https://preview.redd.it/jjf8rtzchq1h1.jpg?width=3344&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c7ee144a03aeeb20238de37db7ba43bdcd6c153

Hello Everyone!

Thank you all for participating in LSC’s Music Jam #2 — FOLKLORE / LEGENDS!

I know I’m getting this post up a little late, (shoulda been up yesterday sorry yall!) but I wanted to take a moment to say how awesome it has been seeing everyone keep these jams going: The whole point of this is to give us a fun excuse to explore different sounds, different stories, different moods, and to keep building a positive creative space around AI music, and y’all have been doing exactly that - The music coming out of this space lately has been so encouraging, for real, the more of you making and sharing all types of AI art, I feel like the more vibrant a scene we are a part of. So thank you all so much for your music and art.

If you haven’t already, make sure to post the song you made for Music Jam #2: Folklore / Legends in the jam thread so we can keep everything together and maybe look back later for playlists, showcases, and all that good stuff:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LatentSpaceClub/comments/1t34d9h/lsc_music_jam_2_folklore_legends/

But with all of that out of the way…

The polling has concluded for LSC MUSIC JAM #3, and the community has spoken.

For LSC’s MUSIC JAM #3, ( 05.16.2026 - 05.30.2026 ) we will be exploring:

CITY POP

I AM SO EXCITED! - I hope regardless of where your vote landed in the poll, that you see this as an interesting challenge, trying to capture a bit of this sound in our work!

City pop can be smooth, nostalgic, romantic, funky, dreamy, lonely, glossy, beachy, or full of late-night energy. It can feel like driving through a glowing city at 1 AM, dancing under hotel lobby lights, staring out a train window after a breakup, falling in love on vacation, all with a thumping bassline XD.

Think shimmering synths, clean guitar riffs, funky bass, disco grooves, soft rock, yacht rock, jazz fusion, 80s pop, vaporwave-adjacent nostalgia, big catchy hooks, sentimental lyrics, glamorous and emotionally devastated at the same time :)

But def don’t feel boxed in; you can keep it traditional, or you can fuse it with something else: city pop x J-rock x future bass x whatever strange ideas live in your hearts XD!

The goal is to use the theme as a launchpad and see where it takes you.

For maybe some inspiration, here are some gateway City Pop tracks that might help you catch the vibe:

Mariya Takeuchi — “Plastic Love”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_lC2O1oIew

“Plastic Love” is probably one of the biggest modern gateway songs for City Pop. Glossy, wistful, romantic, and endlessly replayable, it has become one of the songs most associated with the genre’s online revival.

Miki Matsubara — “Mayonaka no Door / Stay With Me”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuU2YHtxMik

“Stay With Me” is another massive entry point. Smooth, catchy, dramatic, and instantly recognizable, it gives a great sense of the stylish, emotional, late-night side of City Pop.

Tatsuro Yamashita — “Sparkle”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqobRu9aR3M

“Sparkle” is bright, clean, and full of sunshine-through-glass energy. The guitar, groove, and polished production make it a perfect reference point for the sleek, guitar-forward side of the genre.

Anri — “I Can’t Stop the Loneliness”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bALJxjL8jw

“I Can’t Stop the Loneliness” is funky, danceable, stylish, and super easy to get into. A great example of City Pop’s ability to sound upbeat while still carrying that bittersweet emotional pull.

Taeko Ohnuki — “4:00 A.M.”

https://youtu.be/_sOKkON_UnQ?si=L09s_ZfwmM4kmfhm

“4:00 A.M.” leans moodier and more mysterious. Great inspiration if you want the softer, more late-night, slightly haunted side of City Pop.

And a little shoutout to one of my favorite Suno artists Heisei Retro who is ALL ABOUT that City Pop Sound! 

https://suno.com/@bulletproofkevlar

~ As you play with this sound, if you find something that is working for you, post your song for music Jam #3 in this thread right here! We have from now through 05.30.2026 to play with this sound! ~

Don’t forget to tell us about your song! What inspired it? What tools did you use? What style were you aiming for? Did the AI surprise you? Did the song mutate into something completely different halfway through? We want to hear about it.

