0
0
Early this April, when British alternative band Pulp released their first album single in 24 years, fans were relatively united in their enjoyment of the track. But controversy swiftly developed among certain sets of Instagram commenters upon the rather shocking discovery that the accompanying music video, “directed” by frontman Jarvis Cocker, was his attempt to “grapple with AI”… by using it. It’s a disturbingly uncanny video, home to misplaced limbs, illogical movements, and other such classic AI slop, and it’s additionally alarming coming from a group who have famously prided themselves on their very human creativity. What on earth is going on!? What follows is my attempt, as a devout AI hater, to convince my fellows of why this video is not only obviously satirical but directly related to the concept of the song itself.
Let’s begin with what we’re seeing. Cocker’s stated vision, in opening intertitles, is to take the black and white promotional photos for Pulp’s renowned 1995 album ‘Different Class’ and reanimate them, “attempt to make them come alive… using AI.” Beyond the fact that the resulting images have never been introduced to the laws of physics and have no idea how to interact with black and white images, there’s an additional uncanny feeling to looking at this attempt to electroshock their ‘prime’ back to life. It’s like a low-budget version of ABBA’s hologram concert where the film has melted and warped, a twisted mixture of the imagery that defined many people’s youths with one of the most strangely modern horrors of today; as the video exclaims, “Is this modern? Really?” At face value, these clips are probably the most egregious example of a band fighting against the wind for relevance that I have ever seen. It’s the epitome of the unpleasant trend we’ve seen recently where musicians originally loved for their distinct style and creative vision attempt to reconnect with a world that, below the surface, isn’t all too different, by throwing away the human connection that drew people in the first place. When I go to a concert, I want to be in the space with live musicians, when I look at an album cover, I want it to have known a human hand. If all of our work goes into the machine and nothing of ours comes out, we’ve wasted a billion million lightbulbs of electricity to extract and disperse our souls.
It also looks ugly.
Let’s get back to the point. Pulp haven’t let us down here. They’re directly critiquing the use of generative AI, pointing out that “maybe we need to work on other ways of coming alive,” but (speaking of those lightbulbs), why burn all that gas for something that everyone’s already saying? And what does any of this have to do with that “spike island” you were talking about? Our journey continues.
I will be the first to admit that upon seeing these unfortunate images in my feed, I did the most intense double-take of my life. And that’s why it works. AI garbage and other computerised cash grabs have become so common in the eighties-artist sphere that I was willing to believe a noted anti-capitalist had decided to dive right in. I’ve mentioned ABBA’s hologram concert already, and it was only a few months ago that the Tears for Fears who once derided those who “turn your back on mother nature” decided to hop on the AI train for their latest album cover. The jump from synthesiser to sinking into freshly generated slime appears only too short for certain members of the aging musical population who no longer want their wrinkled faces on the products they’re selling to their equally aged, longtime fans. AI critics are as common as anything, but I personally had been yet to see someone from this particular field tackle the problem so obviously. Despite my enduring avowal that, because of its environmental and ethical issues, AI should never be used, even satirically, I have to hand it to Cocker for being the first in his league I’ve seen tackle it head-on. It works.
Finally, what’s it got to do with the song? Is it simply a cop-out to generate a music video and claim it as satirical, so you don’t have to do any real work? I’d say ‘Spike Island’ and the rest of the upcoming ‘More’ are Pulp choosing to get back to doing the work. Coming back to a project after 20 years is a weighing of two sides:
1. I am older now. I do not look as I did before, and I do not live a lifestyle to which most people can relate. The world has changed, and it may not want me.
2. I like to make music.
The creation of an album despite this gap is devotion to creativity and the connection it brings. This is the topic of the song: “I was born to perform, it’s a calling / I exist to do this, shouting and pointing” (my emphasis). It’s the perfect comeback single, an ode to creativity and art born of feeling, “human intelligence at its best.” It is because of this celebration that the irony of its accompanying egregious AI slop works; the contrast of human joy with the soulless shit that apparently represents our glorious future.
So, there’s that. Somehow, I’m willing to stand behind Cocker’s use of AI in this video; it looks bad because that’s the point, it looks bad to remind you how lovely even the worst of human creation appears in contrast. Let’s just all hope it doesn’t make a comeback.
Written by Moran
Author
Views: 6