APRIL | ME, MYSELF & I
David W.
Johnson
PEEX’s COO, a former NASA
engineer, talks Elton John,
holograms and augmenting sound
I worked on the Curiosity Rover project,
which is set to launch in 2020. I was
involved with working on semi-
conductors at The Raytheon Company,
looking into emerging technologies
and investments. At PEEX I had a
great opportunity to implement new
technology with a fantastic team.
Live music is becoming increasingly
immersive and technology is being
embraced to enable this. Examples
range from the wearable Coldplay
Xylobands to holograms, but it’s also
about extending the experience of a show
using technology before and after. This
has been done with apps and augmented
reality, or with selfies and so forth. There’s
also a lot of localisation of live shows, and
the music industry is in a unique spot
with a lot of stakeholders.
PEEX recognises the importance of improving the live experience
between the artist and the fan, so we built a high-quality sound
product that augements the artist’s sound, and works anywhere
in the venue, transmitting signals that make it sound like you’re
plugged into the sound desk. On top of that, we give fans the ability
to interact with the show in real time via our app. You can hear more
guitar, percussion. Live events are meant to be experienced with
real people, and real interactions, so we augment the live experience
with clarity and interactivity.
(PEEX partner) Elton John is extremely tech-forward and passionate
about how he brings his music to his fans, and we share that goal
at PEEX. We’ve assembled a phenomenal team of technologists and
live music professionals to deliver a revolutionary way to expand live
music. Elton is the tip of a long sphere of many future artists. Right
50
now we have a long list we’re working
with. It’s not only artists, but artist
managers and venues.
For any technology, you need to
increase the size of the pie and make it
advantageous for everyone and bring
new revenue streams for artists and
promoters. Navigating the live music
industry is complex., and technology is
about how to stand out. At Coachella,
for example, when you’re at the back of
the crowd it sounds bad, and the same
happens at many venues, and it’s very
distracting. You’ve paid a lot for your
ticket.
Data is vital to our future and it
provides value and experience.
Through rental we have a one to one
relationship with the user, which allows us to, for example, run a
contest and give five users backstage passes, or a signed guitar. We
can individualise experiences, and run other projects like creating
VIP areas.
Ultimately, an industry needs to be economically viable.
Traditionally at a live show, a venue makes money from renting
space and selling beer. An artist makes money for showing up and
merchandise, but the money doesn’t always trickle down. We need
to bring in more revenue and spread it out.
The jury is till out on VR. It makes a lot of sense in video games, but
not as a replacement to live experience. We’ll have to see. I think
augmentation is much more powerful. The turnaround test is key –
if you leave your house and forget it do you turn back? Then there’s
the toothbrush test – is it something you use every day?