Crahan’s Creative Journey in Gaming and AI
M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan, the renowned percussionist and creative director of Slipknot, recently shared insights into his enduring passion for video games during an engaging interview with The Escapist. This passion has taken a new form with the launch of his custom Minecraft server, aptly named Vernearth.
With a gaming history that dates back to the Atari and Intellivision eras, Crahan emphasizes that his latest venture is driven not by financial gain, but by a profound spiritual and creative necessity. Over the years, he has explored various gaming landscapes, from modding first-person shooters like Quake to reveling in the whimsical chaos of Goat Simulator and finding camaraderie in MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft.
Describing Vernearth as “the biggest art piece I’ve made in my entire life,” Crahan elaborates on its multifaceted nature: “It obtains music. Scoring and music. It obtains coding, utility, vision. It’s right in my own culture… it’s like a meet and greet, but instead of you go, I get to hang out with you all night and build a tunnel.”
His choice of Minecraft as the platform for this creative endeavor stems from a deep-seated respect for the game. “I come from nothing but respect and love for the genius of Minecraft. I have four children who grew up on it… I was in the mall and bought Minecraft the first day it was released. I’ve watched all the updates,” he recalls fondly.
Crahan also revealed that the open-ended nature of Minecraft has served as a therapeutic outlet for processing personal grief, including the heart-wrenching loss of a child. The ability to build, explore, and create on his own terms has been invaluable in navigating such profound emotions.
The discussion then shifted to the topic of artificial intelligence. While acknowledging the widespread apprehensions surrounding AI, Crahan expressed a willingness to embrace the technology. “The way I look at it, it is a professor in my pocket who only wants to do what I ask it. Its only job is to make me happy, me, not you, not the world, no one,” he stated.
He suggested that AI could serve as a creative ally, proposing the idea of inputting thousands of his own poems into an AI system to generate innovative vocal approaches. With a hint of humor, Crahan remarked on the potential implications for traditional producers: “What’s the difference between me pulling out my pocket producer… or me trying to get a famous producer that might not even work with me and could potentially cost me 0,000… who will only give me one or two ways — I’m not mentioning any names!”
This playful comment seemed to reference Rick Rubin, who produced Slipknot’s Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) in 2004, a collaboration the band has previously described as challenging due to Rubin’s hands-off approach.
Crahan further articulated his perspective on AI as an unavoidable evolution in society. “Our generation is going to hem and haw about AI. Do you think some kid in fourth grade who’s grown up on it agrees with you and I about how horrible AI is? This is the implemented tool of life today,” he asserted.
In a broader reflection, Crahan concluded, “You and I will never have enough money or power to sway anybody away from what life is doing. Life is moving forward. And AI is part of it. AI is the least of our worries on this planet. We currently are the worst of our worries and have always been the worst of our worries.”