Paul Feder combines irresistible grooves, eye-popping visuals and ominous warnings in his multi-faceted new single and animated video Paperclips — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The prolific Brooklyn electronic artist is fully flexing his electro muscles in his new single as he explores the inevitable complex relationship with AI that humankind is in the midst of developing. Released June 25, Paperclips is the first single from Feder’s forthcoming EP Echoes, due out later this summer.
Accompanied by a trippy AI-built video, Paperclips is the most direct homage to Kraftwerk that Feder fans will have seen thus far. The story itself was inspired by Feder’s own discomfort with and ultimate embrace of AI, as well as theories of philosopher Nick Bostrom about the controversial technology.
“Paperclips is based on AI thought experiment in which a sentient AI is given a simple task: Maximize paperclip production,” Feder says. “The end result is a Terminator-style future in which humanity is eradicated in the service of making A LOT of paperclips.”
This seems to be where many theories about the advancement of artificial intelligence seem to go, but Feder, through working this track, came to a different conclusion and sees it from the AI’s point of view. “It’s a tongue-in-cheek robotic dance track and fever-dream AI video that imagines intelligent machines attaining meaning and fulfillment in their relentless pursuit of productivity.”
Oh, would that it were so simple. That said, many artists who are beginning to play around with AI as a tool for making their art seem to be coming to similar conclusions. The inevitable end of AI’s means could likely be more collaboration than eradication. In the meantime, artists like Feder will continue to experiment with the different creative avenues. With its nod to Kraftwerk, vintage synths marrying with modern DAWs and AI-created video, Paperclips certainly bridges that gap. Not to mention it’s a bop. Stay tuned for the rest of Echoes for more concept-driven electronic contemplations.
As an ’80s kid, Paul would listen with rapt attention whenever his parents would play their cassette tape of Trans Europa Express by Kraftwerk. This early exposure to electronic music set the stage for Paul’s first mashups in high school, synth instrumentals in college, and MIDI interfaces in grad school. In his 20s and 30s, Paul started DJing and producing Vocoder synthpop songs as Pico Fermi. In 2012 Paul co-founded Charcole Federation — a sitar-infused electronic band — that released their eponymous EP in 2015.
One day in 2019, Paul brought a laptop, a synth, and an old beat-up harmonizer to Battalion Studios in Gowanus. The solitude of that day, coupled with trying out old gear in a new way led to a creative and technical “aha moment”. Paul found his voice and began working on his debut solo EP Nightwalk, featuring sparse, open-ended lyrics and dense, visually evocative production, with contributions by members of the band Jane In Space. In 2023, Paul released Never Sleep, a more personal and introspective EP dedicated to his late father Jack.
Watch the animated video for Paperclips above, hear more from Paul Feder below, and connect with him on his website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
