The Beginning: Previously
Since the last edition of Loud And Quiet
AI music The discourse around AI continues to be terrifying, intriguing and incredibly boring all at the same time. It does seem to be ramping up at the moment though: since the last issue of L&Q, we’ve seen numerous controversies and experiments which have prompted us to think that this probably is something we need to think carefully about, whether we like it or not (we don’t). In April, major label UMG moved against an AI-generated track that mimicked Drake and The Weeknd with startling accuracy. ‘Heart On My Sleeve’ was made by TikTok user Ghostwriter
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(whose profile shows their head covered by a white sheet and silly sunglasses, which is good) and had racked up hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams by the time it was taken down. UMG’s action was a significant moment in the industry’s relationship with this unpredictable new technology. In May, Grimes followed up her 2020 “AI lullaby” by unveiling Elf.Tech, a new piece of software which allows you to create music in her voice. Artists can commercially release the results in exchange for half of any master-recording royalties. The results so far have obviously been rubbish.
