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Listen to AI-generated ‘new’ songs by Kurt Cobain, Hendrix and Jim Morrison

It aims to highlight “what’s been lost” to mental health problems in the music industry.

Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison

Photos: Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic, Andrew Maclear / Hulton Archive / Getty, David Redfern / Redferns

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A mental health awareness project has enlisted artificial intelligence to pen ‘new’ songs by musicians who have already passed away.

Lost Tapes Of The 27 Club imagines what unheard music by Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse might sound like if the musicians were still alive today. The aim of the project is to highlight “what’s been lost” to mental health problems in the music industry. It’s an initiative led by Over The Bridge, a mental health organisation based in Canada.

Listen to the songs below:

Creating the tracks involved a three-step process. First, the AI analysed “isolated hooks, rhythms, melodies, and lyrics” from the music of each artist. Next, it generated a piece of music – including vocal melodies, lyrics and riffs – which could be performed by musicians. Finally, the song would be recorded, mixed and mastered by an audio engineer.

In its mission statement, the project explained that mental health issues haven’t just been ignored in the music industry – they’ve been romanticised. It cited the 27 Club, which lists acclaimed musicians who died at just 27, as an example of this.

“As long as there’s been popular music, musicians and crews have struggled with mental health at a rate far exceeding the general adult population,” the project said.

“Through this album, we’re encouraging more music industry insiders to get the mental health support they need, so they can continue making the music we all love for years to come. Because even AI will never replace the real thing.”

Learn more at losttapesofthe27club.com

For more music industry news, click here.

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