Two Artists Met in Second Life, Realized Their Dreams in Zurich's Streets with Muro Box Playing Their Creation(Switzerland、U.S.A.)
Proton d-oo-b & Kalyca
Two Artists Met in Second Life, Realized Their Dreams in Zurich's Streets with Muro Box Playing Their Creation(Switzerland、U.S.A.)
Proton d-oo-b & Kalyca
Hello Everyone,
We are Proton d-oo-b and Kalyca, we started a very special music project called “Alchemelic”, and this word combined the meanings from “Alchemy” and “melic”.
Proton d-oo-b is a versatile musician known for blending traditional and avant-garde styles, while Kalyca is a multimedia artist who pushes the boundaries of texture and color.
Kalyca’s roots are in California. She currently lives in Chicago. Proton d-oo-b lives in Switzerland. We communicate primarily with video calls. We perform and create in Second Life. According to our performance venue, our shows are decorated differently with our self-made 3D art.
In the last seven years (Alchemelic was founded in 2016), Kalyca has flown to Switzerland several times yearly. So we still have a lot of time to work together in person.
Alchemelic: A Project Blending Melodies with Art
Kaly and proton d-oo-b first crossed paths in the virtual world of Second Life, where they soon developed feelings for each other. At the time, Proton d-oo-b was already exploring his musical talents.
We both decided to share our musical creations with the Second Life community. We incorporated mathematics, European musical style, and music theory from 1750 to 1850.
Our vision is to connect people’s hearts through our music videos. Because we received positive responses from the audience, we decided to establish a special music project, “Alchemelic,” 2016.
When we chose the name in 2016, our vision for our shows was to be magical and boil some secret melodic music soup (in contrast to most current Western music, primarily based on rhythm and lyrics). That’s why we combined the words alchemy and melic to Alchemelic.
For your information:
**mel·ic ˈme-lik. : of or relating to song : lyric. especially : of or relating to Greek lyric poetry of the seventh and sixth centuries b.c.
Our music and art video creation in the Second Life started in 2017. We have uploaded more than 200 videos to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Alchemelic, and this project has grown with the support from our fans.
Alchemelic has performed at various venues, including Burning Man, Second Life Birthday, and Fantasy Faire. If you’re interested in experiencing the magic of Alchemelic, check out our website at https://d-oo-b.net/ to listen to our music and learn more about our work.
How We Found the Muro Box
We aimed to take our music to the streets and wanted to explore the potential for real-life performance. Our initial plan was to play music using loudspeakers, but we soon discovered that it was not allowed. To overcome this challenge, we considered using a music box with punch cards. During our search for a suitable music box, we came across the Muro box on Amazon and believed it was the ideal solution for showcasing our work on the streets of Zurich.
Convinced by the product’s capabilities, we quickly ordered two Muro boxes after testing it on Twitch. This trial provided us with valuable insights into the product, further strengthening our trust in it.
Comment on the Muro Box
The Muro Box is characterized by a unique sound that combines the classic, refined music box tone that many people are familiar with, and a subtle, mechanical rumble that gives the box its distinctive and captivating aura. The result is a musical experience unlike any other, full of character and presence.
Our Experiences with the Muro Box Team’s Melody Arrangement Service
We were so excited about the melody arrangement service when we discovered Muro Box. It was one of our main reasons for purchasing a Muro box. The possibility to have all our best pieces of music playing on just 20 music notes we could not miss.
We did not know about the quality of those Muro versions and how they would turn out in the end. Despite that, we decided that the Muro box employees and the founders’ vision significantly matched our ideas, so we tried it.
When we received the first arranged melody (by the fantastic Hung-Yin Liu), it was way better than expected. Ever since, she has delivered amazing interpretations of our most beloved Alchemelic music. So far, Hung-Yin has arranged 15 Alchemelic music pieces, and we are hungry for more.
At first, we thought bringing our music to the Muro Box was impossible because we used up to 40 different instruments in our work. So we sent tracks we believe are possible to arrange. But by now, we have learned that Hung-Yin can deal with all our music no matter what. She has this excellent skill to simplify our music and preserve its soul.
Appendix: How We Created Music for Alchemelic
European music composers from 1750 to 1850 (classical music) developed a lot of “rules” that are taught as “music theory” all over the world today. I use Mathematics to implement all those rules according to the essential harmony and dynamic pattern I define.
I work one piece after the other. I cannot work on several melodies at the same time. Once one is finished, which takes about 1 to 2 weeks, I usually take a break and enjoy the new music. Then I get an itch to make a new one after a while. This happens only in the mornings after I wake up. I could not start working on a brand-new melody in the evening because the first session usually takes up to 16 hours in a row. If I don’t spend that much time on it, I typically create a new piece of music because if it’s not keeping me interested, I try a new approach and start over from scratch.
The rest is choosing the best fitting instruments, mixing and balancing, improving minor sections by rewriting, and, last but not least, mastering the track.
The Art Style and Philosophy of Our Creation
Each performance we do in Second Life is unique and is created spontaneously. We choose to have each show be different from the last. Kalyca never knows what songs proton d-oo-b will play before we begin.
Because of this, Kalyca can choose the colors and shapes according to the mood and feel of the song at the moment. Kalyca has a certain sense of color and spirit that she can share using particles and lights.
Kalyca is also a fan of surreal art. She likes to create an otherworldly atmosphere. We love creating different environments. For us and our fans, it keeps things interesting and unique.
