[Whiz Pill Podcast 023] The Sound Of Culture From A To X,Y & Z

CONTEXT

The following is a conversation between Whiz Pill’s founder, and their guest, a music business professional Asal.

We discussed music culture, fame, networking and ways artists are changing the game.

You can read a companion piece here.

The conversation summarized is as follows.

The conversation between Whiz and Asal revolves around their involvement in the cryptocurrency industry and their recent foray into real-life networking. One person mentions attending a web 3 conference in Los Angeles, while the other promotes their networking events for people in the music industry. They also touch upon the importance of marketing in the music industry and mention a recent podcast interview with someone named Bobby who featured none other than Drake. The person speaking identifies themselves as Asal, who works in the music industry doing PR for independent artists and hosting networking events. The conversation ends with a mention of a rapid-fire round where they will discuss current trends in both the music and tech scenes.

Chapter Markers

Introduction

- The speaker introduces themselves as Asal, working in the music industry.

- Asal mentions being involved in crypto since 2017.

- They talk about attending a web 3 conference in Spain.

Networking in the Music Industry

- Asal discusses hosting networking events for people in the music industry.

- They mention the importance of making connections and collaborations.

- Asal promotes their platform, Intimate Networks, for finding connections in the music industry.

Marketing in the Music Industry

- Asal highlights the need for marketing in the music industry.

- They mention the role of social media channels in promoting artists.

- Asal emphasizes the availability of their services on traditional streaming platforms.

Rapid Fire Discussion

- Asal brings up a recent podcast interview with someone named Bobby.

- They mention Drake and ask if the listener has heard the interview.

- Asal expresses interest in getting the listener's impressions on current trends in the music and tech scenes.

---

Transcript

00:00

So that would be the, for those of you that don't know, which in your case, whatever man, you knew that this whole thing, I go by Wiz and Whiz Pill specifically is a platform that aims to discuss the intersection of art, culture, and tech, it's really what it is. And I published the majority of my research on Substack. That's the platform I use. So the record of the discussions that are hosted, the transcript.

00:29

the archives of the audio itself and everything else in between it's all there. So if you're curious about that, definitely hit the link. But I would like to pass it back to us all and have you just, uh, give us a rundown of like who you are, what your interests are and what you're up to and what you're looking up. Hey guys. Can you hear me now? Yeah, I can hear you just fine. Okay. So my name is Asal.

00:59

I work in the music industry. I do PR for independent artists. And I also host networking events for people in the music industry to find collaborations and like make long lasting partnerships. I also work partially in the fashion industry. I've done fashion PR for a while. And then that's about it. I'm just all.

01:29

All in for growth on a daily basis or whatever that helps me to grow and be a better person. That's what I'm into. So yeah. Okay, and you're new to Twitter you would say, yeah? Yeah, I'm tooling you. So could you give for the people that don't know a bit of a summary as to how you even crashed on Twitter? Yeah, actually.

01:59

You were the one that pitched us so we had to know that you can do such thing on Twitter. So yeah, you're the reason why I'm on this platform in the first place. But it's pretty cool. Like the more I know, the more interesting it gets.

02:16

Oh yeah, and there's a lot of folks on here that are predominantly interested in music. They don't all host spaces, but those that do, they're very active. And that's really the initiative as far as that's concerned. That's why I think having Twitter spaces in your back pocket as a toolkit, that's not only going to be helpful, but actually it's going to facilitate a lot of the ventures that you're getting into.

02:45

Um, another, uh, part I wanted you to touch upon is as far as, you know, how we even began to connect, you know, what, what platform did you, did you, did you use for that and, um, what is your take on it? You know, like what's, what are the goods, what are the bads and, um, how do you see this applied to your current goals as far as you're concerned? Um, what's so interesting is that I do everything in person. I usually make my connections.

03:15

by going to different events in person and stuff like that. I've never really made any connections online until you introduced me to this feature that Twitter has and seeing you making connections through this Twitter space thing, I was like, damn, I could actually, you know, make my circle grow faster through this because it takes less effort to...

03:44

join group chats and all that good stuff. It doesn't have that much logistics. So yeah, I'm actually really interested in seeing who I can meet through the spaces and make long lasting connections. Okay. So real quick, I mentioned that as far as the flow of the call goes, anyone is welcome to tap in at any time.

04:13

The head is going to make it easier for me, at least on the back end, because like I mentioned, this is really meant to serve as a archive. So in the post editing room, there's a lot I need to keep in mind. So if you can avoid it, keep yourself muted. And if you can also do that, give people the time that they need to speak on the things they need to talk about and then we'll proceed accordingly. But the last part I wanted you to touch upon specifically is the platform that you use to start organizing these.

04:43

live events that you've put together. Could you talk about their experience on that platform? How you discovered it? Any critique of it if you have any and we'll go from there.

