Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the supposed democratization of the global finance system happening on the block chain. Artists, musicians and tech-enthusiasts are groveling at the power of NFTs to free creatives from the constraints of greedy dealers, record labels and streaming services, but when a single cartoon monkey costs tens of thousands of dollars, is it really all that freeing?
Well, electronic music hit-maker Deadmau5 and rock band Portugal. The Man are here to truly level the playing field, offering fans a new collaborative single that can only be experienced by purchasing a limited-edition, low-cost NFT.
"NFTs aren't really that complicated,” deadmau5 says. “What we are doing here is giving our fans and people interested in NFTs an easy way to get on board for an extremely reasonable price. The song is cool too."
See also: 10 Of-The-Moment Creatives Leading Today's Cultural Conversation Through Art
The song is called “This is Fine,” and as of today, 1 million NFT copies have become available on Mintbase.io, powered by the NEAR blockchain. The single will cost fans 0.25 NEAR cryptocoins per piece, or about $2.19 USD.
Alongside the song file, buyers will receive collaborative single artwork by art director Wooden Cyclops and Smearballs, the latter of which previously worked on Deadmau5’s “Monophobia” and “Pomegranate” music videos.
“We believe that the blockchain, cryptocurrencies and in this specific case, NFTs, allows musicians and creators of all types to wrestle control back,” says Portugal. The Man singer John Gourley. ”The world is a better place when artists are given freedom and new avenues to create. The opportunities created by NFTs will continue to develop a whole new generation of artists, and that can’t be bad."
View this post on Instagram
The tech-forward campaign kicks off today as part of Miami’s Art Week celebrations. A total of 750,000 units are ready for purchase in the city onboard a special “This is Fine” bus that’s roaming the Miami streets. Visitors who find the bus can scan a QR code posted on its side to access the mintbase download. After Art Week, the bus will hit the road with stops in New York and San Francisco.
“The future of art will involve a blurring of the physical and digital worlds,” says NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin. “On blockchains like NEAR, artists are free to create, distribute and connect with audiences in a secure, carbon neutral way. While NEAR is digital, it can provide a safe, secure and accessible version of physical art that is traceable and tradable, meaning artists can reap the benefits long after their work has left their studios.”
“This is a release for the masses,” says Nate Geier, CEO of Mintbase.io. “Others have been selling at low volume and ridiculously high prices. ‘This is Fine.’ is created by Deadmau5 and Portugal.TheMan for their communities. Our Mintbase.io platform powered by NEAR is accessible to all with very high volume (1 million), low-priced pieces. We make it easy to purchase without needing crypto to start. Mass adoption is near."
Wanna hear the track before you buy in? “This is Fine” is currently streaming over at mintbase.io. The sale is active with a staggered amount of units available per day, to ensure those who pay a physical visit to the bus have a chance to buy in. Visit mintbase.io for more information, and look for the "This is Fine" bus in Miami now through Miami from Dec. 28, in NYC is Dec. 20 to Jan.16, and in San Francisco from Jan. 3 to 30.
Photography by: NEAR Foundation
