IS AI THE ANTICHRIST FOR MUSIC?

Did you ever wonder why your teachers made you read fiction? One of the best reasons, I think, is that imaginary experiences are still, in fact, experiences. You’ve never bumbled around Manhattan hating on phonies as you headed toward a mental breakdown after being thrown out of a prestigious prep school. However, you have had the experience if you’ve ever read A Catcher in the Rye.

The same goes for dreams. You may never get the chance to fly down a hallway on the back of a kangaroo with wings while trying to find your ex cheating on you with Harry Potter. But you know exactly what it feels like if you are lucky enough for your subconscious to pull that one out of its arse.

If we are a sum of all our experiences, then these imaginary ones are just as much a part of us as what happens in our “real” lives. The same can be said for music created with artificial intelligence. If you enjoy listening to the songs and relate to the lyrics like you do all of your favorite “real” songs, what is the difference?

AI songs are perfect for people with amazing creative ideas who may lack the means, ability, or situation to make them a reality. They will not replace people with the ideas and talent who record and perform — the ones we idolize and trip over for autographs and dream of one day being like. That’s not what this is about.

For me, Hexen Beast is a creative outlet like any other. I write the lyrics, and I can imagine exactly how I want them to sound. The problem? The perfect voices and instrumentation aren’t available to me to make it all come to life. I have an MFA in creative writing, and for me, writing stories and poems scratches that same creative itch. This is an imaginary band, with imaginary songs, and imaginary instruments. But they are mine. They strike a chord with me, and hopefully with you, just like any character in any book or movie that you love.

I have fully sketched out the personalities and backstories of Jamie, Mark, and Axx like any other characters I have created. You’ll get to see some of that in the IMAGINARY (not fake) interviews and press for the upcoming album Zygote. There may even be a Hexen Beast novel some day down the road.

Again, I have written the lyrics. I have used the prompt space to describe every intricate detail of the song. I have a secret sauce for Jaimie, the exact wording to make her sound the way she sounds. I input the type of guitar, its tuning, the amp, the pedals, and sometimes even what settings are used on them. I tell the app what type of drumming, the tempo, and who is singing backing vocals. This is a creative endeavor, an endeavor of imagination. In no way will this ever replace musical artists with immense talent and ambition who have changed not only music but the course of history.

But if you like a good fiction read, a good song, and lyrics that make you think, or sing along, welcome to Hexen Beast. Jaimie and the boys are ready to entertain you.

-WF