Kitchen Fish has been a member of the family for close to two decades. My youngest won him at a local fair by tossing a Wiffle Ball onto a table filled with fishbowls from about six feet away. This was in 2008. As was our tradition with goldfish, we didn't give it a name because they don't typically live very long. The fishbowl was kept in the Kitchen, so "Kitchen Fish" became the identifier, and it kind of stuck.
There were originally two fish in the bowl. Kitchen Fish and another who would eventually be named "Brownie". As expected, the former consumed the later, and our kids learned some things about how Metal nature is. Kitchen Fish would go on to consume anything else alive that was added to its tank, so eventually we learned our lesson and stopped putting things into it.
Over the years, Kitchen Fish grew. We upgraded the fish bowl twice, and finally got a proper tank of 36 gallons, with the associated plumbing, filters, and what have you.
I had been thinking of a way to honor Kitchen Fish's 17th year of life, while simultaneously thinking of some ideas for an AI Music Generation model I had been toying with (more details on that in a future post). It occured to me to put these projects together and create a concept EP of songs "by" Kitchen Fish. As I told my (now adult) youngest kid - I would prefer this be a "Tribute Album" and not a "Memorial Album" so I had better get writing.
I got through four more or less complete songs and a handful of half written songs before my ADHD sent me to another project. They are linked below. Because of the demeanor of Kitchen Fish, there was never any question of genre. The album would be Metal.
I wrote all of the lyrics to these songs, and guided the generations closely. I'll write more about my workflow in a future article. These were made with the YuE Model, which is adequate for the task. I would configure the model with the lyrics, genre, style, timbre, and vocal preferences, and generate in short increments (usually about 4-6 seconds of audio at a time) until I got what I was looking for. Sometimes this took awhile, sometimes it came easily.
This is the first time I tried to do any intentional composition with this model, and I think it came out all right. Refining the toolset will make the process (and the output) much better.
No One's Bitch - Lyrics:
[verse]
in the land of colored gravel
there was a legend that they told
about a fish of ancient years
and mysterious powers to behold
He swam in peace
never leaving his post
near the old stargate
he always knew what was going on
no matter how much he ate!
[chorus]
Kitchen Fish
No one's bitch
don't know which
species he is
Kitchen Fish
Donchu Wish
that you (that you)
could be free?
[guitar solo]
[verse]
deep under the waves
thirty six gallon sea
keeping watch across the depths
he will never run or flee
swimming close he protects us
from dangers near and far
when we leave the house he keeps it safe
no matter where we are! (KITCHEN FISH!)
[prechorus]
whoah-oh-oh kitchen fish!
ooooooooooo kitchen fish!
ahhhhhhhhhh kitchen fish!
ooooooooooo kitchen fish!
ahh ahhh ahhhh ahhhhh!
[chorus]
Kitchen Fish
No one's bitch
don't know which
species he is
Kitchen Fish
Donchu Wish
that you (that you)
could be free?
[guitar solo]
[bridge]
He came from a small bowl
The prize of the river fair
Rescued by a young child
Who threw a whiffle ball in there!
He came home to protect us
To stay with us until the end
We give him more food every day
And he ate all his friends!
[chorus]
Kitchen Fish!
No one's bitch
don't know which
species he is
Kitchen Fish
Donchu Wish
that you (that you)
could be free?
[guitar solo]
[chorus]
Kitchen Fish
No one's bitch
don't know which
species he is
Kitchen Fish
Donchu Wish
that you (that you)
could be free?
[guitar solo]
[end]
Delicious Brownies - Lyrics
[verse]
This is the story
the story of a fish named brownie
he lived in the tank with me
and now he's dead
this is the story
the story of a fish named brownie
he lived in the tank with me
and now he's dead
[chorus]
[verse]
brownie, he came home with me
he and me
we were traveling
and now he's dead!
in the tank he stayed with me
we lived happily
we thought perpetually
and now he's dead!
[chorus]
[bridge]
oh brownie why did you have to taste so good?
I wasn't even very hungry that day
I just thought I'd take a bite and I'd be good
soon I had eaten you away-ay!
[verse]
Brownie!
You taste magically!
in my belly!
that's where you'll stay!
My friend brownie
he swims here with me
in my belly
never go away
[outro]
oh brownie why did you have to taste so good
I just thought I'd take a bite and I'd be good
soon I had eaten you away
eaten you
away
[end]
Chew Your Food - Lyrics
[intro]
[bridge]
The mouth opens up and lets in the light
Giants nearby you must stay out of sight
Try to stay silent try not to breathe
if you survive then you'll get to eat
[verse]
Do you know where your food comes from?
Little fish I'll tell you a tale
It comes not from the reef or plants
It comes not from a whale! (ick!)
Your food doesn't swim or sing or bite
Food is very very nice.
[chorus]
food comes from the land of air
food comes down from way up there
food comes to us for us to eaaaat
give me all the (food)
give me
all the
(food)
[post chorus]
Gimmie your food
yummy
gimmie your food
yummy
gimmie your food
I will eat it all
chew your food
Gimmie your food
yummy
gimmie your food
yummy
gimmie your food
I will eat it all
[end]
I Survive - Lyrics
[intro]
[chorus]
I survive heeere!
in my aquatic home
I'm alive heeere!
in my aquatic home
there's no reprive heere!
in my aquatic home
I survive heeeere
Until I'm belly up above the waaavesss
[post chorus]
[verse]
I make my way from side to side
swimming all around
I move through plants and try to hide
from the booming sounds
There is no escape from my destiny
I know how it will go
floating high up above of me
to the sun my belly shown!
[chorus]
I survive heeere!
in my aquatic home
I'm alive heeere!
in my aquatic home
there's no reprive heere!
in my aquatic home
I survive heeeere
Until I'm belly up above the waaavesss
[post chorus]
[verse]
In spite of you I will survive
you have trapped me in this cage
and though I live two dozen years
I will hate you to my grave
there is no escape walls surround
no where I can go
I will fight until I make no sound
and that's the day I will float!
[chorus]
I survive heeere!
in my aquatic home
I'm alive heeere!
in my aquatic home
there's no reprive heere!
in my aquatic home
I survive heeeere
Until I'm belly up
[outro]
above the waaaaves
(I survive, I survive here)
above the waaaaves
(I survive, I survive here)
above the waaaaves
(I survive, I survive here)
above the
[end]
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