The rising tide of AI has flooded the public discourse of late to much anxiety from those awake enough to be concerned about human autonomy. But one local artist is surfing it with stylish insouciance by turning the technology on itself.
While Orlando’s Will Clark is a genre vagabond whose musical work ranges wide on a spectrum that includes synthwave, video game music, anime music and dance pop, among many more, what more tidily sums him up as an artist is a specialist interest in niche digital culture. Although Clark’s work frequently uses AI, his latest album is perhaps his best, most direct parody of it to date.
Stylistically, Doo Wop for the Digital Age is a batch of 1950s-style pop whose retro charm belies its modern slyness. Thematically, Clark says,“I wanted to create something that captures the nostalgic essence of doo-wop while addressing contemporary topics like social media apps, incels, and NFTs.” Indeed, the collection is packed with song titles like “OnlyFans Angel,” “TikTok Tick Tock,”“Snapchat Pics”and“Insta Filter Girl.” Beyond simply addressing the idea of AI, Doo Wop for the Digital Age wields its very capabilities.
The songs were actually crafted using AI music generator Udio. The lyrics, however, are Clark’s original work and personal thoughts. The sole exception is album opener “Groovin’ With AI,” a song about ChatGPT that he felt should, (un)naturally, be written with ChatGPT. It’s a suite of songs that sound straight out of a Boomer’s record collection but that could only come from a millennial.
Whether Doo Wop for the Digital Age is more social commentary or musical art is debatable. What’s not, however, is that it’s a whimsical work of post-modernism with a sense of both satire and irony. Doo Wop for the Digital Age is currently available on Bandcamp and YouTube.
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While Orlando’s Will Clark is a genre vagabond whose musical work ranges wide on a spectrum that includes synthwave, video game music, anime music and dance pop, among many more, what more tidily sums him up as an artist is a specialist interest in niche digital culture. Although Clark’s work frequently uses AI, his latest album is perhaps his best, most direct parody of it to date.
Stylistically, Doo Wop for the Digital Age is a batch of 1950s-style pop whose retro charm belies its modern slyness. Thematically, Clark says,“I wanted to create something that captures the nostalgic essence of doo-wop while addressing contemporary topics like social media apps, incels, and NFTs.” Indeed, the collection is packed with song titles like “OnlyFans Angel,” “TikTok Tick Tock,”“Snapchat Pics”and“Insta Filter Girl.” Beyond simply addressing the idea of AI, Doo Wop for the Digital Age wields its very capabilities.
The songs were actually crafted using AI music generator Udio. The lyrics, however, are Clark’s original work and personal thoughts. The sole exception is album opener “Groovin’ With AI,” a song about ChatGPT that he felt should, (un)naturally, be written with ChatGPT. It’s a suite of songs that sound straight out of a Boomer’s record collection but that could only come from a millennial.
Whether Doo Wop for the Digital Age is more social commentary or musical art is debatable. What’s not, however, is that it’s a whimsical work of post-modernism with a sense of both satire and irony. Doo Wop for the Digital Age is currently available on Bandcamp and YouTube.
Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
