Latent by Janek Krukowski

Data science acts as the eyes and ears of capitalism, finding the most logical and ruthless paths towards profits by hacking human psychology. The new album Latent by Janek Krukowski gives a microphone to these shadowy, omnipresent processes, allowing these systems to express themselves in their own sterile, emotionless, and fascinating way. The computer organizes sounds by similarity and compatibility, creating bizarre rhythms and dense overlays that feel unexpectedly pleasing despite their complexity. Untethered from human biology and emotion, the longing for a heartbeat disappears, the sympathy for emotional swells vanishes, and the hard-wiring towards repetition dissipates, leaving behind nothing but raw yet uncomfortably unnatural pleasure. Mechanical optimization starts with numbers on a page, continues by dictating our working lives, and ends at an incomprehensible work of art like this, finally revealing itself as an independent being with no allegiance to human wellbeing.