We are less than a year into neural network technology, and Google's Deep Dream software is already yielding impressive results beyond the dog-slugs of its first videos. YouTuber Lulu xXX has been playing around with blending art with music videos, and is onto something with this clip that meshes iconic live footage of the Jimi Hendrix Experience (featured below) with the art of Jean Giraud aka Moebius.

The French cartoonist and illustrator was a big fan of Hendrix. He designed the covers of a French compilation LP of Hendrix’s first two albums, and included him in several art prints, where the musician is a cool, often angelic presence.

So Lulu xXX rightly chose Moebius’ particular style through which to process this iconic “Hey Joe” footage recorded in 1967. As you see, when the neural network is fed more line-based work, it truly does get close to "Moebius animates Hendrix." Watch the side-by-side version below and let us know what you thinks works best.

In a few more years, this video may seem charmingly naive as neural networking improves. Think how Pixar evolved, or how video games developed. The results may be so good that we won’t know if we’re seeing something handmade or a perfect simulation. We might have to lean over and ask our Jimi Hendrix hologram to tell us the truth.

via Laughing Squid

Related content:

Moebius Gives 18 Wisdom-Filled Tips to Aspiring Artists (1996)

Moebius’ Storyboards & Concept Art for Jodorowsky’s Dune

Jimi Hendrix Wreaks Havoc on the Lulu Show, Gets Banned From BBC (1969)

Ted Mills is a freelance writer on the arts who currently hosts the FunkZone Podcast. You can also follow him on Twitter at @tedmills, read his other arts writing at tedmills.com and/or watch his films here.