With a distinctive production style blending cyber industrial, EBM, wave, post-punk, and early ’90s IDM mutations, he has remixed tracks for notable artists like Boy Harsher and techno-pop maestro Boys Noize. Over the past 13 years, Kris Baha has earned widespread respect and trust in the electronic music scene. In a response to the ongoing AI revolution, he takes a futuristic leap by uploading himself into the cyber ether through his latest project: GHOSTS IN THE MACHIИE.
Welcome Kris! So good to have you back! Can you please introduce your new project to our audience? Additionally, could you share what ‘Ghosts in the Machine’ signifies for you and discuss how you make the transition between different personas?
So glad to be back with you both <3 Yes, My new project is something a little bit outside of my current musical realm which has been exciting and refreshing, for me at least. Ghosts in the Machine is a future sci-fi cyberwave inspired concept project that is set in two timelines, a future looking back to the now and how we could have corrected our society before the AI takes over and strips away our souls, becoming Ghosts In The Machine. Its focus is on futurism and cyber aesthetics laced with drum and bass sonics, hyper-cyber-punk (mixture of hyper punk & cyber punk). It feels fresh to me to try something new, my future Ghost that is haunting me, warning me of what I am to become. Hence the collaboration with myself on the first record.
Returning to the track that we premiered, ‘I’ve Become’ and ‘Mvtational,’ could you tell us about the story of those tracks and the idea and process behind it?
The idea behind ‘I’ve Become’ first came about in 2018, it’s a song about becoming something that you are unsure about, you kind of start to like what you are becoming even though there are voices inside your head saying otherwise.
The echo of self doubt, if you will.
As for ‘Mvtational’ it’s an adjective I made up , derived from Mutating, but spelled Mvtation-al for extra word play mutant effect.
The song is about certain individuals waking up from the AI apocalypse in the future that do not fit in with the status quo set out by AI systems but also serves as a dual metaphor to Marginalised communities, like the LGBTQI+, being unrecognised by current day societal constructs.
The chorus “We’ve become the update they can’t read, Programming future societies, Emulating what I’m s’posed to be” refers to this idea that we are the Mutant generation.
We were introduced by Laura Neu-Romancer at Dream Baby Dream but then did not cross paths until meeting via another mutual friend, Duran Levinson. We had a good vibe and Nick mentioned he was down to make more music videos so I floated the idea of infusing AI processing with recorded footage and the concept of the project/ album which he was into and we went from there. Michele is Nick’s partner who was brought on as a director to make sure all the 3 music videos are coherent. Another 2 more are going to drop very soon which we’re excited about!
In your expression about the project, you are exploring AI and technology. In your opinion, what is essential when creating a new album during these times, and how can we forge a connection with the continual changes in our lives?
With technology expanding at such an exponential rate (in music also) I think going back to basics will become even more necessary for drawing inspiration, at least for me. It’s going to be a very boring world where other people just bluntly copy other people because they can prompt something into A111 and replicate it with AI. Once the saturation peak hit’s, people will be tired of it and want authentic human made art. So I think looking inward to things you are really interested in and inspired about and trying to impart that into your art is what is going to be the thing that adds essences and substance to your work rather than it being some other momentary generated piece. Also,I am not opposed to AI either, I see it as a tool that can aid rather than something that can replace. For dull disclosure, I did use some AI to generate and express what I was trying to say but only as a tool and because the project is intrinsically linked to the theme of AI and how we should be careful with it for humanity’s sake, and I don’t mean in the future, I mean right now, as that is shaping our future!
READ OUR COVER STORY WITH KRIS BAHA
You’ve been remixing some of the most notable artists in the scene, such as Boy Harsher and Boys Noize, earning significant respect. Could you share more about your collaborations and tell us information about your upcoming projects?
It was a real honour to remix such amazing and seminal artists/ bands like Boys Noize and Boy Harsher. Eternally grateful to them for believing and trusting me to re-interpret their work says Kris Baha
As for the future, right now I’m focusing on doing some collaboration work, now that this album is out of the way. I also will be releasing more solo Kris Baha music in 2024 focused for the club followed by some singles and a Kris Baha album later next year 🙂 As for Ghosts In The Machine, I will also release some singles next year too.
Each track recounts a new chapter in the gripping narrative, drawing listeners deeper into their own story and the role we all play as a collective society with the future possibilities of unregulated AI.
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