KORN's Munky Partners with Berlin Agency for AI-Created Fragrance Launch

In an innovative fusion of heavy metal and haute perfumery, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer is venturing into the fragrance world through a collaboration with Berlin's Reference Studios. The partnership, announced today, will debut a unique scent created using artificial intelligence technology.                 

The fragrance, developed under Reference Studios' new brand Reference Times, marks a significant departure from traditional celebrity fragrances. What sets this project apart is its use of EveryHuman's AI-guided scent creation platform, representing a technological breakthrough in perfume development.                                                          

The exclusive launch is scheduled for February 2 at 11 a.m. CET at Reference Studios' Berlin exhibition space on Potsdamer Straße. This launch represents the latest project from Reference Times, the studio's emerging fragrance division. 

Mumi Haiati, founder and CEO of Reference Studios, emphasized the emotional connection to scent as a key driver behind the project. "Like no other sense, smell triggers our memory, so scent becomes an ultimate means to conserve memories and return to them any time we like," Haiati explained. The collaboration with EveryHuman's AI technology was particularly appealing to Haiati, who praised it as "a more democratic and direct approach to the creation of scent."

The technical foundation for the fragrance comes from EveryHuman's Algorithmic Perfumery machine, a sophisticated system capable of personalizing scent creation. Founded in 2018, EveryHuman has been working to democratize fragrance creation through technological advances. The company's platform offers various services, from creating personalized scents to customizing existing fragrances from their in-house library, as well as providing workshop experiences and scent coaching sessions.

EveryHuman founders Anahita Mekanik and Frederik Duerinck expressed their enthusiasm for the project, stating, "We are excited to be the scent medium for Reference Times, and to showcase the breadth of possibilities Algorithmic Perfumery enables at DSPM."

Tim Philip Neugebauer, creative lead at Reference Studios, who has maintained a long-standing relationship with the agency, described the collaboration as "truly special".