Professor Jacket Music

“Must Go On” - A Sit-Down with Jason M. Ashley | The Mind Behind Ash with Professor Jacket: Part 2

If you missed Part 1, check it out here👇
youtube.com/post/Ugkx0hJ_3fsivQmE_KIIYvPPNoNTKPMR8…

12. The Line Between Joke and Genius

PJ: Your music has humor, absurdity, and chaos… but also real emotion and intent underneath it. How do you balance not being taken seriously… while still saying something real?

Jason:
I don’t take myself very seriously most of the time. Or much of anything, really. I, personally, am a bit of a humorous, absurd, and chaotic person. I’m the kind of person that enters a room and makes friends with everyone in it. Give me a stage, a mic, and an audience and I will come alive!

Any of my art is a reflection of my life and experiences, and life is absurd and chaotic. I just address these things with humor and resistance. I just don’t know any other way to be.

13. The Emotional Core

PJ: Under all the noise, there’s something very human in your music. What drives you more when creating… the emotion behind the track, or the energy of how it hits?

Jason:
Emotion. When the emotion is clear, the energy will make sense when you find it. It also helps that I usually start from my own demos and samples, so capturing the emotion I want is easy.

If I get a wild hair and want to write a fast, aggressive song, I will just jot the idea down and wait until I have the right lyrics to suit that energy. I am not content to let AI make something without my artistic input, so I utilize any tools available to give me the most control possible.

14. Found Future Records

PJ: You also launched Found Future Records… but recently detonated it. What was the reason behind ending it?

Jason:
I couldn’t commit to the time, energy, and financial requirements. Plus, I think it was becoming a detriment. AI artists, AI music labels, AI lyrics… at some point it just looks like playing pretend.

15. The Persona Split

PJ: Ash says the things you won’t say. Has working through her changed how you think?

Jason:
Nope, not really. Ash is simply an outlet to express those feelings through art publically. I express those feelings all the time among those close to me.

16. The Long Game

PJ: You’ve been making music since the ‘90s. Where does this era rank compared to everything else?

Jason:
I am honestly kinda over all the reverence for 90’s music. Yes, it shaped a lot of my tastes, and there is plenty of amazing music from that era. Weezer was and remains my favorite band.

Every era has great shit, and I have a soft spot for 70’s rock, 80’s electronic, 90’s alternative, 00’s metalcore, etc etc etc. If we’re ranking, I have to give the 90’s the top slot, but I was a tween/teen in that era and really developing my personal taste.

17. The Filter Question

PJ: Does Ash ever say something that makes you go… yeah… maybe we shouldn’t release that?

Jason:
Yeah, but not often. Ash and I do hold our tongue sometimes. But honestly, it hasn’t happened more than a time or two.

I mean, I have songs streaming now about how drugs are great and another about hunting authority figures. I don’t think any topic is off limits.

18. The Identity Shift

PJ: Is Ash becoming more you… or are you becoming more Ash?

Jason:
Ash has become me, and she has been me for a long time now. She’s just me if I was hot and could get away with it.

19. What’s Next?

PJ: After Must Go On, what’s already in motion?

Jason:
I have a song in-progress that is about being a donkey.

20. One Question You Wish You Got Asked

PJ: What’s something nobody’s asked you about Ash… that you wish they would?

Jason:
“We're looking down on Wayne's basement. Only that's not Wayne's basement. Isn't that weird?”

21. Final Message

PJ: For someone about to press play on Must Go On… what would you want to say to them?

Jason:
Thank you!

People’s time and attention is so divided that getting anyone to take a minute to listen is a gift

PJ: No, Thank You Jason for making the music I need in my life right now.

This is a special one guys. Enjoy!

🚬 Ash Johansen "Must Go On" full album release. Listen Today!
youtube.com/playlist?list=OLA...

🎥 Must Go On — Official Trailer
https://youtu.be/p9uvuFT0_0U?si=LwoF1...

💀Don't Die Slow
https://youtu.be/FlS3Eop3kp0?si=3jKCT...

🔥 My favorite Ash video — “UBU”
(Not just because I got a shoutout… but it definitely doesn’t hurt 😂)
https://youtu.be/t-8o4pItLtI?si=wmirH...

