Apologies, the topic title is a bit of a mouthful! But it’s the best way I can describe the issue.
I have a few artists in my collection that, despite being sonically very different with each other, have a “100% similarity” with the artist Ahwlee. The 100% is enough of a red flag since it rarely shows up for any other artist I’ve explored! But that he keeps coming up as the closest match to artists in completely different genres, styles, eras… it’s all very strange.
Any idea what could cause that, or how to fix? Thank you!
I’d inspect all music by this artist. Look for damaged files.
If you have mp3 files, you can use this software to find invalid or damaged files: MP3 Diags download | SourceForge.net
After ensuring that all is in order, perform a full plex Dance with all albums by this artist.
Leave a server maintenance cycle inbetween removing and re-adding the files (i.e. over night by default).
My only problem with this plan is that I don’t have any Ahwlee to begin with! It’s a Tidal artist…I reckon I can try the steps with artists I have where he appears as similar, to see if that helps. Do appreciate the “Plex Dance” guide, that’ll come in handy!
As I search tonight I’m having trouble finding exactly 100% matches, but I found enough examples with this specific Tidal artist and the strange behavior I’m describing.
To start, here’s Mick Gordon, famed for composing the most recent Doom game soundtracks. Heavy guitars and electronic sounds, and then…Awhlee, 98% similar.
Here’s Enya, who hardly needs introduction. New Age, strings and soft vocals… Ahwlee 94%
How about Lin-Manuel Miranda? I only have the Hamilton musical soundtrack right now, but Ahwlee’s still at the start of the list at 92% similarity.
Finally, an example with an album instead of an artist. Bit of a deeper cut, fan-album for a little indie game. Which definitely doesn’t sound anything like 1991 by Ahwlee.
I have no idea why this artist specifically keeps cropping up in my Tidal sonic recommendations. I’ve learned to ignore that recommendation when I see it, but it’s still strange enough to report.
I’ve listened to some Ahwlee tracks and I can recognize familiarities.
He appears to have a preference for soft jazz, ambient, or other Muzak samples when producing his tracks. The only difference is that there is a harder percussion beat overlaid on top of all – and his rapping of course.
So to my ears the similarities are definitely there.
Whether they are worth such a high percentage rating is certainly a different question.
I can concede that there are elements of his music that can connect to each of the other artists or albums I referred to…but he is the only repeating artist in each case, with an abnormally high similarity. None of these artists share another sonic recommendation between Tidal or my collection to connect to one another.
I’m tempted to buy the offending Awhlee album in question–not because it’s really my thing, mind–but to see if even scanned from my machine it’d pull artists as broadly different as Enya and Mick Gordon together.