04:55

Um, I'm not quite sure what you mean. The platform that you use the app locals. Oh, yeah. So, um, I, as I said, I throw events for people in the music industry and I have this network called intimate networks and I wanted to attract more people to come to my events. So what I did is that I discovered this app called locals.

05:24

where you can literally host an activity and people can join that activity if they're interested. And then I started with zero people following my activity to now growing into like what, 100 people maybe that are members of that group. And it's like a really big community now. Everyone's, you know, trying to connect and you know, music industry is all about who you know, because there are a lot of like...

05:53

gatekeepers out there. And I just want to give these independent artists and producers the platform where they can actually grow and build that team around themselves. Cause if you don't have a team, I don't think you can grow like properly in the industry. So that's the whole goal of what I'm doing. And I started from locals. Now I'm expanding it to all platforms.

06:23

Sick. So with that in mind, we'll move to the first hand we got. What do you want to chime in on? What if

06:32

Yo, thanks for hosting this spaces. This is a perfect and beautifully timed. Um, I'm going to be hosting a similar spaces tomorrow because I wanted to actually talk about something and I was actually inspired by somebody who is in a very similar boat to you. Uh, is it a saw or is it asshole? How do you say your name? Asal. Okay. So, um, check this out.

07:00

So I've been in the web 3 space for a long time. Um, I've been in crypto since 2017, et cetera, et cetera, blah, blah, blah. Right. Um, until recently, I just basically, um, I got into, um, actual like in real life networking, so, um, basically, uh, I went to a friend of mine said, yo dude, there's a, uh, a web three conference in.

07:29

Spain and I want you to come to Spain to check it out and I was like dude I can't afford it etc etc right and he was like bro I just want you to come because you know way more than you think you know and I was like okay cool so I go to Spain long story short I meet this guy there and he's also from my city and I'm in I'm in Toronto right so Toronto Canada but I meet this other guy who

07:57

happens to be in Spain doing like an exhibition. And I promised this is going to make sense. And he's doing this exhibition and he was like, Oh, this is something that I want to build in web three. He's like, uh, maybe you've seen my work before. Cause I do murals. I'm a graffiti artist, murals in, in like, I'm from Toronto. Uh, I'm from Canada and you know, close to the city of Toronto. He kind of grew up here and this and that he has me this pamphlet. And I'm like,

08:26

Whoa, dude, damn, these are like murals like the size of the building. I was like, this work is absolutely insane. And he was like, yeah, maybe you've seen my work on Instagram. And he pulls up his Instagram and I'm like, yo, damn, you have 60,000 followers. That's absolutely wonderful. My next question to him, because I know that it was a Web3 conference and he's displaying his NFT that he wants to eventually put on the blockchain. My next question to him is.

08:57

Bro, are you on Twitter? Cause that's my way of connecting. For me, that's a business card. So I didn't use the word X. I just said, hey, are you on Twitter? And he was like, yo man, I'm a little bit older. I like, I've been doing this for like 30 years. Basically I'm not really on Twitter. And my jaw dropped. I was like, dude, wait, what? How are you gonna sell this art that is beautiful in NFT format to...

09:26

a community that actually exists on Twitter. But you're not on Twitter. I was so confused. So the reason I'm telling you guys this story is because Asal, this is a very similar story where it's like you're an artist or you're in the artistic world, in the arts culture world, and being new to Twitter, it's a good time to be here because you can grow right now because...

09:54

When the tide shifts and the bullish momentum comes back, this application is going to be ridiculously explosive, especially very, very profitable for artists that are able to kind of put their work on the blockchain now in the bear market. Because in the bull market, everyone's going to start buying it. There's going to be more eyes here. People are going to start collecting again.

10:21

So it's kind of something that I figured, hey, you know what? Tomorrow I'll do a spaces. I planned it out like a couple of days ago, but essentially I was, I even heard from Wiz tonight and his take was very, it was very in line with some of the stuff I believe. And I was like, dude, I want you to come to my spaces tomorrow because we're going to talk about this. I want to hear from people who were artists or people that were into creation before.

10:49

for getting into NFTs. Cause I think what happens is, and I, and I see Chris here as, and I think we just followed each other today. I see that there is a camera in your bio and there's also a satellite. I'm assuming that you're an artist yourself. So you probably can resonate with this too, where it's like, my question, it was just like, where are those people? The ones that have always been artists before the

11:16

discover this blockchain space or before they realize, oh shit, I, people want to hear what I have to say in this, you know, web three space or a Twitter spaces platform. So that's kind of what I'm going to do tomorrow. So that's, so when I saw your spaces whiz and I saw creators block arts, culture and tech, I was like, this is brilliant. This is going to be sweet. So that's why I came here. Um, yeah, that's everything. Yeah. So honestly for me, I am.

