Sony Mobile, 5FM relaunch Xperia Mashlab project

Sony Mobile and 5FM, one of the country’s top radio stations, are relaunching the Xperia Mashlab project, a mesh between South African music and technology that will be run by the fans, for the fans.

The Mashlab brand began in 2013 by current 5FM DJ John Savage and aimed to provide with public with fan-driven, unique tracks from select artists. Ultimately, it’s “a unique adventure allowing fans to form a part of a musical journey where they drive the production process to form a unique, proudly South African song,” notes the press release.

In essence, fans decide the collaborations they’d like to see, and Mashlab makes it happen. Two South African bands, Shortstraw and CrashCarBurn found this to be a largely fruitful venture, with their track “Kings of Summer” that went on to earn two SAMA nominations in 2013.

“Song writing is an organic process and by bringing fans Xperia MashLab, we are giving them access to the most vulnerable space of any artist – the space in which they create their art,” notes Jon Savage.

“This is a project that I am very proud to be extending on the back of the successful first MashLab season.”

With the new Sony Xperia partnership, owners of Sony Xperia devices with the Xperia Lounge installed and those with the Sony Xperia Z3, you’ll have access to higher quality tracks.

“For owners of Sony’s flagship Z3 series devices, the MashLab tracks will be also available in High Resolution Audio, letting consumers hear the tracks as the musicians hear it in studio.”

It’s particularly interesting for Sony too, as it has its sights on the local music scene.

“We are continuously striving to offer the consumer a unique Xperia entertainment experience and this is a partnership that we believe will again make a genuine difference in the local music industry,” notes Andrew Fraser, Channel Marketing Manager, Sony Mobile SA.

“This year’s Xperia MashLab is going to combine genres and artists one would not normally associate together and we look forward to sharing it with the fans.”

For those without a Sony Xperia device, the products of Mashlab will be broadcast on 5FM between 13h00 and 16h00 on the Forbes and Fix show.