Vanterra Arts – City Bops

Vanterra Arts – City Bops – Album Review

Ohhhhhhh Mr. Fred Vanterra…you certainly know how to put the fear into me, now don’t ya?

An AI-based album?  Called City Bops no less?  My man…I do not know whether to laugh, or cry.

I’ll say this…before pushing play, I’m once again willing to go down this rabbit hole of AI-generated music for a whole bunch of reasons, but in this particular instance, because I happen to know that Fred has a ton of interests in all-things-tech that expand far beyond what he does as a musician.  Much like how I recently reviewed Chords Of Truth and their recent foray into AI, there’s still so much to be learned about the way people will choose to even apply the technology to what they do.  I’m not at the point where I’m fearful of its use in music…yet.  I think there are reasonable situations where it COULD be appropriate to use as a tool to assist you in what YOU create…and as far as I understand, that’s the context in which City Bops has been created.  It will be highly interesting to critique this album & follow it all up with a brand-new interview with Fred Vanterra of Vanterra Arts – that’s coming…so stay tuned.

It makes sense that he’d be interested in this kind of tech though…and I like the guy…so while I might still be personally skeptical about just about everything & anything to do with AI or its colossal potential implications – he’s one of the few that might actually be able to make it all make sense to a guy like me.

In any event…something being a described as a ‘bop’ is plenty more terrifying to me than anything that AI is currently doing.  That could change I suppose…we’ll have to see what the future holds I guess.  I don’t know exactly what percentage of City Bops is pure unfiltered Fred, versus how much is created by AI…as the notes scattered across my dusty desk tell me, the album is “mostly made with AI” – so take from that what you will.  I’m told that “the final product is an 80s Japanese mellow groove city Pop album breathing life into the stories of 10 different AI personas.”  Like I said, I’m interested and I’m ever open-minded…perhaps most importantly, I’m not at all afraid of a machine’s creativity in a battle against what we can do as human beings.  Perhaps that’s naïve of me…but I’m genuinely 100% unconcerned.

Where I think the biggest argument on behalf of AI is currently valid, is that some folks don’t at all care about how the sausage gets made, they just wanna hear a song they wanna sing along to or can easily like.  Take the recent example of the Velvet Sundown and how massively popular they’ve become.  For myself personally, I’d be heartbroken that I’d never get to see that music played live – but I’m not the rule, I’m the exception – most folks would much rather just hear a song they wanna turn up on their daily commute, and who could blame them for feeling that way?  I don’t.  I might not be able to advocate on behalf of AI for a massive plethora of other reasons, but I don’t begrudge anyone that just wants to listen to music they like.  As I listened to “Highrise Lullaby” and its attempt to emulate “80s Japanese mellow groove city Pop,” whatever you might think that would be…I found myself coming to the same conclusion more or less – it sounds good, so why shouldn’t we encourage people to listen to this if they like what they hear?  Am I supposed to bash on this just because it’s made more by machine than it is by man?  Pardon the expression, but fuck that.  I also think there’s a fundamental difference between a dedicated musician, and someone like Fred who is more of a utility artist in a variety of ways.  He’s done a ton with video games & such, so it really only seems natural that he’d be interested in what AI could potentially do for music, and it might very well be a shortcut that works for him in so much of what he does with Vanterra arts.  You see the difference, right?  If making music was his top priority, I’d readily tell the guy that he’s supposed to love the hardships of the journey, and that the craft itself isn’t supposed to be easy.  If he’s just looking for ways that he can utilize the technology to serve other needs he has in adjacent industries – what can we say?  Have at it!  It’s still the people’s choice on what they wanna listen to.  Much like the music he made on his album Waikiki Synth, City Bops is so freakishly niche that you’ll know right away if something that sounds like “Highrise Lullaby” is going to be what you’re looking for.  I’ll be real with ya – the hooks of the chorus were completely pleasant to my ears.  I’m well aware of the fact that Fred didn’t sing this, but I gotta tell the truth as I hear it – this IS catchy.

Where I think we’re going to potentially run into some issues is much the same as I experienced in checking out the like…what was it…twenty some-odd albums of Chords Of Truth last month?  We’re able to prompt AI to do different things, but objectively, we don’t always realize how much of what it’s doing is entirely similar.  Like, if you can’t hear the similarities in between a track like “One More Round” and the song that came just before it, you’re not listening with the proper holes on your body.  Yes, they ARE different songs with decidedly different aspects in so much of what makes them, but I suppose the point I’m making is that they should actually be way more different than they actually are.  For being in two different styles, they should be miles apart to the point where they’re practically beyond comparison, and yet I feel like there’s not nearly enough difference between what my ears enjoyed in “Highrise Lullaby” by comparison to “One More Round.”  If we’re talking about two songs, big deal…that actually happens all the time in the music of artists & bands you love already – but if this goes on to be a similar situation as to what happened with Chords Of Truth on the Echoes series, I think there are going to be some major issues we’ll all need to address if AI is going to be continued to be used in the art of making music.  As it stands though, sure, I like what I hear in “One More Round” too.  It’s not gonna light the world on fire because we’ve definitely been there and done this already in the history of music, but I’m never gonna just tell you something’s bad when it’s not.  “One More Round” is still very pleasant overall.

