US electronic duo Odesza’s fourth album, The Last Goodbye, was released on 22nd July. Leading up to its release, the act and their label, Ninja Tune, created a detailed set of quests and treasure hunts that, when completed, would unlock shared rewards for fans.
Under the umbrella of The Maze, a series of codes were hidden both online and in the real world. The fan activity was hinged around Odesza’s Discord server.
The first phase launched on 7th July and Ninja Tune informed us that over 5,000 fans completed it. Other phases were introduced right up to the album release itself.
Fans could get hold of tracks, logo stencils, drum rehearsals and remixable stems from tracks on the album as part of the collective hunt for clues to crack the assorted codes and challenges. “Ever since we started releasing music off our new album – we’ve guided you through a series of mazes,” said the duo on the dedicated site. “Maybe it was a postcard that you received in the mail or an audio file uploaded in reverse that needed to be flipped in order to hear the message. Many of you were quick to piece together every clue we left and it was really exciting to watch it unfold. With the album release around the corner, we thought, let’s make it bigger, better, and give everyone an opportunity to win.”
While fans could help each other out to get shared rewards, there was a headline prize for one person, with the winner chosen at random. They (and a friend) will be flown out to one of Odesza’s shows in the summer, although not their Seattle shows for some reason. They will also get to meet the group as well as receive other prizes like a 1/4-inch tape of The Last Goodbye, signed copies of all the Odesza albums, an exclusive infinite loop cassette of ‘Forgive Me’ and a $200 gift card for their online store.
Two winners on the second tier will get the same prizes (excluding the live show/meet and greet) while prizes for three winners on their third tier mirror those on the second tier (with the exception of the 1/4-inch tape).
It’s one of the biggest scavenger hunts we have seen for a long time with some of the best prizes.
