As a diehard Radiohead and Kurt Cobain fan, I was skeptical when I heard about the AI-generated version of Kurt Cobain singing ‘Karma Police’ however, after listening to the video, I must admit that I was impressed by the accuracy with which the AI replicated Cobain’s vocals in the place of Thom Yorke’s to create an emotional rollercoaster of a track.
There is a certain sadness to hearing an AI-generated version of a musician who died too soon, especially when it’s in the form of ‘Karma Police,’ which, in of itself is a hard hitting track.
What I find the most odd is that Kurt Cobain fits so well in any Radiohead track. His voice just fits so well within the walls of the music that is being played. Again, I feel that this is a huge testament to how much influence he has had on music and musicians both during that time period and still to this day.
However, now for the not-so-great news. As a fan of Radiohead and Kurt Cobain, I believe that the band’s music along with Cobain’s vision have always been a reflection of their unique creative vision and personal experiences. The idea of replicating that sound with AI-generated vocals feels like a hollow imitation of the real thing.
While the AI-generated version of Kurt Cobain is truly an incredible feat that should not go unnoticed, it should be said that it is eerily haunting and raises a lot of questions that I’m sure we’ll eventually see. Could Lars Ulrich once again take the helms and go after AI this time around instead of Napster for creating fake songs? Maybe. Jokes aside, I do see some legal action happening in the future with all of this.
I’m having fun in this fantasy world for now, but sometimes, it really is a bit too much.
