Last month, at an event in New York City, Microsoft unveiled its new generation of mobile hardware, including the Surface Book laptop and Surface Pro 4 tablet.
But for Brits eager to get their hands on the new devices, it’s been a bit of a mixed week – the bad news is that Microsoft reps revealed on Tuesday that the Book won’t be available in the UK until Spring 2016; but the good news is that the Surface Pro 4 launches there this week.
To celebrate its UK launch, Microsoft decided to do something a bit more interesting than just another press conference. The company teamed up with UK chart-toppers Rudimental – winners of the prestigious Brit and Mobo Awards – along with critically acclaimed British composer David William Hearn and street artist Will Barras to create an audio-visual extravaganza using the new Surface Pro 4 tablet.
Neowin was there to see what Microsoft had lined up for the UK launch of its new device, and to try to fill our pockets with canapés while no-one was looking.
The event was held at KOKO London, one of the city's top music venues. Along with a smattering of tech press, it was also attended by scores of figures from across the creative industries, including many from the UK’s music scene. Still, even distinguished guests have to queue for stuff sometimes.
The exclusive gig showcased the fruits of the weeks-long collaboration, featuring orchestral remixes of three of Rudimental’s hit singles: Bloodstream, Waiting All Night, and Lay It All On Me. This Microsoft video explains the role that the Surface Pro 4 played in those efforts:
The musical compositions were combined with striking artwork by Bristol artist Will Barras, which was showcased on a large display during each song…
…and included some rather magnificent…
…and – in some cases – some slightly trippy designs.
Of course, the crowd was pretty excited to see Rudimental in action…
…and many were eager to capture the moment for posterity…
…which isn’t surprising – after all, it’s not every day that you see one of the UK’s top drum and bass acts being supported by a 64-piece orchestra…
…(who seemed to be enjoying the event as much as everyone else!).
As the crowd laid on the applause at the end of the set...
...Rudimental generously ensured that the orchestra got the credit they deserved too…
…after which everyone rapidly made their way to the open bar…
..and got drunk.
The event appears to have been a big hit among those who attended – here are a few of their reactions plucked from Twitter:
By the way, if the video taster in that last tweet whets your appetite for more, Microsoft says it will soon publish video of the full live performance of the remixed tracks.
The Surface Pro 4 goes on sale in the UK later today (November 12), priced from £749. Be sure to check out our latest coverage of the device – including some thoughts from Timi Cantisano, who decided to ditch his Apple MacBook Air to see if the new Windows 10 tablet is as good as Microsoft claims.
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