“Our R&D department is now able to synthetically replicate our flagship artist Sloucho and create AI humanoids we call ‘ECHOES.’” announces OUCH™ label exec Rás Míle Saol of Sloucho’s new ECHOES EP. “By capturing hundreds of hours of motion data during his live performances and training our LoRA on Sloucho’s repertoire, the ECHOES can replicate the artist’s movement and produce original works in his style with up to 98 per cent accuracy.”

If that sounds slightly terrifying to you, good – you’ll be happy to hear that both OUCH™ and Rás are actually the work of Sloucho’s imagination. ECHOES is as much an electronic EP as it is a literary epic, reifying fictional characters, allegorical corporate entities, and expansive storylines of artistic exploitation through emotive hyperpop-adjacent production. At the centre of this cinematic universe is a battle between good and evil – with human creativity on one side, and corporate entities using dystopian technologies to enslave it for profit on the other. While much of the project inhabits the realm of fiction, you don’t need to look far to see the contemporary issues that he is drawing on.

“Morality has been at war with corporate interests since the beginning of industry,” Sloucho tells Dazed of the threat that AI poses to artists. “Every industry has a bottom line, and music is no different. If margins can be increased, wouldn’t any company seek to do so? Now that we are in uncharted territory, and regulation hasn’t been implemented, we are simply witnessing another shameful land grab.”

Fictional record label OUCH™ and its executive Rás are the embodiment of these corporate interests. Brought to life through CGI magic, Rás appears on Sloucho’s social feeds complete with horns covered by a white doily and an army of forboding suit-wearers at his back.

Sloucho maintains character throughout, too, with his most recent post declaring: “THE ECHOES ARE HERE, MY AUTONOMY HAS BEEN COMPRISED AND MY LIKENESS HIJACKED AND COMMODIFIED BY @ouch__world” (also a real account). This is more than just a commitment to the bit – by blurring the line between truth and fiction, Sloucho’s immersive worldbuilding continues a storytelling lineage that has existed in Ireland for centuries.

“I was raised in a nation of storytellers, a place where lawmakers were once poets and musicians served in the courts of kings,” says Sloucho. “For our oral culture to have been as rich and to have survived as long as it did, our mastery of words and ability to imbue them with lasting imagery had to be unparalleled. In ancient Ireland, storytelling was our primary means of sharing knowledge, history, and legends – it was considered an art form in and of itself.”

Here, the primary tension of Sloucho’s narrative emerges. Where, for centuries, Irish civilisation has been guided by cautionary tales of capricious kings and mischievous fairies – modes of knowledge and timeless truths that can’t be boiled down to ones and zeroes – the introduction of capitalism and, more recently, AI-under-capitalism threatens to sever this artform from the lived experience that gives it currency.

“Would you buy music from an AI artist? Would you be able to tell it was an AI artist? Where would your money go? What would that AI do with your money?” Sloucho asks. “For all the positives this technology brings to the world, it has also revealed some of humanity's most base qualities. AI isn’t the issue; we are.” These are serious questions, but there’s a small amount of irony to be found in the fact that Sloucho explores them with a depth that even the most advanced AI models today would struggle to imitate.  

Below, we dive deeper into Sloucho’s fictional universe with an ‘interview’ with OUCH™ label exec Rás Míle Saol, complete with custom visuals created by Sloucho himself.

Could you briefly introduce yourself and your role at OUCH™?

Rás: Gladly, my name is Rás Míle Saol, and I’m the founder and CEO of OUCH™.

My role involves overseeing the development of new technologies, securing investment, and guiding the company toward achieving global dominance by harnessing the energy of the mythical island of Athrú.

‘Our ‘Fragments of Eternity‘ demonstration perfectly exemplifies what we have been trying to achieve. On February 15, we opened our doors for the first time to the public and invited them to stand at the intersection of primordial mysticism and cutting-edge technology. We witnessed the power of this technology as our six test subjects, who offered themselves as vessels for the island’s energy to be channelled through, performed in perfect synchronicity with one another.

What was your intention when you first founded OUCH™?

Rás: OUCH™ can be viewed simply as the sole connection between Athrú and this world. Without OUCH™, no connection to the island would exist, and Sloucho would not be who he is today.

I visited Athrú once in another life, and its beauty was unimaginable – truly incomprehensible. From that day forth, I dedicated my life to bringing their culture, objects, and other curiosities to this world at all costs.

You say ECHOES can replace Sloucho to 98 per cent accuracy. What’s the 2 per cent that’s missing? 

Rás: Although the 2 per cent may seem negligible, our focus groups have identified minor sonic and visual inconsistencies with our ECHOES, which are affecting the emotional resonance the humanoids are able to elicit. We are constantly working to reduce these margins and improve our products.

Does the use of AI in the creation of music negatively influence the demand for more and more content? We don’t yet know. But, if not, we will continue to exploit this technology and bring more art into the world.

– Rás Míle Saol, founder and CEO of OUCH™

I’ve read that ECHOES has since begun to evolve beyond its programming. What does this look like and are you worried you might lose control of it?

Rás: The ECHOES were initially designed solely for performance, allowing us to continue testing on Sloucho while still fulfilling his performance schedule. During one performance we observed the ECHOES responding to the audience in real-time and not adhering to the setlist they were originally programmed to play-back.

After that particular field test, we became aware of a change in their programming and we identified this as an opportunity to advance the ECHOES project further and allow them to create original music, which has opened up unprecedented opportunities for financial growth.

How did Sloucho respond to being replaced by ECHOES?

Rás: No comment.

Some people might feel uncomfortable with their favourite artists being replaced by machines. How would you respond?

Rás: Our surveys have shown that thousands of people have responded favourably to the ECHOES. If this trend continues, we will be able to scale this project, and fans will be able to consume more and more. 

The question fans must ask themselves is: Does the music still elicit an emotional response? Isn’t that what we are all searching for – to feel something? Why, then, should it matter how the art is created if the end result remains the same?

Do you think AI is a force for evil or good in music? Can it actually replace art?

Rás: We have already replaced Sloucho with the ECHOES, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. As for whether it is a force for good or evil, the main conversation I am having with investors is: Does the use of AI in the creation of music negatively influence the demand for more and more content? We don’t yet know. But, if not, we will continue to exploit this technology and bring more art into the world.

It’s important to note that the use of AI in music starts long before we create the content. The systems and algorithms that have been put in place by streaming and social media companies provide assurances that, as long as the content supply is maintained, formatted appropriately, and delivered at optimal times, users will consume all that we provide them with. As long as there is a demand, we will supply.

ECHOES is out now. Sloucho will next be performing at Belfast’s AVA Festival, May 30-31.