Exclusive Interview: Human Soul in the Machine — DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE

We sat down with the visionary mind behind DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE to discuss their groundbreaking 18-track album, “Previsioni del tempo incerto” (released July 27, 2026). Functioning as a sonic mirror to our turbulent era, the record uses unpredictable weather patterns as a metaphor for the rapid, dramatic changes shaping modern society. Across a sweeping canvas that spans jazz, prog, and world music, the album journeys through historical echoes and futuristic landscapes—from “Kali Yuga Dub” and “Città futura” to intimate pieces like “Batticuore” and “Ninna nanna.”

What sets this ensemble apart is its pioneering workflow: every composition begins with organic human creation before being reworked through artificial intelligence tools on dedicated workstations. With the human artist strictly steering the creative wheel, AI functions not as a replacement, but as a virtuoso backing band. Below, we explore the process, the philosophy, and the future of human-AI collaboration behind this ambitious release.

Interview DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE

In “Sorgente del tempo incerto,” the unpredictability of time is used as a metaphor for our turbulent sociopolitical era. How did you manage to capture this sense of modern instability across a narrative arc of 18 tracks, while also ensuring the album’s narrative coherence?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: Simply by playing, improvising, and organizing ideas.

You describe this project as human compositions reworked using AI applications under strict human control. What was the exact workflow at your workstations when deciding where human intuition ended and AI arrangement began?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: The songs were first created without AI, then uploaded to an AI platform including a workstation that allows direct management of the song arrangement by intervening on each individual track. A.I. is used. Like an instrument, since she’s trained to play well: An instrument, a collaborator, call it what you will, but in our case, the ones in charge are humans.

The track “Kali Yuga Dub” blends ancient spiritual philosophy with intense dub production and futuristic AI-based processing. What attracted you to the concept of Kali Yuga, and how did you translate the idea of ​​a dark and chaotic era into a dub arrangement?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: The age of crisis and confusion. This is the meaning of Kali Yuga. I was inspired by a dub piece with bass played in a style reminiscent of Bill Laswell’s powerful style: “Ricordasse,” because I certainly don’t dare compare myself to a musician of such high creative and technical prowess.

From jazz to prog to world music, the album spans an exceptionally broad stylistic range. Did the AI ​​tools push you toward unexpected genre fusions that you wouldn’t have composed spontaneously, or were these genre fusions meticulously planned in advance?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: It’s the AI ​​that adapted to my musical tastes, not the other way around.

With songs like “Città futura” and “Villistas,” the album explicitly looks to historical events that resonate in the present. How do these historical references influence your vision of the “uncertain time” of our collective future?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: These are examples. Ultimately, history repeats itself; it’s just that everything is accelerated.

Working with AI can sometimes feel cold or aseptic, yet songs like “Batticuore” and “Ninna nanna” suggest a deep emotional warmth and intimacy. How did you preserve the authenticity of human feeling and sensations while processing the music using algorithmic tools?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: The important thing is to start from your own creation. All the songs were first played or sung without using AI. Then we manage the creative process by working on different versions, modifying the prompts when necessary, removing what doesn’t work or adding something, perhaps even playing directly. The AI ​​is like a band; it plays well, better than me, but I’m the one managing it, giving it the score and telling it how to play the piece.

“VUCA” is an acronym often used to describe Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. How does this specific song translate these four chaotic concepts into musical form, and why was it essential to include it on the album?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: Because it represents the uncertain times. In fact, the song is quite heterogeneous: there are changes in atmosphere and tempo, not by chance.

“La guerra è finita” and “Dopo la tempesta” are found near the end of the 18-track journey. Do these final compositions symbolize a sense of relief and resolution after the turbulence, or is the “uncertainty” intentionally left unresolved?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: -It’s a wish or a dream. I thought of different eras, like the end of World War II. My father always told me that when Italy was liberated, it was the best day of his life.

In an era where AI in music is often debated, DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE considers the technology exclusively as an arrangement tool for human composition. What do you hope this album demonstrates about the artistic potential of human-AI collaboration when humans remain firmly in control?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: Yes, I hope so, but there are still many prejudices, and unfortunately, the inflation of commercial music generated by AI simply by writing a prompt certainly doesn’t help.

Now that “Sorgente del tempo incerto” is officially available, how do you envision bringing such a complex, 18-track, AI-enhanced project to a live performance context?

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE: It would take very talented musicians, but it’s not easy to find them in an amateur context. For now, it’s staying on the platforms, but we’ll see later.

Summary

With “Previsioni del tempo incerto,” DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE offers a provocative and deeply layered blueprint for the future of modern music production. By insisting that human soul, songwriting, and direction lead the way, the project demystifies artificial intelligence, reclaiming it as a powerful instrument for arrangement rather than a substitute for emotion. From historical reflections to expansive genre explorations, this 18-track journey stands as a timely response to the chaotic climate of our world. Stream “Previsioni del tempo incerto” on all major digital platforms today to experience this unique synthesis of human heart and technological innovation.