Newsletter

ODIR Newsletter #2: April Anomalies

Welcome to the second issue of the ODIR newsletter. I’ll take this soapbox to vent about something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.

I’ve found it incredibly disheartening how even in the music underground people are increasingly embracing AI as a shortcut, or because they’re cheapskates. I find it especially distasteful how many musicians opt for shoddy AI generated cover art. Not only do they piss on visual artists and photographers, but the results are invariably incredibly soulless, plastic and devoid of emotion. Because AI has no soul, no vision, no insight. Is this how musicians want to represent their art? The only conclusion I can draw is that they find their own art as soulless as the AI artwork. I suppose they will happily be replaced by AI generated music in the future – probably generated by visual artists who want music to go with their art.

Yeah yeah, AI is a good tool when used properly and whatever. But it’s not. Not when it comes to creative work that should say something of the soul and spirit it was made with. It’s a cheat and a shortcut in a process, where the hand crafted element of each step is significant. The soul does not lie in the end result, it lies in the creative process from initial idea to finished work.

The art ODIR deals with is not soulless, commercial and disposable. It’s art that should have gravitas, that should seek to convey something of depth and speak to the soul. AI just doesn’t figure into that. That’s the simple bottom line we won’t budge from.

From the radiant sunrises of spring,
J.

Highlights from ODIR

  • I wrote a short essay on Islamic Traditionalist philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s book Man and Nature, and Nasr’s perspectives on nature, science and metaphysics.
  • Digging into the ODIR record collection in our From the Vaults series, I scrutinized UK punk/oi! legend Blitz’s debut album Voice Of A Generation.
  • More yields from the vault: Thyrane’s Black Harmony, an often overlooked classic of late 90’s symphonic black metal.

Reading suggestions

  • If you’ve ever wondered about what the reality we experience, and what our experience of self fundamentally is, neuroscientist Anil Seth’s Being You provides some potentially confounding answers. All thoroughly and expertly explained by Seth so even the layman can understand.
  • One for the Finns: Hippo Taatila’s A.W. Yrjänä – Alkemisti is a brilliant biography on the legendary Finnish artist. But not your typical artist biography; this one delves deep into Yrjänä’s esoteric side. Read my review on Imperiumi: https://impe.fi/otherreviews/1/627

From our friends

  • Finnish martial industrial project Kaarna will release their new album Vääräpää via Anima Arctica on 4.4.2026 – that’s tomorrow!
  • Other upcoming releases from Anima Arctica are Rajamaa: Mennyt and Tuhat Kuolemaa Sekunnissa: s/t, both on vinyl.

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