I have lived a remarkably unique life during one of the most transformative eras in recorded history, bridging the world before modern digital technology and the hyper-connected reality we inhabit today. As a creative, witnessing this evolution has been fascinating. I have always marveled at technological advancements, eagerly participating in beta tests and supporting developers as an enthusiastic everyday user.<br>However, this close relationship with innovation has led me to a sobering conclusion: technology has gradually devalued the human element in creativity, and this shift is far from over.<br>Angershade
My primary creative outlet is Angershade, an instrumental music project designed to revitalize the genre through a strictly singular perspective. I am the sole architect of this project, handling every operational and creative demand myself.<br>My responsibilities span the entire lifecycle of the music:<br>Creative Conception & Production: Writing, recording, engineering, and mastering.<br>Business & Distribution: Managing administrative tasks and digital/physical distribution.<br>Public Presence: Overseeing marketing strategies and web development.<br>Angershade intentionally excludes human collaboration, relying on technology not as a co-creator, but as the tool to execute a solitary vision.<br>The Corruptive
The Corruptive was an interpolation & collaboration project formed in 2023 with material recorded & produced with various female vocalists. The recordings wrapped and ceased production in September of 2025, and the project is now on hold and is slated for rebranding and restructuring sometime in 2027 or 2028. <br>The AI Era and the Erasure of Effort
I began recording instrumental pieces at eleven years old, utilizing whatever rudimentary gear I could find. Over the decades, as audio technology advanced, I noticed that the collective "wow" factor began to diminish; audiences gradually became desensitized to complex creative achievements.<br>Today, we face a new paradigm that feels as though it instantly erases human effort upon playback: the era of generative AI.<br>While I use technology extensively, it is not in the way critics and casual listeners assume. To clarify my process, I have published an AI Usage & Transparency Disclosure.<br>The Reality of the Timeline:
Every piece of music I have officially released—across streaming, vinyl, CD, and cassette—was recorded prior to the availability of consumer generative AI. My most recent release on November 17, 2023, was a remaster of material recorded between 2018 and 2021. The generative AI platform Suno did not launch until December 20, 2023—a full month later. Yet, despite this timeline, my current work is frequently dismissed by critics as AI-generated.<br>The "Default to AI" Mindset
Currently, I am in the studio developing the next Angershade release. When I share early demos with a select group of friends and long-time listeners, I notice a troubling new trend: a universal default to AI skepticism.<br>The immediate reaction is almost always, "What AI did you use?"<br>It is incredibly frustrating to explain how AI was involved when it is involved. For many listeners, it is simply easier to assume a computer generated the work than to conceptualize how a single individual could produce such a complex output alone. The modern mind frequently takes the path of least resistance, attributing human discipline to an algorithm while inadvertently discounting an artist's entire prior catalog.<br>From Awe to Disinterest: The Turning Point
This collective cynicism represents a deeper cultural shift. I vividly remember the last time I witnessed genuine, collective awe in a movie theater: July 4, 1991, during the premiere of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.<br>When the T-1000 seamlessly morphed out of the hospital's tiled floor, the entire audience gasped. The effect hadn't been spoiled in the trailers, and the film had not yet explained what we were witnessing. We were simply marveling at the unexpected magic of Industrial Light & Magic.<br>Ironically, that very milestone—the birth of seamless digital effects—marked the beginning of a decline in visual wonder. Once technology proved it could make the impossible look effortless, the boundary of genuine surprise began to disappear.<br>The Future of Musical Originality
Today, the element of surprise is practically extinct. Human perception relies on a finite spectrum of colors, musical notes, and auditory frequencies. Platforms like Suno and Udio generate millions of songs per day. On such a limited sensory palette, it is fair to argue that nearly every conventional musical permutation is being rapidly exhausted.<br>True originality is becoming increasingly difficult to claim. When an individual without musical training can generate a fully produced track in thirty seconds, it forces a critical question for traditional artists: Where is the incentive to spend weeks or months meticulously crafting a piece of music, when the culture is conditioned to dismiss it as the product of a simple prompt?<br>Next
If I were contemplating a new Angershade album today, having not written a single note for it, I would probably decide against it altogether. However, I began the project in May 2024 and have written enough material to produce two albums. While I may not release two albums, I am determined to complete the one I intended to do simply because I don’t want to leave the project in its current state with its existing catalog. I want to conclude it with an evolutionary collection that is far more advanced and produced than its predecessors. <br>The question of whether or not I will seek another release to the catalog remains to be determined. I will always write and produce music as long as I am able and motivated to do so. However, putting together an album is a challenging task. The music must flow seamlessly from one track to another, keeping the listener engaged and preventing them from skipping or fast-forwarding. In the case of instrumental music, there are no words to guide the listener, every change must be something new or an interesting variation of something previously heard. It cannot follow the verse-chorus-verse-chorus ABAB format of vocal music. Considering all these elements in a world saturated with simple, catchy tunes produced by multiple producers for a single personality, marketed to the attention span of a TikTok-dominated world all replaced now with generative A.I., producing an album is hard.