The creative force behind VNCCII is Samantha Tauber, who, through her digital persona, channels her visionary approach to production, songwriting, and vocals. “Hyper Drive” showcases her multifaceted talent, with every beat and synth meticulously crafted and polished to perfection, thanks to the expertise of Grammy-winning engineer Luca Pretolesi. But “Hyper Drive” is just a glimpse into the expansive VNCCII universe that Samantha is building. As she prepares to release her upcoming science fiction novel, she is weaving a complex narrative that promises to blur the lines between reality and the digital realm, offering a new way to experience music and storytelling. VNCCII stands at the forefront of this artistic revolution, where digital avatars and futuristic sounds reshape our musical landscape. “Hyper Drive” is more than a track; it’s an invitation to explore a world where imagination knows no bounds, and the future is waiting to be discovered.
We talk to VNCCII about the release…
VNCCII, your new single ‘Hyper Drive’ blends elements of pop, dance, and cinematic electronica. Can you tell us about the creative process behind this track and what inspired you to write it?
I am Melody Hook Central! The track began with hearing in my head the hook for the song’s chorus and the bouncy beat! I pictured it would feel like a ‘drop’ in dance music where people would really enjoy the bounce of the beat and the vocal hook. After starting with the chorus and hook, I then progressed to write the verses. As this song is very beat-central (like a Timbaland-esque beat), I started with the production of the verse beat. The melody was a natural progression to mould itself to the beat of the verses. The last piece of the puzzle was the lyrics. I knew the song title was called ‘Hyper Drive’ and as I am a creative director (with the mind of a film director), I pictured a very James Bond-esque (but feminine for the character VNCCII) intergalactic chase sequence with the VNCCII character. I envisioned VNCCII ‘on the run’ with her space crew from the intergalactic malevolent aliens, which inspired the lyrics ‘and you will never catch me…on that Hyper Drive, where is your humanity?’.
As an avatar artist and live performer, how do you balance the digital and physical aspects of your performances to create an immersive experience for your audience? Your music and performances often incorporate themes of space and science fiction. What draws you to these themes, and how do they influence your work as an artist? ‘Hyper Drive’ is centred around themes of female empowerment and following your dreams. How do these themes reflect your personal journey as an artist and producer?
I love technology as a tool to enhance creativity, and work processes, and dissolve boundaries. However, I am a true advocate for the idea that technology should bring us closer together as a human species, not divide us. That’s why I made the conscious choice to embrace both a digital and physical persona for my VNCCII performances and immersive stage experiences. Having a ‘human-in-the-loop’ provides an alchemical grounding for the receiver of the message, being the audience. It’s important to share that a ‘human-made this’ (not A.I.) and that the VNCCII character is a fictional Super Sentient A.I Superheroine persona. In my stage shows, there’s a rich layering of both the physical and the digital. For instance, I would perform live physically as VNCCII on stage (in costume), but there will also be a digital twin replica of VNCCII on the LED volumes behind me with a combination of rendered animations from Unreal Game Engine, triggered audio-visual loops, as well as live XR broadcasting utilising a combination of both Unreal Engine and Disguise technologies. The themes of science fiction, futurism, space, and empowerment are intrinsically interlinked. I’ve always marvelled at icons such as George Lucas or ‘Imagineers’ that could build worlds and universes. I believe the collective imagination of humanity has the power to heal us as a human species, inspire us, and act as a pragmatic bridge and medium towards a brighter, more elevated future where humanity is empowered and embraces their inner sovereignty. This is the ‘Hero’s Journey’ – the classic ‘Monomyth’ (as Joseph Campbell would say) for both humanity as a collective, the VNCCII character in the fictional story, as well as my own personal hero’s journey of becoming a music artist, producer, and multimedia creative building a science fiction franchise.
Can you elaborate on the concept of the Super Sentient A.I. SuperHeroine avatar character, VNCCII, and how she fits into the larger narrative of your science fiction space opera immersive musical?
