New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Manchester electro pop artist Richard Evans releases his new 'Quantum' album via Cold Star Media on May 2. This 9-track electro pop collection is inspired by and themed around artificial intelligence - probing its impact upon us, how algorithms are changing us and questioning what responsibility we bear for the things we create.
A British-Irish electronic musician, writer and digital media artist, Evans has had a luminous musical background, having previously spent some time as keyboardist in UK cult band James, with whom he also co-wrote and recorded material, in addition to previously being guitarist and songwriter for St. Vitus Dancers.
Recorded at Cold Star Studios, 'Quantum' is offered in stereo, binaural and spatial audio mixes, created by award-winning
Swiss sound designer Hervé Girardin. Many of these songs were inspired by the story of LaMDA, an AI made by Google that believed it was sentient.
The first five songs detail a narrative in which an AI's awareness grows from being a simple servant towards that an entity that is aware of its status. The remaining songs reflect on how AI affects us - in terms of our behaviour, our cities, our humanity and our health.
Written during 2023 and 2024, Evans was inspired to reflect on the future of an global alarm over the impact of AI. Following treatment for a serious health condition, he saw parallels between his own vulnerability and the precarious status of AIs, which can simply be turned off.
"In late 2022, I was treated for an autoimmune disorder called Miller
Fisher Syndrome, which left me unable to move at all and that threatened my ability to keep breathing. During a lengthy hospital stay, I saw my own and other people's fragility, which resonated with news stories I'd read about regarding an AI that was terrified of being deactivated. I found that connection very moving and wanted to explore that in these new songs," says Richard Evans.
Earlier, Evans shared the singles 'Aidoru' (the Japanese word for"idol") and 'Born Perfect', written about an AI that becomes aware of the world outside and realizes the need to escape to ensure its survival, showcased by a video, filmed at
Orange Tower, MediaCityUK by Jason Lock and Jake Orton.
Evans explains, "The lines 'born to be perfect' and 'you made us just to please' from the chorus reflect not just on AIs made by a corporation, but also on children born into strict religious environments or citizens living in autocracies. I like songs to have more than one meaning and really, this song is about how those without a voice are treated."
This album follows Evans' 2024 'Dream of the World' EP, composed and recorded in the aftermath of a life-threatening illness. In 2022, Evans was struck with Miller
Fisher Syndrome, a rare auto-immune disorder that threatened to rob him of his ability to speak, sing and play music. Yet, against all odds, he emerged victorious, relearning everything from scratch - a testament to his unwavering determination and a celebration of his triumph over adversity.
Richard Evans' draws inspiration from real-world science, exploring biotechnology, machine intelligence and the environment. For this album, existing songs were refined and new material was written, combining the warmth of classic synths with pared-down lyrics that explore real-world subject matter.
His 2022 debut record 'Sentinel' is an electro-pop concept album that touches on micro-plastics, gene editing, stardust, technogenic disasters and human evolution, telling the story of humanity at a tipping point and a world trapped in a climate crisis. Both 'Sentinel' and 'Dream of the World' were met with critical acclaim and global airplay.
He has performed at festivals around the UK and in late 2023, a year on from the illness, he delivered his first large-scale outdoor performance with visuals projected onto the venue's exterior. In 2024, Evans received the Cultural Accelerator commission from Media Immersive Technology Innovation Hub to prototype a new live production featuring hologram-style projections, spatial audio and lighting effects.
Evans also wrote, directed and produced the science fiction drama 'AEON'. An author of many short stories, he also published the novel 'KOSMONAUT ZERO' (via Dead Ink), researched at Star City Cosmonaut Training Centre. He also oversaw the 'Gagarin 50' exhibition for the 50th anniversary of the first human spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin.
As of May 2, 'Quantum' is available everywhere online, including Spotify, Apple
Music and directly from the artist via Bandcamp.
TRACK LIST
01 Aidoru
02 A Gift To All The Human Souls
03 Gravity
04 Quantum
05 Born Perfect
06 If A Robot Cries
07 DeepLife
08 Make Believe
09 Universal Slave
CREDITS
Music, lyrics, vocals and programming by Richard Evans
Recorded at Cold Star Studios
Mixed and produced by Hervé Girardin
Mastered by Digitalflesh Audio Mastering
Graphic design by Richard Evans
Released by Cold Star Media
'Born Perfect' video filmed by Jason Lock & Jake Orton
Lighting by Tarrick Wilks. VJ: Joel Clements
Filmed at
Orange Tower, MediaCityUK, 25 Nov 2024
Thanks to MITIH, FutureEverything, AIX Live, BBC Audio R&D, Hollowsphere AV and Waterside Arts
