Proto - Holly Herndon (2019)

Click here for some longer and nerdier thoughts about AI music. I got myself going and filled too much space without talking about Holly Herndon.

Holly Herndon is an electronic producer. Herndon, partner Mat Dryhurst, and programmer Jules LaPlace created a neural network AI routine called Spawn that was trained on the interactions of human voice in a choir setting. Then the team let it loose to collaborate with Herdon on the whole record.

This all sounds pretty high-concept, but it’s not just glitchy computer music. We never really know how much of a track is powered by Spawn and how much is shaped by Herndon, but the collaboration works very well.

The tracks titled “live training” are just that: Herndon and company interacting with Spawn. Some of the others involve the AI in mixing vocal tracks as well as creating harmonies. It’s really interesting stuff that will hopefully make us less afraid of AI eating the music world.

She gave an excellent interview to Stereogum that’s definitely worth reading.

Tracks I Liked

Alienation - a weird, trippy, and gorgeous trip into a computer’s idea of a dance club

Evening Shades (live training) - possibly started out being Amazing Grace, but transformed into something much different.

Godmother - A collab between Herndon and Jlin, who then gave the tracks to Spawn to rearrange. Fascinating and labrynthine