A new project by Norwegian artist and musician TCF (Lars Holdhus) asks users to enter codes online in order to uncover unreleased material.  The project, called TCFX, is a command line that allows users to interact with TCF’s online persona, created through a web algorithm.  Different questions to the command line produce different answers that range from musings on art, to the benefits of oolong tea. Enter the correct code and you can gain access to images of TCF’s art and unreleased music.  

The concept is tied to TCF's 2014 album LTECH008: 415C47197F78E811FEEB7862288306EC4137FD4EC3DED8B, with future releases set to develop TCFX further. This is a new direction for music. The project demonstrates how a more interactive process is possible within music consumption. Ultimately, TCF’s ethos is the more the user uncovers new parts of the puzzle, the more meaning this gives to the work.

With conventional album releases seeming more and more staid, artists are having to find new ways to engage and attract their audience.  A more interactive experience, like TCFX, may be the way to go.

Trevor Jackson is another artist who has experimented with the notion of the album, albeit in a more physical way. While TCF furthered developed the concept into the technological, Jackson returned to the analogue, releasing his latest record in 12 different analogue layouts, each one corresponding to a different track.

You can have a chat with TCF here