And as always, maybe make some custom art or even a little video to share with it! Album covers, lyric videos, character art, whatever helps bring your track to life.

Also, when you share your song, feel free to suggest other genres, vibes, instruments, or themes you think might be fun to vote on for future jams.

Then share your artwork everywhere else too! All the Discords! All the AI-art-friendly subreddits! Let the world see what you made.

AND: If you are enjoying making AI music and want a place to share it with a room full of enthusiastic AI music creators, in a space focused on lifting each other up and celebrating each other’s expression, consider heading over to:

radio.aiu.fm

Click the link there to join the AI Underground Discord. We have listening parties every day of the week. Come vibe with us!

Allright, again, just thanks so much to all of y'all for hanging out and being a part of these spaces. Thanks for putting yourselves out there, for lifting each other up, and for helping shape a positive culture around AI art and music.

Can’t wait to see what we cook up for:

LSC MUSIC JAM #3: CITY POP : 05.16.2026 - 05.30.2026

https://preview.redd.it/jjf8rtzchq1h1.jpg?width=3344&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c7ee144a03aeeb20238de37db7ba43bdcd6c153

Hello Everyone!

Thank you all for participating in LSC’s Music Jam #2 — FOLKLORE / LEGENDS!

I know I’m getting this post up a little late, (shoulda been up yesterday sorry yall!) but I wanted to take a moment to say how awesome it has been seeing everyone keep these jams going: The whole point of this is to give us a fun excuse to explore different sounds, different stories, different moods, and to keep building a positive creative space around AI music, and y’all have been doing exactly that - The music coming out of this space lately has been so encouraging, for real, the more of you making and sharing all types of AI art, I feel like the more vibrant a scene we are a part of. So thank you all so much for your music and art.

If you haven’t already, make sure to post the song you made for Music Jam #2: Folklore / Legends in the jam thread so we can keep everything together and maybe look back later for playlists, showcases, and all that good stuff:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LatentSpaceClub/comments/1t34d9h/lsc_music_jam_2_folklore_legends/

But with all of that out of the way…

The polling has concluded for LSC MUSIC JAM #3, and the community has spoken.

For LSC’s MUSIC JAM #3, ( 05.16.2026 - 05.30.2026 ) we will be exploring:

CITY POP

I AM SO EXCITED! - I hope regardless of where your vote landed in the poll, that you see this as an interesting challenge, trying to capture a bit of this sound in our work!

City pop can be smooth, nostalgic, romantic, funky, dreamy, lonely, glossy, beachy, or full of late-night energy. It can feel like driving through a glowing city at 1 AM, dancing under hotel lobby lights, staring out a train window after a breakup, falling in love on vacation, all with a thumping bassline XD.

Think shimmering synths, clean guitar riffs, funky bass, disco grooves, soft rock, yacht rock, jazz fusion, 80s pop, vaporwave-adjacent nostalgia, big catchy hooks, sentimental lyrics, glamorous and emotionally devastated at the same time :)

But def don’t feel boxed in; you can keep it traditional, or you can fuse it with something else: city pop x J-rock x future bass x whatever strange ideas live in your hearts XD!

The goal is to use the theme as a launchpad and see where it takes you.

For maybe some inspiration, here are some gateway City Pop tracks that might help you catch the vibe:

Mariya Takeuchi — “Plastic Love”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_lC2O1oIew

“Plastic Love” is probably one of the biggest modern gateway songs for City Pop. Glossy, wistful, romantic, and endlessly replayable, it has become one of the songs most associated with the genre’s online revival.

Miki Matsubara — “Mayonaka no Door / Stay With Me”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuU2YHtxMik

“Stay With Me” is another massive entry point. Smooth, catchy, dramatic, and instantly recognizable, it gives a great sense of the stylish, emotional, late-night side of City Pop.

Tatsuro Yamashita — “Sparkle”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqobRu9aR3M

“Sparkle” is bright, clean, and full of sunshine-through-glass energy. The guitar, groove, and polished production make it a perfect reference point for the sleek, guitar-forward side of the genre.

