Ai (Audio Intelligence)

Ai is the collaborative project of Robyn Appleton (founder of underground cult psych/prog band Cranium Pie), Brian Dougans (FSOL) and Will White (Propellerheads). The 17 tracks on ‘Paradigmension’ combine modern electronic soundtracks, broken soul and wordless vocals through real-world saturated sonic production. Connecting with Brian via his Amorphous Androgynous project, who included three Cranium Pie tracks on their renowned ‘A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding in Your Mind’ compilation; Robyn stayed in touch and after meeting Will through friends the idea of working as a trio came about. Ai, standing for Audio intelligence, merges the talents of the three musicians through mutual inspiration and creative collaboration. Currently residing in Austrian Alps, Robyn is the founder of Tronsonic which develops unique tape sampled virtual synthesizers. These home-made samples form the basis of the music on ‘Paradigmension’, providing a gritty honesty to combat the inhuman flawlessness of the digital world. “I've always loved the sound of synths recorded onto tape - early Kraftwerk LPs, Radiophonic Workshop, 50s sci-fi b-movie fx. Somehow tape can inject a kind of imperfect human element into otherwise 'perfect' electronic sound/music. For me this is the ingredient I try to inject into my music to bridge the gap between man and machines.” - Robyn Appleton