Sfork have delivered energetic beats with an incisive message on ‘Not Your Pawn’.
The track sees the trio — comprised of human bandmates Red Sfork and Blue Sfork as well as AI contributor Grey Sfork — reflect on the autonomy and resistance against manipulation.
While a lesser music act might get bogged down in these heady themes, Sfork streamline their poignant message through dynamic production and dance-ready, driving rhythms.
Of course, this kind of clear sonic vision should be expected from a group like Sfork, whose use of AI in their music-making already carves out a lane that feels innovative and wholly their own.
Grey Sfork’s inclusion on the track stands as a testament to the trio’s spirit of experimentation, as they seek to push the boundaries of production and chart new territories in sound and storytelling.
All of this is not to say that ‘Not Your Pawn’ is simply a robotic output, with Red and Blue Sfork merely using it as a tool to sketch new contours of a sound that feels dynamic and clearly manmade.
‘Not Your Pawn’ is a difficult track to categorise, and that’s most of the fun. It begins as an almost techno-sounding cut, with jittery synths and glitch synths seemingly destined for a trip across the cosmos.
These more electronic flourishes remain a throughline across the track, with Sfork later delivering the kind of grimey, dark beats you’d hear in a Berlin nightclub.
However It isn’t long before the trio head to new territories, with a groovy bassline contributing to the track’s rock feel.
Here, they pull from the genre’s raw energy with nu-metal sounding vocals, further showcasing their ability to draw from an eclectic sonic palette.
Through it all, Sfork maintain a clear ear for pop stylings, with catchy song structuring and murmured melodies that are destined for earworm status.
Later, we’re treated to mid-song instrumental that offers something of a palette cleanser, before Sfork return to the glitch-pop sounds that from the backdrop of ‘Not your Pawn’.
Such versatility makes the song’s extended runtime feel like an odyssey, as though Sfork are journeying through the reaches of their sound and taking us along for the ride.
Daft Punk, Grimes, and Radiohead are just a few of the artists whose influence can be felt on ‘Not Your Pawn’, ad Sfork do it all without the track feeling incohesive.
It’s one thing to deliver production so rich and textured that it warrants multiple listens, but Sfork further deepen their soundscape with thought-provoking storytelling.
It’s here that the trio again pull from the introspection of indie music, offering a message around reclaiming individuality and rejecting the whims of an all-might puppeteer.
“I’m not gonna solve your fights,” they sing melodically in one of the track’s catchiest refrains, “I’m not gonna be your helper.”
It’s a poignant message of defiance that feels fitting for a group who choose not to conform to traditional modes of production and construct a sound that’s truly unique.
While there’s much debate about the use of AI in music and the arts more broadly, Sfork offer a convincing case for its ability to create fresh material, and listeners are all the better for it.
Listen to Sfork’s new single ‘Not Your Pawn’ below.
