Metropolis by PARAFRAME

Frankfurt-based producer PARAFRAME has dedicated his life to independent music creation and filmmaking. From his early days as part of the Moonbeam project to releasing two artist albums under his Pavel Khvaleev alias, PARAFRAME embarks on a new adventure that reflects his unique artistic vision through visual creativity.

Awarded four DJ Mag Top 100 features, with his independent films showcased at 25 international film festivals and streaming on platforms like Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video, Pavel’s audio-visual creations are celebrated for their innovative and creative approach to storytelling.

The title of the album draws inspiration from the 1927 cult movie Metropolis, a film about a dystopian society that also defines the album’s central concept. Metropolis showcases two decades of mastery in music and film production by PARAFRAME, pushing the limits of visual effects and 3D engines like Unreal Engine. This creative vision weaves a unique narrative around 12 new originals, representing PARAFRAME’s finest work to date in Progressive House and Melodic House & Techno.

“I immediately knew which guest vocalists to involve in the project. Ryan Masson, a successful Hollywood actor, will appear in HBO’s The Last of Us (Season 2). Haley Johnsen, Grammy-nominated this year for her solo work, brought her incredible charm to the album. Boticka, whose captivating and sensual voice features on We Are The Only Ones, added a unique French flair. The talented Denton Thrift joined for our second collaboration, and my wife, Avis Vox, an essential part of all my albums, contributed once again. Serendipitously, I also met Vasiliy Poryagin, a gifted game designer and 3D artist, who helped craft the hour-long visual showcase for the album using Unreal Engine. Together, we transformed Metropolis into more than just an album, it became a musical film" - PARAFRAME

A key element of the Metropolis album campaign is a 60-minute video showcase created in Unreal Engine 5. It features cutting-edge technologies like Ray Tracing and Dynamic Global Illumination, along with five unique 3D-designed worlds that bring PARAFRAME’s music to life.

This video showcase serves as the centrepiece of the marketing strategy, continuously promoted to reach new audiences, boost PARAFRAME’s visibility, and drive conversions. The album’s singles will be highlighted through curated music videos from the showcase, exclusively featured on PARAFRAME’s channel as part of the artist’s growth strategy.

“Having prior experience creating 3D animations in Unreal Engine, I decided to produce a conceptual hour-long live performance film that combined my live performance with contributions from several vocalists. The compositing technology using massive LED screens in Unreal Engine 5, though relatively new and popular in Hollywood productions, was beyond my reach as an independent artist without access to a high-end studio. Instead, I opted for green screen compositing, utilizing five physical cameras and about ten virtual cameras. I also had the vocalists record themselves against a green screen from various angles.

After a month of live performance rehearsals, we conducted a test shoot, and I experimented with post-production in one fully realized 3D location. The results were promising. My main challenge was balancing real and virtual elements in the scene. While the environment, speakers, wires, and mixer were virtual, the synthesizers, vocalists, and I remained real.

3D designer Vasiliy Poryagin provided several futuristic locations, which I refined over weeks to align with the Metropolis album concept. I modified buildings, rearranged architecture, added birds, and even created fog and a sandstorm. This process was incredibly rewarding, as Unreal Engine allowed me to see results in real-time". - PARAFRAME

PARAFRAME's mission is to be at the forefront of technological advancements in the music industry, showcasing his ability to masterfully combine sound and visuals. Pavel Khvaleev aka PARAFRAME is a Frankfurt-based producer who defies traditional electronic music boundaries by combining audio and visual experiences.

linktr.ee
Instagram