The moniker Flopi belongs to Florian Volpi, a French artist based in Cannes. Coming from the world of contemporary art, he has recently released an album called “Fates”. Its dual nature touches upon the subject of making music versus emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
“That eternal glimpse we chase on the haunted roads” is one of the singles coming from “Fates”. Existing somewhere between a trip hop influenced structure and a cinematic soundscape, this ethereal tune with an unusually long title brings to mind some of the recordings made in the 1990s by Hooverphonic. Dreamy vocals, relaxing beats and a myriad of feelings looking inward, into the soul, creating an introspective experience which is calming, albeit slightly dark.
What deserves an extra attention, and it is one of the first times for this website as well, are the digitally created vocals. This experiment aimed at discovering how such voices can express, convey and even embody emotions has delivered interesting results.
While it can still be heard that these vocals are not performed by a human singer, the album by Flopi raises profound questions about the future of music creation. The final effect is still understandably inconclusive, however the progress made by the AI engines is becoming more and more impressive these days.
So, here’s a question for you. How did you feel experiencing these vocals? Were you enchanted, hooked, hypnotised, or perhaps, discouraged by this digital addition? Will you listen to the entire album to see if it convinces you? I am very curious to read your impressions, so please share your observations in the comments section below.
Photo: Press release
Link to the album on Bandcamp: https://flopirecords.bandcamp.com/album/fates
Opinion Zone – in this series, I will be asking you, both producers and listeners, about your opinion on many music-related matters. If you feel like pitching in, I would be more than happy to start a discussion in the comments section. No hate, no judgement, just an open and honest conversation.
Hello Bartek, thank you very much for this article and your interest in my project. See you soon!
You’re welcome 🙂 Good luck with your album!