I’ll put it to ya this way – it’s also on US to use this tool responsibly, and we’ve still got such a long way to go in learning how to use it efficiently.  When “Karaoke Night” came on, my first thought was, ‘yep, here we go again’ – this is a carbon copy of what AI thinks it’s supposed to be doing, and it produces the same basic results.  So we have to ask ourselves when using it – did we change enough of the prompts in our instructions to make the music diversified enough?  Right now, I think the jury is still out on whether or not we’ve got a shit ton of room to improve on that…which is in effect, the role WE play in using AI – as in, it’s the human element that’s actually tripping up the machine.  So while, yes, again, there are many different aspects of a song like “Karaoke Night” in comparison to “Highrise Lullaby” or “One More Round” – what I’m saying to you is, aren’t there way too many similarities too?  I dunno…like I said, right now, I still fully believe that we’re proving humans have all the advantages over AI in the way that we’re using it so far when it comes to music, but I do appreciate its potential.  For Fred, I know he doesn’t consider himself a singer by trade naturally, so heck yeah, I can totally understand how cool it would be to hear someone singing on music that’s being made with AI.  Do I think that automatically equates to music that people would rush to listen to?  Nope, of course not.  Do I think there’s an audience for music like we’re hearing on City Bops?  Absolutely, 100%.  You see the difference?  These aren’t mutually exclusive things, and they can be used for entirely different purposes.  I’m happy for Fred if he’s happy about the role he played in creating these songs, and I’m sure there would be enough people willing to listen.  Right now, I think I’m more concerned about the similarities we’re hearing in the material and whether or not it’s diverse enough in the context of one album’s set-list…and/or whether or not this is all way too dated sound-wise.  It’s hard to say if I’m being truthful with ya – I think all our ears work the same way in the sense that if they hear something that sounds good, they tend not to resist or object.  As far as my own ears are concerned, I still actually really like what Vanterra Arts has put together so far.

But maybe that’s just me.  Honestly, I don’t know…maybe folks will respond to this more than I’d assume they might, and again, because I like Fred, I truly hope they do.  As it stands right now, if you’re a fan of stuff like you’d hear in Wham! or the earlier tunes by George Michael or Michael Jackson, there is plenty for you to love here – and why wouldn’t you want more of something you love?  It would be impossible to argue that an album like City Bops is moving the needle of music forward, but that’s not necessarily what music needs to do at all times.  As I said from the start, there are a TON of people out there that just wanna hear something they’d like to listen to – so if my short list of comparisons so far is enticing to you, tune on in to Vanterra Arts I say.  The similarities in the sound/way the bass lines have come out so far between the songs on this album seem to be the most problematic for me so far.  Other than that, the vocals generally sound viable, the music has been on-point, and I’m not hearing any kind of audible errors that would be anything like how AI’s visuals used to give us a sixth or seventh finger.  We’ve smoothed out so many of its kinks already, and we’re left with smooth songs like “Midnight Gloss” whereby even the solo you’ll hear is both entertaining and convincing enough, short as it may be.  I might like the previous three better on a personal level, but I hear no reason why people wouldn’t like “Midnight Gloss” – this is still very much in the realm of something that listeners would sing along with.

Yeah…again…I’m just gonna be the guy that has to burst that bubble and say that things really aren’t as different as those that use AI seem to think they are.  Same basic ingredients, same sounds, slightly different structure or hooks, but still too many things that are the same versus how much is actually unique from track to track.  Is a track like “Neon Rain” convincing?  Absolutely!  For real – I would bet that like…jeez…85-90% of people would have no idea that what they were listening to was created with AI, and isn’t that the point?  Aren’t we making songs that are now the music-equivalent of how a vegan product can be made to taste like chicken?  Again, unless you’re one of the people out there in the industry or someone that really cares about the human aspect of what you’re listening to, there’s next to no chance you’d think that it matters if a song like “Neon Rain” is created by a human or a machine.  Vocals sound good, music is fine…I really don’t think there’s a whole lot worth complaining about here, though I’d say that it’s fairly notable that even AI doesn’t just automatically churn out a hit song…not in today’s world.  The hooks of the chorus on “Neon Rain” might give it a shot, but the verses pale in comparison if I’m being completely honest with ya.  It’s a song that’s still balanced in terms of its performance, yes – but is it balanced in terms of its strengths?  No.  That’s another thing you could easily say happens just as much in the music of human beings as it might with AI though – it’s not at all uncommon to hear a verse not be that much of a big deal by comparison to the main hooks of a song.  I dunno…call me crazy, but I still enjoyed “Neon Rain” because the chorus is so ridiculously bulletproof – and what is that…a trumpet solo?  I really thought that was an excellent addition into this song as well.