11:45

I've been online for a long time and I can tell you, if I've learned anything, is that people as in the general consumer, they're very passively engaged. And what that means is unless you make it darn easy for them to do the next step you want them to do, you're not going to see any tangible ROI, right? So for me, at least I think a lot of the value that I see in what

12:14

pay close attention to it. And part of why I even bothered to show face in person, because I'm one of these people. I'm like a unicorn, you know, you're lucky to catch me somewhere. And if you do, it's probably not going to be for all. So typically, I look for three things as far as you know, these live experiences go. So number one would be culture, you know, and what that means is

12:40

Are you just encouraging people to show up someplace and just, they move on and that's it? Or are you building a certain vision with them? You know, it could be a wide variety of groups. You know, it could be entrepreneurs, it could be real estate people, it could be, in this case, musicians and people in that music industry. So from that angle, you know, it was a no-brainer for me to pay attention to what this song was doing. And then the second thing has to deal with the...

13:09

frequency and what that means is how often these things happens. And, um, the good thing about why the sounds got going on is that it's actually in the major metropolitan area. And what that means is at any given time, there is an opportunity to leg up and let something happen and that call to action can then be taken from the online space into the real world space. And then number three, the last thing would be that as far as I'm concerned,

13:38

I've said this before and I'll say it again, the culture of creativity, specifically, it's not just limited to music or writing or whatever, right? Um, I'm someone who on this account, uh, based on what I described myself as, you'll think I'm just a writer and that's not the case. I'm actually a software engineer, a machine learning, uh, adept. I've done quite a bit in the space of blockchain. Obviously. Um, I'm a professional.

14:08

engineering producer, filmmaker, videographer, and photographer. But again, you know, it goes back to my initial point as far as people don't care about all that. They only care about an easy entry point and the culture of what I've seen. As far as how artists are starting to organize themselves is that there are a bunch of connecting dots that are falling into place and, but there's no record of that.

14:38

happening, you know, peace. The right kind of people are bringing up the right kind of ideas, but they either lack the funding or they lack the the roadmap to get there. And that's the kind of gap I'm hoping to fill with this whole hack account set up in platform where I'm really making sure that these people can actually help each other out because that's really the way I see it. Collaboration is really the main

15:08

currency, you know, like people talk about, you know, attention being the currency, but at audio that collaboration actually is even more valuable than attention because you can get people's attention all you want, but do they care enough to want to collaborate with you? That's like another big thing that people don't think about. But as far as these lab events are concerned, I wanted to shuffle back to a solid to your workbook and ask you about

15:36

As far as your long-term plan for this concept you just described, how long is that going to be and what are you looking to do in terms of like your big goal? What are you trying to scale this from?

15:54

Are you only talking about my goals in general or only intimate networks? It can be both.

16:03

So what I want to do, like the concept behind intimate networks is for people to be able to, you know, not get intimidated when making connections. Because usually what I witnessed going into these like big events, networking events, is that people are being intimidated to like, you know, approach someone and talk to them and make a conversation. And it's usually very, very awkward when you like walk to someone and you're like, Hi, what's your name? You know?

16:33

But when everyone is sitting around a table, it's way easier to make a conversation because you're like right next to each other. You don't have to approach anyone, you know, and I always try to like smooth it out and start a conversation that I think everyone is interested in talking about. And you know, you're not only making connections, you're also getting to know, you're not only talking about the music understanding, you're also getting to know that person.

17:03

as an individual, you know? So I'm trying to eliminate that shyness and, you know, that feeling of feeling weird when you're meeting someone for the first time. And I want to keep it small. I don't want to grow it into like a big event. That's why it's called Intimate Networks, because I want it to feel like it's an intimate, you know, gathering. And I want it to feel warm and welcoming.

17:33

All I want to do is to be able to, what I want, what I wish to be able to accomplish later is for sure to be able to offer more resources to independent artists, just for them to be able to like grow more on their own. Cause I feel like there's so many artists out there that know how to make great music and they have like such a talent for, you know, either producing or singing, whatever that is.

18:03

that I just don't feel like they know how the business works or they don't have the tools for success. So what I wish to be able to accomplish is to give them those resources or show them the way that it could happen. So yeah, and also the music industry is evolving every single day. And I just want to be able to write with the wave of the evolution.

18:32

in the industry.

18:37

I see. So we'll pitch it over to Chris briefly and get to their hands and why they wanted to charm it on and then we'll take it back to you Asan. So what's up Chris? Hey, so I'm gonna be honest, I forgot what I was gonna say in like 10 minutes. Whatever I remember. It happens man. Get in the habits of taking notes in the back channel. That's how I keep track of everything. So

19:05

The next thing I wanted to follow up with you on is the sole concept you got going on there. To my knowledge, you currently are active on Instagram as far as your page for that. So could you explain in some details as far as what the reasoning for that is and what you hope to do with it, the platform that is on Instagram? Yeah. So I'm trying to build a brand. I'm really at beginning stages of...

