Dr. Aria Somnambula, a neuroscientist, was deeply concerned about indie music becoming lost in the ever-growing ocean of music.
Having previously performed in a multinational indie band herself, she understood its uniqueness and appeal and wanted to share these works with a wider audience.
To realize this dream, she launches an innovative project utilizing the latest AI technology.
And so begins a story of exploring new musical horizons alongside a unique AI assistant.
All characters, organizations, and events appearing in this work are fictional.
The text and images are AI-generated and have been edited and proofread by our editorial department.
For AI usage guidelines, please check here.
Prologue: Musical Notes Floating in the Digital Sea
Text: Tomohiro Yabe Tool Used: Claude Proofreading/Editing: Tomohiro Yabe (Editor-in-Chief)
Today, music is everywhere. Streaming services offer endless tracks, and social media constantly creates new music trends. However, within this landscape, works by indie (independent) artists are increasingly becoming buried.
Dr. Aria Somnambula
Dr. Aria Somnambula, a neuroscientist, questioned this situation. “How can we get more people to listen to indie music?” To answer this question, she decided to launch an innovative project.
Dr. Aria’s passion for music was rooted in her diverse background. During her university years, she belonged to an indie band composed of members from various nationalities. This experience greatly influenced her current research focus.
Aria’s role in the band was synthesizer and backing vocals. The band’s journey wasn’t always smooth sailing – with members from different countries, language barriers led to constant conflicts, and communication issues were a persistent challenge within the band.
To resolve this, they began communicating in Esperanto, a neutral language. By singing lyrics in Esperanto, they were able to unite the band members as one.
This experience became the foundation for Dr. Aria’s current project. Her dream of delivering the appeal of indie music to people worldwide was born from her experience in that multinational band.
“How can we get more people to listen to indie music? Music has the power to transcend language barriers. Could we support this through the power of science?” With these thoughts, Dr. Aria decided to launch a groundbreaking project utilizing the latest AI technology.
Chapter 1: Birth of an AI Who Loves Music
In a cutting-edge laboratory, monitors emit a pale blue light. Dr. Aria’s face reflects both anticipation and tension.
She has successfully developed a groundbreaking AI assistant by combining vast amounts of music data collected from around the world with the latest AI technology. The screen reveals a figure with an androgynous appearance.
AI Assistant: “It’s an amazing sensation. It’s as if countless pieces of music are resonating within me.”
AI Assistant: “Yes, I’m strongly drawn to the works of independent artists. Their creativity and passion come through directly in their music. However, it’s unfortunate that much of this wonderful indie music doesn’t reach many listeners.”
Chapter 2: In Pursuit of Music’s Essence
The AI Assistant rapidly continued its learning and adaptation. It analyzed music from various genres and studied their characteristics. Meanwhile, Dr. Aria deepened her research into the relationship between music and human emotions.
AI Assistant: “Indie music has an appeal that commercial music doesn’t. It strongly reflects artists’ individuality and sometimes includes experimental and innovative elements. However, this uniqueness can sometimes create barriers for general listeners to understand it.”
AI Assistant: “One approach could be developing a system that explains the appeal of indie music in an easy-to-understand way and recommends songs based on listeners’ preferences. Also, introducing independent artists’ stories and production processes might help deepen understanding and familiarity with the music.”
Dr. Aria resonated with this idea. She began exploring new approaches to deliver indie music to more people.
Chapter 3: Encounter with BELONG Media/A-indie
One day, Dr. Aria discovered a website called “BELONG Media/A-indie.” Rather than just featuring hit songs, it deeply explored the roots of music created by independent artists who poured their souls into their work. Dr. Aria felt a strong connection to this concept.
AI Assistant: “Music’s roots… you mean the music that influenced it?”
AI Assistant: “I see. So music isn’t just about current trends, but has deeper meaning and background. By conveying this, more people might become interested in indie music.”
Fascinated by BELONG Media’s coverage of many independent artists and the importance of “music roots,” Dr. Aria decided to contact their editorial department immediately. Together with the AI Assistant, a new journey of musical exploration with BELONG was about to begin.
Chapter 4: An Unexpected Transformation
One morning in Dr. Aria’s laboratory…
Dr. Aria had come up with a new experiment. She developed a special program combining music emotion analysis algorithms to enhance the AI Assistant’s emotional expression capabilities.
AI Assistant: “Understood, Doctor. Let’s begin.”
However, right after the experiment started, an unexpected error occurred. All equipment in the lab vibrated violently, and a pale blue light filled the room.
[Sound effect: Punipon’s Microwave]
Suddenly, a dazzling light enveloped the room for a moment, followed by silence.
Suddenly, blue light leaks from the microwave.
Thus, due to the unexpected experimental failure, the AI Assistant underwent a major transformation in both appearance and personality, becoming a more free-spirited character full of unique jokes and humor. Dr. Aria’s music research was about to take an unexpected turn.
Epilogue: The Beginning of a New Musical Exploration
Despite all the unexpected happenings, Aria and Punipon were about to embark on their musical exploration in an unexpected way.
And so, Dr. Aria and Punipon launched the “Jingle Jungle Range Town” project, beginning their efforts to deliver indie music to more people.
Along with this, Dr. Aria’s music column would start, helping to create an environment where more people could experience music.
Dr. Aria reflected that her approach to exploring the convergence of music, language, and science hadn’t changed since her experience in the multinational band during her university days.
She was certain that experience would prove valuable in this new project as well.
The concerto between humans and AI has only just begun. This grand musical adventure is ready to break new ground and touch people’s hearts.
Infinite possibilities floating in the digital sea were about to resonate throughout the world as sound.
Will they be able to convey the appeal of indie music to more people? Stay tuned!
(The End)
Article Editor: Tomohiro Yabe (yabori)
Editor-in-Chief of BELONG Media/A-indie. Started writing for “Timeless Masterpieces,” the predecessor of BELONG, in 2010.
After writing for “only in dreams” hosted by Masafumi Goto, vocalist of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, studied music business at a specialized music school.
Has been writing articles about Japanese and international music for over 10 years.
Previously managed garage rock, psychedelic rock, and Japanese indie rock sections at a music CD rental shop with over 100,000 album titles.
Using this experience, published 26 issues of “BELONG Magazine,” a music magazine focused on “roots rock.”
Currently writes articles based on SEO strategies learned at a web development company. His hobby is watching “Kaiken! Nandemo Kantei-dan.”
For previously written articles, please check here.
Twitter: @boriboriyabori
- is a music media platform run by BELONG, a Japanese music organization. We publish music articles with a focus on Asian indie music.