As far as “秋” is concerned, aside from it being a pain in the ass to copy/paste its title from a site like Spotify…I dunno…it’s admittedly not really my thing, but I’ll fully admit that it’s a whole lot closer to the objective of creating “80s Japanese mellow groove city Pop” in the way that Vanterra Arts set out to do.  Being sung in Japanese obviously helps in that regard of course.  Don’t get it twisted – I like songs and music in just about every language, I just didn’t feel like the hooks of “秋” were all that strong is all.  What I did actually like about it was that the music did at least feel more noticeably different than what we’ve experienced on the record so far, which scores a point on behalf of its diversity.  Is it like, wildly different?  No.  We’re not talking about anything that extreme – this is still a fairly close cousin to what we’ve already heard on City Bops – it’s cohesive enough to be on the record, and just different enough to appreciate that fact.  I ain’t here to judge what you personally want to listen to, so if “秋” is your jam, I say turn it on up folks!  Isn’t that what listening to music is all about?  Finding stuff you like or love?  If “秋” does it for ya, then I’m happy you found something you like, simple as that.  For myself personally, I still don’t mind what I’m hearing on “秋” even if I wouldn’t say that it’s the cut that’ll keep me coming back.  It’s just hard to argue that there isn’t always something worth listening to in the music you’ll find on City Bops, that’s the reality…based in AI or not, that’s the objective truth – this all truly sounds good.

Or at least as good as you can get on a shite platform like Spotify…but hey, it’s free to listen, ain’t it?

There’s just so much to consider when it comes to the art of making music, and I genuinely applaud Fred for seeing what can be done with AI.  I don’t think there’s any question this is the least amount of Fred that I’ve heard in Fred’s music so far to-date, but if he’s happy with all this, who would I be to complain?  A song like “Night Drive” is totally viable.  There are many songs on this record that I’d have absolutely no problem listening to personally, because I have no issues reaching for a throwback sound on any given day.  There’s nothing about City Bops that is forward thinking, but it wasn’t intended to be – and that might be one of the biggest challenges that AI itself will face.  It’s learning on the past, so how could it come up with anything that we might feel like we haven’t heard in some way, shape, or form before?  But again – does that matter to most people?  Nope!  Should we be afraid of a tool we can use, when we’ve already been down this road with keyboards, drum machines, and auto-tuners?  Nope!  From my perspective, AI has only continually proven that it can’t match your creativity – but yes, it can certainly emulate the means that we use to make music.  Some of these hooks are freakin’ immaculate if you’re asking me – LISTEN to how insanely good the chorus of “Night Drive” is for example!  It’s easily one of the best hooks you’ll find in any corner of the album, and the verses ain’t all that bad either.  It’s different than the case of “Neon Rain” where things were a little less balanced in terms of their strengths.  The verses of “Night Drive” would be made into the chorus of a single for most artists and bands out there – it just so happens that the chorus is outright superhuman by comparison…but I guess that’s what we’re dealing with, right?  I’m really looking forward to talking with Fred about how this whole album was made, and how much of a hand he had in creating a hook as incredible as the one you’ll find in the chorus of this song.  “Night Drive” is definitely one of my favorite cuts on City Bops.

But yeah Fred…caution is advised for sure.  If you’re not hearing the similarities within the material, I think that’s going to be problematic.  So far as my experience with AI creators has been, it’s a battle of staying grounded, real, and objective about what is coming out, versus trying to not be so awe-inspired by its limitless possibilities that everything else goes by the wayside.  Like, listen to “外人” for example – if you’re not recognizing the relentlessly similar bass sounds, similar playing & approach from track to track…again, that’s problematic – and I think that if you’re listening with a more objective ear, you’re going to notice there is still so much room to add variety and depth into the diversity of an album being made in this method.  All that being said, I like “外人” better than I did “秋” in the lineup earlier on.  As to why that is…hmm…I’m gonna go with the main sound of the vocals.  I still don’t think the hooks quite hold up as strong as any of the songs sung in English have presented to us so far, but that could just be the way that I’m personally hearing it.  When it comes to “外人,” I think I’d probably argue that I enjoy the hooks of the verses more than I do what you’ll find in the chorus.  In any event, the saxophone solo jams, and I still feel like the inclusion of “外人” goes a long way when considering Vanterra’s objective for creating this album and the kind of music he wanted to make.  You see the conundrum, right?  What is the guy supposed to do?  Is he really going to learn Japanese just to make one or two songs?  Is he going to do all the work of a full band to make a whole album?  If you’re a musician primarily and that’s how you see yourself, you very well might go to such extreme lengths to achieve these kind of goals, but if that’s not the case, then AI offers you the opportunity to use the ultimate shortcut, and it’s effective.

