Could unfinished Nirvana music be completed with the help of AI?
Krist Novoselic says he could see the remaining members of Nirvana - himself, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear - potentially using AI technology to finish some of the band's unheard music.
In a new interview with NME, the Nirvana bassist reflects on the 30th anniversary of the band's third album, In Utero, saying, "The record can be pretty, but it can also be dark. Going back to this record, I was just reminded of our humanity as a group."
The surviving members will be releasing a massive reissue for Nirvana's third album on October 27 that sees them clear out the vault. When asked his thoughts on Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr "cleaning up some existing Beatles recordings," Novoselic says it is not beyond the realms of possibility.
“That’s a good idea! I’m glad I spoke with you today, because that’s interesting,” he told NME. “I’m going to bring that up with Dave and Pat! I can hardly wait to hear a new Beatles song. Come on, it’s The Beatles! I want to hear a new Beatles song! And if AI helps it, then absolutely – that’s the way it is today.”
Novoselic says he doesn't know what's left of Kurt Cobain's recordings that would be usable, but he understands how sensitive the matter is.
“I don’t know. We’ve got the start talking about this. That’s a good idea. There could be [unfinished music]," he says. "There’s a point where it’s like, ‘Is this Nirvana on AI?’ There’s a lot of that stuff already on YouTube, and that’s a debate that’s going to have to be settled when it comes to copyright and disinformation. It’s like 2001: A Space Odyssey – ‘Don’t do it!’ Kurt’s not here in the present, so everything has got to be done right.”