NPC (virtual band)
NPC is a virtual band founded by Canadian artist Claire Boucher, professionally known as Grimes, in 2021.
Background
NPC is an "A.I. girl group" featuring "infinite" digital avatars that can be "voted in or out" with the exception of "core members", most notably a character named "WarNymph" which is a digital avatar Grimes created to represent herself in 2020. Grimes elaborated in an interview with The Face magazine that WarNymph was created to distance her real self from her creative output, describing WarNymph as a "survival mechanism for the world I’m living in now." In the interview, Grimes also likened being a public figure to an "abusive relationship", noting that "[hearing] how ugly or stupid or annoying I am every day" was beginning to affect her mental health.[1] A press release described NPC as "Grimes [creating] other people in order to reduce the psychic pain of being in the public eye".[2]
Another inspiration behind the project was Grimes feeling that "Grimes" as a persona was becoming limiting. Boucher started to personally go by the name "c" (the common denotation for the speed of light) in 2018,[3] expressing disdain for her birth name "Claire", and talked about how she wanted to "kill Grimes" in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in 2019, feeling that she was "super bound" by the "branding I made in 2009".[4]
The project features generative artificial intelligence for the characters' costumes and movements done in collaboration with artist Nusi Quero, who also designed a tattoo for Grimes.[5]
The debut line-up of avatars is still a work in progress.[6] Grimes posted "beta version" designs on Instagram, naming four of the characters after hormones, "Oxytocin", "Adrenaline", "Cortisol", and "Dopamine", and one character named "Tomorrow".[7]
Releases
The band's debut release, "A Drug from God",[8] was produced by British DJ Chris Lake and released on November 12, 2021 through Astralwerks. The song was premiered earlier in 2021 with no mention of NPC being a part of it;[9] the song was only revealed to be NPC's debut release when the song was officially announced via Chris Lake and Grimes' social media accounts.[10][11]
References
- ↑ "Grimes on evolving her digital self into WarNymph". The Face. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ "Grimes launches AI girl group with Chris Lake collab". tonedeaf.thebrag.com. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ Hudson, Laura (2018-05-19). "Grimes is changing her name to the symbol for the speed of light, encouraged by Elon Musk". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ Adejobi, Alicia (2019-03-20). "Grimes 'killing off' stage name: 'It'll be a public execution'". Metro. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ Newstead, Al (2021-11-15). "Grimes launches AI girl group NPC, debuts Chris Lake collab 'A Drug From God'". triple j. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ "Grimes Is Debuting Her AI Girl Group Next Week | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ "Login • Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ Newstead, Al (2021-11-15). "Grimes launches AI girl group NPC, debuts Chris Lake collab 'A Drug From God'". triple j. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ "Login • Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ "https://twitter.com/chrislake/status/1458175509603368961". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-11-16. External link in
|title=(help) - ↑ "Login • Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
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