A Space Opera: Send Me a Letter

Over the last couple of years, Minh Do and I have crossed paths with AyseDeniz Gokcin at all kinds of creative tech events - from music AI showcases to experimental labs - and we’ve both been longtime fans of her work. Ayse's known globally for the way she pushes the boundaries between classical music and artificial intelligence, composing and performing pieces where Chopin meets code. We’d talked often about finding the right opportunity to collaborate.

That chance came through our friend Dustin Hollywood, who was producing a Tech Week event in LA with our partners at MiniMax / Hailuo. His amazing event was already an incredible curation of art and creativity borne from emergent technologies, it was the perfect setup to finally do something together.

Ayse suggested revisiting her track “Send Me a Letter.” Ironically, for someone famous for algorithmic and AI-driven experimentation, this piece began in the most traditional way possible : just her, a piano, and a sample library. She composed it during the pandemic: a time when everyone was isolated, and writing letters — or sending any kind of signal — felt like a lifeline.

Later, she reimagined the piece by layering AI-generated Latin vocals onto the original recording, digital voices that added an emotional resonance and texture to the music without changing its soul.

That blend of traditional musicianship and experimental technology became the perfect entry point for us. Normally, our Machine Cinema LA group works in person, but this time we stayed remote , passing ideas across WhatsApp, Figma, and Google Drive, mirroring the spirit of Ayse’s piece: connection through distance.

Director Brogan Wassell led the creative translation, evolving the song into a visual concept with real cosmic scope.

“We wanted to communicate the beauty of Ayşe’s music — to ground it in the gravitas and operatic tone it deserved,” Brogan said.