Rudebwai Stailee: Bassline Confidential

So now the time has come: The first reggae instrumental albums by an artificial intelligence are here. It had to happen at some point. I just didn't expect it to happen now. A Sleng Teng moment? Hardly, because the three albums "Roots Rock Steady","Rhythms of the Grove" and "Bassline Confidential", all by Rudebwai Stailee, have received little attention so far. And yet it is a significant development, because just as the studio musicians were replaced by computer technology in Sleng Teng, the same is now happening with the composers and producers. The music is created automatically on the basis of a short beeping or "prompt". In any case, my experience with generative artificial intelligence in the field of images has taught me that AI not only works almost perfectly in terms of image technology, but can also be incredibly creative. What works with images and text must also be possible with music - and in principle it is, as Rudebwai Stailee proves.

Well, what do we do with it now? Somehow, listening to an AI album creates mixed feelings. On the one hand, there is the fascination that it is even possible. The fact that the pieces are created with almost no human intervention and still sound pretty good is incredible. On the other hand, there is this unease that the music has no author. No artist, no (real) producer, no one who uses Logic Pro, let alone plays a real instrument. Which, by the way, puts the music in the public domain. There is no copyright, anyone can use it freely. But why does the non-existence of authorship create unease? Why is it not really fun to listen to an AI reggae album?

Basically, I am convinced that knowledge of the process by which music is created can be very informative and can also influence the reception of music, but it must not influence the assessment of the quality of music. What matters is "what comes out at the end". That is all that counts. And I have to say that the three AI albums are quite okay. The rhythms are definitely very solid, as is the mix. Only the lead instruments and the solos sometimes sound a bit off. And the whole thing might sound a bit monotonous. But that's where we get to prejudices and cognitive distortions. Does it sound monotonous because I whitethat a machine was at work here and not a human? Or is it even hurt vanity because no one really made the effort to create the music that I am devoting my time to listening to carefully? Can I enjoy music - if there is no artist who cares about me as a listener? If there is no one who wants to please me, who is trying to make me happy, who, ideally, has something to say to me? In short: Can I enjoy and appreciate music if there is no artist personality behind it? Strangely enough, this is not a problem with an idyllic landscape. There is no artist personality behind it either, and yet I enjoy and appreciate it fervently. The same applies to other natural beauties. How fascinating is the sight of some plants or animals that are also not the work of an artist. Why should it be any different with music, painting or - in the future - film? Perhaps a really good AI will manage to compose only good music in the future. All killer, no filler! What could be wrong with that?

The situation is strikingly reminiscent of the refusal of nineteenth-century society to recognize photography, invented in 1839, as art. The arguments were the same as today with regard to AI: the photographic image is the work of a machine, there is no human creator, which is why it cannot be art. Today, of course, we see things very differently, but only because we have discovered that a photograph is by no means just the product of a machine. We have brought humans back into play through the back door, as the ones who select the motif, determine the section of the world that the photograph shows, and make numerous other creative decisions. This strategy may no longer be quite so simple in the face of artificial intelligence. Sure, the prompt is currently still written by someone. But only a minimal creative act is required - and even that will probably become obsolete in the future if the AI ​​algorithm simply adapts to the preferences of the user. z. B. oriented towards listeners.

Well, dear Dub-Fans, you see me at a loss. But I tend to believe that the artist's disappearance is only irritating because we are used to it being different. This is a radical break with an important convention, namely the way we understand and receive art and culture. My prediction would be: in five years, no one will care whether music is made by people or generated by AI. A bold thesis: perhaps in 10 years there will be no more streaming of pre-produced content. The music we will hear will then be generated for us in real time - according to our preferences. A horror scenario? Write to me and tell me what you think.

Okay, finally a few words on the actual topic of this review: “Roots Rock Steady” is an acceptable instrumental album. The rhythms have oomph, the basses rock, there are real melodies and the whole arrangement is very solid. There is even a real mix, the sound is powerful and the instruments sound real. What I don’t like: The generated tracks sound, yes, there is no other way to say it: a bit generic. They are too repetitive. A bit more variety and tonal complexity would be nice. The lead instruments also don’t sound very natural. The same goes for “Rhythms of the Grove”. Overall, the pieces here seem a bit more rootsy and varied. The most recent work, “Bassline Confidential”, sounds like 80s reggae. There are solid backings in the background and a lead instrument in the foreground. Overall, too monotonous and therefore a bit boring. Yes, if I were evil, I would write: Reminds me of Dean Fraser's instrumental albums – only without the saxophone.

But hey, remember that these are the first steps of AI. Think about it five years from now and you'll know what to expect.