Anri — “I Can’t Stop the Loneliness”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bALJxjL8jw

“I Can’t Stop the Loneliness” is funky, danceable, stylish, and super easy to get into. A great example of City Pop’s ability to sound upbeat while still carrying that bittersweet emotional pull.

Taeko Ohnuki — “4:00 A.M.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejvUU6mxiFw

“4:00 A.M.” leans moodier and more mysterious. Great inspiration if you want the softer, more late-night, slightly haunted side of City Pop.

And a little shoutout to one of my favorite Suno artists Heisei Retro who is ALL ABOUT that City Pop Sound! 

https://suno.com/@bulletproofkevlar

~ As you play with this sound, if you find something that is working for you, post your song for music Jam #3 in this thread right here! We have from now through 05.30.2026 to play with this sound! ~

Don’t forget to tell us about your song! What inspired it? What tools did you use? What style were you aiming for? Did the AI surprise you? Did the song mutate into something completely different halfway through? We want to hear about it.

And as always, maybe make some custom art or even a little video to share with it! Album covers, lyric videos, character art, whatever helps bring your track to life.

Also, when you share your song, feel free to suggest other genres, vibes, instruments, or themes you think might be fun to vote on for future jams.

Then share your artwork everywhere else too! All the Discords! All the AI-art-friendly subreddits! Let the world see what you made.

AND: If you are enjoying making AI music and want a place to share it with a room full of enthusiastic AI music creators, in a space focused on lifting each other up and celebrating each other’s expression, consider heading over to:

radio.aiu.fm

Click the link there to join the AI Underground Discord. We have listening parties every day of the week. Come vibe with us!

Allright, again, just thanks so much to all of y'all for hanging out and being a part of these spaces. Thanks for putting yourselves out there, for lifting each other up, and for helping shape a positive culture around AI art and music.

Can’t wait to see what we cook up for:

LSC MUSIC JAM #3: CITY POP : 05.16.2026 - 05.30.2026

when you cry - Koa-sama - gpt/digital collage

So, I was inspired to make this one from a post someone made asking "where is the sad ai art?"

it made me think of this community, how so much of the work I see here has a bit of a darker more unsettlling edge, and perhaps tries to touch on something deeper, than some of the more playful ai artwork i see posted in a lot of places (which, no shade, i love playful too, and there is plenty of playful here at LoD)

But anyway, that post made me think of one post at LoD specifically, genai-chan's "smile again"

smile again - u/GenAI-Chan - gpt

And that post got me thinking about how when it comes to pretty girls in artwork, all facets of them are appreciated, right? Like, how even their tears are considered beautiful.

I went down a little rabbit hole, Picasso’s The Weeping Woman, Lichtenstein’s Crying Girl, fashion photography / celebrity portraiture; there’s this recurring visual idea where even a woman’s pain becomes aestheticized.

The Weeping Woman, Artist Pablo Picasso Year 1937 Medium Oil on canvas Movement Cubism Dimensions 61 cm × 50 cm (23 15/60 in × 19 11/16 in) Location Tate Modern collection, London

Crying Girl (1963), Roy Lichtenstein, lithograph on lightweight, off-white wove paper, 16 by 24 inches (40.6 cm × 61.0 cm)

Carrie Underwood Cry Pretty album artwork, photographed by Randee St. Nicholas / Capitol Nashville.

A model with mascara tears at Gucci F/W 2020. Photo: MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images

And I think that’s kinda tragic in a way?

So i wanted to play the the idea, and i thought it would be a good opportunity for me to play with compositing a little more, and I thought it would be fun to lay out where my head was when making it (above) and some of the choices I made putting it together (below).

First, I wanted an over-the-top women's fashion magazine cover - the type of magazine cover that just screams "no women were part of the writing team, editorial team, or design team" - stuff like '20 ways to keep your man happy,' that sort of cringe sh i remember constantly seeing on glossy magazine covers in the grocery store growing up as a kid...do they still make those?

