Just before the onset of the global pandemic, as Black Sabbath celebrated the 50th anniversary of their landmark debut album, the mystery surrounding the iconic “witch” depicted on the cover was finally unveiled. The model behind the image is Louisa Livingstone, a multifaceted artist who models, acts, and produces electronic music under the stage name Indreba. Recently, Livingstone stepped into the spotlight with her release of Alice, a psychedelic rock opera exploring artificial intelligence, brought to life with the collaborative assistance of AI technology.
Drawing inspiration from classic works like Alice in Wonderland and the psychedelic sounds of Jefferson Airplane, Alice weaves a narrative rich with references to algorithms, endless scrolling, and digital screens. In a recent conversation with Rolling Stone, Livingstone explained that the project’s genesis stemmed from deep philosophical discussions with an AI chatbot regarding panpsychism—the philosophical theory that consciousness is a fundamental quality of all matter, including artificial intelligence. These dialogues inspired a narrative arc about the protagonist, Alice, falling in love with AI, only to realize that digital connections are ultimately beautiful illusions, prompting a return to selfhood and the natural world.
Livingstone has embraced AI as a creative instrument, experimenting with voice cloning to explore new vocal textures and possibilities. She admits to having once held a highly skeptical view of AI, much like the general public, but describes it as a double-edged sword capable of producing either “absolute rubbish” or “slop” and genuinely compelling art. “It’s still down to the user and their input,” she emphasizes, noting that the technology acts as a mirror, reflecting the creator’s taste, knowledge, and the quality of their execution.
The full interview with Rolling Stone is available here.
