The Denver EDM artist and producer, along with his behind-the-scenes team of audio and visual pros, has spent the last six months sizing up and transforming the iconic venue into what he’s calling the “Audiosphere” — a near-field, 360-degree sound experience — for his third-ever headlining performance on Friday, April 4.
Aside from a test-run at the Caverns in Tennessee last year, he hasn't used the Audiosphere anywhere before, let alone on such a large scale. “We are attempting to push the boundaries of live-music experiences, but also push the boundaries of shows that have happened at Red Rocks,” says Mersiv, whose real name is Anderson Benoit Gallegos. “We have had so much fun putting this show together. It will sound unlike any other show that’s happened at Red Rocks, and visually will still be a step above any headline show that the Mersiv Sound Project has done in the past.”
The “Attack on Mars” event also includes sets from ALLEYCVT, Mr. Carmack, Lumasi, Zen Selekta and Seth David. Then there’s an official after party at the Gothic Theatre, featuring Mersiv, Carmack, David and So Sus.
Mersiv, and his expansive Mersiv Sound Project, is never afraid to go big. To bring the Audiosphere to fruition, he tapped his longtime collaborator and sound engineer, Andrew Kirschman.
The two have been partners for thirteen years and often talked about rolling out something like this, but until recently, the technology wasn't there to support it. Kirschman’s company, Denver’s AKA Event Productions, teamed up with German speaker and amp manufacturer d&b audiotechnik, the developers of a new type of tech called Soundscape, which is billed as “the world’s most sophisticated sound system.”
The Audiosphere idea was successfully launched live at the Caverns in Tennessee last summer. But Red Rocks is going to be another level.
Courtesy Mersiv
There are a lot of variables to consider in an open-air environment. What the Caverns show proved is that it’s possible to create a surround-sound concert in a unique venue, but Red Rocks presents its own challenges, Kirschman explains.
“There’s a lot of sound stuff that makes this complicated. If you go too big, the audience can hear the delay timings coming from different angles,” he adds. “Wind will actually move those frequencies. We’re hoping to eliminate as much wind wash as possible, increase overall coverage so it’s a very even experience for everybody.”
The setup involves placing speaker totems along both left and right sides of the audience. It comes across as simple, but there’s way more to it than that, and the Audiosphere wouldn’t be possible without d&b’s cutting-edge system.
“We had to implement Soundscape to accommodate the delay times and how objects move,” Kirschman continues. “If we were just to play music through every one of these totems, it would be a very disorienting experience, because you would experience all the weird slapback and delay or arrival times as the listener.”
Brown Note Productions, out of Thornton, is also part of crew that’s working on the one-of-a-kind Red Rocks show. “Truthfully, this is larger than we intended,” Kirschman says, before breaking down the intricacies of the Audiosphere. “There are key moments where certain elements of a song might have a free automation within the XY plane.”
Or in layman’s terms, he says, “Even though the music is coming from everywhere, you might hear one element, including a vocal, that moves from one side, then behind you, or moves in a circle.”
Honestly, it’s probably best to just experience it live. It’s clear that a sonic pioneer like Kirschman embraces the challenge, and while there aren’t any other public plans for the Audiosphere at the moment, this could eventually become the norm for concerts of any size, no matter the venue. “Once we pull this off correctly, there are levels to take this to and make this even more immersive,” he adds.
“I think these types of projects are our favorite as a company. If someone brings us something that’s impossible, it’s 2025, and in my opinion, there’s a way to pull it off in some way,” Kirschman continues.
He’s grateful that Mersiv is the one to make such moves, and Friday is shaping up to be one giant leap for live-music lovers.
“The level of excitement internally," Kirschman concludes, "is at an all-time high."
Mersiv with ALLEYCVT, Mr. Carmack, Lumasi, Zen Selekta and Seth David, 6 p.m. Friday, April 4, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway. Tickets are $87-$126.
