At least for now, Chouchou is the only group we know of that performs exclusively in Second Life. Singer Juliet Heberle collaborates online from the States with composer Arabesque Choche in Tokyo, and together they make elegant music that combines electronica, ambient classical, and Japanese pop.

One of the benefits of playing virtual shows is having their own custom-designed stage, a pretty fantastic piece of CG architecture called Islamey:

The first track on their self-titled album, coma , is a captivating mix of soft vocals and reverb-filled production, the kind of thing fit for a spacious, ornate opera house. One way that Japanese music often finds its way to audiences in Europe and the US is through video games, so it makes sense that this brings to mind some of the classic Square games of the '90s. (Remember the opera in the beginning of Parasite Eve? Anyone?)

Thus Second Life, besides being convenient for the geographically-separated musicians, is very much an appropriate venue for Chouchou's music. Who knows, maybe Amie Street will build a virtual street near Islamey! With tables and tiny pieces of merch! Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Additional Tracks:
neverland
B612