Virtual band

This article is about animated musical groups. For musical groups in collaboration over the internet, seeInternet band.

Inentertainment,avirtual band(also called avirtual idol,virtual singer,virtual group,cartoon group,cartoon idol,cartoon singerorcartoon band) is a band or music group whose depicted members are not people, butanimated charactersor virtualavatars.The music is recorded (and, in the case of concerts, performed) by real musicians and producers, while any media related to the virtual band, includingalbums,video clips and the visual component of stage performances, feature the animated line-up; in many cases the virtual band members have been credited as the writers and performers of the songs. Live performances can become rather complex, requiring perfect synchronization between the visual and audio components of the show.

Virtual bandGorillazperforming live in 2018

The termvirtual bandwas popularized withGorillazin2000.However, the concept of the virtual band was first demonstrated byAlvin and the Chipmunksin 1958, when their creator,Ross Bagdasarian,accelerated recordings of his own voice to achieve the "chipmunk voice". There have since been numerous virtual bands that have recorded material.Computer animation,traditional animation,and vocal mixing and manipulation are common features.

The termvirtual idoloriginates from Japan, where it dates back to the 1980s and has roots inanimeandJapanese idolculture. Popular virtual idols include theVocaloidsingerHatsune Mikuand thevirtual YouTuberKizuna AI.

The term is sometimes confused formusic groups who collaborate using the Internet,who do not require members to be in the same physical place for their work.

Members

The members of virtual groups are depicted as animated characters, with their own personality, voice, history, and playing style. For example, Alvin, the leader of the Chipmunks, is mischievous, and Skeleton Staff's Guitarist Stanton is a party-going underachiever. Furthermore, Freen in Green's bassist Sparky is sluggish,MurdocofGorillazis a middle-agedsatanicbass player and Renard Queenston, also known simply as Renard, a fox psychopath dressed as a nurse. Another example isHatsune Mikuwho does not have a definite personality; her personality changes in each song based on interactions from the users ofVocaloid.

The style of animation used for depicting the characters varies. Some groups and idols, likeThe Archies,Gorillaz,Dethklok,The Banana Splits,Prozzäk,One-T,Dvar,Renard Queenston,Quasimoto,MC Skat Kat,VBirds,One eskimOandAlvin and the Chipmunksare hand-drawn characters, and much of their media usestraditional animationand cartooning techniques. Others, such asHatsune Miku,Kizuna Ai,Crazy Frog,Genki Rockets,Gummibär,Pinocchio,The Bots,Studio Killers,Beatcats,K/DA,Your Favorite Martian,Hololive,EternityandMave:arecomputer-generated.

Some people considerpuppetryas a form of animation;^[1]this consideration means groups likeDr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhemor31 Minutescan be considered virtual bands.

Production

In studio

The recording of the music is done by the human musicians and artists, whom the virtual artists are depicted to emulate. In some cases, the singing is done by machines or synthesizer applications, like theHatsune Mikuvocaloid.This is done using the normal in-studio recording process;seeSound recordingfor a detailed explanation.

In some instances, most notablyThe Chipmunks,manipulation of voices may be employed, either to achieve a desired vocal effect, or to make it dissimilar to the voice of the actual singer. The manipulation is done by either modifying the playback speed of the vocal track or by putting it through asynthesizer(Vocoding).

Writing and production credits may be assigned to either the virtual band characters, or the human writers and artists involved.

On stage

Virtual bands often perform throughvirtual concerts,where their likenesses are represented digitally on stage. One of two methods can be employed for live performances. The first involves animating the entire set, with little or no allowance for audience interaction, then "performing" it as is. The major pitfall with this method is the lack of audience interaction, which can be vital during concerts. This is best suited to short performances, where audience response can be predicted.

The second, and more complex, method differs from the first in that allowance is made for a variety of responses and interaction. This means having a wide range of animated sequences ready to play, with matching spoken lines, in response to different reactions.

In both cases, extensive rehearsal is required to synchronize spoken lines and instrumentation with animated action. This can be eliminated by using pre-recorded music and speech; however, doing so also weakens the actual "live" experience.