19:34

finding what my brand identity is and all the good stuff. Um, I just want to make it very clear for people when they come on the page of Infimate Networks, what we stand for, what our mission is, what we're trying to accomplish really. And I feel like at this stage, it's not very clear yet on working on that. Um, but I'm starting from Instagram, but I'm not limiting myself only to Instagram.

20:04

I want to definitely like expand and grow it more on other platforms as well. I just feel like my audience is more on Instagram right now, as of now. But later on, I would love to get it on Twitter, but I haven't really found a community on Twitter that would be interested in it yet, but once I do, I'm definitely planning.

20:32

Oh, if... Can you guys hear me now?

20:37

Yeah, loud and clear. Sorry, cause my head can't come to the script except for a sec. Um, I forgot what I was saying. Yeah, I'm planning on planting the seed on Twitter and uh, take a talk too. Later.

20:52

So part of why I asked this really has to deal with that initial thesis I posed in terms of the problem of the current landscape of being discovered. Most people, there's plenty of attention to grow around. The opportunity to hook them that can be an issue at certain critical point. And part of what I've learned in the process of

21:18

drafting the idea behind we spell specifically and what I hope to do with it really came from writing as its central foundation. And one of the things I can definitely vouch for in that realm, especially speaking for two peers of mine that are writers that cover a wide variety of topics, at any given time of the day, people are looking to read about something.

21:48

pitching them in the right way so that they really know, oh, okay, so that's what you're about on that piece and it sounds like you can do more of that in your other pieces, therefore I'll check you out. And for me specifically, because of the fact that I noticed a lack of people taking what's been discussed in these spaces and the knowledge there and translating that into other mediums, I decided to do it myself, be the change you wanna see in the world.

22:19

And it was a fairly surprisingly fairly easy process for me, given that I already have a solid background as a sound engineer and a producer, all I really have to do is take the audio and then convert that with a transcript AI tool and boom, here we go. And at this point I can just publish that writing and have the proper people find it. And one of my pieces actually was read and found by none other than the

22:49

And I'm saying this because what people don't realize about making connections happen is that people that are in positions to perhaps do things that starting out you're not capable of, they're actually active or they have someone in their network that are active. It's a matter of being discovered to them by them in the right way so that it gives your foot in the door. And

23:17

As far as I was concerned, I got invited out to a USC in college lecture. Um, and they were mostly talking about the idea of what blockchain represents and where the music culture slash business fits into this whole model and what artists can do with it. And because of the fact that so much of my work discusses the mechanics of how that in theory should work in

23:44

success stories and use cases of such things. That's what really got me the opportunity to have a direct relationship with this person. And similarly to you, they actually host a privately held event every week. And the whole point behind that one, if you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, hit me up, I'll definitely give you the follow up on that.

24:14

But the whole point behind that event is honestly equal parts for you to find out. But in other ways too, I can say it's definitely a place friendly to musicians specifically, people that are performers at heart that are looking to take that craft to that next level. That's really the kind of space that this is for. And it sounds to me that on your side of things, you're really trying to curate a curve.

24:43

of an involved, dedicated, intimate network of people. And I'm curious as to, you know, what exactly you're looking to do with these folks in terms of the talent you're getting to know and the sorts of projects that you're looking to build with them in the short and long term. Yeah, so technically,

25:12

It's not like when I connect with someone, it's not like I don't want to come off as, I want to get something out of you. And it's never like that with me. I usually make like a really deep connection with people as an individual first. And then sometimes you just, it just, it just happens for you that you need to do, get something done and you just know someone that knows how to do that one thing, you know, and then you could just hit them up and be like, Oh,

25:41

We have this project. Do you want to be involved? Like this is a business opportunity. Like personally, I have been offered a lot of business opportunities through these networking events that I've been throwing lately. And I'm pretty sure that like, I know for a fact actually, that some of the people that have attended my, um, events have also found people to connect with and, you know, make business happen, you know, that's all that matters to me.

26:11

Um, when it comes to what I'm doing, like I really want people to find their, cause, you know, even for producers and like artists, you can't make it all on your own. You need features on your songs. You need different people to work with. You can't go with only one person. You need to like diversify, um, who you work with. And that's all I care about at Intimate Networks. I just want people to be able to work with me.

26:41

people to find those kind of people to be able to collaborate with, partner up with, and make long lasting relationships. That's all I care about. But I don't want the vibe to be like, oh, we're only here for business. I want people to connect on a deeper level and then put business second, first individuality of the person that they're getting to know. And then second, the business that comes.

27:11

into play.

27:14

Would you say as far as you're concerned, which part of that world appeals to you the most? Is it the business side or is it the creative side? Why or why not?

