Perfume x Technology presents "Reframe" at NHK Hall

This is NIPPON Premium Theater Perfume x Technology presents “Reframe” took place on March 20th and 21st at Tokyo’s NHK Hall. This is NIPPON Premium Theater is NHK’s program which aims to promote Japan and its culture to the world for the Summer Olympic games in Tokyo 2020. This report covers the show on March 21st.

Reframe aims to restructure the existing perspective of music entertainment through an experimental collaboration of the latest technology and Perfume’s live performance. The chemistry of Perfume’s dances that are choreographed by MIKIKO, along with innovative visual effects, sometimes with the use of drones developed by the Rhizomatiks Research team led by Daito Manabe, succeeded in harmonizing human touch and technology during the event.

The experimental show started with Recollect, and a number of box-type stage screens displayed Perfume’s past music videos. A lyric reference system using SyncPower API automatically extracted and rearranged vocals and images to create a new audio-visual collage, composed of music videos from the past and present. Other screens also showed interview footage from the past. In the midst of the recollection process, a-chan (Ayaka Nishiwaki), KASHIYUKA (Yuka Kashino), and NOCCHi (Ayano Omoto) appeared on three different box screens. Their voices and dance moves during the performance of their electro-pop song, DISPLAY, reunited members with the different stages of life they lived.

This special presentation continued into Record. Real-time vocal analysis data of the three members was used to activate lights on boxes each of the members were in, as well as projection mapped waveform images. Lights and images changed using voice analysis data of their voices through the microphones. The fourth song, Butterfly, featured biometric data and 24 drones. Data of the members’ heart rates controlled stage lighting, as well as images on the stage screens and sounds during the performance. 24 drones which all had flashing round lights, flew above the members in formation, and they changed formations along with the members’ dance moves.

A collaboration of Perfume’s synchronized dance with this technology continued to amaze fans during FUSION. For this presentation, 3D data of the three members was used to make virtual light and shadows which was then projected onto big screens behind the members. This dynamic combination of Perfume and their own pre-rendered CG silhouettes, which were created from previously captured images of the members, completely wowed fans.

The three members’ heartfelt vocals harmonized human touch with technology during Negai. Throughout the song, the viewers’ special photos and messages to their loved ones, which were submitted prior to the show, created images on the stage screens. Photography data was analyzed in such a way to match with scenes from a Perfume music video. The performance showed the potential that technology has to build a special platform that can unite people.

Finally, Perfume performed their new song titled Mugenmirai. During the performance, lasers were projection mapped in real-time onto frames that the members were holding. Perfume’s hands were also synced to move lasers around the stage by the use of hand-tracking data, while drones projected real-time Augmented Reality images above the members.

Ovations filled NHK Hall for Perfume and those who succeeded in reframing the existing perspective of music entertainment with this new technology.

At the end of the show, each member took a moment to speak to fans.

a-chan
“I like trying something that is brand new. However, through this show, I learned that creating something new by restructuring old data is actually innovative. Let all of us embrace and express the beliefs that Japan is actually great and together we can do more!”

NOCCHi
“I think technology has warmth and love because it is made by real people. Without such technology, we would not be able to perform with your special photos on the same stage together.”

KASHIYUKA
“I would like to thank our staff and fans for enabling us to have such a heartwarming experience of being able to reframe what three of us built together with each one of you. The whole experience was nostalgic and new at the same time.”

Set List

01. Recollect
02. DISPLAY
03. Record
04. Butterfly
05. Secret Secret
06. Electro World
07. FUSION
08. Three Walks
09. Negai
10. Mugenmirai

NHK will broadcast the show on the following dates:

In Japan
NHK BS Premium "Perfume x Technology presents Reframe"
April 29th, 2018 (Sunday) 11:30pm - 12:30am (JST)

NHK World
NHK WORLD-JAPAN "Entertainment Nippon 2018 Perfume"
May 20th, 2018 (Sunday) 8:10am - 8:59am, 2:10pm - 2:59pm, 7:10pm - 7:59pm (JST)
May 21st, 2018 (Monday) 2:10pm - 2:59pm (JST)

Official site: https://www.nhk.or.jp/tokyo2020/change/tech/perfume/index_en.html

You can watch the live footage from FUSION to Mugenmirai on the NHK YouTube channel.