TDv: Come with us to a new dimension

Throughout the late 20th and early 21st Century, prominent global figures, including Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan and, most recently, Elon Musk have hinted at the ever-nearing era of augmented reality.

As Wired’s Kevin Kelly wrote in 2019, “we are building a map of unimaginable scope. When it's complete, our physical reality will merge with the digital universe.”

Call it the mirror world, call it virtual reality, call it an alternate digital interface - whichever name it goes by, it’s imminent.

To a generation who grew up on The Matrix, Inception and two French dudes in robot helmets soundtracking Tron, those prophecies don’t sound like too much of a leap. We’re living in the age of The Hadron Collider, String Theory and cyber warfare after all.

2020 often felt like it had been distilled through the filter of a sci-fi fanboy, but as we edge into 2021 and tiptoe out of the pandemic, we are entering the dawn of a bold, new era. The digital age is upscaling... 

The Present

After almost twelve months of being shut out in the cold and largely being left in the dark, our industry heard the PM utter words we’d been longing to hear.

“... from 21st June, we say goodbye to most remaining restrictions, resuming large scale events and reopening nightclubs.”

Daylight. A collective sigh of relief. 21st June is not light years away, but for a community who was first to close and last to reopen, excuse us for feeling just a little bit impatient. Like a compressed spring, we are ready to uncoil.

Fortunately, things have been happening, not so much behind closed doors, but in a dimension just out of sight of the naked eye but always within our consciousness.

The rebuild is already underway. But we turn, not to the past, but look to the future. The pandemic exposed our vulnerabilities and showed the fragile balance the modern world hangs in. It underlined the importance of pushing things forward.

While we could have tread water, instead, we step boldly over the horizon line to a brave new world.

Virtual clubbing has long been mooted as being right around the corner. Radio 1’s Annie Mac road tested VR tech in her 2017 documentary ‘Who Killed The Night?’ Like all new technologies it was initially met with scepticism. Humans are not wired to cope with change. Far less, the heads-up that change is incoming.

But when change is thrust upon us, we’re better equipped for adaptation than we imagine.

Last Year

When it became clear clubbing was on hiatus indefinitely, we chose not to dwell and mope, but channel energy in a proactive, forward-thinking manner.

The core principles of who LWE are and what we do - underground parties in unique places with world class talent and obsessive attention to detail - didn’t have to change. Our shows always held organisation, sound and production in the highest of regard. Once we had breached into the metaphysical realm, those principles remained intact.

But it got us thinking.

If we can create a virtual space when clubbing is off the cards, creating a hybrid space when clubbing returns isn’t too much of a stretch.

Easter 2021: TDv Launch

We have partnered with global-leading virtual live event platform Sansar to bring our vision into reality. Our long term goal is to turn Tobacco Dock into the UK’s first hybrid clubbing space - an event to be enjoyed in the physical, the digital or a combination of the two. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun in the interim.

Easter weekend is such a pivotal weekend in clubland - one which we already lost in 2020. It’s removal leaves a gaping chasm in the calendar. Ordinarily, Tobacco Dock would form a huge part of that public holiday in London.

What is it about the potential of hybrid events that is getting us excited?

Tobacco Dock has a limited capacity. The number of tickets we sell is finite. These are highly sought after events that sell out weeks in advance. That demand is only going to shoot upwards now the public has been starved of partying for 12+ months.

Not only do hybrid events allow for people to join virtually no matter their geographic location or timezone, but it also gives access to those who missed out on tickets or who may have been priced out economically. Anybody who might not be old enough to legally visit a licensed venue, or, conversely, anybody who might think they’re too old to face festival-sized crowds, are also welcomed into the fold. Even those who may suffer from anxiety in public spaces suddenly have a viable outlet to enjoy clubbing, whilst remaining in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

We’re suddenly a lot more inclusive, opening us up to a global audience, and the best part is we aren’t restricted by the limits of bricks and mortar. We can do it without compromising the safety of those in attendance.

As our colleague and commercial director at Tobacco Dock, Jonathan Read explains, “the core reason to hold an event in the first place is to bring people together in a shared experience.”

The Metaverse

Consider the metaverse as the convergence point of our physical and virtual selves - the sum of the real world and the digital. Anybody who owns Google Goggles or Apple Glasses will already have an experience of the early technology that operates within the metaverse.

Browsing the merch stall, refuelling at the food hall, queuing for drink tokens, exploring hidden crevices of the venue, watching peripheral entertainment - as exclusive event organisers for Tobacco Dock, we’ve long subscribed to the belief that our all-dayers are so much more than parties alone.

Jonathan continues, “When you attend a TDv event, taking part takes you away from the dull familiarity of your desk and truly immerses you in the world of the party as if you really were there.”

Like a physical visit to Tobacco Dock would include a whole lot more than merely four dance floor experiences, TDv replicates that immersion. In addition to interacting with other users in real-time, your avatar will be able to participate in a host of functions. How deep you go will be entirely at your discretion.

You could try a demo for a forthcoming game title or watch a cultural seminar, then follow it up by asking questions to the expert panel. Earn credits by completing tasks and exchange them for character upgrades.

The other area we’re excited to explore is something else we have a long history of - collaboration. Visitors to our events at Tobacco Dock and elsewhere will be familiar with engaging brand activations by our partners. Giant synthesizers and mazes are just a couple of the concepts we’ve seen through to fruition.

In a digital format, together with our partners, we can take this in so many new directions.

The possibilities this format presents are endless… Even the slightest, most subtle functions have the potential to become revolutionary.

Perhaps the DJ has just dropped a track that has blown your mind. Under normal circumstances, this would involve you fumbling awkwardly for your phone in a failed attempt to Shazam it. Such behaviour is clumsy and ultimately breaks that moment of dancefloor euphoria. As an isolated incident, it seems fairly innocuous, but if dozens of attendees collectively reach for their phone, you can understand how the cumulative effect is one which dents the atmosphere.

Now imagine the same scenario at a virtual event. Instead of disrupting the flow, you could covertly bookmark the moment in a split-second without ever leaving “the zone”. The next morning when you emerge, the bookmarked tracks will already be waiting for you in a playlist on your choice of streaming platform or Beatport’s shopping cart.

As promoters to large scale parties, we trade in trust. Whether it’s an unknown artist, a new concept or a previously unused location, it wouldn’t work without trust. We’ve spent years building a rapport and understanding with our community. It’s reciprocal. We throw the party, you bring the vibe. The relationship relies heavily on trusting one another. If one doesn’t fulfil their end of the deal, the whole thing falls apart.

Much like visiting a real LWE event, we actively encourage you to lower your inhibition and step out of your comfort zone. Escapism is partying in its truest form.

Essentially, we’re not really asking much more of you. Once again, we’re asking our audience to trust us. Push beyond the pixels and we’re doing what we’ve always done.

So take our hand and let's dance together into the unknown.

No matter the age, humans have always proved themselves to be creative beings by design.

Electronic music was built on the pillars of innovation and futurism. 

Hybrid events are coming and we have positioned ourselves to be at the forefront of this exciting revolution. Easter weekend should therefore be considered the bridge from one era to the next - clubbing evolution in motion.

Though unknown, one certainty is that the future holds a world of infinite possibility. Signs point to electronic music and events once again being at the forefront of human interaction.