Microsoft Xbox(TM) Launches Search For Britain's Hottest New Music Talent
National competition will see undiscovered musicians win time in a recording studio
London, May 2007 - Thousands of unsigned bands, bedroom DJs and singers are to be given the chance to make their dreams of stardom a reality, as Microsoft Xbox announces a national campaign to find Britain's hottest new undiscovered music talent at www.xbox.com/music.
From today, Xbox is looking for up and coming artists to create their own music to fit the visuals of Xbox 360 game trailers. Entrants to the 'Soundtracks' competition will be able to download a range of trailers from xbox.com/music to produce music to. Aspiring musicians then simply have to upload their track and video back to the site where anyone can view and rate their efforts. The winner will then win time in a state-of-the-art recording studio, to lay down their track for real with the help of a professional production team, and walk away with a professional demo tape.
The competition was launched by hot new band Enter Shikari, who have created an exclusive track, crafted by the band's frontman Rou Reynolds and inspired by the trailer for the much anticipated Xbox 360 title - Blue Dragon. It is set to provide the inspiration for thousands of like minded musicians to send in their demos to be in with a chance of scooping this unforgettable prize.
Commenting on the new track, lead singer Roughton Reynolds said: "Having just got back from a tour of Japan we were completely taken by Japanese culture, so when I saw the trailer for Blue Dragon it made perfect sense to write a track to fit it. I'm excited by the results - the visuals work so well with the music and fit our sound really well. Hopefully, other musicians out there will feel inspired by games too and want to get involved."
The Xbox Soundtracks programme will see artists across Europe remixing tracks to promote the competition. It was launched in Europe in February by the Scissor Sisters who produced an exclusive remix of their single 'She's My Man' to fit the game trailer for Halo Wars.
Stephen McGill, Microsoft Head of Gaming and Entertainment added: "The fact that music artists are being inspired by video games to make new music is a major turning point in the industry. With the quality and realism of games now better than ever, the emotional engagement can now, for the first time ever, be compared with film, theatre or other arts, and this is being reflected in how people are reacting to them. We're delighted to have a band as innovative and exciting as Enter Shikari on board and we hope that it will inspire other people to get creative too."
Ends
Notes to editors:
Enter Shakiri's track, along with the Scissor Sisters' and other artists' tracks can be downloaded exclusively from www.xbox.com/music Full details, including registration details, T&Cs and closing dates are available on www.xbox.com/music Enter Shikari's unique fusion of hardcore metal and euphoric trance has seen them enjoy a meteoric rise to fame. Only the second band in history to sell out the London Astoria without a record deal, their debut album Take To The Skies entered the UK Album chart at number four - and that's after they won the NME John Peel Award for InnovationFor more information, please contact xbox@jcpr.com
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About Microsoft
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