Listen to Smother, a fake Nirvana song created using artificial intelligence.
Like us, you've probably wasted hours and hours by now hitting 'repeat' on YouTube on fake-Metallica's Deliverance Rides and fake-AC/DC's Great Balls – two hilarious (and somewhat accurate…) songs created by satirist Funk Turkey using artificial intelligence. And now, the YouTuber is back at it again, putting Nirvana through this most trusty of bot tests.
The result this time around is Smother, which, as Funk Turkey explains, came about "using lyrics.rip to scrape the Genius lyrics database," and then had a Markov chain write the Kurt Cobain-esque words.
Quiz: How well do you know Nirvana’s lyrics?
Once armed with the lyrics to the song, the YouTuber performed, mixed and mastered the music and vocals "in my kitchen, on a sparkly red cheap Stratocaster, a crappy mic, and an old copy of ProTools". Of the percussion, Funk Turkey adds: "I know Dave Grohl hates computer drums but it's the best thing I got, soooo… Sorry Dave. I still love you."
Finally, they continue: "Vocals are doubled, slightly compressed, and run though an emulated reel-to-reel and tube saturation for a bit of extra warmth and grit. Also the first use of my new pop filter that my wife bought me for early father's day. She's the best."
Though not every lyric in Smother makes for a true Nirvana masterpiece ('Hey wait! I got a mosquito / In all we are is all is gay,' doesn't make a ton of sense, it has to be said…), the chorus of 'In the pines where did you smother me?' is pretty damn catchy nevertheless.
Check out Nirvana – or NirvanA.I. – performing Smother below:
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