Gabriel Kahane's unique album The Ambassador (Sony Masterworks) draws its inspiration from a multitude of sources to tell intimate, human stories against the backdrop of Los Angeles architecture and popular culture. It was fitting, therefore, to create a map-based application that brings the pieces of his album together. As Gabriel puts it in his own words:

The Ambassador Atlas is intended as a companion to the eponymous album, which is itself an exploration of Los Angeles through the lens of ten street addresses scattered around the city. I wanted to write songs about LA in order to make sense of the palpable sadness that radiates unpredictably from its strip malls, billboards, low slung bungalows, mythic steakhouses, and storied hotels. That sadness. It exists in stark contrast to the prevailing mythology of a Los Angeles defined by the effortless (or is it effortful?) sheen of Hollywood, of endless possibility, the lure of the Pacific, of orange groves and of subdivisions that express the American Dream.

You can see the map here: http://www.ambassadoratlas.com

We have built a lot of map-based and map-driven social media applications (see Metablocks List), but this one stands out in its level of detail and overall complexity. Ambassador Atlas helps create a context for and tell the story behind the album, while at the same time allowing fans to interact by sharing their own photos. It also allows fans to download a track from the by album when they subscribe to Gabriel's email list.

 

Other Functionality
The application allows fans to download a track from the album for free in exchange for sharing their email address.

There is also a user-generated component that allows fans to upload their own photos.

The application comes with a personal message from Gabriel, as well as voice commentary for each track location.