Steven Wilson has recorded a Christmas song in collaboration with Chat GPT. Wilson wrote the music for “December Skies”, but the Open AI language program completely generated the lyrics.
Steven Wilson on December Skies:
“When a friend questioned me last week why I had never done a Christmas song, I protested that it wasn't really me and, furthermore, I didn't think I had the ability to write proper Christmas lyrics. “No problem,” he said, “we'll have Chat GPT do it for you!” whereupon he instructed the AI to generate Steven Wilson-style Christmas lyrics, which he proceeded to do. In fact, I was surprised at how instant and easy it was to guide him (“Don't mention Christmas,” we told him, “make him feel lonelier,” etc…)
I'm still not entirely sure what I think about AI. The knee-jerk reaction is to consider it a threat to a musician like me, but it's clearly not going away, so this is my experiment in trying to accept it and use it as a tool in the creative process. And, of course, also to have fun doing something that normally I would never have thought to do: the archetypal seasonal song. December Skies is the result, recorded quickly last weekend and written in collaboration with a version of me from Artificial Intelligence. I wonder what people will make of this. I wonder what I do with that.”
In keeping with the theme of artificial intelligence, the “December Skies” visualizer was also generated using a specially designed artificial intelligence system by Miles Skarin. The video is based on images taken from some of Wilson's previous videos and then placed on 2D and 3D backgrounds. Watch it below:
December Skies (lyrics by Chat GPT, music played and recorded by Steven Wilson, guitar solo and backing vocals by Randy McStine).
VERSE 1
In the silence of a long winter dream
Candlelight shines through a window
Evening in whispers the stillness of the night
On a canvas of stars in the sky.
CHORUS
Everyone is still sleeping in silence
Wrapped in a blanket of snow
But when the morning wakes up
The beauty of life begins to flow.
December skies will take me home
VERSE 2
In the forest where the moonlight shines
The grip of the frost on the pines.
Then the air weaves the warmth of a song
Still the beat of winter continues
Steven Wilson's most recent album, The Harmony Codex, was released to critical acclaim in September. WATCH Unlocking the Harmony Codex: A Conversation with Steven Wilson here.
