SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The robotic has a long tradition in music. Think of 1970s electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk, with their digital beats and robotic-like demeanour on stage. Or, more recently, Daft Punk, who also love electronic beats and whose identities are hidden behind robot-like masks. Yet this concert at the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, seems to top them all. It has no musical score or baton, but maestro Android Alter 3 took a symphony orchestra through its paces. Powered by artificial intelligence, Android Alter 3 led musicians through an operatic performance called Scary Beauty, the lyrics inspired by the writings of William S. Burroughs and Michel Houellebecq. Alter 3 chose the orchestra’s volume and tempo and even joined the singers with its own electro-vocals, its arms swinging excitedly and face animated with human-like expressions.

Conceived by Japanese composer Keiichiro Shibuya, Scary Beauty examines the relationship between humans and technology and our dependence on our own inventions.

The performance drew a mixed response from music lovers. One audience member described the concert as “very exciting”. Another said “a human conductor is so much better”. Yet all would probably agree that they had witnessed something groundbreaking and remarkable.

One wonders just how far mankind will take this incredible merging of music with technology.