How Vocaloid became the soundtrack to liminal spaces

Breakout American horror film “Backrooms” arrives in Japanese theaters this week after becoming a box-office phenomenon in the West earlier this year. Directed by 21-year-old Kane Parsons on a shoestring budget, the movie has grossed over $394 million. Long before the film came into existence, however, Japanese artists were already exploring similarly uncanny moods with a specific musical tool: the singing-synthesizer software Vocaloid, developed by Yamaha, which allows users to create characters with different vocal styles.

Virtual idol Hatsune Miku, introduced in 2007 by Crypton Future Media, is the most recognizable Vocaloid creation.