A Greek-Australian AI music persona has unexpectedly thrust a long-struggling Melbourne creator into the spotlight, marking his first major breakthrough after more than two decades of rejection, the Herald Sun reported.
Jayson Sutcliffe, an author and filmmaker whose pitches and scripts were repeatedly turned down by film and television executives, developed the AI singer “Dimitrii” as a last-ditch attempt to gain traction in the entertainment industry. Dimitrii’s debut track, “Gravity,” released this month, has already drawn thousands of streams on Spotify and sparked interest from listeners around the world.
“It’s been a frustrating few decades,” Sutcliffe told the newspaper. Despite traveling to Los Angeles for years to pursue opportunities, he said projects consistently collapsed at the final hurdle: “Time and time again you get built up to something, and then all of a sudden it’s nothing.”
A former world champion roller skater and published author, Sutcliffe has directed two films on the sport. Dimitrii emerged after he wrote a song for a trailer he intended to pitch in LA. “They’re all my lyrics, but the voice is AI,” he said, adding that building a convincing character requires far more work than “pushing a button.”
Sutcliffe describes Dimitrii as Greek-Australian, drawn from figures in his past and imagined people in his future. The character’s launch has triggered an outpouring of messages and fan support from listeners of all ages.
While encouraged by the sudden momentum, Sutcliffe said the moment is bittersweet. “It makes me sad because I’ve tried and tried and tried to get somewhere in this industry,” he said. Even so, he hopes Dimitrii’s rise will finally help unlock opportunities that have long eluded him.