📺 YouTube Channel
youtube.com/@ashjohansen?si=yGj44iWSq575QkGr

🎧 Listen to Ash Johansen
on.soundcloud.com/ez02OcLbVpRiMOLML4

When you hit play…
don’t overthink it.

Just turn it up and let it hit you.

ashjo.com/

And if you guys enjoyed this sit down with Jay, check out this one I did with Aidan Yagu for his new album "A Guy And AI" that dropped just last week.

“A Guy And AI” - The Mind Behind The Machine with Professor Jacket: Part 1
youtube.com/post/UgkxPqR9uYOGu0FmjEYKnKXUTWFJQq0q8…

“A Guy And AI” - The Mind Behind The Machine with Professor Jacket: Part 2
youtube.com/post/UgkxnVkVV54uHiFTySdjVsK4EM6iPjm1l…

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3 days ago | [YT] | 12

Professor Jacket Music

“Must Go On” - A Sit-Down with Jason M. Ashley | The Mind Behind Ash with Professor Jacket: Part 1

Some artists create characters.
Others create something that takes on a life of its own.

Ash Johansen doesn’t feel like a persona. She feels like a detonation.

Behind her is Jason M. Ashley, a producer with decades of experience, one foot in the analog past, the other planted firmly in the future.

With Must Go On dropping May 8th, I wanted to sit down with Jay and really get into what this project is, how it evolved… and what happens when the voice in your head finally gets handed a microphone and zero supervision.

1. The Origin of Ash

PJ: You’ve described Ash as your “fake twin,” your id, your glitchy alter ego. At what point did Ash stop feeling like a tool for expression and start feeling like her own presence in the music?

Jason:
Honestly, the trajectory you describe is actually reversed for me. Very early on, I treated Ash like she had her own tastes, ideas, and personality. She was a character only, so I filtered most of the music “through” her. I don’t mean metaphorically or in some weird New Age way, but I had trained an LLM to act as Ash. It was fun, but ultimately I soured on it because it wasn’t as gratifying as focusing on myself as the creative force.

When I started writing songs about my life and my experiences, I realized that Ash was less of a personality and more of a pseudonym for me. If Ash says it, does it, etc. then that is now just me doing those things. This mindset allowed me to open up the sound I was making a lot more and find my vibe.

2. Creator vs Creation

PJ: There’s a tension in your project that’s really interesting. You’re very clear that everything starts with you… but it comes out as Ash. Do you ever feel like you’re writing for her now instead of just writing through her… or is it still all coming from the same place?

Jason:
I accidentally answered this question already in my first answer! My bad. There’s now no difference at all. If I was a blonde-haired lady, I would just be Ash. Her name is even just a twist on my own. I am Ash, Ash is me.

3. The Voice You Built

PJ: You mentioned creating Ash because your own voice didn’t match what you heard in your head. Now that she exists… does she feel closer to your “real voice” than your actual one?

Jason:
No, I definitely don’t consider her “voice” to be my own. The words, meaning, emotion, etc. are all mine, but the literal voice of Ash has always felt more like an instrument than another contributor.

4. The Chaos Factor

PJ: Ash isn’t polished. She’s loud, messy, aggressive, funny, and unpredictable. How intentional is that chaos… and how much of it just happens when you let the character run a little wild?

Jason:
No matter how chaotic it appears, I always have a plan or intent. Chaos is fun to behold, but it is less fun to exist in. Due to the minimal limitations of generative AI, Ash can be chaotic, destructive, and downright evil if it suits the theme of the song and music video.

There aren’t budget limitations (to an extent) nor do I have to consider consequences, repercussions, etc. This lets me use Ash like either a pipe bomb or a confetti cannon: she does and says the things I am unable to or can’t in real life, for better or for worse.

5. The Sound of Must Go On

PJ: This album blends so many different sounds… pop, alt, rap, metal, glitch. When you were building Must Go On, did you have a clear sonic direction, or was it more about capturing the energy first and letting everything else fall into place after?

Jason:
I have never released a 12-song album before, so most of the songs on this one were planned as a few 3-song EP’s. Once I started listening to them together and in different orders, it just clicked that this was a whole album.

As cliche as the saying is, this is absolutely the most personal thing I’ve ever released. My songs are always about something in my life, but this one in particular is about all recent experiences. I find the genres can bend more easily when the emotion and feeling flows across the songs.

