Over the Bridge used Google’s Magenta AI software to produce a new Nirvana track, called “Drowned in the Sun.” (Image Credit: Over the Bridge)
AI is about to pump out countless musical gems. Perhaps AI research is a good area to get involved with…
It’s been almost thirty years since Kurt Cobain, Nirvana frontman, died by suicide, but that doesn’t mean his music production has stopped. That’s because AI created a song as if the artist wrote it himself. Over the Bridge, a mental health organization, studied over two dozen Nirvana songs using Google’s Magenta AI and a neural network to create a track that may have seemed similar to Nirvana’s work.
The song, “Drowned in the Sun,” starts with heavy-reverb plucking before distorted power chords take over. In the chorus, Nirvana tribute band frontman Eric Hogan sings, “I don’t care/I feel as one, drowned in the sun.” This song sounds nearly similar to “You Know You’re Right,” which was one of the last recorded songs before Cobain took his own life in 1994.
Besides Hogan’s voice, every other aspect of the song was created from the two AI programs used by Over the Bridge. To imitate Nirvana’s sound, the organization provided MIDI song files to Magenta, which was taught certain notes, rhythmic quirks, and harmonies from the band. The analysis works like a player-piano scroll by translating pitch and rhythm into a digital code fed through a synthesizer to reproduce a track.
However, Magenta had trouble with Cobain’s aggressive guitar playing style. It produced distorted noise instead of his signature melodies. After obtaining musical and lyrical samples, the creative team chose the best parts for the system to record new music. The MIDI tracks consist of instrumentation with varying effects.
For the lyrics, the team used an artificial neural network. They loaded the lyrics into the system and began with a few words. Then, the AI program guessed the cadence and tone of his work to finish the song. The team studied pages of lyrics for expressions that syllabically fit the melodies produced by Magenta. The AI didn’t provide a glimpse into how the song would be performed by Cobain. Other than cadence and tone, Hogan interpreted how the artist would release his anguish onto the lyrics.
AI has been used before to imitate the musical talents of a dead artist. This organization’s project is different from others in the past. “Drowned in the Sun” is part of the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club, which uses AI to produce songs by famous musicians who died at age 27. Over the Bridge raises awareness and provides mental health assistance for musicians and people who need it the most. The organization offers support through its Facebook page.
Wish the AI also added subtitles to this song. 
But like that quote... "No one's ever really gone." I love this tech.
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