Bluebrain release world's first location-aware album app

We see a fair few apps here at Tech Digest, but it’s always nice to see folks trying something new. That’s exactly what the Washington D.C. based band Bluebrain have done, tying music and apps together with the world’s first location-aware iPhone album app.

Called The National Mall, the album can only be heard when you are within the vicinity of the Mall public park, situated in downtown D.C.. Featuring over three hours of recorded music, the app uses your GPS position to trigger different tracks depending on how close you are to the park’s many landmarks.

The app features a map that shows the location of each different track, as well as giving a clue as to what you’ll find when you get there. It’s all apparently seamless and dynamic too; scale the hill that leads to the Washington Monument and you’ll hear only a cello at the base, growing to a crescendo of violins, a choir and fireworks as you reach the top.

“We knew when we started working on the project that, in order for it be considered something more than just a novelty, we had to compose the best music we’ve ever made,” the band’s Ryan Holladay told Mashable.

“But more than that, it’s been exciting to compose music in a way that’s never been done before. We had to constantly think about everything we were writing, examining it from multiple angles asking ourselves ‘Does it work if a person is coming from this way? What about this way?'”

Now if only we could rustle up the money to visit D.C. to try the app for ourselves! It sounds like a great idea and one we’d love to see a few UK bands and musicians replicate. I’ve always thought it’d be great to have a soundtrack to our lives as we go about our daily routines. I’ve got a banging theme tune for my local chip shop just waiting to be app-ified!