Riverside mastermind Mariusz Duda returns with fourth solo album ‘AFR AI D’ out now via Kscope.

Mariusz Duda has always been fascinated by the telling of a story, idea or concept.

Whereas on previous album ‘Lockdown Trilogy’, Mariusz Duda wanted to capture a snapshot of life during the pandemic the renown progressive mastermind, this time explores the concept of AI as disruptor. His new solo record looks at the growing commodification of AI and specifically with artificial intelligence entering the mainstream.

Using the notion of ChatGPT and Midjourney and the increasing use of deep fakes as a springboard, ‘AFR AI D’ explores these interesting and forward thinking theories musically just as much as it does conceptually.

Unveiling ‘AFR AI D’ is first single ‘Embracing The Unknown’, the track is the longest composition on the album and a fitting representative. The changing musical moods and rhythm are characteristic not only of the new album but of all Mariusz Duda music released under his own name.

"I'm happy I can continue this instrumental electronic music journey," says Duda. "I love these evocative sounds. Contrary to what the title of the album suggests, I am not afraid of new technologies. I think AI is just another tool which, over time, we will learn to use in a better way, and which will speed up work in many areas. In spite of a slight subconscious fear of the unknown, I am ready to embrace the future :)”

The album opens with the ominous sounds of the aptly titled ‘Taming Nightmares’ acting as a musical signpost to this new dawn of machine learning. It’s followed by Interstellar nod of ‘Fake Me Deep, Murf’ and later by the TRON like ‘Mid Journey To Freedom’.

Off the back of ‘Bots’ Party’ we move into the emotive arpeggios of ‘I Love To Chat With You’ that whisks you straight into the mind of Theodore Twombly falling for an operating system. The album later ends on the cold and unfeeling introspection of ‘Embracing The Unknown’.

In a world where truth is often camouflaged by deception the electronic heartbeat of ‘AFR AI D’ can never lie. Or can it?

German artist and illustrator Hajo Müller (Steven Wilson) appears once again carrying on the legacy of Mariusz Duda’s artwork as the two have collaborated throughout Mariusz’s solo album career. Mariusz also performs all instruments throughout the album except for guitar solos performed by Mateusz Owczarek .

'AFR AI D’ was recorded throughout May and June 2023 at Serakos Studio in Warsaw, with engineering by Magda and Robert Srzedniccy and mastered by Robert Szydło.

'AFR AI D’ Track listing:

1. Taming Nightmares [07:20]
2. Good Morning Fearmongering [05:14]
3. Fake Me Deep, Murf [04:48]
4. Bots’ Party [05:00]
5. I Love To Chat With You [03:43]
6. Why So Serious, Cassandra? [04:56]
7. Mid Jorney To Freedom [03:08]
8. Embracing The Unknown [08:00]

In 2020, Polish Prog multi-instrumentalist Mariusz Duda (Riverside, Lunatic Soul) decided to conduct an experiment. He set out to create a third music world, independent of his band, Riverside, and solo project, Lunatic Soul. A world which would differ stylistically from the previous two, and underline the first steps he took in music. 

30 years ago, a certain shy boy fascinated by the works of Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, or Tangerine Dream, locked himself up in his room and started to think up his original music stories. He recorded them on cassette tapes, created covers for them, and arranged them on the shelf next to those of his masters. 30 years later, when the world was taken over by a pandemic and an international lockdown, Mariusz was beamed back to his childhood bedroom, where he was reading and drawing comic books, playing games, listening to lots of music from cassette tapes... and recording his own electronic sounds. "Why not do it again?" he thought to myself, feeling inspired. "Why not create a new project where I will play only the keyboards? And why not sign it just like I used to when I was a kid? Simply 'Mariusz Duda'". 

And that's exactly what he did. Between 2020 and 2021, he recorded and released online three electronic albums that make up the so called "Lockdown Trilogy", which will be finally released this year on physical media.

The Lockdown Trilogy consists of the following titles: “Lockdown Spaces”, “Claustrophobic Universe”, and “Interior Drawings”. The forthcoming special CD edition will contain all the three albums with complete artwork created by Hajo Müller, texts and artist photos. Duda has also included an additional, fourth disc. The bonus EP called “Let’s Meet Outside” contains new, previously unreleased material which has been prepared especially for this edition.

The vinyl editions of the albums from the trilogy will begin with “Interior Drawings” released in two colour varieties.

The 4-disc- and 48-page- “Lockdown Trilogy” earbook, as well as the vinyl edition of “Interior Drawings” are both out now.