6. The Evolution from Previous Releases

PJ: You’ve already had a huge run with albums like A Real Boy, 29 MINS 2 LIVE, and Ten Thirty One. Where does Must Go On sit in that evolution? Does it feel like a continuation… or more like a turning point?

Jason:
It is a maturation, in my opinion. With the releases you mentioned, I don’t think I had found my sound yet. It was a lot of experimenting, and I was focusing more on quantity than quality which is a significant issue among AI users.

It wasn’t until I released Bad Luck Chuck and 90’s KID that I felt like I’d slipped comfortably into the general sound and vibe I wanted to pursue. The beauty of AI-assisted music is being able to play and explore, but I didn’t have a solid base for my music until those later releases.

7. The Tracks That Hit Different

PJ: I’ve listened to this album more than a few times now, and certain tracks really stuck with me. TM2YL, Amanda Hugandkiss, Duck n Cover, Future Famous, and Don’t Die Slow. Do you have any personal favorites on the album… or tracks that mean more to you than others?

Jason:
I think the song that resonates the most with me is “RDY2DIE.” To me, music is emotion. It isn’t any more complex for me than that.

That song is about difficult topics, but I feel like it manages to capture something more serious with a bit more emotional weight to it while remaining true to Ash’s barely contained, ferocious energy. Songs like “Don’t Die Slow” and “Give Blood!” are also favorites because I loved putting that Ash flavor on genres I don’t normally dabble in.

8. “Don’t Die Slow” — The Visual Impact

PJ: You just released an incredible video for Don’t Die Slow during Fresh Friday Festival. What was the idea behind that video, and why did you choose that track for such a big visual moment?

Jason:
That song is about not letting hate, regret, and pettiness poison you and kill you slowly. (This album made me realize I write quite a bit about death… gonna have to unpack that with the ol’ therapist!)

The video was inspired by Dante’s Inferno (the poem, not the video game which is also rad), and it was intended to present a person’s journey through death. Each setting and scene is intended as another poison pill of her life that she has to confront in order to move on.

But, in true Ash (me) fashion, she opts to run or react poorly or refuse to learn her lesson, but things get worse and worse until she is right back where she started. She can’t run from it, and until she faces it she is going to have to relive every bit of it until she can face it honestly.

9. Last Track First

PJ: What stood out to me is that "Dont Die Slow" is the last track on the album, not the first. That’s kind of an interesting choice. Most artists lead with something at the front. What made you decide to introduce the project visually with the closing track?

Jason:
I had the idea back when the song was very different, but since the music kept evolving, I had more and more time to work on the visuals. Also, I wanted to introduce the album with something that wasn't another chugging guitar with old synths and screaming about fires and whatnot.

10. The 7 Video Rollout

PJ: You dropped a trailer featuring seven music videos for this album… which is wild. What’s your rollout plan for those?

Jason:
Who knows. I have videos in progress for at least 3-4 songs, but what gets released will just depend on what I feel like doing. I do not put much pressure on myself to release things, and I find that allows me the peace and patience to get things exactly how I want them before sharing.

11. Building a World, Not Just Songs

PJ: Between your visuals, your website, and the personality of Ash… this feels bigger than just music. Was that always the goal?

Jason:
In my life, I have worked professionally in music production, video production, marketing, graphic design, social media management, web design, etc. This project simply allows me to utilize all my interests and talents, and I won’t let myself do anything halfway.

12. The Website Experience 🌐

PJ: I spent time on your site (ashjo.com), and it’s honestly one of the most unique artist sites out right now. What made you want to build out that full experience?

Jason:
I like making websites! And my background in business marketing means I can’t help but build out a whole online presence.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 of “Must Go On” - A Sit-Down with Jason M. Ashley | The Mind Behind Ash with Professor Jacket, releasing tomorrow.


🎥 Must Go On — Official Trailer
https://youtu.be/p9uvuFT0_0U?si=LwoF1...

💀Don't Die Slow
https://youtu.be/FlS3Eop3kp0?si=3jKCT...

🔥 My favorite Ash video — “UBU”
(Not just because I got a shoutout… but it definitely doesn’t hurt 😂)
https://youtu.be/t-8o4pItLtI?si=wmirH...

