Just what 2020 needed: a psychedelic cat disco app

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ARTISTS IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 - Edwin Montgomery

Animator and composer Edwin Montgomery looked around and figured out what 2020 has been missing: "Unbelievably elegant robotic cats," he proffers.

So the protean artist created an interactive musical artwork called Neon Cyborg Cat Club, a "lush 3D world set in a dystopian feline future".

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Animator and composer Edwin MontgomeryDaz Chandler

In Edwin’s empty online nightclub you control cartoon cats roaming around like they own the joint to a musical soundscape triggered by their movements.

"It’s an immersive and voyeuristic experience which I’m hoping fellow Melburnians will get a kick out of while they're stuck at home," says the red nail-polish wearing oddball. "I guess it's kind of my way of bringing a musical performance to people under lockdown – who might be getting jaded of Zoom – and adding a pinch of feline finesse into the mix."

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Inside the Neon Cyborg Cat Club

Montgomery received grants from the City of Melbourne COVID-19 Arts Fund and Creative Victoria to develop new works.

Montgomery lives in Preston sans pets and works in a tiny studio with faux fur on the walls and LED light strips. "It’s a psychedelic cocoon so I can pretend I’m anywhere my mind wants to be. I've found going to the park and seeing other people’s dogs having a good time is a simple but reliable source of joy," he says.

Montgomery has made scores for games (Warhammer 40,000: Regicide, Wasteland Remastered), films (Time), and multimedia installations (currently The Parallel Effect – the recipient of the Graham F. Smith Peace Award and commissioned by Next Wave Festival).

"The Parallel Effect includes a video work called Lament where I play the violin while wearing a hazmat suit," he explains.

How you can help: download the app at www.neoncats.club or buy an album on Bandcamp www.edwinmontgomery.bandcamp.com