Participants 2025
About the TEAM
Acolyte 002 is a visionary music and art duo formed by Auggie Velarde and Tomus Viru, dedicated to exploring how artificial intelligence can ethically and meaningfully enhance human creativity. Blending ancient cultural narratives with experimental sonic design, their work invites audiences into immersive worlds where mythology, identity, and technology converge. With roots in Peruvian heritage and a deep respect for storytelling, the duo uses AI not as a shortcut but as a collaborator, generating melodic ideas, lyrics, and synthetic vocals while preserving human intentionality and emotional depth. Acolyte 002’s creative process is grounded in transparency, ethical innovation, and cultural sensitivity. They aim to push boundaries while honoring tradition, using each song as a way to reflect on the shifting relationship between humanity and intelligent machines. Through their work, they advocate for a future where technology amplifies creative expression without compromising authenticity or cultural respect.
About the SONG
"Interlinked" is a sonic meditation on humanity’s place in the universe, blending organic emotion with synthetic intelligence. Inspired by science fiction films and the wonder of space, the piece explores what connects us in an ever-expanding cosmos. The title speaks to the invisible threads that bind us: between people, between memories, and between human and machine.
Created through a fusion of traditional composition and AI-driven tools, Interlinked represents a conversation between artist and algorithm. The music evolves like a living system, with layered textures and cinematic depth that reflect the rhythm of discovery and reflection. It invites the listener to pause, breathe, and contemplate the unknown.
As Peruvian American artists, we see music as a bridge between cultures and experiences. Interlinked is both a tribute to human imagination and an experiment in collaboration with emerging technology. Its purpose is to inspire curiosity, empathy, and a deeper sense of connection.
About the HUMAN-AI PROCESS
"Interlinked" was created through a collaborative process between human creativity and a diverse set of AI tools. We began with AIVA to explore melodic and harmonic ideas, using its MIDI outputs as a springboard for the composition. To build the sonic atmosphere, we used ElevenLabs’ sound effect generator to create samples, which we later manipulated in our DAW to design risers, impacts, and ambient textures inspired by space and science fiction.
Boomy helped us generate musical ideas, from which we produced synth and instrumental tracks. Using RipX, we separated these tracks into stems, then trimmed and rearranged them within our DAW for precision. iZotope RX was used to clean up digital artifacts in the samples and ensure clarity in the mix.
Lemonaide assisted in arranging melodies that matched the song’s scale and harmonic structure, helping us maintain cohesion as we built the piece. Throughout the process, ChatGPT and Gemini served as both creative collaborators and technical assistants, helping us refine concepts and offering guidance on mixing, audio processing, and production flow.
Finally, LANDR AI was used to master the track and give it a professional finish, while Black Forest Labs’ FLUX.1 was used to generate and edit the cover art, reflecting the song’s futuristic theme.
"Interlinked" is the result of this human-AI partnership, an experiment in storytelling through sound that explores connection, discovery, and the unknown.