What are Panoramal Paranormal Investigations? What kind of equipment do you need to go on a Phantom hunt? Is it more dangerous than they say… or an unorganised exercise in futility?
Pepe Deluxé's fifth album, The Phantom Cabinet Vol. 1, is a wild collection of psychedelic prog-funk and percussive groove-rock, ripe for the dancefloor, laced with exotica flavours and upbeat songwriting.
The album, released on October 22nd 2021 by Catskills Records, comes in accompanied by an online exhibition.
| Client | Pepe Deluxé |
| XR Production | Arilyn / Virtual Art Gallery |
The Virtual Phantom Cabinet showcases the album's artwork, created by Vilunki 3000 and Pepe Deluxé's James Spectrum, and tells the stories and history behind some of the unique instruments used in the album.
Trippy artwork, alluring stories, and out-of-this-world instruments in an online space
The Sound of God's Trumpet via the mystical and revolutionary Soviet synthesizer "ANS", a drum machine designed by da Vinci, Alexander Bell's "Ear Phonautograph" - a sound recorder using the actual ear and part of the skull of a dead man, and Sexophone: Finnish visionary Erkki Kurenniemi's synth designed for group sex.
The Virtual Phantom Cabinet online exhibition is built around the band's unique characteristics.
"All the material collected for Phantom Cabinet Vol. 1 during the last ten years forms a gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art. The Virtual Phantom Cabinet is a hub, digital cabinet of curiosities that brings together and expands the album's various elements," James Spectrum from Pepe Deluxé describes the exhibition.
Spectrum - and us at Arilyn as well - hopes people who visit the Cabinet enjoy it - it's supposed to answer questions but also to raise them. The visitor's own imagination is an essential part of the experience!
The future of XR storytelling lies in concentrating on the contents and user experiences
As to what comes to the future, James Spectrum sees the Virtual Phantom Cabinet as a kickstart for something more to come."I see the work done as far as just the first leg of a long journey. I'm thrilled with this first version of the Virtual Phantom Cabinet, the first exhibition - but I already have more ideas for it. This is especially important as the album Phantom Cabinet Vol. 2 is 85% ready," Spectrum reveals.
Spectrum believes that XR technology's adoption will follow the same pattern that happened with mobile phones - and it's already happening.
"Plenty of companies will develop very exciting technologies, and the development is very tech-based. And then someone comes up with the wild idea of actually concentrating on the contents and user experiences - and they will take over and rule the XR world," Spectrum hints.
I wonder what he is referring to.
Visit the Phantom Cabinet online Art exhibition.
