Over the past week, a question has been circling my mind: "Is It Time to Be Critical of Onchain Music?" As someone who has primarily favored positive reviews in the past, I've taken some time to reflect on this matter. In this piece, I aim to unpack the motivations behind my reviewing approach, examine the possible advantages of constructive critique, and present an artist whose remarkable work I believe merits your attention.
Why I've Kept My Reviews Mostly Positive
First and foremost, my mission is to curate and share good music with all of you. If I don't find a piece of music enjoyable, it's unlikely to make it onto my list of recommendations. This leads to the first reason behind my largely positive reviews - I'm on the lookout for music that I genuinely believe is worth your time.
Secondly, I believe in the value of being considerate of artists' feelings. Every musician who shares their work on the blockchain is putting in their best effort. Who am I to pass judgment on whether their best is good enough? In a small and tight-knit community like ours, it's important to maintain a supportive atmosphere.
Lastly, there's a collective sense of responsibility to uplift rather than disparage within our onchain music community. As we're still in the early stages of this musical revolution, encouragement can go a long way in nurturing talent and fostering growth.
A Shift Towards Critique?
Recently, there was a historic moment that caught my attention: muscicurator's first "critical" review, and it was none other than Daniel Allen in the spotlight. While the review didn't dive as deeply into criticism as some might have expected, it did offer some solid critical opinions of his latest release. I found the review to be largely constructive and informative. I had already been contemplating critique, but this review has once again prompted me to ponder the vital question: Is it time to be a little more critical in this space?
This is where I'm torn. On the one hand, my morals align with the idea of supporting and uplifting fellow artists. On the other hand, I have a desire to see money spent wisely in this space. Onchain music isn't just about making investments; it's about creating equity for musicians, allowing more artists to make a living from their art.
My journey in this space began because I saw an opportunity to reshape the way we value music. With a background in psychology, I was drawn to the social cause of onchain music, and that cause still motivates me. Over the past two years, I've observed money flowing into what can only be described as mediocre music, while a lot of truly exceptional work gets overlooked.
Balancing Critique with Promotion
The phenomenon of supporting mediocrity can be partially attributed to the popularity of certain artists and the Schelling point hypothesis prevalent in web3. Early influence and curation also play a significant role. I think it is at least time to take curation more seriously and stop shilling influence/popularity over quality. I also believe critique needs to go hand in hand with promotion. If we (as curators) believe a piece of music isn't up to par, we should guide listeners toward other works by the same artist that are worth collecting, or point them in the direction of other artists who excel in the same genre.
We're dealing with money in this space, and I genuinely hope to witness more informed and thoughtful spending. It's no secret that some artists enjoy an advantage and a significant market share.
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In light of this contemplation, I want to switch things up in this post and shine a spotlight on one single artist whose latest release I find remarkable.
Meet Simplystics: A New Talent Onchain
Simplystics first came to my attention through mutual friends. I had no idea he made music until I stumbled upon a brief Instagram story of him laying down some impressive bars. I've been following his music ever since.
When I first listened to "WASTED," I was immediately captivated from the very first riff. The unique guitar sound, paired with a lowkey trap beat, created a lovely blend of genres. The vocals, with a spoken-flow style, complement the beat perfectly as well. In the first verse there's a very cool moment when he says "dream" where the track briefly falls silent. Kind of like skin breaks in tattoos, this moment gives so much space and “air” to the song. A very clever move that makes all the difference.
As the song progresses, the second verse kicks in with full force, and by this point, you should be fully immersed in the flow. In the third verse, the guitar temporarily drops out, allowing the beat to shine, and adding a new texture to the track. The song builds up once again before gracefully ending with the same cool guitar that drew us in.
"WASTED" by Simplystics is an exceptionally well-crafted, produced, mixed, and mastered track. This, to me, epitomizes good music. It's not just of high quality; it represents an underrepresented genre in the onchain music space. I'm excited to see what this talented artist has in store for the future, and I'm proud to be a an early fan.
nft://10/0x8190c5CECd146a79E4c86F77e54D00970825c49A/?showBuying=true&showMeta=true
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As always you can check out all the music I am finding in my master curator playlist:
https://www.sound.xyz/playlist/5007721b-d72a-4ecd-a004-12b1aff42908
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