AI is a divisive issue today, nowhere more so than in the music-making world. But, I’m old enough to have seen similar debates rage around the rise of synths, the move to digital recording, sampling, and the use of autotune, all of which found their place in the creative world. Just as you wouldn’t try to saw a log in half with a hammer and then blame the hammer for doing a bad job, it is not the tool at fault, just the way they are wielded.
Vincent Projects has never hidden that he makes music that blends human instrumentation with AI enhancements, the analogue with the digital, the traditional with the forward thinking and Arcade Sunrise is an excellent example of where man and machine dance together to make music.
The title track kicks things off, a superb blend of squalling, shoegaze guitars and electronic embellishments coming together as a heady, anthemic, nu-metal-infused, forward-thinking mix. But it is the vocals that are the new element here, again, technology adding new dimensions to solo creatives on a budget. And what is wrong with that?
“Shine Through Static” wanders through similar rock-meets-electronica realms, further enhanced by a rapped interlude. “Sugar High Satellites” balances poise and pace, opting for clever dynamics rather than merely velocity and volume, and this clever collection rounds off with “Wild Signal Romance,” which builds from floating understatement to sky-searing sonics.
Vincent Projects has always been an innovator; here, we see him adding significant new dimensions to his music. You can either live in the past, keep making music that emulates your old rock and roll record collection, and moan about how music isn’t as good as it used to be, or you can get with the program and embrace the potential and possibilities of an ever-evolving world. That is what Vincent Projects is doing; you could learn a lot from him.