In the past few years, legendary producer Timbaland has become one of the loudest voices championing AI in music. He’s teamed up with the AI platform Suno and even launched his own AI-focused company, Stage Zero. Now he’s putting his words into action with the debut of his first AI “artist,” Tata Taktumi, and her single “Glitch x Pulse.” The track dropped with a slick, neon-soaked video featuring Tata, dancing through a sci-fi world of robots and spaceships.
The Reaction
As expected, not everyone’s on board. Some are fascinated by the possibilities of AI as a creative partner, while others feel uneasy about it. In a poll we ran on Instagram, 66% of respondents opposed Timbaland’s new AI venture, while 25% were neutral.
Timbaland, for his part, insists that Tata isn’t here to replace anyone. “AI is a tool, not a replacement,” he said. “I love working with real artists. This is just another instrument.” Still, many worry that if labels can generate tireless virtual pop stars who never demand royalties, what happens to human artists?
Perfectly Made, But Missing Something
Listening to ‘Glitch x Pulse’ reveals both the potential and the pitfalls of AI. The vocals and production are flawless, every beat perfectly timed, but something’s missing. There’s no swing, no breath between beats, none of those subtle imperfections that make real music feel alive.
One of our students said it best on our pointblank Voices podcast: “Humans often enjoy sounds that AI perceives as mistakes. Those little clashes and resonances that aren’t supposed to go together, that’s what gives you goosebumps.” Music has never been about perfection; it’s about emotion and connection.
It’s the same with live performance. As another student in the podcast observed, a DJ or performer feeds off the crowd’s energy in real time, adjusting the vibe on the fly. An AI might never miss a cue, but it can’t read the room or feel the moment. The whole live music experience hinges on that human-to-human connection, the unpredictable moments that make a show memorable.
The Big Picture
So, what’s our stance on this buzzing topic? Here’s a quote from Jules Brookes, our Managing Director, and I couldn’t agree more:
“Good music comes from an organic place, a truthful place. AI is neither organic nor truthful. It is tech designed to help us compose, record, mix and master. Don’t get it twisted – it’s not the whole package. You are.”
Rather than fearing AI, use it as a tool to inspire creativity, helping you brainstorm, break writer’s block, or explore new sounds. At the end of the day, music isn’t just sound, it’s feeling. The soul of music lies in its imperfections, the breaths, the moments that make it real. As long as artists hold onto that, AI will stay what it’s meant to be: a tool, not a rival.
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