Participants 2025
About the TEAM
Mike Kelley: musician – algorithm designer – sound design – hardware
Sarah Stone: python pianist – data conversions – db builder – LLM trainer – arranger
About the SONG
"SOLARIUM is a composition of midi score predictions made by LLMs trained on in-house developed synthetic datasets. SOLARIUM is composed of three predicted midi movements performed in the four-minute frame. SOLARIUM is an original predicted midi score celebrating genre music from the progressive rock of Canada, the acid house of USA, to the kosmische of Germany. Enhanced with vocal performances from Great Britain. SOLARIUM has been composed completely through electronic means. The LLMs (GPT & LSTM) were hosted in-house on a learning workstation build and trained on unique synthetic midi input datasets generated in three distinct formats: algorithms, XOXBOX (tb-303 clone) & Moog 960 sequencer (performed in this order). The opening ""progressive rock band"" movement of SOLARIUM ""Sunshine"", presents a layered predicted jam session of LLMs trained on datasets built with Roland divided pickups to virtualize human guitar & bass guitar performances.
No commercial, historical, online service, opt-in or freely available midi input data was used to train the LLMs. The initial midi input is generated by algorithm or midi device and the final score developed through the LLMs predicted variations. The first & third movements are in the key of A major, the second movement in a change of key G major. All notes, chords, drum patterns and triggered vocals heard are part of the LLM predicted score. A triptych of musical grooves conceived and developed to a performance by the machines."
About the HUMAN-AI PROCESS
SOLARIUM was composed in a multi-PC studio system environment. Algorithms structured in pure data (pd), available midi controllers and Roland divided pickups generated the midi input and training data for the in-house LLM (GPT & LSTM) models to predict melody, chord & drum pattern midi variations. From the many midi measures predicted by the LLMs only fifty measures were ultimately used and recursively arranged in the DAW to produce a tryptic of grooves targeting genre specific music. Using a fixed octave keyboard zone configuration, vocals were assigned to specific notes. Which corralled the singer into the predicted outcomes for a more complete song idea. SOLARIUM took three months to produce, from initial midi input generation to mastering of the final recording. The accompanying video took two. The decomposed introduction in the video is the 8 measures of SOLARIUM's 1st movement heard in the contest song entry slowed to 60bpm.
Lyrics
Today in SOLARIUM it shall begin
as SHAMASH and SIN continue
a chase that never ends
sing to the SUNSHINE while in flight
sing to those beautiful days still in sight
the revelation and the loss
between the seasons of life
invaded by radio every DAY TO NIGHT
transmissions transmitting every DAY TO NIGHT
colors changing, evolving off course
ravens circling over the worst
the frogs have left for Lillinor
leaving birds to that night
the animals are leaving SOLARIUM
because that sun is too damn bright
goodbye to yesterday
and it's world of analogs
TOMORROW we shall meet
in a virtual overhaul
feel for the people
in a heat that’s not their own
so many ways to reach out
yet we live so alone
as the world struggles
we yearn for long embrace
if the forest becomes a desert
ours is no disgrace