Telekom releases The Lenz app and announces first ever Gorillaz live conversation 

Business, Digital & Media, Media

Following on from last month’s secret one-off show in London which saw Gorillaz play new album Humanz live for the first time, Telekom Electronic Beats announced another first: the band’s first ever live conversation, to be broadcast exclusively on Electronic Beats YouTube channel on Thursday 20th April at 16.00h CET.

Hosted by BBC Radio 1 DJ MistaJam, the interview will give new and existing fans worldwide the chance to hear about the new album from Murdoc and 2D, with a lucky few also being able to pose questions in real time to these two musical legends.

Commenting on the band’s first ever live conversation, seen by many as key to bringing the band closer to a full virtual performance, Gorillaz bassist Murdoc Niccals said:

Get ready for the online event of the century – a live audience with me, Murdoc Niccals. Thanks to the eggheads / music geeks / our comrades over at Telekom Electronic Beats, you can watch me and 2D live on the sofa and ask anything you want. Or just tell me how much you love me. But keep it clean, yeah?

Pushing their ground-breaking partnership with Gorillaz even further, Telekom Electronic Beats’ new The Lenz app also launched today. This free to download app transforms any magenta surface, such as the Electronic Beats logo, into a virtual portal through which exclusive Gorillaz content can be viewed.

This innovative AR application will allow users to experience a whole new dimension of the band, including a look inside the Gorillaz house – home to band members Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Noodle, as well as exclusive video content. Over the coming weeks more and more content will be made available for fans to unlock, as Telekom’s technology allows them to get closer to the band than ever before.

Wolfgang Kampbartold, Vice President of International Marketing Communications Deutsche Telekom:

The Lenz App is a great example of how the power of connected mobile technology can be used to unlock a whole new dimension in music (…) Innovative new AR applications such the App allow us to blend one dimension with another to create something entirely new and never seen before, allowing fans to experience a level of depth and discovery previously unimaginable.

 Alongside the interview and the Lenz App, Telekom Electronic Beats’ partnership with the Gorillaz will also see the band headlining four Telekom Electronic Beats concerts taking place across Telekom footprints this June. Dates have been confirmed for Warsaw (14th of June), Budapest (16th of June) Katowice (18th of June) and Cologne (20th of June). Ticketing and further information on the concerts can be found at www.electronicbeats.net

Telekom Electronic Beats is one of the world’s most established music and lifestyle content marketing programs, encompassing a range of products and services as well as award winning content and events. Over the last 17 years Telekom Electronic Beats has created a universe of music experiences via a diverse range of channels, with electronicbeats.net  as its central hub. Whilst the program was initially centered around music marketing, Telekom Electronic Beats now embraces the strong connection between music and other lifestyle areas such as design, tech, fashion and art. Telekom Electronic Beats have worked with some of the biggest names in contemporary music from Grace Jones and Depeche Mode through to Moderat as well as championing new up and coming artists such as Ry X.

Gorillaz is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle and drummer Russel Hobbs. Created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, their acclaimed eponymous debut album was released in 2001. The BRIT and Grammy Award winning band’s subsequent albums are Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010) and The Fall (2011). A truly global phenomenon, Gorillaz have topped charts around the world and toured the globe from San Diego to Syria,  picking up hundreds of millions of streams and record sales along the way. Gorillaz have achieved success in entirely ground-breaking ways, winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor and are recognized by The Guinness Book Of World Records as the planet’s Most Successful Virtual Act.