27:31

Okay, so personally, I want to be more involved in the business side of the music industry. I don't want to be identified as an artist. I used to sing and I used to want to be a singer, but I don't think that is my goal anymore. I don't think I can identify long term as an artist.

27:57

And I want to be more involved on the business side of things. Cause as I, as I already said, like I've witnessed a lot of people not knowing what they shouldn't be doing. So I kind of want to be that guide for like the artists that are really dying to become an artist, you know, I was not dying to become an artist. Like I love singing. I still do. I just did not. It's, it was a

28:25

a big force within, I wasn't like, Oh, I need to become an artist or nothing else. You know, I was always like more of a business person. So I want to be like in the background more rather than being on stage. I want to be behind the scenes of, so yeah, that's my personal goal, but that doesn't mean that I'm.

28:50

limiting myself and not wanting to be like involved in the creative process. Like I still love writing music and you know, singing along and stuff like that. So I would still be involved in that part too, but it's not my biggest focus is what I'm saying. In the industry you navigate, what would you say or who would you say are...

29:19

things or people that personally you look to emulate as far as the model that they've set and how they've done it.

29:32

Can you repeat that question one more time? I'm not sure if I quite understood. Are you specifically a fan of someone or something as in a company in particular in terms of them doing something that aligns with what you're currently doing and having done that well? Does any name come to mind as far as you're concerned? Yeah like why do you like them and what takeaway do you have?

30:00

I have from these names slash companies that you look up to if any

30:08

On all that.

30:11

I don't think so. Like when I think, I don't think that there's one company that I really look up to, I feel like I don't, I'm not even looking to copy anyone. It's kind of coming from an authentic part of me. I'm just like, I don't really know anyone that throws events as small as my events and as intimate as mine.

30:39

Like I know a lot of companies that throw events with thousands and thousands of people, but that's obviously not my goal. So I really don't know any networks that is as small and intimate as mine. And as I said, I really, there's no one that I really look up to. Obviously I know like a lot of like music events that are really cool.

31:03

And, uh, I feel like they're doing a great job, but it's just not something similar to what I'm trying to accomplish. So to answer your question. No, I don't really know anyone. But any companies.

31:19

Interesting. Yeah, because a lot of the folks, at least if you were to compare the producer side of things, right? The name that come to mind specifically would be Metro Billman. And I was curious to hear some of your thoughts about that, because this is someone who, to my knowledge, they've recently been featured in a full blown movie, which

31:46

As far as I can tell this traditionally does not happen unless you're a composer of some kind Being a producer and getting that sort of sign. It's not common Do you have any takes as far as metribullin is concerned?

32:03

No, not really. Honestly, I wasn't even aware of what you just said. I literally just found out about it. Um, but yeah. No, I didn't know that.

32:15

Yeah, Metro Boomin is a pretty dope producer. Highly recommend if you more so on the hip hop. No, I know who he is. Like obviously I know who he is. I just didn't know. I mean, I know that he was featured on the idol, but yeah, I don't really know much about the process and stuff like that.

32:40

I see. Do you, as far as the idea that you recently threw together, what would you say stood out to you the most and what is a key takeaway in terms of making the next one just as successful, if not more successful?

33:07

Good question.

33:12

I just feel like, you know, like what I personally do is that I try to expose myself to as much exposure as possible and I get to know people from different sides of the town, in different events, at different parties, at different places, and then when I bring them all together, it's just, I don't know.

33:39

they all know me, but they don't know each other and when they get to know each other, they already have something in common which is knowing me, which makes it easier for them even to start the conversation. They're like, oh, how do you know a song? How do you know this? How do you know that? And then the conversation sparks right over there. That has been an easy tool for them to start the conversations around the table, get into it.

34:10

Um, as far as what I can do to improve it, I'm actually really trying to figure it out as I go. Uh, I've been trying to figure out how I can really make the experience more enjoyable. Um, but yeah, I still have to figure that out. I feel like it was already like good enough, but I was thinking of maybe like bringing on a theme every time.

34:40

have people talk about that one scene or that one big event that is happening in the music industry. Yeah, so I used to do AI and see what everyone's take was on how AI is affecting the music industry and stuff like that, but it didn't really go anywhere because the knowledge that everyone had was very limited so we couldn't really make it.

35:09

make a full on discussion about it. But yeah, I have that one idea. I haven't executed it yet. And, um, that's okay to warn them. Um, I think I will say for another time that's more suitable and more appropriate as far as you're concerned, but I will say though, the, one of the things that stood out to me during the event that you've put together, um, on both instances that I have attempted in person.

35:40

It's definitely from the outside looking in, it looks more like a dinner table of people just catching up over a beer than an event slash meeting proper. I think it's a quite an interesting sort of setup. And also I think it introduces a level of novelty where people don't have the expectation of being at the same.

