visual live experience, with a DJ set from acclaimed Japanese DJ, SEIMEI (Trekkie Trax), with animated lyrics bringing to life the words in real-time while the music played out across the room and drew in passers by from the street.