Looking Outwards 02

Title: Ultrachunk
Artists: Memo Atken, Jennifer Walshe

Ultrachunk is a generative project collaboration between vocalist Jennifer Walshe and artist Memo Atken within which Atken used a machine learning system to produce recordings of Walshe’s face and voice based on pre-recorded videos of the singer’s improvisations. Walshe was then able to perform live with her AI doppelganger, harmonizing as the generated image reproduced her voice in real time. The result is an unconventionally beautiful–yet sometimes haunting–duet of sounds and faces. I am fascinated by this project as I feel that it begins to demonstrate the extent of the power of AI. While captivating and intriguing to watch, it also brings up a new set of questions and possibilities–to what extent can technology infiltrate the world of art? Music has traditionally been an artform produced from human emotion and consumed by those who relate to it, but what happens when a piece of machinery can generate the same results?