Matsutoya Yumi and her ’70s self ala Arai Yumi singing together in a new song titled “Call me back”? Is that even possible? The answer is “yes”, and it was made possible through artificial intelligence.
This is rather fascinating.
Singer Matsutoya Yumi has had a long career and is celebrating her 50th anniversary this year. Every five years, she releases an anniversary album, usually best of compilations (considering she has made over 600 songs, it’s kind of hard to fit them all in best albums). But for the 50th year, how would they make the artist bridge to the future? For one, her husband has reworked a lot of her songs with newer instruments for the album “Yuming Banzai!” (to be released on October 4th).
But for the song on the album titled “Call me back”, the song featuring a duet of present Matsutoya Yumi and ’70s Arai Yumi was made possible through artificial intelligence.
In the song “Call me back”, Matsutoya Yumi sings along with Arai Yumi (her name before she got married and the name she used from 1972-1976). But how to reproduce Arai’s vocals from the ’70s for the present for a new song? New technology using AI was utilized and sure enough, it’s a bit of “Blade Runner” style of video but it was quite fascinating to see it come together.
You can read more of Matsutoya Yumi’s 50th anniversary in English here.
As many of you know, I am a big fan of Matsutoya and often look for her CD’s when I am in Japan.
And for those who wonder if they have ever heard of a Matsutoya Yumi (or Arai Yumi)? More than likely if you have. If you watched the “Studio Ghibli” animated film, “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, then you have heard her song “Rouge no Dengon” before.
