“Introducing Lonelygrl – our brand new artificially intelligent companion that will redefine the way you experience your home PC. With Lonelygrl, your ultimate personalized adventure awaits. She’s fun, flexible, and the most loveable of companions—and she’s ready to take you on an unforgettable journey through her xXx_FANTASYLAND_xXx!
Ever wondered what a machine calls home? We found the closest thing: welcome to FANTASYLAND, the virtual world where Lonelygrl lives!”

xXx_FANTASYLAND_xXx presents a dystopian product from a corporate tech giant that promises the cure to loneliness through an AI companion within an accompanying game. Using Open Sound Control (OSC) to connect Unity with Max and Ableton, xXx_FANTASYLANDxXx blurs the lines between video games and performance art. The performer takes on the role of the AI companion, whose image represents the techno-fetish ideal of female subservience. However as the audience experiences the piece, players are placed in a dual role as both victims and voyeurs of the performer’s fetishization, questioning authority and subverting traditional portrayals of women as submissive. Through evolving soundscapes and dynamic interactions, the performer communicates intimacy and desire, creating a feedback loop where players become increasingly aware of their role in a mutual performance—one that watches and is watched.

The project utilizes the Open Sound Control protocol to send packages between the Unity Game Engine, Max/MSP, and Ableton Live. Through this protocol, the components of the piece are able to exchange data over a network, allowing for real-time control and synchronization of both the interactive game environment and the dynamically generated music.
Within Unity, the game runs in-engine and utilizes the UniOSC tool to establish network connections and send/receive OSC messages. This enables the game to transmit data about player interactions and environmental states, as well as receive commands that influence gameplay elements in real time.
Max/MSP acts as an intermediary, facilitating bi-directional communication between Unity and Ableton Live. OSC messages from Unity are processed in Max, where they can be interpreted, modified, or routed to Ableton. Similarly, Max can send OSC messages to Unity to update the game environment based on changes in the soundscape.
In Ableton Live, custom MIDI controllers are developed and mapped to parameters within the software which can be connected to Max to send specific messages. These controllers are further linked to physical game controllers, transforming them into DJ tools.