The Velvet Sundown, a music project that has recently gained traction on Spotify, has caused quite a stir with its innovative approach to music creation. In a mere month, the project has released two albums entirely generated through artificial intelligence, leading to a significant increase in its listener base since its debut in early June.
The intrigue around The Velvet Sundown heightened when rumors circulated about its AI origins. After a week of speculation, the project’s owners confirmed in their updated Spotify bio that while the music is primarily created with AI, there is also human creative direction involved. The bio states, “The Velvet Sundown is a synthetic music project guided by human creative direction, and composed, voiced, and visualized with the support of artificial intelligence. This isn’t a trick – it’s a mirror. An ongoing artistic provocation designed to challenge the boundaries of authorship, identity, and the music of music itself in the age of AI.”
This confirmation followed a bizarre incident where a person named Andrew Frelon falsely claimed to be the owner of the project during an interview with Rolling Stone, only to later admit to fabricating his connection to the band. Subsequently, the real owners seized the opportunity to clarify the band’s AI-generated nature, which has contributed to a doubling of its monthly listeners as media coverage of the controversy spread.
Despite questions surrounding the specific AI tools utilized in creating their music, The Velvet Sundown’s rise exemplifies an exciting intersection of technology and creativity in the music industry, showcasing the potential for AI to push boundaries and challenge traditional notions of authorship.
The project not only captivates audiences but also ignites discourse regarding the role of AI in creative fields, providing a hopeful perspective on how technology can enhance artistic expression while sparking meaningful conversations.