Watch: AR Rahman makes music out of thin air

What do you do when you’ve climbed almost all the musical heights that you can? Multiple Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Filmfare award-winner AR Rahman has found a new challenge: To make music out of thin air.

What do you do when you’ve climbed almost all the musical heights that you can? Multiple Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Filmfare award-winner AR Rahman has found a new challenge: To make music out of thin air.

AR Rahman delivers a futuristic performance. (YouTube)

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 held in Las Vegas in January, Rahman debuted musical instruments unlike any we have ever seen before. For starters, they aren’t even instruments. Developed using Intel’s Curie-based technology, they work using hand gestures and body movements.

Watch the performance here

Rahman, accompanied by master percussionist Sivamani delivered a rousing performance that almost resembled a dance. They played drums in thin air and strummed non-existent guitars. While the sound was obviously quite unrefined - this is still relatively new tech - we do get a glimpse into how music might be composed, or at least performed, in the future.

Read: Happy Birthday AR Rahman: Top 18 Hindi hits by the maestro

Several ‘musicians’ played different instruments on the stage, but the one thing that cannot be replaced, at least yet, is the human voice.

Now compare it to the real deal

Rahman played his most popular international track, Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire for the rapt audience, and going by the reactions, the future of music looks bright.

Read: AR Rahman’s son makes Telugu singing debut in Nirmala Convent

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