Plutonian State Interview
Q: Can you talk about your musical history and how Plutonian State came to be?
A: Whilst we've all been playing separately for many years, we've never all actually met together in person - our journey has been mostly through digital relay. Graham (vocals) hosted a performance for Tommy's prior band and they met fleetingly. A few years later they reached out to each other where Tommy (guitarist) then introduced Roy (percussion) to Graham. We all shared a common goal however - we really want to address the most pressing present societal matters through the only way we know - music.
Q: What are some of the topics and themes you explore on The Basilisk?
A: Everyone has seen the recent rapid advances in AI, it's a concerning time which we feel our world may not be quite ready for. The song is based on the Roko's Basilisk thought experiment. This theory proposes that an exceptionally advanced, powerful artificial intelligence will one day punish anyone, past or present, who didn't directly contribute to or assist with its creation. Naturally a scary thought, yes? But whilst we often consider the impact artificial intelligence will have on us, we rarely stop to consider how an advanced intelligence would feel about being feared, distrusted and probably imprisoned as soon as it came into being. Would we hold distain for a child because there's a possibility they may become a bad person? Would our attitude be what makes the digital monster? We gents at Plutonian State think it's possible.
Q: How do you approach songwriting?
A: It's a tricky one considering our different geographical locations but we'll send each other an idea. If we like it, one of us will add to it and it snowballs from there. We give each other a lot of energy in that respect but we're also honest - if one of us goofs up we're open enough to tell each other so we can achieve optimal results. Mostly though, we'll inspire each other. If one of us feels strongly enough about a concept we'll all pitch in, do our research and bring something fresh to the table.
Q: Can you talk about your musical history and how Plutonian State came to be?
A: Whilst we've all been playing separately for many years, we've never all actually met together in person - our journey has been mostly through digital relay. Graham (vocals) hosted a performance for Tommy's prior band and they met fleetingly. A few years later they reached out to each other where Tommy (guitarist) then introduced Roy (percussion) to Graham. We all shared a common goal however - we really want to address the most pressing present societal matters through the only way we know - music.
Q: What are some of the topics and themes you explore on The Basilisk?
A: Everyone has seen the recent rapid advances in AI, it's a concerning time which we feel our world may not be quite ready for. The song is based on the Roko's Basilisk thought experiment. This theory proposes that an exceptionally advanced, powerful artificial intelligence will one day punish anyone, past or present, who didn't directly contribute to or assist with its creation. Naturally a scary thought, yes? But whilst we often consider the impact artificial intelligence will have on us, we rarely stop to consider how an advanced intelligence would feel about being feared, distrusted and probably imprisoned as soon as it came into being. Would we hold distain for a child because there's a possibility they may become a bad person? Would our attitude be what makes the digital monster? We gents at Plutonian State think it's possible.
Q: How do you approach songwriting?
A: It's a tricky one considering our different geographical locations but we'll send each other an idea. If we like it, one of us will add to it and it snowballs from there. We give each other a lot of energy in that respect but we're also honest - if one of us goofs up we're open enough to tell each other so we can achieve optimal results. Mostly though, we'll inspire each other. If one of us feels strongly enough about a concept we'll all pitch in, do our research and bring something fresh to the table.
Q: Have you played this music live and if so how does it translate with an audience?
A: We haven't had the opportunity yet but we're working on arrangements for a live performance. As there are so many moving parts in each of our songs it's taking a lot of consideration to make sure it'll be comparable in a sonic capacity. Please do stay tuned though, we're well under way with the planning.
Q: What else should we know about your music?
A: We're not an easy listen but that is exactly why we feel you should listen! Everyone's heard a hundred love songs in as many styles, songs about parties aplenty, a multitude of tunes about a heart-wrenching break up and so on. That's why we're writing about the total decline of the bee population, what'll happen if we transition into a fully authoritarian state globally, how we should interact with a true AI when it's born - these things have not been covered prolifically in music but it's so much more important for us all to look hard at and think long on. We don't want to make easy listening songs so we can get a quick spin on the radio. If even one person listens to a song of ours and truly ponders what our future will become without changes, we'll consider that a big win.
A: We haven't had the opportunity yet but we're working on arrangements for a live performance. As there are so many moving parts in each of our songs it's taking a lot of consideration to make sure it'll be comparable in a sonic capacity. Please do stay tuned though, we're well under way with the planning.
Q: What else should we know about your music?
A: We're not an easy listen but that is exactly why we feel you should listen! Everyone's heard a hundred love songs in as many styles, songs about parties aplenty, a multitude of tunes about a heart-wrenching break up and so on. That's why we're writing about the total decline of the bee population, what'll happen if we transition into a fully authoritarian state globally, how we should interact with a true AI when it's born - these things have not been covered prolifically in music but it's so much more important for us all to look hard at and think long on. We don't want to make easy listening songs so we can get a quick spin on the radio. If even one person listens to a song of ours and truly ponders what our future will become without changes, we'll consider that a big win.
Check out the full critique