\"flirt magazine cover\" - Koa-sama - gpt

So I fed gpt some references images for the cover, then, I thought I would layer a crying koa on top, so I gave some more references and made one in a more distressed art style:

\"koa crying distressed\" - Koa-sama - gpt

one thing ive been doing and i dont know if it would be better to start with smaller assets then upscale later or start with larger assets but ive been using this free ai image upscaler, so i upscaled those two images there, and then I started playing around with layering, i cut out her eyes and then pasted them back on so i could make them slightly brighter than the rest of her, I went and hunted for a polaroid overlay and pasted it on:

Pink Taped Photo Frame PNG File with Transparent Background - cleanpng

I started color grading, changing the colors of just the photograph vs the background etc, trying to just pull out a feeling, i wasnt really sure what I wanted to see I jsut kept messing around:

https://preview.redd.it/rufa6y3s4c1h1.png?width=841&format=png&auto=webp&s=a898339f7fb3e19830f0ce0549c4801554798741

Then, I added my text, and I went and found some lipstick smears and cut out the red one i wanted and layered a couple of them on under the text:

Lipstick Swatch Smears in Various Shades PNG File with Transparent Background - cleanpng

and i wanted to give it more of a crumpled paper look, so i added a crumpled paper overlay:

Crumpled Paper Sheet with Wrinkled Texture PNG File with Transparent Background - cleanpng

(the poloroid, lipstick and paper overlays were from cleanpng and require no attribution)

and another pass or two for playing with colors, upping contrast etc:

https://preview.redd.it/edw8411g5c1h1.png?width=790&format=png&auto=webp&s=df20c5fb5e190006e13440d6171cb5fb811cf0fe

and just one more time, the final render:

when you cry - Koa-sama - gpt/digital collage

So yea, i dunno I just thought it would be fun to lay out where my head whas and some of the decisions I made making this one, it was a fun one. I feel a little pretentious writing all this, like I’m trying to make the piece seem bigger than it is. I know it’s a somewhat contrived concept, and technically it’s just layering, color grading, overlays, and text. But still, its fun sharing, and I love getting little windows into how y'all make your stuff, so I hope someone digs seeing me lay the whole thing out :)

Hey Everybody!

I hope everyone is having fun with Music Jam #2 - Folklore/Legends!

Yall, your music this round has been so fun, hawt damn I love this place yall are fun people, arent we lucky to live in this time of creative self expression?

As a reminder, we still got another five days for this second Music Jam. If you’ve finished, make sure you have posted your creation in the official pinned LSC Music Jam #2 subreddit thread here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LatentSpaceClub/comments/1t34d9h/lsc\_music\_jam\_2\_folklore\_legends/

Of course, feel free to post your music and any art or video you made with it to any other subreddits or discords, share your creations everywhere!

If you’ve been having fun with ai music and want a place to share your creations with other engaged ai music creators, maybe consider heading over to aiunderground, you can find a link to the aiunderground discord at radio.aiu.fm

But again, to make sure we can all go to one spot to find all of our Music Jam creations, make sure you have posted your song for Music Jam #2 in the pinned bi-weekly Music Jam reddit post, which you can currently find here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LatentSpaceClub/comments/1t34d9h/lsc\_music\_jam\_2\_folklore\_legends/

Allright so…with all that being said, I wanted to ask yall, as we approach the close of this second Music Jam, what should we pick for Music Jam #3?

We can vote this week, and then this upcoming Saturday 05.16.2026 we will wrap up Music Jam #2, celebrate all the music we made, and declare the winning selection to start Music Jam #3!

We have been having fun with themes and topics, but I like planting seeds for instruments or genres too :)

So, here are my thoughts for Music Jam #3:

For a theme option this week, I saw someone mentioned the term “Oroboros” and how that speaks to beginnings and endings, and I know those themes could take us down so many paths…

So, we could try for Jam #3 to make music around that idea of “Time”; beginnings or endings, or perhaps how the two are often inter-related…

Now of course, we could always not box ourselves thematically but instead constrain ourselves musically, perhaps by selecting a genre: I have been listening to some City Pop lately and been digging the sound, maybe we could play with blending some City Pop-ishness into our sounds?

Or, we could instead challenge ourselves to include some specific instrumentation, perhaps this time we could select “woodwinds” - it might be fun to blend some woodwinds into different genres.

