Aether Arts A.I. Series: Machine Intelligence, Android and Synthetic Sex Review + “I Am Not A Robot” Draw

Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfume Burning Man 2018©

Amber Jobin, Art and Olfaction award-winning perfumer and owner of Aether Arts Perfume in Boulder Colorado, has released a new trio of perfume oils collectively called “Burner Perfumes 9A, 9B, 9C: The A.I. Series.” Created to coincide with 2018’s Annual Burning Man Festival whose theme was “I, Robot”, Amber’s A.I. Series is a cutting-edge glimpse into Japanese Roboticist Masahiro Mori’s theory known as the “Uncanny Valley”. Mori’s theory hypothesizes that although a persons emotional reaction to humanoid representations (i.e; human-appearing robotics, Disney’s “Audio Animitronics”, CGI animation etc…) SHOULD become more comfortable with more realistic-appearing human representations, the fact remains that most people actually become uneasy and troubled seeing them.

The Uncanny Valley hypothesis via wikiscience

Translating this to olfactive art Amber Jobin explains…“ The Uncanny Valley hypothesis explains why many people are made uncomfortable by robots and androids that appear almost, but not exactly like humans, a sort of familiar yet eerie feeling. I think my perfumes do some of this too. There are familiar smells in them but they are coupled with other notes that don’t normally go with them so you have an interesting juxtaposition that can be interpreted as unsettling. For me personally, I love pushing the boundaries of perfume, taking it to an unexpected place where it intersects with fascinating ideas and theories (like “Uncanny Valley”) while still making something wearable and beautiful. I didn’t design the scents with traditional perfume lovers in mind, that’s not really my demographic. The people who really love my perfumes are Gen X and younger, people in tech fields and of course the Burning Man folks. These are the people who love perfumes that engage the mind as well the senses and that don’t smell like anything else.”

Amber at Burning Man 2018

Amber Jobin’s Aether Arts A.I. Series perfumes are truly scented performance art, not always comfortable or easy, but always compelling and thought-provoking. As a serious perfumista you owe it to yourself to experience her work. Good or bad, but never indifferent, they are guaranteed to elicit an emotional response.

Aether Arts A.I. Series Burner Perfume No.9A

 Aether Arts A.I. Series Burner Perfume No.9A Machine Intelligence: I think of Machine Intelligence as the beginning of a never-ending journey into the realm of quasi-sentient machinery; the dawn of the computer age, as this is the oil that smells most mechanical. Cold and metallic, with lashings of ozonic and electrically charged ions racing through space. At times there’s that familiar and comforting whiff of what I call “Amusement Park ride” a watery plugged-in scent; at other times the oil is reminiscent of outside air during a rain and lightning storm; petrichor and electricity. Notes: Aether Accord, Metallic Accord, Power Source Accord

Aether Arts A.I. Series Burner Perfume No.9B Android: From a building-sized 64-bit computer to a mini-tablet with a 2-TB memory, a humanoid appearing android seems to be a logical if unsettling next step in computing evolution.

Geisha Concept for Ghost in the Shell film via kuciara.com

Of the three perfume oils in the A.I series, Android is the most accessible and easiest to wear. The warm power accord, meant to create a more humanistic feeling (like warmed skin) provides a softer and mellower wood note than the cooler power accord in Machine intelligence. There’s a slightly sweetened vanillic feeling that creates a comfortable and warming vibe. Notes: Synthetic Sheath Accord, Inner Fluids Accord, Warm Power Source Accord

Still from Ex Machina via Universal

 Aether Arts A.I. Series Burner Perfume No.9C Synthetic Sex: Just last week I read an article in the UK Guardian newspaper that robotic sexual companionship will be available by the end of 2019 via lifelike androids with actual A.I. conversational capabilities all for a mere $30K.

Synthetic Sex may just give us a sense of impending robotic olfaction, with its almost latex-like rubber smell combined with a fluidic accord of oil, synthetic hemoglobin, sperm, hot electrical connection, and curiously, hot clay or sun-baked mud. An overtly sexual odor combined with a flesh and blood component clearly makes Synthetic Sex the most personal and private of the three perfumes. The mechanical vibe keeps it from straying into Secretions Magnifiques territory while still maintaining a purely carnal feeling. Wow! Notes: Virtual Space Accord, Warm Metal Accord, Seriously Sexual Accord

via redbubble

Technology is pulsing ahead at the speed of light, and with talented and forward-thinking perfumers like Amber Jobin, the fragrance industry cannot be far behind. If you don’t believe that, I pose the following question: when did we stop noticing websites asking us to prove that “I am not a robot” when uploading or downloading? Just think about that for a minute: I am not a robot. I rest my case.

Disclosure: Thanks so much to Amber Jobin for the samples of Aether Arts A.I. Series.The opinions are my own.

–Robert Herrmann, Senior Editor

-Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s Note: Amber Jobin won the Art and Olfaction Award for John Frum, 2014, and was a 3x top ten finalist for Love for Three Oranges (2016), Saffron (2017) and for her CaFleureBon Project Talisman collaboration Touchstone.

