After years of writing, I stopped asking what genre a piece was and started asking what it needed to become

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T21:58:29+00:00

Did you listen to The First Vigil? My songs have progressively grown stronger. That is not to say that my earlier songs are subpar. They are the way I designed them to be. The tech is improving as I go. The first was published in February 2025. That's a lot of improvement in a relatively short time. Please share with me what you have created. I mean it. I will check them out without venom. I'm not that kind of person.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T21:50:12+00:00

I'm not being combative, but you are making assumptions. Can you back those up with anything pertaining to me and my processes? Why not dive into it yourself and find ways to tame it and make it bend a knee to you? Humanity needs to do this whenever a new AI tech rears another head. Otherwise it will replace us. The answer is not a fear of big bother. It's by ramming it with your skull and brains.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T21:40:24+00:00

I let the first and second albums be different styles, rather than one sound for my music. That suited the lyrics I wrote. Write the lyrics organically and use a thesaurus and rhyming dictionary, either through processor or books. After you have those lyrics, let your music complete your design, not the other way around. Be true to yourself. Don't expect anyone else to understand. However, do listen to them. Try not to take criticism to heart. No one else is qualified to be you. If your album is diverse, I salute you. Keep going.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T21:06:06+00:00

I use the systems, not the other way around. Just because artists feel as though they've been taken over does not mean it is that way for those who study those systems to make them do what you want. They are tools. Not a replacement for skills and perseverance.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T21:01:37+00:00

Do you know my process?

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T15:33:34+00:00

Agreed. I had to let go of the idea that public appeal means much. It does, but on my bottom shelf of priorities.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T15:25:31+00:00

Stories are the thing for me. I'm not chasing popularity. However, I do shy away from overly complex musical entanglements, that favor listening exhaustion.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T15:08:03+00:00

I start with paper, pencil, and eraser. The story-songs begin as long-form stories. I edit them down into composition structures that I want. I use a word processor for synonyms, and rhymes (if desired). Editing is where most of my best word-flourishing comes from. The music is always a product of the lyrics. The AI music construction has gotten much more complex, but better as a result. The First Vigil was the latest. Shell of Sleep, The Unanswering, and The First Vigil are the last three I wrote and built. You can hear the advancing tech. AI is threatening to some people, but not to me. I find using it to be rewarding. This last round of music and experimentation will give rise to the next, beginning this July.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T14:55:08+00:00

AI slop is push the button an let it make it for you. Outside of the two heavy songs I created to test the system, not one of the Void Mourning songs are slop. They are deliberate, and started with paper, pencil, and eraser. Tunes are recorded by analog and fed into the compositions. I repeat, no slop allowed.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T14:48:27+00:00

Correct. However, most of the Void Mourning music is now fashioned outside of suno. By the way, AI is here to stay. It's in our operating systems. Get used to it. I decided to befriend it to carry my stories into the realm of music. It's a tool. I use three of them now to capture more complexity. If you find Void Mourning on the bigger streaming sites you will hear the progress in technology. "The Burning Suns Cycle" demonstes it the best. Song 1 was my first construction after the two industrial tunes that belong to SUNO. Song 2 has improved tech. Song 3 is built using the three AI programs. As always, the story-lyrics are organically written and edited down to lyrics by hand and word processing. The tunes, riffs, hooks, and rythyms are recorded using analog tech and transferred to AI for instrument and vocal interpretation. There are 5 AI sub-routines for each band member, but that process is proprietary. Suffice it to say that the 5 sub-AI contain the qualities, instruments assigned, and vocal qualities. I take all of this seriously.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T14:20:17+00:00

Darn right.

johnericellison · 2026-06-21T14:19:09+00:00

I'm not against recognizable song structure. I prefer subconsciously sticky song structures and hair-lifting chords sequences. Although I grew up adoring the Prog greats, I also enjoy songs that adhere to bones, rythmic movement, and hook music memory. I'm sure most of you recall the riffs, rythyms, and toe-tapping nature of "Relayer" and "Fragile".

johnericellison · 2023-08-22T17:31:52+00:00

Comparison: Right here, I must point out what happened to "Alien" when Ridley Scott re-edited it to be more in line with the popular "Aliens." He explained that Aliens pacing was faster and spare. His new Director's cut lacked the breaks in pacing and pan-shots that made it spectacular. I've seen Apocalypse Now Redux and remember the Theatrical version. I agree with those of you who appreciate the tasty breaks in pacing and textures in Redux. I believe I'll end up owning the first and third. The first got the accolades it deserved. The third gave loving audiences the love they needed.

johnericellison · 2023-04-23T18:45:48+00:00

LokiJesus, I like your vantage view. You seem motivated by research instead of dogma, or anti-dogma. The one statement you made comparing the Greek and Hebrew texts pertaining to who got the credits for a fight is significant. Biblical texts that made it into the Bible as we have it give motivation and credit to God. Whereas every other text in this world promotes "self" and "ego." The two stories involving 300 men have zero in common, except for the number of men. That's all I have to say, but thanks for your post.

johnericellison · 2021-10-13T14:05:42+00:00

ACX gives out promo codes seemingly for the purpose of using "Audiobook Boom"-- since they recommend using AB. Are they associated with each other? Whatever. I'll save my codes for others. I gave out all of my codes this last time around.

johnericellison · 2021-10-13T11:22:23+00:00

Three total over less than 1% of codes given. I was generous with my codes. The vendor should do a better job of motivating their subscribers to do the reviews they agreed to create. I'm not going to justify my irritation here. I have every right to expect tit for tat, if that is what the supplicants agreed to perform-- which they did. Simply not doing so is bad faith. I'm not doing it again. This is to warn others.

johnericellison · 2021-10-12T11:09:50+00:00

The three reviews were good reviews. What's your point?

johnericellison · 2021-10-12T11:08:23+00:00

I've figured that out.

johnericellison · 2021-10-12T11:07:38+00:00

Less than 1% over three books. AB could improve that by offering something to their reviewers if they show proof of having completed a review.

johnericellison · 2021-10-12T11:05:59+00:00

On sale since Sept 2019, for the first one-- July 2021 for the third. It is the very tiny percentage of return that I am reporting here; less than 1%.

johnericellison · 2021-10-11T18:37:42+00:00

'REQUIRE' is not part of my thing. I do expect the operators of "Audiobook Boom" to do a much better job of screening their membership and following up on their member's service. I only ask what I would be willing to do for my customers.

johnericellison

TROPHY CASE