Tuesday, 01 July 2008
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Written by
Jonathan Easley
The notion of subjective artificial intelligence doesn’t seem like a very threatening or near-term possibility, considering that subjective individuals continue to emphasize the rigid categorization of something as nebulous and diverse as music. We’d do well to initiate ourselves with Robert Anton Wilson’s term “sombunall” (some but not all), as we’re not even to the point where our metaphysical machinery can claim to possess subjectivity. Take a look at indie music’s currently embedded calibration device, the Scene Machine. It requires only one unit of data input (a geographical location) to summate with lusty, borderline-sexual incantations about the cosmic importance of every band in a given area. That’s right, our cognitive labeling machinery evolved sexuality before it evolved subjectivity – you don’t need the ability to reason when you’re in a blind rut. This leaves machine-harvested bands that harbor post-debut album ...
