RVNFT/KAWPOWERV1

Artist: SosonSide aka Martin Scott Key

Title: KawpowerV1

Listen to Kawpower here! NFT.https://ravencoin.asset-explorer.net Apple Spotify

Presenting “Kawpower” the unofficial Ravencoin theme song by SosonSide! This song was played on repeat at various twitter spaces and downloaded around the world beginning in 2021. It has a themeatic punk sound that gets one on their feet and into the groove. Community members have labeled it “catchy” and “addictive”. The NFT community thanks SosonSide, a musician with a computer science background for bringing this song to life in NFT format.The complete song can be downloaded for free from the IPFS with all of the layers.

When asked how he approached the task of creating a music NFT, SOSonSide said he began “building” tracks as if they were legos.

This means that other artists can make remixes from any and all layers contained in the music. As a classically trained pianist who also plays a mean guitar riff, Sosonside started with a bass line, and began to create layers from there. KawPower’s working title was initially called “Blue and Orange and Red am Green” a nod to the ravencoin logo and it’s associated coin, but soon found the official name “Kawpower”. The first note to the song was created on November 8, 2021 (thank you timestamps!). Over the course of a few weeks, with a mindset of “treat this like a job and just do it” Kawpower V1 took flight. The catchy tune was quickly embraced by the cryptocurrency community.

This means that other artists can make remixes from any and all layers contained in the music.

As collectors and fans of NFT artists, we often want to know a little about the artist himself. So wagmiNFT asked a few questions about his backstory.

wagmiNFT: When did you get interested in music and songwriting in particular?

SosofSide: I love this question because it brings me WAY back! I’ve been interested in music for as long as I can remember. I started playing the piano in the 3rd grade and guitar in high school, but didn’t begin writing music until much later.

wagmiNFT: When did you write your first song?

SosonSide: It took me until my mid 20’s to ever write a song. The first song I ever wrote, “Terra Firma” has recently been re-recorded and released to the Spotify streaming service under the band “Stan’s Book Bin”. I always tell artists to persevere since that mindset has served me well.

In my younger years, I didn’t understand what musical/artistic “expression” was. I thought it was synonymous with “doing”.

I’ve since learned that it’s more akin to medical expression, in that it’s a release of something trapped inside that needs to come out, otherwise it may damage you.

wagmiNFT: What made you think to give away the “layers” of the song?

SosonSide: I was exposed to the concept of open source software in the 10th grade when I learned GNU/Linux. Later, when I was a music teacher in my 20s, I started thinking to myself “what if I could apply the concept of open source to music?” I then found the Creative Commons license and figured it achieved MOST of what I was thinking, so I put the idea aside.

I started thinking to myself “what if I could apply the concept of open source to music?”

I realized I could release the first version of the “Open Score License” and attach it to one of my old songs. I did just that with “You’re The Best Thing In The World”. This song has the same concept as KawPower with respect to the downloadable layers, but instead of the audio tracks (stems) it’s the orchestral score. The idea being, anyone could see the ‘source code’ of the music, and could ‘compile it’ in their own way (pick up the instruments and play it to make a master recording)!

 Later, I heard about Ravencoin and IPFS and my imagination was sparked again.

If someone wanted to, they could change it however their creative instincts told them to. I chose to release the audio stems of KawPower instead of the orchestral score, because I thought it would make remixes easier to do- since one wouldn’t need to know how to play all the different instruments to make a remix. I figured this gesture would gain favor with the community and make the song much more popular than it would be otherwise. I was working with Rikki back then, and I wanted to mimic his giving spirit- this seemed like the kind of thing he would do.

If someone wanted to, they could change the song however their creative instincts told them to.

wagmiNFT: Where do you see music nfts going?  Why do you like Ravencoin for minting your NFTs?

SosonSide: Originally I thought I could sell my music as NFTs exclusively and keep them away from streaming. In some of my early NFTs, I made the promise that the owners of the NFTs are literally the only owners of those songs. I keep my rights to the master recording and songwriter, but promise that they won’t be found anywhere else or put up on streaming. I soon realized that with music, this approach is very limiting since music needs to be shared easily. I will stick by those promises made in these early music NFTS,

but going forward I make it clear that the NFTs are essentially limited edition collectors items for those songs, but the underlying song itself is going to be pushed as far and wide as I possibly can.