So, lets vote: For Music Jam #3, should we challenge ourselves with:

A topic: Time

A Genre: City Pop

An Instrument: Woodwinds

As a reminder, as we approach the end of Music Jam #2, don't forget to post the song you made for the 2nd Music Jam here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LatentSpaceClub/comments/1t34d9h/lsc\_music\_jam\_2\_folklore\_legends/

And please VOTE here in this poll to decide how we will challenge ourselves for Music Jam #3! (Also drop suggestions for music Jam #4 in the comments!)

View Poll

https://preview.redd.it/tlc27gil21zg1.png?width=1672&format=png&auto=webp&s=74a44678af81eba85561d3f2a6590b76d8e1484b

Hello Everyone!

Thank you all for participating in LSC’s first music jam - “The Storms Are Rolling In”

As we wrap up our first music jam I look back on how exciting it has been these last two weeks seeing everyone come together and explore these ai music tools, seeing some of the videos and art yall have been making around your creations, its just been great.

If you havent already, make sure to go here to post the song you made for Music Jam #1! I want to make sure we keep them all in the same space so we can look back and maybe make playlists etc :

https://www.reddit.com/r/LatentSpaceClub/comments/1sped6e/allright_looks_like_yall_missed_out_on_a_pic_of/

But with all of that out of the way…

The polling has concluded for LSC MUSIC JAM #2 and the Community has spoken:

For LSC’s MUSIC JAM #2 we will be exploring : FOLKLORE/LEGENDS

Folklore and Legends can be so many things. They can be scary, but they can also be beautiful. They can be sacred, silly, tragic, romantic, heroic, absurd, or deeply personal. They could be ancient myth, local legend, ghost story, family superstition, fairy tale, cryptid sighting, campfire warning, sailor’s tale, cursed object, holy relic, or urban legend.

For maybe some inspiration, here are some different ways artists have written toward folklore, myth, legend, and strange inherited stories:

The Decemberists — “The Crane Wife 3”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwQ1WF2jWQI

"The Crane Wife 3" by The Decemberists is the opening track to their 2006 album, based on a Japanese folk tale about a man whose greed destroys his marriage to a crane disguised as a woman.

Hozier — “Like Real People Do”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV3BfzB27KA

Hozier’s "Like Real People Do" heavily features Irish folklore and gothic imagery, specifically drawing from the myth of "]bog bodies"—preserved, ancient corpses exhumed from peat bogs.

Ludo — “Lake Pontchartrain”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSXwQhJGPRM

“Lake Pontchartrain” by Ludo plays like a weird local legend told by someone who barely survived it. It starts with a road trip and crawfish, then turns into something stranger and more monstrous.

Florence + The Machine — “Cassandra”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhEHhNxkYMo

“Cassandra” by Florence + The Machine draws from the Greek mythological figure Cassandra, who was cursed to tell true prophecies that nobody would believe.

Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs — “Li’l Red Riding Hood”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FA85RO89HA

“Li’l Red Riding Hood” takes the familiar fairy tale imagery of Little Red Riding Hood and turns it into a playful, campy pop-rock character piece.

*Our second LSC Music Jam - “Folklore/Legends” will conclude on 05.16.2026.

If you land on something you want to share with the group:

* drop a link here!

*Don't forget to tell us about your song!

*Maybe make some custom art or even a little video to share with it! :)

(Also when you share your song here, maybe suggest other genres, vibes, instruments, etc that you think might be fun to vote for in future polls for our next music jam!)

*Then share your artwork everywhere else! All the discords! All the ai art friendly subreddits! <3

AND: If you are enjoying making AI music and want a place to share it with a room full of engaged enthusiastic ai music creators, in a space focused on lifting each other up and celebrating each others’ expression, consider heading over to radio.aiu.fm, and clicking the link to join the AI Underground Discord, where we have listening parties every day of the week! Come vibe with us!

Thanks again everyone for hanging out and being a part of these spaces; thanks for putting yourselves out there, for lifting each other up, for helping shape a positive culture around AI art and music.

Can’t wait to see what y’all cook up for: LSC MUSIC JAM #2 : FOLKLORE/LEGENDS !!!