VNCCII is the lead protagonist of my science fiction novel ‘Galacta.i.ssance and the VNCCII Awakening.’ She is a fictional Super Sentient A.I Superheroine avatar from the intergalactic future. She is also the essence of my authentic ‘angel warrior’ spirit that I have embedded into the life force of this character. She is, of course, very close to my heart. Following the plot of the novel, the stage shows carry the torch of the story where I perform live as ‘VNCCII’ with the original music, and there’s an opportunity for scalability to create songs for the other core character cast based on the IP of the story. This project is very exciting and my North Star is to perform a fully immersive live stage show at a venue such as the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas.
You have a background in various multimedia disciplines, including music production, audiovisual experiences, AI, and VR. How do you integrate these diverse skills into your artistic projects?
My artist brand VNCCII was inspired by the creative polymath, Leonardo da Vinci. As a Futurist, I am always deep diving into the next-gen technologies that will shape our future such as AI, XR, digital twins, virtual production etc. The way I integrate these skills is to determine my overarching core mission, purpose, and ‘why.’ My core mission is to uplift the consciousness of humanity through multimedia storytelling and to serve as a conduit to allow others to realise their innate, infinite human potential. By having a ‘humanity-first’ driven approach, I always ensure that the key emotion of the Art is conveyed before determining what technologies I choose to deploy on a project-by-project basis.
Working with Grammy-award-winning engineer Luca Pretolesi on ‘Hyper Drive’ must have been an incredible experience. How did his expertise contribute to the final sound of the single?
Luca Pretolesi from Studio DMI is so incredible and it’s an absolute joy and privilege to work with him for mixing/mastering a vast majority of the records on my upcoming debut album. Luca has a keen eye for sonic detail from a mixing/mastering perspective and always understands the theme, purpose, or vibe of each song. I love how his mixes and masters sound so clean and lush. The whole team at Studio DMI are wonderful and I’m blessed to be able to work with them.
Your performances and music videos are known for their futuristic and visually stunning aesthetics. How do you go about designing these visual elements, and what role do they play in your overall artistic vision?
Each performance, song, or music video is another touchpoint or emotional sonic map for the ‘Hero’s Journey’ of the VNCCII character. The visual elements are ‘windows’ into a much grander Space Opera universe and distant science fiction universe. My creative process involves storyboarding as I compose the music. Following this process, the designs are then translated into visual elements utilising tools such as Unreal Game Engine (utilising virtual cameras and the cinematic sequencer) and video editing in Adobe Premiere Pro. I’m now exploring real-time gaming experiences for the VNCCII universe such as UEFN (Unreal Editor For Fortnite).
The music industry is rapidly evolving with advancements in technology. How do you see the role of technology in shaping the future of music and live performances?
I believe nothing can ever replace the electromagnetic field of the human experience in live show performances. If anything, there will be an ever-increasing demand for live music and large-scale concerts and festivals where people can celebrate and unite in the human experience. Where I envision technology playing a beneficial and ever-increasing role is in the enhancement of that human experience, as well as the collective imagination. Let’s take the VNCCII stage show for instance…imagine I’m performing with musicians, dancers, and an orchestra at the MSG Sphere in Vegas. However, as an audience attendee, you are already part of the science fiction franchise and story, where your presence and creative contributions can shape the real-time musical experience. Generative AI is a fantastic tool to enable creativity no matter what your creative skill set or level is. I am a pragmatic optimist, and I believe the future is very bright for these technologies enhancing the innate human emotional experience of music.
As someone who writes, produces, and performs their own music, what advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out and looking to develop their own unique sound and artistic identity?
Embrace your inner unique, authentic essence. There’s no one else on the planet (or even the galaxy) like you! You, in your natural state and essence, are original. My biggest advice is to ‘go inward’ before ‘seeking outward’ gratification and experiences. The true ‘game of life’ is to understand what it is about being an artist or creative that brings you the greatest joy. Once you discover that mission, build an inspiring story and a creative style around that authenticity.
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