36:08

place every time, but rather more or less the same group of people, assuming that some folks show up multiple times, which in some instances I can definitely tell that has happened. And by the end of the event and things wrapping up, you did touch upon something that stood out to me in terms of the live performance component.

36:37

You were talking to somebody that is someone who is very involved on that aspect of things in terms of creating events and looking for people to perform. Like, what is your current outlook on the current state of the live music industry performances in general? And what are you looking to do in that arena?

37:05

So, the thing is that since we usually have our meetups at a local restaurant or something like that, there's not many possibilities for us to give that opportunity to people to play their songs or share their songs. They usually play the song on their phone and they're like, you know, this is what I do, this is what I've done so far and stuff like that. But I don't think I want to add that aspect to it.

37:34

all for now because if I want to do that, I would mean to like rent out a space. And if I rent out a space, I need to advertise it to more people than only like 10 or 12. And, you know, it's going to kind of ruin the whole concept of what intimate network stands for. So, um, I don't think I can add that live performance part to, um, my events anytime soon.

38:05

But yeah, like I know other platforms that do offer that. And as anyone is looking for that, I have like a lot of suggestions that I can, you know, give to them, but as far as my event goes, um, yeah, that is not a possibility for us to discuss now. Yeah. And, um, to clarify a lot of what I, um, I've seen you.

38:35

really close down to getting a bunch of minds together and really seeing what can result out of that interaction. But on that specific conversation I'm referencing that has to do with the live performance element. I'm referring to the individual that you met in that intimate network who told you about the events that they're involved in and what they're looking for in terms of folks that

39:05

fit the bill for being performers. And they asked you in the group about, you know, what makes a good performer, you know, like what, what are the requirements to get there, you know? So as far as that conversation is concerned, you know, like what would you say after the fact is something that you're personally interested in that avenue? Yeah. So, um, we were discussing how

39:35

Like, you know, she was saying, you know, when you go to a concert and someone performs a song and you come out and you feel like energized by their performance and you feel like alive through their performance, like he was looking for those kinds of people to be able to perform at his event and stuff like that. And I feel like that's such an important thing just to make people feel.

40:05

like they're important because you know, through the performance, like, you know, those concerts that you go to and all you're doing is like singing along with the song out loud with the whole crowd. Like it's usually so powerful and when you come out of that crowd, you feel so energized and powered up and all that good stuff. And he was kind of looking for that.

40:35

kind of an environment for his event. And I feel like that kind of applies to everything in life as well, if you can show. Because those kind of performances usually show interest in the crowd more than themselves, you know? So they want the crowd to be more engaged. And I feel like if you are able to make that happen as a leader to be so interested in people that they get excited when they're around you.

41:05

That's also a very powerful tool to use to kind of, you know, meet people to where they have to go.

41:17

So you would say that this is something you're interested in actively to be involved?

41:24

Yeah, that's for sure. I mean, um, the idea behind it was pretty cool. The people involved are pretty cool. Uh, and they know what they're doing, you know, cause, um, you know, you know, it's not only talks, it's actually execution and that's what I care about. Um, so yeah, it's a pretty cool concept.

41:52

As far as some of the names and artists that comes to mind that you think would be a good fit for this proposition that this person told you about, like what would be those names in terms of both their performance and the catalog of the music that they have available to perform?

42:15

Um, I can't really disclose that information. Like I don't want to keep like specific names. Cause you know, it's like promising to say someone's name and if they can't get on there, cause there's a whole submission, um, there's a whole submission process and you gotta get approved and stuff like that. So I don't want it to sound like too promising to the names that I have in mind, so I'm just not going to name anyone.

42:45

But yeah, anyone that actually knows how to perform live and not only like, you know, on social media, because that's most important, you need to be able to like control the crowd. If you know, if you have that confidence and you know exactly what you're doing when it comes to live performance, then that would be a good option for you. But if you're like too shy to get on a stage and have like...

43:13

maybe thousands of people in front of you looking at you, waiting for you to hype them up. Cause usually the artists that we want to have on that platform are not very well known. So you got to be very creative with what you do to engage the crowd. And if you don't know how to engage the crowd and lead them onto what, whatever you want them to do, then probably that's not a good option for you. Um, cause I, if you're a well known, uh,

43:40

artist and people already know your song. Someone like Drake, if he goes on the stage, no matter what he does, people are going to be engaged because they have memories with his song. They know the lyrics, they know the guy, like he has a reputation, all the good stuff. But if it's for an independent artist that is getting on stage, no one knows their name, no one knows about their reput- there's no reputation to even know about.