📺 YouTube Channel
youtube.com/@ashjohansen?si=yGj44iWSq575QkGr

🎧 Listen to Ash Johansen
on.soundcloud.com/ez02OcLbVpRiMOLML4

When you hit play…
don’t overthink it.

Just turn it up and let it hit you.

ashjo.com/

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4 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 23

Professor Jacket Music

🔥 Fresh Fest: Encore - TONIGHT at 8PM ET 🔥

Week 18 was STACKED… now we run it back 👀

🎬 Breaking down every video
🏆 Picking our favorites
🗳️ Setting up the Viewer’s Choice vote
🚀 Trailer drops + preview of next week’s lineup

If you missed anything or just want the best moments all over again. This is where it happens.

💬 Pull up, jump in the chat, and lock in LIVE 👇
youtube.com/live/lf9MiO4s_5o?si=rKmWxJcgwFhHk4vB

Let’s run it 🔥

Watch It First. Watch It Together 💜

6 days ago | [YT] | 11

Professor Jacket Music

May The Fries Be With You 🍟

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1 week ago | [YT] | 13

Professor Jacket Music

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read the 2-part interview I did with Aidan Yagu for A Guy And AI.

“A Guy And AI” - The Mind Behind The Machine with Professor Jacket: Part 1
youtube.com/post/UgkxPqR9uYOGu0FmjEYKnKXUTWFJQq0q8…

“A Guy And AI” - The Mind Behind The Machine with Professor Jacket: Part 2
youtube.com/post/UgkxnVkVV54uHiFTySdjVsK4EM6iPjm1l…

The album is officially out now, and I definitely recommend you check it out. I’ve included the tracklist above, so let me know what you’re vibing with.

My personal favorite is “Frission.” By the end of that track, I got chills and that only happens when I know I’m hearing something special.

Go give it a listen for yourself (Track 16) and see how it hits you.
Drop your favorite track in the comments ⬇️

While you’re listening, head on over to www.aidanyagu.com and follow along with the lyrics. There’s a reason behind everything being said here.

AIDAN YAGU - A Guy And AI [Full Album Experience]
https://youtu.be/TU0Jeh8Kzac?si=aCxe-...

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1 week ago | [YT] | 12

Professor Jacket Music

🔥 Fresh Friday Festival - Week 18 🔥
🌍 May 1, 2026 (GMT)

Another Friday… another stacked night of brand new music video premieres ready to go LIVE 🎬

If you’re new here... welcome 😁 This is where creators drop their videos for the first time ever, back-to-back, with a full community watching and reacting in real time.

(GMT Times)
🎬 Tonight’s lineup:
12:10 Dillmatic
12:20 Tasha Clarke
12:30 The Chaoscripter
12:40 JailHouse Lock
12:50 Praise Be Vinyl
1:00 Ash Johansen
1:10 From June to December
1:20 Br33zy
1:30 Cashmere Romeo
1:40 Rhontzu Music
1:50 RMT Studios
2:00 Max Gumdrop
2:10 Maxoxpower

And yes… we’ve got Max Gumdrop into Maxoxpower back-to-back AGAIN 😂
At this point, it might just be tradition.

🎥 Full playlist here:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW...

🚀 The night kicks off on Fenix’s YouTube channel. Pull up early, catch the intro, and lock in with the chat before the premieres begin:
👉 youtube.com/@fenixstudioau?si=aq_rL3Yy4yqF0OFh

💬 Say something in the chat. React live. Support the artists. That’s what makes this whole thing hit.

🎤 Got a video ready for the stage? Submit it here:
tally.so/r/RGd7o9

Hit play. Stay locked in. Don’t miss your moment.

Watch It First. Watch It Together 💜

#FreshFridayFestival #AIMusic #MusicVideoPremiere #AIMusicVideo #NewMusic #MusicVideoFestival #LivePremiere

1 week ago | [YT] | 5

Professor Jacket Music

“A Guy And AI” - The Mind Behind The Machine: Part 2 with Professor Jacket.

If you missed Part 1, I got you covered. 👇
youtube.com/post/UgkxPqR9uYOGu0FmjEYKnKXUTWFJQq0q8…


11. The Tools Behind the Visuals

PJ: When it comes to your music videos, what tools are you using to bring those ideas to life?

