Steve Pratt on his new album, 'The First Trip'

As I have mentioned in other posts, Steve "Fly" Pratt has a rather good new album, The First Trip, with lyrics drawn from Illuminatus! and the works of Robert Anton Wilson. It's a kind of companion to the first issue of Bobby Campbell's Tales of Illuminatus, which will be out soon, and it was produced using AI music tools such as Udio. Note that you can listen to it on Bandcamp before deciding to buy it, and Bobby also has been highlighting various tracks in his Substack newsletter for the project.

As I was interviewing Steve for an upcoming blog post, he sent me this piece to explain/discuss the new album, and with his permission, I am posting it here. -- The Management.

By STEVE "FLY" PRATT
Special guest blogger

I'd refer those who are interested to my introduction to Deep Scratch Remix 23/3/23 concerning A.I. tools, plus the liner notes to my series of Deep Scratch (Data Dust Crew) releases on Bandcamp. There are sure to be some contradictory statements. Thankfully, Tales Of Illuminatus has handed me the perfect opportunity to balance the equation, and explore the challenges facing humans in light of the information explosion, and the recent boom in A.I. tools.  [Deep Scratch Remix is Steve's novel about the effect of AI tools on art; buy it here. -- The Management].

[Here are the liner notes Steve references: Part 1 and then Part Two.]

Inspired by Illuminatus! Trilogy, I’ve been developing a trans-media project that sets the challenge of bringing artwork from the fictional “Deep Scratch” novel universe, into our shared world. As a DJ and drummer, I naturally went heavy on the music side of things, so when this opportunity came up to work within the Illuminatus! Trilogy Universe, via Bobby Campbell’s official, Tales Of Illuminatus comic book project, I felt ready to dive straight in. The opportunity to work with both A.I. and in-the-flesh human musicians, within the context of a Robert Anton Wilson universe is nectar and ambrosia to me.  

Nowhere in this process did I use any prompt referencing a specific artist, studio, or label. Every lyric is mine (although I borrowed the lines "beliefs are the police of the mind" from Saul Williams). I'm not deaf to the masses of artists and creatives, and fans who are critical of A.I. and its place in music, and the potential damage and actual damage it's doing to labels, artists, businesses and the integrity-o-metre of the artform. Not limited to music, images, video, texts are all under attack, in some sense by generative A.I. What is to be done? My response is...soundclash.

The First Trip is an opening salvo in an age-old battle between sound systems, labels, artists and business, with some religion and magickal cults thrown in for good measure. The First Trip is what I deduce to be the most apt songs, to mirror the fictional environment of Tale Of Illuminatus, from the Robert Anton Wilson universe, music is the soul focus.

Much like the curatory nature of what a DJ does, prompt based music production is another secondary process. Another step away from the sources, all around us, for every sound, pattern, harmony and structure. It's right there at your fingertips.

Let me close with a sincere message to anybody reading this to support your local artists in their endeavours, particularly in any analogue format or craft. Any altruistic and benevolent super A.I. (ASI, AGI) must come to understand the sacrifice and suffering that goes with choosing to make art, as a human being. The hidden struggle behind all the creations you enjoy, processing. To speak neutrally. The work copied, or processed is a variety of music, blended together like a DJ who also has all the stems from all the tracks you’ve ever heard, mixing them together just for you, and your party jam.