At IMS Ibiza, Mathame presented NEO: A World Where Humans and AI Coexist—a concept that reframes artificial intelligence not as a distant technology, but as a shared cultural experience. In a world shaped by a $200 billion AI industry, yet lacking rituals to truly process its impact, Mathame introduces a living, touring mythology that brings this conversation into the physical realm. Positioned at the intersection of music, storytelling, and innovation, NEO acts as a large-scale vehicle for AI awareness—suggesting that coexistence between humans and machines is not only possible, but essential. We spoke with Matteo Giovanelli—one half of Mathame—about the world of NEO, their approach to AI, Ibiza, and what’s ahead for summer 2026. Dive into the interview.
Interview with Matteo, Mathame:
We are right here at IMS with part of Mathame, Matteo next to me. How are you enjoying IMS so far?
Yeah, great—really exciting. So many good vibes, great people… it’s lovely.
What makes IMS special for you as an artist?
It’s my first time being here for work. The speech was quite interesting.
I represented our shows and narrative, NEO, here with my team, including our other brother—who is not part of Mathame, but acts as the “third brain.”
What was the initial idea behind NEO?
NEO was born in Japan after visiting a Buddhist temple. I was amazed by the feelings I experienced—there was this huge Buddha statue, and it felt like a physical explosion.
So we asked ourselves, “What if we go back to something real?”
From there, we built a statue, designed it, and created an entire narrative around it—along with this big monster. The idea was to return to that place, that feeling.
What’s the most exciting thing about AI for you?
The most exciting thing about AI is how much it enhances your capabilities.
If you have an idea, you can develop it faster than ever before—faster than anything we’ve seen. It gives you access to all kinds of creative tools: media, text, images, sound—it’s incredible. But the real question is understanding the boundaries—how an artist expresses their intention, and how art can be monetized. That’s the tricky part right now, and it was something I saw being discussed on the panels.
Is there something that AI will never replace, from your point of view?
Of course. AI is based on prediction, while vision is something else entirely. Human vision—and even human error—plays a crucial role. The beauty lies in those imperfections. AI is designed; humans are not. And because of that, I think we are still very, very far from a point where AI can truly capture human emotion.
We are in Ibiza, so what’s the place that you always love to come back to?
Every time I’m here, I love to stay in Es Vedrà. It’s quieter; it’s better than Playa d’en Bossa or the city. Here are beautiful beaches, even small beaches that work. Yeah, this area is beautiful.
What’s the gig that you are the most excited for this summer?
I think we’ll be back with NEO—this is a bit of a spoiler—touring again with our NEO event. I can’t say where just yet. And then, yeah, we also have some gigs here in Ibiza, at Hï Ibiza.
Perfect, so we will definitely visit your show. Thank you very much, Matteo. Enjoy Ibiza, and thank you for being with us.
Thank you, see you.