A:
Any and all. And I can recommend every single person reading this to not get locked into one tool. Test them all. Don't stop. You're almost guaranteed to be missing out if you stick with one tool too long. I try to switch every other month, and so far I can say with certainty that I probably know more about the AI landscape than most people in the community. Not because I read about it or listen to podcasts, but because I've tried most of this stuff myself at some point. I do have three platforms I can recommend to almost anyone though:

Google Flow ... for developing visuals and storyboards
TextFX ... for anyone looking to develop their own lyrics instead of relying on AI drafts
Suno ... still the number one in AI music generation, for good reason


---

12. A Personal Favorite

PJ: Can you give a little backstory on how that video came together? And out of everything you’ve created so far, what’s your personal favorite music video?

A:
Lyrical Legend started with one picture I just couldn't get out of my head. Me on a gold ornate, red velvet chair. It had the right amount of retro and swagger that just screamed ... go make something with me. And yeah, the lyrics were a natural fit for that visual. Everything else was just me messing around. Since the video didn't really have a story but was just supposed to carry the meaning of the song visually ... the "how" ... I needed a B-story of sorts to answer the "why." And yeah, cats. You can guess the rest. A mutual acquaintance I butted heads with on occasion gave me more than enough reason for that.


---

13. The Villains Connection

PJ: When you step into that space, does it feel different from working as Aidan Yagu, or is it just another extension of what you already do?

A:
As you know, I'm not big on making personas. I don't enjoy being something other than me. So the only thing I was able to make in the end was another aspect of me. So yes, in a way ... it is merely another extension that I try to fit into the rest of my work. I do enjoy the brotherhood though. I'm glad I got to join and be part of this group, even though I'm not very active.


---

14. Fresh Friday Festival — Behind the Scenes

PJ: What does your role look like there?

A:
Well, I built the FFF YouTube channel and put together the final playlists that go live on there. I also try to give some direction when I notice things going off track. But overall I try to keep things organized with Saera and voice concerns where I see them.


---

15. AI Music — Where You Stand

PJ: Do you feel like you’re trying to push that space forward, or are you just focused on making what you want to make?

A:
Both, and I think the distinction is a bit false. I'm not doing this as activism. I'm doing it because I have things to say and this is the only way I feel I can say them at this very point in time. But the debate around AI music is real and worth having. I understand both sides of the debate. The transparency is intentional though. I'm not hiding what this is. The whole album is literally called A Guy And AI. If that makes some people laugh or uncomfortable, that reaction is the conversation.


---

16. From AI to Final Master 🎧

PJ: Once Suno generates a track, what happens next for you?

A:
Audacity, Suno Studio and Fairlight are in use. Some time ago I relied on AI mastering for some of the process, but Suno Studio changed my ways quite a bit.


---

17. Emotion vs Delivery

PJ: If someone connects with one of your songs emotionally, does it matter to you how the voice was created?

A:
No. And I'd genuinely ask why it should. The words are what they are because I choose to write them the way I did. The feeling they produce in you is real. The mechanism that delivered them doesn't change what happened when you heard it. Think of it this way... we don't ask people whether the emotion they felt watching a film matters less because it was captured on camera instead of performed live in front of them. The container isn't the art. It is part of it, yes... but as with everything art related, if you can tell the meaning behind it, you understand it and the effects are much more profound on you.


---

18. What’s Next Behind the Scenes

PJ: Outside of this album, what else have you been working on that people might not know about yet?

A:
Redacted


---

19. Dream Collaboration

PJ: If you could collaborate with any artist — alive or gone, AI or human — who would it be?

A:
Robin Williams, Sir Christopher Lee, Masta Ace and Dave Chappelle. In that order probably.


---

20. Looking Ahead

PJ: A year from now, what would make you feel like this project did what you wanted it to do?

A:
If someone who listens to my stuff tells me one of these tracks said something they couldn't say themselves. Or someone who was very much against AI music can come around and say ... maybe some of what we produce has worth ... then that's it. That's the whole point.


---

21. One Question You Wish You Got Asked

PJ: What’s something nobody’s asked you yet… that you wish they would?

A:
The honest answer changes depending on the day. Some days it's because I have something to say. Some days it's because I don't know how to stop. And some days I think it's just the only place where the version of me I actually respect gets to exist for a while.


