Jamaican producer Ainsley ‘NotNice’ Morris is rewriting the playbook of dancehall with a transfer nobody noticed coming – the hitmaker has signed an artiste who isn’t flesh and blood, however code and creativity.
The artiste, S’riah (pronounced Soraya), is a groundbreaking synthetic intelligence (AI) performer set to shake up the trade and ignite fiery debates about the way forward for music.
“It’s considerably of an experimental transfer, additionally getting with the occasions and adjusting to the ever-changing gears of the music enterprise,” NotNice mentioned.
S’riah made her entrance with a debut single that’s something however strange. Titled Save Me, the monitor swaps out dancehall’s standard hard-hitting pulse for haunting, emotion-drenched melodies. Wrestling with themes of melancholy, suicidal ideas, and a determined seek for larger energy, the only displays struggles many Jamaicans know too nicely.
NotNice says the inspiration partly comes from the latest passing of 26-year-old Miss Universe Jamaica contestant Tyra Spaulding, who struggled with psychological well being points.
“The track was written by a human, making it a product of human enter on a relatable matter,” he mentioned, clarifying that whereas S’riah’s vocals are AI-generated, the rhythm is his personal creation and the lyrics come courtesy of songwriter, Nordia Mothersille.
However don’t field S’riah into one sound. NotNice makes it clear that she is designed to defy categorisation.
“I gained’t pigeonhole her into a selected style–she’s an artiste, and matters will fluctuate,” he mentioned. And although her know-how could also be futuristic, her DNA is firmly Jamaican.
“S’riah is made in Jamaica by Jamaicans, so a ‘yaadman’ factor similar method.”
Contained in the NotNice camp, the AI newcomer has already discovered her footing. Jah Vinci welcomes her as an addition, not a rival, whereas Mothersille views her nearly like an alter ego, given her affect on S’riah’s lyrical voice. The undertaking, NotNice insists, isn’t about changing people, however increasing creativity in surprising methods.
With a full EP slated for launch on the finish of October, S’riah is poised to turn out to be greater than a one-off experiment.
