Who is Yacht, and what is artificially intelligent music? The Computer Accent, a documentary written and directed by award-winning founders of the production company MEMORY, Riel Roch-Decter and Sebastian Pardo, answers these questions and more. What ensues is an examination of the creative achievements of the electronic pop music group, Yacht (Young Americans Challenging High Technology), an experimental band of musicians that has continually railed against the confines of conventional music making.
The film is especially concerned with the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence and music composition as Yacht embarks on its latest venture. This material may seem somewhat fringe and esoteric and may alienate some viewers. However, the subject could appeal to curious, burgeoning, or experienced artists and musicians.
The Computer Accent raises many interesting questions about the alternative directions of technology, especially as they relate to art. The historical context of electronic music and the details of algorithms used to generate A.I. music are inherently thought-provoking ideas explored in the film.
“Who is Yacht, and what is artificially intelligent music…These questions and more are answered….”
The band’s knowledge of computer-related applications is quite impressive, and the pure musical proficiency of the group members is evident. The combination of the two elements is a fascinating endeavor. The band’s songs go beyond “new wave” or “new age” and venture into science fiction territory. The lively soundtrack is inspirational, and the footage of live performances and the musicians composing is supported by supplemental archival video footage and helps to connect viewers with the progressive musical direction of Yacht. Much to the credit of directors Roch-Decter and Pardo, this film captures the technological creative processes and the aspirations to find originality by Yacht, illuminating a new aspect of music as we know it.
The film has an aesthetically pleasing assortment of scrapbook snapshots that chart Yacht’s progress as they move to create something genuinely transcendent. However, at times the general thread of creativity in the film becomes disjointed as the film moves back and forth between the technology and the personal contributions of the artists.
Essentially, The Computer Accent is about theories and ideas, which indeed are provocative, as one may ponder the future of creativity and the use of technology. Yacht’s sheer ambition serves as the driving force behind this film. Unfortunately, however, the documentary falls into a by-the-numbers depiction of what eventually turns out to be a mildly interesting subject matter that loses its novelty. Eventually, the documentary turns to tedium. As intriguing as the possibilities of A.I. are, the challenges and narrative of a band grappling with new technologies and pursuing transcendence lose momentum about halfway through.
The film needs to generate excitement about some intriguing artistic revelations. Unfortunately, these revelations are too restrained by jargon and talking points, and the music, while fascinating, is not quite enough to propel this documentary to prompt much more than a brief discussion. It is suggested that anyone interested in both technology and art and/or the combination of the two would then check out The Computer Accent. However, those not interested in computer-generated algorithms to create sound should beware.