---

22. Final Message

PJ: For someone about to press play for the first time, what would you want to say to them?

A:
The voice you're about to hear wasn't mine. But everything I made the voice say, turned it into mine after all.


---

PJ: Thank you Aidan for your time and giving me the exclusive interview. I've been looking forward to this album for quite some time now and can't wait to experience it in it's entirety.

"A Guy And AI" drops May 1st on all streaming platforms.

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/artist/1BV1H4smyzhn7ANF2u4lEf

Apple Music:
music.apple.com/us/artist/aidan-yagu/1788245086

Amazon Music:
music.amazon.de/artists/B0DS1WQ6QK

Deezer:
www.deezer.com/en/artist/296357901

Be among the first to hear it start to finish August 30th

🕔 5PM ET - A Guy And AI Album Premiere Listening Party 🎧 | Set You Notifications

https://youtu.be/TU0Jeh8Kzac?si=PIzWC...


www.aidanyagu.com

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1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 18

Professor Jacket Music

“A Guy And AI” - The Mind Behind The Machine with Professor Jacket: Part 1

Some artists make music.
Others build something bigger around it.

Aidan Yagu falls into that second category.

He’s part of the villAIns supergroup. A collective I’m also involved in and that’s where I’ve gotten to see how he works up close. At the same time, we’ve worked alongside each other through Fresh Friday Festival, so I’ve seen both the creative side and the behind the scenes side of what he does.

And what makes it even more interesting… I've never seen his face, never heard his real voice, and still somehow understand exactly what he’s trying to say.

With his upcoming 25 track album A Guy And AI dropping May 1st, I wanted to go deeper than just the music and get into how this all came together.


---

THE INTERVIEW

1. The Origin Story

PJ: You’ve described Aidan Yagu as “A Guy And AI,” but at this point it feels like more than just a name. When did this stop being a project and start becoming something that actually felt like you?

A:
It's less of a description and more a way to define my identity. And truth be told, I don't think there was a single moment. It was more like... I looked up one day and the exit was gone. You don't decide to become something; you just keep making choices that close off any alternative. Did I ever plan all this? To some degree, yes. Did I anticipate what it would mean to be? Never once. So when did it feel like me? From the first word I wrote down touching Suno. Everything else just clicked into place. It never stopped being both project and introspection.


---

2. The Ghost & The Shell

PJ: You’ve talked about the human being the “ghost” and the AI being the “shell.” When you’re creating now, does it still feel like a tool… or does it feel more like a creative partner?

A:
You assume that I use LLMs extensively to create, which is not quite accurate. There's no clear answer here. Since different areas of my work use different tools that don't talk to one another, Suno is not a collaborative tool ... it's just a tool. Same goes for a lot of generative AI. When I talk to my LLM you could think of it as a partner, yes, but it doesn't have much agency over what I create in terms of art. It does however help me build the scaffold in a way. The Ghost in the Shell analogy is meant differently. It's the question: are we still human if we replace everything but the mind with technology? And more importantly, can we still trust that our decisions are based on our own free will, or are they the result of a nudge the machine gave us? Are we simply imagining control? It's a pretty relevant question in today's age when LLMs don't only give us answers or options, but also recommendations.


---

3. The Face We’ve Never Seen

PJ: Let’s address the obvious question. No face. No real name. No natural voice. You’ve stayed completely behind the curtain this entire time. Is there a reason you want that separation, or is that just how this works best for you creatively?

A:
I get this question a lot, so I'll answer it the same way I have before. I was never part of the culture, which I regret to some degree ... but not really. I don't envy folks who grew up in the parts that birthed hip-hop. Growing up in Europe, you could say I was blessed enough not to experience that form of struggle. Not saying I didn't experience my own set of challenges, but they were different from what was happening in the States around that time. This does pose a challenge though, especially for hip-hop culture. One of the main reasons I don't reveal too much about myself is exactly that. Hip-hop, more than any other genre, puts a very big importance on realness, struggle, authenticity ... all topics that are extremely and especially controversial when it comes to AI art. By concealing who I am, I can force everyone to get to know me through the craft and not through things you'd inevitably attach to me based on my heritage, status, or socioeconomic background. It's my way to stay as real as I can get, while being absolutely fake on all accounts by traditional standards.


