Anyone who knows music knows everything sounds better on vinyl. Yes, that includes AI-generated music.  

So to launch Ziggy Records, an online-retail record store that targets a new generation of vinyl-record enthusiasts, Dallas agency, TRG Dallas, came up with the idea of creating what may be the world’s first vinyl record to feature 100% AI-generated music, Zaggy Stirdust.

[Ziggy Records is named after owner Mark Hoover’s favourite record, David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.]

“Since I began collecting vinyl in the late ’60s, I’ve been on a continuous quest for the perfect sound. Over the years, I’ve learned that true vinyl enthusiasts strive for authenticity,” Hoover commented. “I’ve come to appreciate that the selection process for vinyl narrows with experience. The ‘Aha!’ moment happens when you combine a quality playback system with a clean, well-produced record.

“As AI emerges, the music industry faces a new frontier, one we must explore thoughtfully. With that thought, Zaggy Stirdust was born. We’re igniting this conversation by introducing the first AI-generated vinyl record, following all industry standards like any band covering a song,” said Hoover. “While the duration of this journey remains uncertain, Zaggy Stirdust stands prepared to embrace the challenges and continue the conversation.”

Zaggy Stirdust was created by TRG and AudiophileUSA. Creative was led by TRG creative directors, Andy Coulston and Dustin Ballard. Ballard is the infamous creative mind behind There I Ruined It,  the platform that “lovingly destroys your favourite songs” with over 7 million followers on social media.

Ballard created two cover versions of Bowie’s Starman (Blues) and Ziggy Stardust (Pop) using AI, and pressed them on vinyl. Coulston and his art team then used AI to create an album cover that resembled a classic bootleg record.

“We took the album name, Ziggy Stardust, and swapped two letters to spell ‘AI’ when stacked. The artwork was all AI-generated, and the album cover was inspired by the world of bootleg records,” said Coulston. A combination of AI generation techniques was used to create two David Bowie cover songs in unexpected genres.

“Despite my involvement with AI music production, I’m still old-school at heart. The chance to tout vinyl while making a little bit of music history was really exciting,” Ballard commented.

Zaggy Stirdust will be available at ziggyrecords.com, with all profits donated to Jazz Angels, a music-education nonprofit youth program based in Long Beach, California.

Credits: 
Client: Ziggy Records
CEO: Mark Hoover
Brand Manager: Kit Perkins
Social Media Manager: Isiah Camacho 
Creative Director: Kiran Koshy 

Agency: TRG 
Creative Director & Copywriter: Dustin Ballard 
Creative Director & Art Director: Andy Coulston 
Art Director & Designer: Sam Langford
Brand Management Principal: Zac Pritchett 
Chief Creative Officer: Sue Batterton 
Public Relations Director: Meghan McPartland