44:08

They don't know the song, they don't know the lyrics, they don't have memories with it. So it's like a totally different situation. You need to really be able to, you know, pull those tricks out and, um, make them interested in you because I've seen performances of independent artists that really know what they're doing, you know, they give you hints of their lyrics or they give you instructions on what you should say or what you should do while they're performing and, um, you know, it makes the

44:38

crowd feel important and it makes them feel part of the performance. And that's the biggest thing that, um, biggest advice I could get to anyone that is finding on Goryun on such platform. So here's another thing I wanted to run by you. And, uh, that one is going to be more of a, uh, tit for tat kind of section where I'll

45:04

So you were named and you just give me your impression of like what this is. And the framing would be in terms of folks that you would deem to be collaborators you aspire to work with or folks that are currently doing something you think is cool and interesting. Um, give me some folks that would fit those descriptions. So, uh, as far as a performer, you can think of that you would be

45:34

thrilled to have a collaboration with Slink. Which one would it be?

45:39

Like anyone in the world or anyone you can be someone that I know a performer you can think of that you would be thrilled to do a collaboration with the kinds of collaboration that you're excited to tell people about.

45:58

BLELELELELE

46:01

Probably Kei Shonado, Tyler The Creator, or Callie Uchi. These are the aspiring musicians that I really look up to and I really identify with the way they meet music. Like it can, it really totally fits my aesthetics and my vibe when it comes to music. But that's in a good world and it might be like...

46:30

a little far from where I am right now. But yeah, that would be my dreams, um, to be able to collaborate with them now. So Tyler, to create specifically, um, and that's following up with that first one. Is this someone that you would consider to be controversial or not controversial?

46:56

He is controversial in his artistic way, I would say, because when he came on in the hip-hop world, nobody was really prepared for such an energy. You know, hip-hop is like, hip-hop slash rap is well known, so it's like, fuck life, stories, and you know, they all have like a-

47:23

specific stereotype the way they dress the way they talk the language that they use and the even the beats that they use and I feel like when Tyler the creator came on he kind of changed the game a little bit with his vibrant colors with the video clip ideas that he came out with and even the songs those are the things that he talks about the beats that he uses it kind of

47:51

re-narrated like hip-hop and it's on way and that's what I really aspire. Honestly I don't feel like like obviously Igor he really put things out there and he made a buzz with um his album Igor but like I don't feel like people really know him as a person yet. He's not as famous as other really big artists.

48:21

And I also like that. Kind of like that's a positive point for me from my perspective, cause I don't like, I don't want to be, I don't know. I kind of feel special when I know artists that are a little bit smaller than the very, very big mainstream names. I mean Tyler the creator is not small at all, but like, he's not the biggest name in the industry. Like it's not like everyone knows who he is or even Caitriona. Like.

48:50

Keiichiroba has sung really big hits and um, he's really big in the music industry, he's very influential and he's a very talented guy but not everyone knows who he is. They might know his songs but they don't know who he is as a person and I kinda like being that mysterious, you know? Um, yeah.

49:13

So one of the things you said about Tyler specifically is

49:19

the fame aspect, you know, and how people might or might not know about him. In terms of folks, you would consider to fit a certain level in that arena from level one to five, one being completely underground or unknown to five being like worldwide level. Could you give a...

49:45

the audience and do it, and there's five names that come to mind that in order of increasing fame, would describe what you know in terms of folks in that department. And that's regardless of genre, obviously, because I know Tyler is a hip hop-centric kind of figure, but we don't have to exclusively talk about hip hop. It could be across genres.

50:13

Yeah. So five names would be, um, the very first one, I would say it's Parcells. It's like an indie band. Um, they have a really good band. P-A-R-C-E-L-S Parcells.

50:36

Um, they have a- I want to say they have a niche, but they- they do, but I've also seen people listening to their songs that don't really feel good sitting with a niche. So I would say that they make some pretty good hits that, you know, everyone on the stream, uh, sans would like. But they're not- not hip.

51:06

that they exist out there. The second one I would say...

51:16

Um, let me look at my playlist actually, because I have a lot of like, I have people lined up like that. Oh, Hackman. Actually, I would say the first one would be Hackman. The second one would be Forstells, because Forstells are a little bit well, more well known than Hackman. Hackman is like a, uh, he's a DJ. He got into the music industry in the early 2000s when like, uh,

51:46

UK function was really a thing and everyone was getting into it and stuff like that. Um, but I don't think that he makes music anymore, but he's really good. He's you guys should check him out. Actually. Um, the third one would be Daniel Caesar's Caesar. What's his name? Daniel Caesar. Daniel Caesar has some pretty good hits, but.

52:16

I don't think that people really know about him much. He has a song called Get You and that one, that was a big hit for him.

52:35

The fourth one I would say... I wanna say... Kei-Tronado. Kei-Tronado... is a pretty well known name in the industry, but... as I said. And he had like a lot of hits. Not only one, like multiple hits, but... not everyone knows about him. And the fifth one... Drake! Like, he's... you know... well known.

