This is my favorite topic!

My guess is that artificial intelligence technologies using brain-computer interfaces will transform music ideation and music making from distinct activities into an omnipresent stream which will be indistinguishable from the totality of our collective digital/analog being. Traditional instruments, recording technology and music venues won't make sense to future generations where music making ceases to be a way that we divide time in discrete moments and is simply a river of data that we can dip into concurrently along with the other streams of data which are under our control, including--and especially--dreaming. I fear that as I get into my 80s, it will be harder and harder to resist placing myself into this constant dream state where I can pursue whatever music I hear in my head. When a piece of software can play back to me (and others) a stream of music directly from my brain in close to real-time, why wouldn't I devote all my time to perfecting that state of being? The macro implications of this technology in other parts of life, though, will probably leave me with bigger problems such as the loss of identity and the inability to envision life after death. But I will finally be able to effortlessly nail the guitar parts from "Into The Lens" just by thinking of them!

jason_from_volo wrote: Fri May 21, 2021 8:57 am
Now that it's the 2020s, what do you think is going to dominate music in the next century? And what role if any do you see rock and roll playing?

I see a lot of potential in the younger generations to make wonderful pieces of art out of things that existed previously. Generations of musicians/artists that are great at combining things, sampling, etc. to make something new. But I'm very concerned about ongoing music copyright discussions and how it could limit potential. That topic is going to be further brought to the forefront when the person who wrote an AI algorithm that writes songs wants royalties for every song written by the AI algorithm.

Rock will always have a place, but it may be marginalized (again).

As for the "person who wrote an AI algorithm that writes songs wants royalties for every song written by the AI algorithm," well, you assume the algorithm won't be owned by the company who hired the guy who works in the hamster wheel that is the space of coders, churning out code.

Big tech will have more to do with this anything, at least in the short term, and WILL take its share of the profits.

IMO

Procedurally Generated. Sucks, but it's going to be how pop music will be generated in the very near future. Completely fictitious Pop Stars. Think Hatsuke Miku but for every genre and with better graphics. The uncanny valley is already getting narrower and narrower. There will still be real musicians, but we are all going to have hear that shit out in the wild all day. It's going to be fucking terrible.

People will still make music. AI will fascinate. It'll be great.

I dunno. Probably old hat with new polish, man.

Just the sheer number of boutique pedal companies will keep rock/metal music "exciting" for the foreseeable future.

I've been really fascinated by the inhuman voice programs, but only in its relation to glitch music and the more haunting side of electronica. I think there's a lotta ground to cover there, Crystal Castles was the "Be Bop A Lulu" to the future's UFO Or Die.

Oonts will continue to seep into rock until rock and oonts are completely indistinguishable. Pop stars will be replaced with AI running through anime girl voice guitar effect pedals so that the songwriters can observe higher profit margins as the number of stakeholders per song increases past the Avogadro constant. In 2159, Ozzy Osbourne will release his final album, deciding to go into model railroading instead. The Rolling Stones will officially be renamed "The Original Shitty Beatles" in the same year at Mick Jagger's birthday party. K-pop will evolve into some kind of Voltron, in a scene not unlike something observed in the proto-GTA game Body Harvest.

Six hours from infinite breakbeats



Infinite bass solo



Infinite Dadabots djent



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No Thanks.