(Some non-virtual artists and groups have employed a similar technique on some concert tours and performances.DJ Shadow,for example, on hisIn Tune and On Timetour, had pre-animated sequences, which were played on giant screens behind him while he performed the set. Again, a large amount of pre-tour planning and synchronization rehearsal was required beforehand.)

History

Early history

While the term had not been coined at the time,Alvin and the Chipmunkswere the first virtual band to receive widespread fame. Centered on Alvin, his two brothers Simon and Theodore, and their manager/father Dave Seville, their voices were created byRoss Bagdasarian, Sr.,who accelerated the recording of his voice to create the distinctive sound; the process earned him twoGrammysin 1959 for engineering.

The success of the Chipmunks spurred on another group, theNutty Squirrels,to join the ranks. A scat-singing version of Bagdasarian's creation, they made the American Top 40 with their song "Uh-Oh". Their success, however, was short-lived.

Television

In 1968, The Banana Splits premiered on NBC but failed to chart the top 40. A year later in 1969, from rival CBS,The Archieswere the first virtual band to appear in worldwide pop charts.

During this time, other television programs, such asJosie and the PussycatsandThe Muppet Show,began to include bands as part of the format (in the case ofJosie and the Pussycats,the eponymous band was the show's focus). Some of the groups that appeared on these shows released mainstream recordings. Some bands, however, would "break up" after the end of the show's run.

AfterThe Archies,produced byFilmation,became a huge pop hit,Hanna-Barberastarted releasing several cartoon TV shows with the adventures of rock bands, such asJosie and the Pussycats,TheCattanooga Cats,The Impossibles,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids,Jabberjaw,and others.

During the 1980s,HasbroreleasedJem,an animated TV series featuring two enemy bands with a music video in each episode.

Virtual bands still appear in television: the Chipmunks appeared in their own television show for much of the 1990s, and theAdult SwimshowMetalocalypsefeatures the virtual melodic death metal bandDethklok.

Japanese virtual idols

Virtual idols originate from Japan, with roots inanimeandJapanese idolculture, and dating back to the 1980s, starting with theMacrossmecha animefranchise (adapted into theRobotechfranchise in North America).The first virtual idol wasLynn Minmay,a fictional singer who is one of the main characters in the anime television seriesSuper Dimension Fortress Macross(1982) and theanimated filmadaptationMacross: Do You Remember Love?(1984).VoicedbyMari Iijima,Lynn Minmay became the first fictional idol singer to garner major real-world success. Thetheme song"Do You Remember Love?" (from the filmMacross: Do You Remember Love?) reached number seven on theOriconmusic charts in Japan, and the song has since been covered numerous times over the next several decades.

TheJapanese cyberpunkanimeMegazone 23(1985) took the virtual idol concept further with EVE, who is depicted as acomputer-basedartificial intelligence(AI) who takes the form of a virtual idol within a proto-Matrix-likevirtual reality.Megazone 23was a success in Japan partly due to the appeal of EVE, and it was later adapted intoRobotech: The Movie(1986) in North America.A similar concept later appeared inMacross Plus(1994) with the virtual idolSharon Apple,acomputer programwho takes the form of an intergalacticpop star.The same year, the fictionalJapanese rockbandFire BomberfromMacross 7(1994) became a commercial success, spawning multipleCDsreleased in Japan.

TheJapanese talentagencyHoriprocreated the first real-life AI virtual idol,Kyoko Date,in 1995. Her creation was inspired by the success of theMacrossfranchise anddating simgames such asTokimeki Memorial(1994), along with advances incomputer graphics.Her initial announcement drew headlines, both in Japan and internationally, before she debuted as aCGIidol in 1996. However, she failed to gain commercial success, largely due to technical limitations leading to issues such as unnatural movement (an issue known as theuncanny valley).Despite her failure, she provided the template for later virtual idols who gained commercial success in the early 21st century, such as theVocaloidsinger Hatsune Miku and thevirtual YouTuberKizuna AI.