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebon @fragrantwander @aetherartsperfume

Thanks to the generosity of Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfume, we have a set of three 2 ml. rollerball vials of Aether Arts A.I. Series: Machine Intelligence, Android, and Synthetic Sex (one of each scent) for one lucky reader in the USA. The draw is for registered readers only, so be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible please let us know which of  the three Aether Arts might appeal to you most  and what you think of the concept of  perfume as performance art and of  Robert’s reviews. Draw closes 1/11/2019         

 

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

 

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11 comments

  • INYA says:

    Synthetic Sex appeals to me because I’m interested in that warm metal accord. I feel that all perfumers create olfactory art. The Burning Man festival seems like a fantastic visual inspiration for creativity. Yep, I’m not a robot!!! USA

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    I’m really intrigued by this idea of avant grade meets wearable. Artistically, it really does occupy that “uncanny valley” space that is generally something that I’ve seen as more of a visual thing. This article and project has me thinking about that eerie uncanny valley in other ways–touch, sound, taste–which is really intriguing! And, yes, perfumery can certainly be performance art; like my appreciation of other kinds of performance art, I’d be interested in scents that straddle the odd and the beautiful, which even a lot of classic perfumes do. In some ways, the notes list read like crazy and funny ad copy, but I’m super interested in trying these. I think I’d Android sounds interesting…like I could possibly find something to wear in it for more than simply a novelty, but Synthetic Sex just sounds like something fun to try. Thanks for the draw! I’m in the US.

  • doveskylark says:

    Synthetic Sex is the one I’d most like to try. The sperm, the oil, the clay–it sounds like a wild time. I love the idea of perfume as a performance art. I believe that all of life is performance, and we are in charge of creating our own performance for however much time we are here. That’s why this concept is appealing to me.
    I live in the USA.

  • jeremyn87 says:

    Of the three, Synthetic Sex sounds the most intriguing. Some of the notes make me think of Bvlgari Black, Amen, or Fahrenheit. But it sounds like it’s almost completely unconventional. I’m curious how this wears on the skin.
    Im not sure I really see the connection between the scents and performance art though. But the reviews used enough terms to give an idea of what the scents might smell like

    Im in IL in the US. thanks for the draw

  • patrick_348 says:

    Machine Intelligence wounds the most appealing to me. I like metallic smells and the description makes it sound decidedly masculine. I know that some theorists are talking about the possibility of post-biologic life. This sounds like a fragrance for that somewhat daunting future. I am in North Carolina in the USA.

  • spritzi says:

    Robert, what a great read! I’ve smelled the series and you’ve done a wonderful job of putting them into words. Amber J truly is doing scented performance art with these fragrances. I very much appreciate perfume as an art form for its own sake, like an invisible sculpture to be examined and appreciated rather than a beautiful garment to wear.

    (I’m not entering the draw – but good luck to everyone!)

  • Grandiflora says:

    Of the three Aether Arts, Synthetic Sex appeals to me most. It seems the most controversial, and I love a good controversy! Personally, I think the concept of perfume as performance art is great! It gives enthusiasts something “thought-provoking”, as Robert said. Robert’s reviews were informative and fun! I kind of want to watch iRobot now. I’m in the U.S.

  • Zibbyz says:

    Oh. These just sounds fascinating, I would love to try Android, as I think it most likely one I would wear, but I would love to try synthetic sex just to see (smell?) it! I liked Robert’s reviews, as always. Thank you for the draw, in the us

  • JoeFrank9 says:

    Wow! Vert intereating concepts from the brand. Definitely would like to know Synthetic Sex as Im a lover of intimate, erotic, carnal smells. Reminds me of Francesca Bianchi’s works but a little dirtier. Really intrigued by the smell and combination of something rubbery as latex with something salty and little bit animalic like sweat or sperm.
    It’s always a delight to read Robert’s reviews, great nose.
    Thank you for the draw I’m at the USA

  • Ish says:

    Thanks for another great review, Robert! Android appeals the most to me because it’s the safest to wear. Per your article, Amber Jobin’s Aether Arts A.I. Series perfumes are truly scented performance art, not always comfortable or easy, but always compelling and thought-provoking. Perfume as a performance art sounds so complex and intriguing. “As a serious perfumista you owe it to yourself to experience her work. Good or bad, but never indifferent, they are guaranteed to elicit an emotional response.’- sampling artistic and overly creative perfumes is a must. Thanks for this opportunity. – CA, USA

  • susie q says:

    Thanks Robert double WOW and ThankYou Amber sweet costume I can smell these scents at burning man for sure. Roberts words the ingredients def evoke the heat the sand the metal music the ingredients describe it inner fluids power metal accords the raw sexuality asexuallity burning Mans an experience like no other and these fragrances sound that way too. I def can’t choose bc I’d like to try them all esp together to compare/contrast. I love this idea and I love to experience what Perfumers perceive as robotic futuristic.