Music startup Thoughtful Things has introduced Engram, a sampler and groovebox that acts as a digital alchemist. Its task is to transform incoming audio signals, including even the "hallucinations" generated by its own local AI. This device doesn't aim to deliver a ready-made song for the radio, but rather invites users to explore the uncharted territories of sound design, where experimental and sometimes unsettling textures are born.
The main feature of Engram is its complete autonomy. The "tiny AI," developed and trained by the company itself, operates locally, requiring no internet connection. This allows the device to ruthlessly "mangle" incoming sound, transforming it beyond recognition or generating entirely new, unexpected sound forms from scratch. The company states that Engram is designed to push the boundaries of audio models and explore their potential beyond the conventional.
Unlike services focused on mass-producing pop music, Engram is aimed at musicians, sound designers, and experimenters. It offers not a finished product, but rather raw material for creativity – unique sound elements that can form the basis for avant-garde compositions, ambient music, or soundtracks for unusual projects. This is a step towards a deeper and more unpredictable interaction between humans and artificial intelligence in the creative sphere, where AI acts not as a performer, but as a co-author capable of surprising and pushing beyond the usual boundaries.