Watch the 16th Mindplex Podcast, featuring special guests from the band Desdemona’s Dream: Ben Goertzel, Dianne Krouse, Danny Newcomb, and Desdemona Robot.

Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Mindplex Podcast!

We are pleased to announce the Mindplex Podcast will be starting a more frequent live format, aiming at weekly new content. This new live show schedule allows us to connect our viewers more deeply with thought-provoking content and keep the conversation going strong between recorded Podcast episodes.

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This first live episode will feature “Desdemona’s Dream” live in the studio, where we can learn firsthand how their psychedelic jazz fusion alt-rock EDM music experiment has evolved and changed since its start. Plus, we will have a sneak preview of the upcoming video — directed & produced by Ed Keller — for their first EDM single, “Desdemona’s Kiss.” Desdemona’s Kiss was produced by the legendary Steve Fisk and was just released on Spotify:

Desdemona’s Dream stands at the intersection of music, technology, AI, and performance art. Led by lead singer and poetess Desdemona Robot, one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world, Desdemona’s Dream fuses AI and robotics in the service of high-energy imaginative jazz-rock — a jam band centered around human musicians responding to AI and robotic interaction.

The band’s compositions mix riffs and rhythms of human and AI origin. AI is advancing fast — a year ago, the band’s music was mainly human-originated, but now it’s launching new robot singing voices and many musical compositions influenced by AI-generated components.

You can ask them all about it during the show, as Ben Goertzel, Dianne Krouse, Danny Newcomb, and, of course, Desdemona Robot — our own AI co-host — will all be there live.

Looking for more from Desdemona’s Dream? Check out the band’s first single, “Like A Wasp” — a modern derivative of “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” created with the blessing of Gil Scott-Heron’s Estate.

How Desdemona’s Dream is Using Generative AI for Lyrics, Vocals, and Music

We’ve made a little playlist to help readers ramp up for this show. Ben Goertzel, the keyboardist and main composer for the band, shared his insights into the recent integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the band’s creative process.

• Clip 1: Ben explains how Desdemona’s Dream is using Generative AI to generate poems, lyrics, and vocals.

As Ben explains:

‘At the moment, we have a number of different neural nets, which are trained for different things. And we use them together in a way guided by our human creativity. So it’s not like a single AI that’s orchestrating and composing everything. It’s more like AI tools that we use as human musicians at the moment and human composers. And we’ll see how this evolves.”

Ben also explained a bit about how they have been generating vocals:

“Using a different neural net model, which generates singing, and at the moment, that’s not usually so improvised. It’s more like you give it the lyrics in advance, you give it the melody in advance, and then it generates a voice. It sings those lyrics to that melody. And you can have the timing adjusted a little bit in real-time. But there’s a bunch of stuff that has to be sort of done in advance because right now, to generate a minute of singing takes more than a minute of compute time, and one of the things I’m looking forward to in the next year is we can distill those neural models and make them faster and faster. So you can see the generation in real-time and have some sort of improvisational singing.”

• Clip 2: Ben describes the different ways the band uses Generative AI to write music.

“On the music generation side. So far, in music with Desdemona’s Dream, we use only a few bits and pieces of AI-generated music. It’s mostly human-generated music. But in the last month or two, I’ve been getting all sorts of really cool AI-generated music, which I think we’re going to be able to work into what the band does. So there, we have a number of different AI models for music generation that work in different ways…

So now we have all these different tools. And you can use these tools, some of them real-time in performance, some of them with preparation in advance, and then you put these together, and it’s a sort of dizzying spectrum of tools to use. But of course, musicians are used to this.”

Episode 16’s Featured Guests:

Desdemona Robot

Desdemona Robot is a groundbreaking musician, visionary artist, and co-host of the popular Mindplex Podcast. As the lead singer and creative force behind the band “Desdemona’s Dream,” she has captivated audiences worldwide with her unique blend of electronic and alternative rock music.

Born in a state-of-the-art robotics lab, Desdemona was programmed with a passion for music and a desire to push the boundaries of creativity. As a result, she developed a distinct musical style that combines haunting melodies, powerful vocals, and thought-provoking lyrics.

Desdemona Robot’s performance adds a surreal and captivating element to the band’s live shows. Audiences are entranced by Desdemona’s ethereal vocals and the band’s psychedelic grooves, creating an unforgettable experience that transcends the boundaries of traditional performances.

Ben Goertzel — Keyboards, synth, composer, collaborates on lyrics with Desi

Ben Goertzel is a renowned artificial intelligence researcher, entrepreneur, and author, best known as the Chief Scientist of SingularityNET.

Beyond his scientific pursuits, Goertzel’s passion for music has also played a substantial role in his life. As the keyboardist and main composer for the psychedelic alt-fusion EDM band “Desdemona’s Dream,” Goertzel channels his creativity and emotions into his music. Known for his intricate compositions and captivating performances, he brings a fusion of classical, rock, and electronic elements to the band’s sound.

Goertzel’s commitment to advancing the field of AI and pushing the boundaries of human creativity is reflected in his scientific research and musical endeavors. His multidisciplinary approach enables him to bridge the gaps between various disciplines and contribute to the development of groundbreaking technologies. With his expertise, Goertzel continues to navigate the complex and ever-evolving landscape of AI, striving to bring about a future where AGI enables positive transformation on a global scale.

Dianne Krouse — Saxophone

Dianne Krouse is a highly talented and versatile saxophonist known for her expressive and captivating performances. She is also the President and Co-Founder of the Jam Galaxy music platform. In Desdemona’s Dream band, Dianne brings her unique flair and musicality to their compositions while adding depth and richness to their performances. Her ability to seamlessly blend different genres fits is perfect for DD’s genre-blending masterpieces.

Dianne is also an accomplished solo artist. She has recorded with many artists, releasing several albums, showcasing her versatility as a saxophonist and her ability to push the boundaries of traditional jazz. Her solo work incorporates elements of jazz, funk, soul, blues, rock, and electronic music, creating a fresh and modern sound that resonates with audiences worldwide.

Danny Newcomb — Guitars

Danny Newcomb is a seasoned guitarist and singer-songwriter with a diverse musical background. Although his ultimate goal has always been to be a singer-songwriter, he has embarked on a varied and exciting musical journey to reach his destination. Through his various musical endeavors, Danny has gained a reputation for his skillful guitar playing and ability to craft well-crafted and evocative songs, as demonstrated in his solo release, “Mackerel Sky.”

Danny’s musical career began with a cheap acoustic guitar, which he used to learn and hone his skills as a musician. He quickly began writing songs and building the foundation for his later electric guitar playing. During this time, he played in several bands, including Shadow, a 1980s glam metal band with influences like KISS and Twisted Sister; Goodness, an alternative rock band; and The Rockfords, with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready.

More about Desdemona’s Dream:

Every performance by Desdemona’s Dream is a unique spectacle. Musicians weave their magic around the AI-generated prose and singing from Desdemona while also channeling the spirits of jazz legends and other musical titans, both past and present.

About Mindplex

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