If you ever played SEGA Mega Drive games (or spent your afternoons loitering at the Arcade like us) then you’ll know precisely what we mean when we say that Simon Halsbergher’s techno-electro compositions brought back happy childhood memories of beating Dr. Eggman’s final level or clearing all lines in Puzzle Bobble. But while these playful electro-ambient compositions are the perfect soundtrack to any Neo Geo game, they hide something much more meaningful underneath their brightly coloured coating.

The compositions in “It’s a Free Magma” (released this year as a collaboration between the artist, KASK & Conservatorium Ghent) are in fact the product of a research project on the impact of AI on the creative industry. Seeking an algorithm that questions AI in music production by providing precise, repeatable, and human-crafted patterns for music and sound expression, Simon Halsbergher has composed a new kind of computer music, effectively bridging computational processes and machine learning with audiovisual media art. This will be first and foremost a brilliant musical performance, but it will also offer a rare chance to engaging the audience in a conversation on AI and machine learning while directly witnessing one of its many implications in action!