kalama musi lili — translated from Toki Pona, e.g., “Little Art Music,” “A Playful Hint of Noise,” or “The Little Joy of Noise” — sets off [from play: what kind of song series emerges from collaboration with AI, combining a minimalist language and a maximalist sensibility]. Developed in 2001, Toki Pona strips language down to its bare bones. Its vocabulary of 123 words covers the entire range of human experience, which is why every word carries multiple meanings and can function as a noun or a verb. For example, “kalama” is a sound, to make a sound, a song, to sing, to rumble, to drum, to clap, to laugh, to beep, etc. [The 31-EDO tuning used in this song series] divides the octave into 31 equal parts [instead of the more familiar] 12. [That’s quite a lot!] These rules are [pretty much unknown even] to AI systems—and it is precisely that ignorance that drives the work. When composing, I first asked the AIs for text masses and translations of the text, then for chords, and [only at the very end to continue the finished musical material]. [They always chose conservatively, but continuing in the style was the hardest part:] one program added techno beats. Another produced nothing but noise. I listened, selected, and clashed these misinterpretations against one another. [In the final song, five strange interpretations play, and] the soprano sings over them—and the meaning, as of course in the poem, remains beautifully open.

Lyrics: Miika Hyytiäinen and AI
Composition: Miika Hyytiäinen
Recording: Miika Hyytiäinen (editing and sound engineering) and AI
Vocals: Iida Hirvola