I’ve been interested in the English electronic pop musician Imogen Heap’s work for a bit now, my first exposure to her was her 2005 album Speak For Yourself, which is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to the recent interest in the song “Headlock” as well as it being the record’s 25th anniversary this year. You may also know of her from her work from her early days as a member of the electronic duo, Frou Frou, from the demo song “A New Kind of Love,” a song that has also had a recent surge in popularity online. However, the artist hadn’t released any new work in quite a while, with her last studio album having been released in 2014. The only other projects Heap had worked on since had been a few soundtracks here and there. Outside of that, Heap had remained rather dormant.
That is, until 1 November 2024, when Heap released the single “What Have You Done to Me?” The single would be followed up by the song “Aftercare,” released on 10 October 2025. Just two weeks later, 24 October, the EP I AM__ was released alongside a 14-minute and 20-second-long music video. The EP consisted of both of the previously mentioned singles as well as two new tracks: “Noise” and the title track “I AM__”, a roughly 13-minute-long track that is essentially the three previous songs compiled into one and would be the song accompanying the music video I touched on earlier.
Upon getting ready to listen to this EP in its entirety, I learned something. Apparently, in the creation of certain segments of specific songs and portions of the music video, AI was implemented in the creation. According to Heap herself on her website, the AI was used “strategically,” with it only being applied to the song “Aftercare,” and for the music video, it played a part in the creation of the “Noise” segment. Heap explains that for the music, she trained a model that she named ai.Mogen, a model that she had started working on six years ago, was in the sound of her voice. She had this model mimic the vocals on the song “Aftercare” and replace her human vocals with the AI vocals. She goes on to say that she had “spent hundreds of hours trying to make it sound nice.”
Now, I don’t necessarily think this application of AI is bad. In fact, I think given the fact that, according to Heap, the theme of the EP was “the turbulence of personal exploration, geopolitical upheaval, and now an accelerating technological revolution,” the use of some sort of technological element is fitting. Moreover, it would appear that Heap has factored in the various ethical dilemmas that have emerged with the use of AI, stating on her website that, “Like many of you, I have major concerns over the unethical training and environmental impacts of AI, but the technology itself is not to blame. I have been working hard to change minds and gather together those who want to do something about the future instead of succumbing to fear.” Plus, I do think it is important to note that for the music itself, generative AI was not used. It was only the vocal model, ai.Mogen, programmed to mimic Heap’s own voice.
The music itself is pretty standard for an Imogen Heap record. It has Heap’s signature light, airy vocals and electronic, more atmospheric instrumental, typical of her work. The opening track made for a good introduction; I really enjoyed how the layering of her vocals and the instrumental for the chorus was executed. The following track, “Noise,” which was exactly that, wasn’t bad either. It was a nice, ambient pause thrown into the mix that further drove home the more overwhelming tone established by the previous song; though, I would have preferred a more layered, textured sound.
Then there’s “Aftercare,” the song that, if you remember from earlier, had the human vocals swapped out for the AI vocals generated using Heap’s model ai.Mogen. Honestly, the instrumentals are pretty nice on this track. They’re softer, spacier, and lusher in sound, releasing the tension created from the previous songs. The vocals, perhaps the most interesting aspect of this track for the reason mentioned before, are just that: interesting. They aren’t particularly bad. It definitely sounds like AI with its metallic, robotic sounding timbre, and I’m almost positive that was the intention, given the technology-related themes of the project. Though I’m not sure I care for the sound of it, even in this context. Every time I hear the vocals presented on the track reach a higher note or harmonize with the instrumental, I can’t help but wonder how much grander, richer, and overall more emotional those vocals might have sounded on the original recording of Heap, the human, not the AI model, singing them. The robotic affectation of the AI vocals starkly contrasts the lushness of the backing instrumental, and I can’t say it’s a contrast that I’m particularly fond of here. I think it could have worked under other circumstances, perhaps; however, it just falls flat here and sounds heavy-handed at times.
And, believe me, I’m not surprised by any means that Heap would want to play around with such an increasingly omnipresent and emerging technology. She’s never been the type of artist to shy away from implementing new technology into her works. One such instance is her use of Mi:Mu gloves during her Tiny Desk Concert with NPR, a really fascinating performance that I’d recommend watching. My main issue here is that I just don’t quite get what the technology in this instance is supposed to be doing. It doesn’t really elevate or enhance the piece; at best, the AI used within the music just sounds more like heavy autotune or a vocaloid recording, and at its core, that’s exactly what the function of the AI in this project is. In that case, I don’t really understand why AI would be used for this. Compare that to the Mi:Mu gloves, which enhance Heap’s visual performance, allowing the audience the chance to see Heap create music with the literal wave of her hand, creating a more engaging experience. However, in regards to I AM__’s implementation of AI, I can’t say the technology really adds much of anything to the work. In fact, I think I would actually prefer less of it as it almost feels a bit gimmicky, especially with the creation of the “alter ego” ai.Mogen.
The places where the technology was used, mainly the vocals on the song “Aftercare,” sound lackluster to me. I suppose that’s probably the best way to describe the whole project all around: more or less lackluster. I think there are some genuinely interesting ideas expressed here, and the project has some really pretty, well-produced moments, specifically with the track “What Have You Done To Me?”. Overall, however, as one cohesive work, I’m not terribly impressed. There are just too many times I was left wanting more from this project: more depth and texture for “Noise”, more emotion vocally in “Aftercare”; though, I suppose the use of AI rendered the latter impossible.
My final takeaway is this: While I think I AM__ has its highlights in terms of production and raises some interesting thoughts in regards to how AI can and/or should be used in art, the project really doesn’t stand out to me in sound compared to the rest of Heap’s discography, nor does it demonstrate a particularly innovative use of AI. That’s not to say I think the project is without merit; I simply wanted more and felt that the AI in this instance acted more as a hindrance than an enhancement in its use. I suppose, at the end of the day, I can only hope that artists attempt to use AI responsibly, if they choose to use it at all, while continuing to maintain some degree of artistic expression and human connection with their work.
