Musician RAC’s NFT Fan Pass Is ‘About Belonging to Something’

Grammy-winning digital musician RAC just lately teamed up with HIFI Labs to launch the CULT Move, a dynamic, blockchain-enabled membership move for his Web3 supporters.

Fairly than a static digital picture, the NFT orb morphs relying on the contents of an proprietor’s pockets, utilizing particular generative seeds based mostly on the inventive vibe of digital artist Andres Reisinger plus visible prompts from text-to-image AI mannequin Secure Diffusion—and audio triggers by RAC himself, in fact.

“This venture checks what’s potential on the intersection of Web3 and AI,” Joe Barham, co-founder and CEO of HIFI Labs, instructed Decrypt.

The CULT Move was formally introduced final week, however RAC (actual title André Anjos) began distributing them to his largest followers a number of months in the past.

“We’re not attempting to promote a product with these. It’s extra in regards to the idea and constructing that out,” he explains. It’s the newest in an extended line of Web3 initiatives undertaken by RAC in an try to bridge the hole between artist and viewers, in addition to assist repair what he calls a “damaged music trade.”

In 2017, RAC allowed followers to buy “Ego,” the first-ever full album launched by way of the Ethereum blockchain, after which did the identical in 2020 together with his album “Boy.” About 150 followers took him up on the latter supply, and he stated that it’s the closest he ever felt to the individuals who actually valued his artwork.

Within the years which have adopted, he’s experimented with his personal ERC-20 token, RAC, and launched a number of NFTs alongside using Patreon and Discord in a bid to additional construct a group round his music.

“I’ve spent a lot time constructing networks and attempting to attach with audiences on social media,” says RAC, “just for these corporations to begin placing issues behind a paywall.”

It’s occurred on SoundCloud, Fb, and most just lately Twitter.  These CULT Move orbs are designed to behave like a membership token to the RAC fan membership, and morph relying on which RAC tokens you already personal.

“It’s a solution to take possession of our group. It’s a layer above social networks,” he continues, likening it to carrying a t-shirt of your favourite band. “It’s not at all times in regards to the ‘factor.’ It is about belonging to one thing.” 

The CULT Move orb is an early model of the expertise and, with 4 completely different iterations of visuals obtainable, is at present very “on the rails” based on RAC—however he and HIFI Labs have massive plans for the place it goes subsequent.

In addition to imagery, RAC needs to include generative music and video in future variations of the orb, whereas off-chain actions reminiscent of streaming music on Spotify, shopping for gig tickets, and watching livestreams will even impression how the orb evolves.

“The system is inbuilt a means that acknowledges and helps natural, genuine engagement,” explains Barham. 

In addition to leveling-up the orb, this knowledge may also be utilized by the artist to reward followers with issues reminiscent of pre-sale entry or unreleased music. Because the orb evolves, so will the entry and utilities it unlocks. Heavy metallic band Avenged Sevenfold just lately pursued an identical initiative with its TicketPass NFT and an integration with Ticketmaster.

“It’s transactional, however not exploitative,” says RAC of his strategy. “Even inside our ecosystem, I feel some folks get caught up within the buying and selling side of this stuff. I needed to maneuver away from that and create a membership that permits you to construct upon it.”

Proper now, the orb is centered round RAC and his profession, however he’s very a lot the check case. “Now we’ve constructed the infrastructure and framework, we’re capable of iterate fairly rapidly,” he explains. “We will apply this expertise to anybody.”

“Each artist has their very own model of audio and visible DNA, their very own engagement type and distinctive group,” provides Barham. “The framework we rolled out with CULT Move—whereas replicable and broad—is supposed to replicate the distinctive expression of every artist and their group.”

Sooner or later, this framework may also be utilized to clutches of like-minded Discord communities or subreddits. There’s no agency launch date for future variations of the orb as a result of, as RAC explains, they’re nonetheless “figuring this out as we go.”

“My strategy with these things has at all times been ‘come be part of it.’ I do know there’s an entire class of followers who don’t care about any of this, and that’s nice. I do wish to reward the followers who’re invested although as a result of it’s about constructing a fairer system for all of us,” RAC continues, including that he needs to make it possible for each artwork and the viewers is valued.

“We’re very early, however I actually do consider in what we’re doing,” he provides. “When else do we actually have the chance to form the longer term like this?”