Jordan Rudess Teaming Up With Generative Music Platform Udio
Posted to his channel mere minutes ago today (2025-01-24), Jordan reveals that his AI experiments have landed him in the welcoming arms of Udio, a generative music platform. To that, I have to simply say: Ugh.
First the AI art. Now this. For months on this sub, everyone has said "there is simply no way that he'd be using this to generate song ideas or lyrics" - to say I say you're probably right. But who knows now? At least a little. In the video, he only uses the platform to "remix" a snippet of a song he recorded. But, for anyone who knows how generative AI platforms work, it's very close to generating an original piece. I mean, if we're being honest, the lyrics from his last solo album speak to that.
The walls are only paper thin in the house of generative AI.
I am still excited for the new album, and I love Dream Theater. But looking at that, it's disappointing to say the least. There's a larger conversation to be had here, and there's a lot of retorts to his continued exploration of these tools which I don't think hold up under much scrutiny. It really makes me think of The Astonishing. It's a real example of art made in the pure spirit of well, nothing. It didn't matter. The themes of that album didn't really seem to hold a lot of weight to one of its primary composers.
Udio is probably beyond excited to have an extremely legitimate musician endorse their product so openly. Really, very disappointing.