That AI is a hot topic, no one can deny. The BBC dedicate a slot to the latest developments in AI every week on their news channel, umpteen articles have been written about it (including in OUTSIDELEFT), Elton John is suing the UK Government over its exemption for AI companies from paying copyright fees – just one of a raft of pending court cases, and AI polarises opinions amongst creatives everywhere due to its potential impact on music, literature, photography and art. Raise it as a dinner time conversation topic at your peril!
So, when we heard that a musician we have come across before, Stephen Davies (Dill), formerly of Coventry 80’s act Gods Toys and now a solo act, Daffodill (see what he did there?), was nearing the release of his 250th album produced using AI tools we did a double take. 250 albums! That seemed an insane amount of tracks to be putting out. Then, when we found out that all of the music, lyrics, and even some vocals were AI generated, we felt that acted as a perfect example of just how far AI has come and what it is now capable of. There has always been a fear of new music technology. The Musicians Union in the 80’s campaigned against the use of synths, fearing it spelled the end of live music. It didn’t. Then the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) warned that “Home Taping is Killing Music”, adding “…and its illegal” for good measure, accompanying that statement with a piratical skull and crossbones design printed on vinyl album inner sleeves. That wasn’t true either, quite the opposite. The common factor in both of those, though, is that it was greedy corporates and the music establishment who were trying to suppress use of new technology by the masses.
The big difference with AI is that the boot is now very firmly on the other foot, and it is the greedy corporates and music establishment who are in control of AI and are developing it's capabilities at the expense of the incomes of individual musicians and bands. However, some would argue that AI is simply empowering non musicians to create music without the tedious need to learn an instrument or gain production skills, in much the same way as punk enabled thousands of three chord wonders to form bands. We felt Dill would probably fall very much into that camp, so we asked him.
OL: By July
you will have released 250 albums, at the rate of six or more a week. Do
you realistically expect anyone to listen to all of those? Or is just
producing them the aim?
Dill: “I just work steadily every
week and they build up. I release everything I record, so there's gonna be some
duff ones! My Bandcamp site is free to download everything. You can make a
contribution if you like and I've just started to release 'genre music’- different
styles on different albums- so all the tracks are the same style on each album.
At some point I want to pick out the best tracks and re-release them on better
quality albums, probably in genres again. I just put my music out. If anyone is
interested, they can hear it on Bandcamp. “
OL: When
you started out as Daffodill, you produced the music yourself, using samples
and a computer, but with your own vocals and lyrics. Then you moved on to AI
producing the music to your specifications, and Chat GPT writing the
lyrics. Now you are talking about AI doing the vocals too. Are you
reduced to just an image on the sleeve and providing instructions to AI?
If so, what is the point?
Dill: “No, I don't feel left out of my music by AI. I decide everything
in my commands and choices of styles and emotions when I'm preparing them. I
feel it leaves all the time-consuming stuff to a machine, I decide if the
tracks are good enough and then master them. It takes all the hassle out of it
and it's just as rewarding for me. I'm also planning to start recording
sessions at home using AI to copy my voice and vocal style as well as write the
music with my input still prominent. I thought of starting a radio station
playing a different album every day on repeat, so 365 albums would be needed for that, and
also see what AI comes up with next. I don't think we have to fear AI. I
think it will unlock the door for humanity to progress and progress. To me, God created humans and humans created
AI, so don't worry about the future, it won't help. Enjoy the ride!!!”
OL: There can be a strong reaction to artists and musicians using AI. Have
you experienced any strongly negative reactions to what you do?
Dill: “I hear about the ‘Luddite’
complaining about AI, but to me it's the present and the future of popular
music, or at least a major contribution. The big stars with squillions of mulla
want to be even bigger fat cats and charge extortionate amounts for their gigs
etc. I do it for free and any money I do make goes to Oxfam when I die. I also
want to do performances for free as well as busking etc, There's so much plagiarism
in Pop that I think it's funny how AI is making them all bitter and scared. Bring
it on, that's what I say! As a footnote, I believe that specifically in popular
music AI will give birth to all manner of styles, fashions and music types and
will be a must-have 'go to' for modern musicians and performers. It will be a
wonderful transformation and a light burden for those that accept this
wonderful invention. “
Dill’s cheery optimism may contrast sharply with the doom-laden predictions of others, but he makes a very good point. We can’t stop it, so we have to embrace it. We have no choice and it may well throw up new art forms and opportunities in the process. Whether asking an AI programme to stitch together samples of others performances into hundreds of generic albums that no one can possibly find the time to listen to is a genuine forward step is a moot point, but Dill is proud of the fact that, with AI's help, at the moment he is possibly the most prolific solo musician on the planet. In parallel, vinyl, CD and cassette sales still continue to increase, especially amongst younger fans, so only time will tell as to whether AI restricts or enhances human creativity (or maybe does a bit of both?) and whether there will be a grass roots consumer pushback. So, lets brace ourselves for the next 250 Daffodill albums and more power to his (virtual) elbow!
Essential Information:
You can download any/all of the many, many, many albums from Daffodill for free/a donation
from Bandcamp here.
Read a related piece 'Too Much Is Not Enough' here
Main image: AI generated (of course!)
