If you’re an underground music fan that happens to be doomscrolling, you most likely have been seeing the rising trend of artists using AI gore edits to promote their snippets. I had the opportunity to speak to the person behind this craze, Painting Demons, and talk to him about how the trend started, it’s controversy, and his intentions behind the edits. So without further ado let’s get into this interview.
What’s the inspiration behind your recent videos and how did it all start?
For the most recent videos I wouldn't say l'm taking inspiration from anyone or anything particularly. The way I'm going about these videos is something different. Me and my manager @hasboof2 always had the idea to implement these special vfx into underground artists "trillers". All credit to @hasboof2 he was the first person I see do that. When we came together we simply took it to the next level. And ofc shoutout Edward skeletrix not much has to be said about him people who know, know. This all started with our signature "cyber models". Cyber modeling is a unique type of modeling done completely through the internet. One day me and @hasboof2 came up with the idea to incorporate our edits as garments. Creating a kind of mock fashion collection. Boof planted the seed and that's when I said let's give it a name and get people involved. That's when I came up with the idea of "paintingdemons". I knew getting real people involved in the photos would be a great way to grow the page. And it grew into something much more than we'd ever thought.
Do you have a certain goal you plan on achieving or a certain agenda you want to push with your work or is it just you being creative and just making art while also working with artists/fashion?
We do have one really big goal but honestly I can't even speak on that right now. When the moment comes everyone will see it I promise that. When it comes to the agenda we're trying to push, the main thing we want to do is give the underground a spotlight. I mean the real underground, the people no one knows about.
Who are some of your favorite underrated underground artists and who are some artists you want to work with?
That's a good question bro. Favorite underground artists rn gotta be 2xescobar, Choppazay, Slaqnn, Siptilwedie, Sippinpaint, and genomerta. There's a lot more but those who I can think of rn. Definitely wanna work with Joy_divizn, lumbyst, sexisdeath, Rohan mirza, and Mowalola. Those are people on the creative direction/designer side of things.
Music wise I honestly want to work with everyone. Whoever you're thinking of I probably envision us collabing already.
How do you feel about graphic content being such a staple in the underground community when it comes to certain aesthetics and what would you say to people who would say it's weird or shouldn't necessarily be glorified?
Graphic content is basically culture in all this. Sex, Drugs, and Violence is a common theme in music and just media overall. Humans are sick in the head I mean look at us, I got peoples heads getting blown off in trillers now. I couldn't be any happier too. It's all expression, none of that influences my real life actions. It's as simple as you said it's just an aesthetic nothing more nothing less. It definitely is weird I'll give em that. I grew up on happy tree friends so I been weird bro ts don't phase me. Other than my aesthetic I came out pretty normal. I think.
What's your response to people who don't like Al and either think it's too easy or unethical to use?
Honestly I get why people wouldn't fw it and like you said it's probably because they see it as easy or cheating. Ai is nothing hard it's all about how you use it. There's many AI artist out there but you have to have the right vision, time, dedication, for it. I come home from work and work on videos and photos all day and night that's the real pain in it. So yes it's nothing back breaking but not everyone can make something captivating from it gotta do it the right way. I also don't strictly use AI. It's like hybrid editing. I use other techniques I learned over the years of me working with adobe products. I spend alot of time in photoshop. The cyber models I do probably take the most work out of everything I do. There's a lot behind the scenes that play into what me and my team create.
Are you guys the first to do cyber modeling or who else you know has done it? Also elaborate more on what cyber modeling?
Yes we are the official creators of Cyber Modeling. Cyber modeling is when we take a photo of you, the model and edit them to give a unique look. The looks can vary from horror, cyber, avant-garde, or just down right disgusting. The point is that you are we are transforming you into something completely different from the norm. I called it cyber modeling because it's through the internet and some of our "pieces" can look cyber like and it's just a cool name fr. One of those ideas that just come to you and it's the best idea you ever came up with.
Whats the whole meaning and idea behind the whole "don't paint demons kids"?
I got that from xxxtentacions "don't kill your friends kids" tee
Aight last question to finish things off but is there anything you want people to know abt you?
We're here to stay we not going anywhere.