Goldsmiths AI turns Sigur Rós single into 24-hour TV soundtrack

The band Sigur Rós has produced a 24-hour televised journey around the entire Icelandic coast, set to an evolving version of a single song generated using artificial intelligence developed at Goldsmiths. In 2011 Dr Mick Grierson from the Department of Computing created the commercial music format, BRONZE, which manipulates and transforms every aspect of a track to create a unique version on each listen, while the song remains recognisable to the listener. Music is no longer static, but producers and composers can create subtly different mixes with each play, while still retaining the quality and balance of the original mix. From 20-21 June, the experimental Icelandic post-rock act unveiled their film Route One live on Iceland's National Television – and streamed globally via YouTube – with a constantly evolving soundtrack based around elements of their new song Óveður. The individual musical elements of the unreleased song, and current Sigur Rós festival set opener, were seeded through evolving music program BRONZE to create a unique ephemeral sonic experience.