Review: Ak'chamel at AyurPrana Listening Room

There is plenty of reason to worry that artificial intelligence is on a trajectory to drain the soul from the arts. If left unchecked, it threatens to create a streamlined, homogenized culture, stripped of genuine humanity and personality. We’re already seeing charting AI-generated songs as well as AI actor Tilly Norwood’s encroaching presence in Hollywood.

But for all those valid concerns, some things remain beyond the reach of algorithms. Ak’chamel’s mystifying performance at the AyurPrana Listening Room on Nov. 11 was a perfect reminder of what AI can’t replicate.

Dressed in full-body, handmade tribal costumes, the Texas trio resembled witch doctors pulled from another time and place. Their sound was equally enigmatic — somewhere between the primitive ritual folk and droning experimental noise of peers such as Sun City Girls and Natural Snow Buildings. At moments hypnotic and at others downright maniacal, the performance held the packed room in a state of total, haunted fascination.

For centuries, music has been central to what makes us human and binds us culturally. And while the industry will no doubt drive profits from the overload of incoming AI slop, people will continue seeking the kind of art that connects us, challenges our expectations, and makes us feel most alive. Artists like Ak’chamel, who carve their own path and engage with audiences, will remain vital in our impending cultural struggle against Artificial Intelligence.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)

Franich & McCord Duo