I see a lot about royalties and NFTs, like purchasing pieces of royalty streams or ownership tokenized as an NFT. As an accountant, I’m SUPER uncomfortable with this. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t believe a lot of people understand the tax implications of what they’re doing. That being said, my knowledge is certainly limited so I truly do “hope I’m wrong” and am looking forward to seeing the future of music NFTs unfold.

wagmiNFT: Why do you like Ravencoin for minting your NFTs?

SosonSide: I like Ravencoin for minting NFTs because it’s cheap, it’s human readable, & it works (these are direct comparisons to ETH).

When I say “it works” I mean “smart contracts don’t work”: the disappearing acts, account drains, etc. all because you don’t possess a CS degree nor read every line of code in the smart contract carefully.

I want to say “it’s easy” but I can recognize it’s not easy for everyone. The best part about Ravencoin is there’s always someone looking to help you, and the code makes it much more difficult for bad actors to fool you- though I suppose it’s always possible!

I like Ravencoin for minting NFTs because it’s cheap, it’s human readable, and it works..

wagmiNFT: What was your first instrument that you played

SosonSide: I am a classically trained pianist and started taking piano lessons in 3rd grade. Shoutout to Fay Stopeck, may she rest in peace <3. But around the 10th grade, when it was clear that I just wasn’t “into” it anymore, I started to learn guitar. After my first year of college as a computer science major (AKA drinking, smoking, not doing any work) I decided to move back home. Since I was living with my parents in their home, they said I had to stay in school At the last minute I signed up for community college. The same week, I got a call from my local music store. A friend I played in bands with worked there and they needed a sub. He told them I played guitar and piano (hadn’t played piano in years) and I was offered an opportunity to sub. I showed up and was essentially warned “this is a mom who is REALLY mad that the normal teacher quit and doesn’t even want to meet you”… I tapped into my inner Fay and did exactly what she did- TOTALLY won the mother over and she insisted I be her children’s piano teacher. The boss came in and told me this, hiring me on the spot- it was probably THE most confidence boosting thing that ever happened to me up to that point. I felt like I did something of my own volition and skill.

wagmiNFT: What about the lyrics of Kawpower? We have posted them below. Can you speak on what they mean to you?

“Most of the Kawpower lyrics are references to the KawPow algorithm and crypto in general.”- SOSonSide

“You gotta send me your solution if it works you know I got your back for good” is a reference to a miner hitting a block (finding a solution) then sending out to the network- who confirms it and essentially vouches for it forever (got your back for good). “As for me I’ll be with Rikki Sparkin’ R3ckless Jays and taking in the fumez” is a reference to some of the people I met through RVNFT. Rikki is the founder of RVNFT.ART and R3ckless Jay a musician. “Fumez” is a series of NFTs, and an entire world and story by JoJuice.

I also wrote about the lead Developer of Ravencoin who’s name is “Tron Black”. Initially I didn’t believe that “Tron Black” was his real name since it sounds like a Superhero.

The line “You know that Tron’s really his first name. Gotta question? Bring it on a cruise”

is a nod to the fact that the entire community is invited to go on a cruise and chat with Tron Black (yes this is his birth name!). I also refer to Ravens since it’s the mascot of the chain with the line “You hear these birds they call em unkind But their chatter’s always nothin’ else but good”… a group of Ravens is called an ‘unkindness’, and my early experience in Discord was that everyone was super cool and kind and helped each other. This is essentially what Kawpower means to me. Please enjoy the full lyrics and IPFS link to the song, and let me know how Kawpower it makes you feel.

KawPower

In case you want to include the lyrics: 

We’re gonna bring it to down easy

Let the little guys come cease it and we’re good

KawPower!

You gotta send me your solution

If it works you know I got your back for good

KawPower!

You see that once we split from 16

Dropped the X and now your ASICS’ through

KawPower!

As for me I’ll be with Rikki

Sparkin’ R3ckless Jays and taking in the fumez

KawPower!

Spin them fans and push it through

Touch that heat it feels so good

We gotta spread around the ledger

Spread our wings and fluff our feathers to stay cool

KawPower!

We’re gonna hash it out between us

Let the little guys compete and then we’re good

KawPower!

You gotta prove it should be easy

If you got the private key you should be good

KawPower!

You know that Tron’s really his first name

Gotta question? Bring it on a cruise

KawPower!

You hear these birds they call em unkind

But their chatter’s always nothin’ else but good

KawPower!

Spin them fans and push it through

Touch that heat it feels so good

We gotta tokenize the planet

Prove our work and there ya have it yeah we cool