In 2007,Crypton Future MediaandYamahalaunchedVocaloid 2,with the voice bank ofHatsune Miku.In 2009, Hatsune Miku had her first concert. Other Vocaloids includeMeiko,Kaito,Kagamine Rin and Len,andMegurine Luka.

Virtual bands can also originate fromvideo games,as proven by the 2015Wii UgameSplatoon,which features songs credited to various virtual bands, the most notable being a pop duo called theSquid Sisters,who have performed several real world concerts as holograms.The game's 2017Nintendo Switchsequel,Splatoon 2,introduces more virtual bands, most notablyOff the Hook,a duo similar to the Squid Sisters. The two duos have performed together as holograms, and has had a special guest, K.K. Slider from the Animal Crossing series, to celebrate the release of Animal Crossing New Horizons.Prior to it, Nintendo had already made a virtual band composed of characters fromPikmincalledStrawberry Flower,to promote the games. Their first single,Ai no Uta,was a massive success in Japan, reaching #2 on the Weekly Oricon Top 200 Singles chart. In 2020, Sega and Sanrio teamed up to make their first collaboration virtual band,Beatcats.

Western virtual bands

Gorillazare an English virtual band created in 1998 by musicianDamon Albarnand artistJamie Hewlett,from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members:2-D(vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Russel Hobbs (drums). Their universe is presented in media such as music videos, interviews, comic strips and short cartoons. Gorillaz's music has featured collaborations with a wide range of featured artists, with Albarn as the only permanent musical contributor.

One-Tare a French virtual band created in 2000 byEddy Gronfierand Thomas Pieds.Eddy Gronfierproduces the music while Thomas Pieds creates the artwork and visuals. They were successful across Europe, especially France and Germany, with their 2003 hit single"The Magic Key",but since then were not able to repeat that success and remained aone-hit wonder.

Dethklok is a fictionalmelodic death metalband featured in theAdult Swimanimated television seriesMetalocalypse,known for its satirical or parodic lyrical themes.

The first official Dethklok album was released on September 25, 2007, entitledThe Dethalbum.The album debuted at number 21 onBillboardmagazine'sTop 200list.

K/DAis a virtualK-popgirl groupconsisting of four themed versions ofLeague of Legendscharacters Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai'Sa.(G)I-dlemembersMiyeonandSoyeonprovide the voices of Ahri and Akali, respectively,Madison Beervoices Evelynn, andJaira Burnsprovided the voice for Kai'Sa. However, the characters have also been voiced by other artists.

K/DA was developed byRiot Games,the company behindLeague of Legends,and was unveiled at the2018 League of Legends World Championshipwith anaugmented realitylive performance of their debut single, "Pop/Stars".A music video of the song uploaded toYouTubesubsequently went viral, surpassing 100 million views in one month, reaching 550 million views as of May 2023, and toppingBillboard's World Digital Song Sales chart.

In 2019, Riot created a virtual hip hop group calledTrue Damage,featuring the champions Ekko, Akali, Qiyana, Senna, and Yasuo. The vocalists performed a live version of their debut song, "Giants", during the opening ceremony of the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, alongside holographic versions of their characters.

Dvaris an anonymous virtual band fromRussiathat playsdarkwaveandelectronic music.

Korean virtual bands

Eternityis a virtual idol group formed by Pulse9. The group debuted on March 22, 2021, with the single "I'm Real". The group consists of 11 members: Seoa, Sujin, Minji, Zae-in, Hyejin, Dain, Chorong, Jiwoo, Yeoreum, Sarang and Yejin.They are created withartificial intelligencetechnology, Deep Real.

Mave:is a virtualgirl groupformed in 2023 by Metaverse Entertainment. The group consists of Siu, Zena, Marty, and Tyra, who are hyper-realistic,AI-generatedmembers that were created usingmachine learning,deep fake,and full3D production technology.

See also

• Avatar (computing)
• Uncanny valley
• Virtual actor
• Virtual concert
• Virtual influencer
• Virtual YouTuber