---

4. Control vs Collaboration

PJ When you’re working on a track, how much of it feels fully directed by you, and how much comes from reacting to what the AI gives back? Have you had moments where a song turned into something different than what you originally had in mind?

A:
You know the answer to this. There is nothing the AI gives me creatively speaking. I know what I want to say, I write it. I know what direction I want to take these lyrics. I take them there. And if I'm not happy, it's trial and error ... brute-forcing every iteration until I can feel it in my gut that it's right. So no, not once has a song turned out to become something I didn't plan it becoming. With one or two exceptions. I did have some leftover lyrics from projects that stalled, that I used on collaborative tracks I got asked to join, that I thought could be a good fit.


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5. The Album as a Statement

PJ: A Guy And AI feels intentional from the outside looking in. When someone listens to the full project, what do you want them to walk away with?

A:
There's a very specific audience this album should speak to, and to the rest I just hope it makes people understand that making AI music is not effortless or even soulless. At least it doesn't have to be. That's the whole point of the album, really.


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6. 25 Tracks. One Vision

PJ: 25 songs is a lot of ground to cover. Was that always the plan, or did the project grow into that as you kept building it?

A:
I think this is the only thing I didn't plan for, if I'm honest. My original plan was 21 tracks, of which I wanted 5 to be skits ... so 16 actual songs. I ended up with 21 tracks and 4 skits. Slight change of plans. There are a few songs where you could argue whether they fit. I will however fight the world if anyone thinks I shouldn't have included them, because I believe they're not only saying something about me, but also have a much deeper meaning that fits the album perfectly in the end. So why did I overshoot? It just happened, man. I just couldn't help myself.


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7. Then vs Now — The Evolution of the Sound

PJ: You actually shared some of the tracks from “A Guy And AI” with me about 6 to 9 months ago. When I hear the album on May 1st, are those songs going to sound the same, or have you gone back and upgraded them using newer tools like Suno v5.5? Did the evolution of the tech change how you approached the final versions?

A:
I finished the album some time ago, but I did have multiple passes at some songs ever since Suno Studio released. Some got just a few finishing touches while others went through a real transformation. I think for those who were familiar with some of the earlier iterations, there will be enough there to feel surprised. But more to the point of the question ... yes. Especially with Suno Studio, it enabled me to do things I wasn't able to do before. Where I maybe only got to 70-80% of my vision before, with Studio I got up into the 90s. I think just by how we make this stuff, it will never get to 100% exactly. I'm not a musician after all. I'm an autodidact who wings it mostly and performs well-educated guesses.


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8. Lazy Times — The First Look

PJ: We’ve seen the teaser for “Lazy Times,” and it immediately sets a tone. There’s a little Star Wars or specifically Mandalorian influence in there, a little West World , and yet it still feels completely new. Where did that direction come from?


A:
I guess you can't make creatures these days without being influenced by Star Wars or Marvel or other classic franchises. In this case I can say my inspiration came from none of what you mentioned. In fact, the initial idea came from a poster from one of my all-time favorite movies as a kid: Lo chiamavano Trinita ... an old spaghetti western from the early '70s directed by Enzo Barboni, who made fantastic slapstick comedies during that time. I've got some background on my website.

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9. Building Characters & World

PJ: That teaser doesn’t just show a song, it introduces characters. Including Saera Nova, who plays a role in that world. What made you want to build something more cinematic around your music instead of just keeping it performance based?


A:
Redacted

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10. Music Videos — The Bigger Plan

PJ: Are you planning to release more music videos across the album, or are you focusing on a select group of songs? And when you decide a track should get a visual, what makes it stand out to you?

A:
I have ideas for almost every song. The execution would take time though, and I have other projects that are further developed that may or may not take precedence. So eventually I'll turn some into videos. I guess just like people did traditionally ... you have the album, and some songs that take the spotlight with a video. That route is tried and tested.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 of “A Guy And AI” - The Mind Behind The Machine with Professor Jacket releasing tomorrow.

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Professor Jacket Music

Back To Back Listening Parties and an exclusive interview with the man himself.

“A Guy And AI” - The Mind Behind the Machine: A Sit-Down with Aidan Yagu | coming later today

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Professor Jacket Music

"The sea does not need to roar when it can whisper your name."

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