Case in-point though Fred – tell me how “外人” isn’t just “Summer Of ‘84” slowed down?  Yes – I get it – they do go on to do slightly different things…but go listen to the beginning of each song as objectively as you can.  If you’re doing that, I guarantee you’ll have to come to the conclusion that “Summer Of ‘84” is just moving at a quicker pace, but it’s basically the same thing for a moment or two before its main differences are established.  Of course, we can argue about all kinds of human-made music that also does similar things…take the case of “Get Free” from Lana Del Rey for example, and listen to how much that borrows from Radiohead’s first major hit “Creep.”  If you’re not hearing the similarities, I once again recommend listening with the proper holes in your body.  The point is that, man-made or machine-made, our ears are still attracted to so many of the same things, are we’re often oblivious to how much we’re actually borrowing, even in the context of a single album’s lineup like this one here.  I’d listen to what I hear on “Summer Of ‘84” though…no doubt about it.  Reminds me of stuff I love in bands like Keane or The Virgins…and on its own, as a single, I think it’d carry a bit more weight.  Right now in the context of an album where such similar prompts and inputs are being used from track to track, the potential impact that can be made can often get lost on listeners because there are more similarities than differences at times.  Once again though, the counterpoint is that when you’ve got a musician in a band that has a distinct signature style, that’s something you hear in song after song on an album too.  If it seems like I’m consistently playing both sides or devil’s advocate here, you’re not wrong – I am – but that’s completely because I believe there’s so much we still have to learn about the use of AI in music and I genuinely enjoy thinking about it all from every angle I can.  I fully support the reasons as to why an artist like Fred Vanterra would want to use it, and at the same time, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that I’d recommend that using AI is something everybody out there should do.  Not yet anyway.

So…in conclusion…as I put on “Loop” in the background – you can get drunk on this stuff, so drink responsibly.  You know what I mean?  “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”  Embrace diversity.  Embrace versatility.  Remember what it is you wanted to make music for, and ask yourself if a shortcut or two is actually the right way to go about what it is you want to accomplish.  If it is, then right on – you’ll hear no complaints from the likes of me…all I’m ever looking for is honesty, and Fred was fully upfront about the use of AI on City Bops.  I like to think I would have figured out that it wasn’t him singing…but you get what I mean.  No forester would say they pushed a tree over – they’d tell you they used the available tools they needed to achieve the desired results…and I’m cool with that in the context of music.  We shouldn’t fear AI.  I’m not saying we should all completely embrace it and start using it ourselves, not at all – but I’ve yet to hear anything out there so far that makes me think it has any kind of substantial edge over what dedicated musicians and artists can create with their own set of skills.  There are hundreds of songs out there like “Loop” when it comes to the sound…so many that it’s impossible to say something like “Loop” isn’t entirely redundant.  If you’re threatened by that as an artist, I’m not sure what to tell you – work harder?  That doesn’t mean it doesn’t sound damn good to listen to – it does.  For as terrified as I was of listening to an album called City Bops, I’ll fully admit that the material might be similar or seem very familiar to us at times, but objectively, it sounds real good.

Do I want more Fred in Fred’s music?  Of course I would want that – but my opinion is actually quite irrelevant.  If he’s happy with what he’s got here, I reckon he’s the most important opinion, and the only opinion that really matters in that regard.  It’s been an interesting adventure to listen to this album to say the very least…I enjoy thinking about the possibilities for anything and everything music-related.  We’re all going to have to get used to the idea of AI being a part of the industry whether it’s mainstream or independent from here on in.  Resistance is futile, but acceptance doesn’t have to come easily without some kind of consideration.  As with all tools, it’s all about how you use’em – so be responsible.

Make sure to keep an eye out for that next interview with Fred Vanterra of Vanterra Arts where I’ll do the best I can to get to the bottom of some of this mystery for ya asap – he’s gifted with a point of view and perspective that is so blissfully & beautifully unlike my own – you’ll love what he has to say I’m sure.  Until then, make sure you learn more about the amazing things happening at Vanterra Arts at the official website, right here at this link:  https://vanterraarts.com

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