Imogen Heap’s new single ‘Aftercare’ shows AI in an empowered light

Imogen Heap is never far from playing around with technical wizardry or trialling out trailblazing ideas to improve the music industry. On her latest single, ‘Aftercare’, she sings alongside her own AI alter-ego Mogen. Whilst I am personally largely anti-Gen-AI, this shows that if you harness your own digital ID and footprint in your music, you can create interesting and unique ideas. The slow, ethereal, breathy vocal and synth ballad allows Mogen to hit powerful notes like a synth, and is entirely controlled by what Imogen Heap wants Mogen to do. I’m reminded of Vocaloid artists, who programme voice banks to sing phrases and notes. Vocaloids often sound computerised, and I’d argue that’s part of their appeal and charm. This is a more lifelike version of that.

‘Aftercare’ is the third single in a trilogy of experimentation with sound, tech, and wearable devices. “The track is a deeply personal, self-exploration showcasing Imogen’s motherhood as a metaphor of what the future of a relationship between humans and artificial intelligence could be. It features her own son, Scout, singing at the end, to highlight that generational relationship. Imogen has also spoken about the fact the track follows a similar melody to her huge hit ‘Hide and Seek’. Initially worried at the horror of repeating herself, she grew comfortable with it because the melody is slowed down to a glacial pace and provides a different feeling and emotion.

With the 20th Anniversary Remastered edition of her second solo album ‘Speak For Yourself’ coming out this week, its the perfect time to pick up on something new, whilst listening to older tracks in a new light. ‘Aftercare’, along with previous tracks ‘Noise’, and the stunning ‘What Have You Done To Me’ are to be included in a larger body of work. When that is coming, and whether its an EP or LP is unclear, but something larger is coming! For more information on all these exciting things, visit Imogen Heap’s website.

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