53:05

for the world. Like, everyone knows him. The main break. The fake. So yeah.

53:16

Would you say, and the whole idea with Thane is that, at least in the American context, that there's a lot to think about in terms of what that means because there are people who as it's described have hits but are not necessarily as well known, but then there are people who is a bit of a different story where they are massive but perhaps no one really ever heard of them in the traditional sense?

53:45

I can think of a few examples in my case, you know, because when I think of my five names, you know, in terms of going from underground to big fame level, number one in my mind would be Little Darky. That's like about as underground as you can get. And this is more of the hip hop niche side of things. I mean, this is someone who actually is fairly similar to Tyler, the creator. So that sharp value, that controversial nature, that

54:14

you described us for as hip hop not being prepared for. I think Lil Darkie, he's doing a lot of that in that similar vein. And the second one on the EDM side of things, that would be surprisingly Fredigan. That one might be controversial for some people because Fredigan is a big deal in the sense that he's got a lot of production under his belt. But I wouldn't say necessarily he's the...

54:43

household name in the sense that you think of Fred again and immediately songs of his come to mind because he's been in the Shadows for so long and then the third one for me would be More of an oldie actually so this one this is a band that started out doing a lot of pretty cool shit and I'd say like early 90s to like ongoing 2000s

55:12

And that will be Gorillaz. And for me, it's for a very specific reason. Gorillaz have the kind of influence and impact on the culture of music that very few artists have, but they're not so big that, I guess, literally everyone knows who they are, at least from my perspective. I have yet to know people in my circle that are familiar with their material all that much, even though they may or may not have heard this stuff on the radio.

55:42

and number four for me would be, that's another curveball too, this is an EDM artist, Deadmau5, which I feel like when it comes to cross genre taste, you know, people, it depends, some people, if you know, you know, it's kind of like how typically it goes, but Deadmau5 is one of these names where if you in that circle, you definitely know who he is and what he's known for.

56:12

I wouldn't say he's necessarily famous in the traditional sense because he has so much more baggage attached to what he does. Comparatively though, in number five, I think Daft Punk definitely fits the bill more in terms of the level of notoriety that these people have acquired, especially being producers first and performers second, because a lot of what they've done is really revolutionized.

56:40

the very branding of how people can be musicians. And Gorillaz actually is a bit of a social commentary on the fame of not only music, but really fame in general in terms of across entertainment factors, whether it's filmmaking, music obviously and so on. But yeah, Daft Punk is, as far as I'm concerned, big classic that most people know about,

57:09

is still good enough for people to still check out on the long term. And, um, on the K-pop side of things, um, I'd be very curious to hear what should take is on that because K-pop is the aspect of the current landscape that's really been really been blowing up lately. And as a matter of fact, I was riding through town and there was a K-pop concert being hosted at the crypto arena. Um, and apparently a lot of people came through.

57:38

A few, several thousands, like tens of thousands even. There are a lot of people outside that, that, uh, venue. So like, what's your take on K-pop and what it represents and, you know, what that means with the industry you're involved in currently.

57:56

Before I get into it, I just want to say that I have to leave soon, so just a quick heads up. But when it comes to K-pop, I don't really have that much information, so I don't want to misinform anyone or say something that is not accurate. Because I really don't know much about it. I'm not big on K-pop. I know that it's getting very very popular, especially...

58:25

in the US which is pretty like... It was shocking to me because I didn't know that people were so into the Asian culture here. Um... Like... I f- it's also funny because like... I wouldn't say that it's like... They're not into everything Asian culture, only specifically K-pop which is like the Korean version of the pop music, you know?

58:55

So I've never heard anyone say they're into like the Chinese pop or I don't know, uh, any other countries that are on that side of the world. They're very specific on skate pop, which is interesting. I really don't look into it. I don't really know much about it though. I don't know about that world. And speaking of, um, Asian entertainment and music, um, personally, one of the

59:24

folks that consider to be a web three musician, not native per se, but definitely an adopter. This is an artist that goes by the name of X Lee. And I think he's pretty cool because he's doing something that compared to other artists in the similar space that he's in, he's definitely sticking to his authentic voice. And I personally had a conversation with him about his local.

59:52

what Web3 represents, and like what that means. But my key takeaway is that this is someone who very much wants to, first and foremost, show people the value of the creative output that he's able to generate, especially given that he's an Asian performer who is entering a market that is extremely competitive, both on the blockchain Web3 side.

01:00:21

the traditional side. And I was curious to hear you take as well as, you know, like an artist like himself, you know, like what about him do you see that's interesting or that fans would like? What places you think they'll be able to go in terms of their levels and the, not only the music world, but really the world of entertainment in general, you know, like what what's your take on that?

01:00:50

What X does really well is how he really tries to think out of the box. And he doesn't, he's not like naive to the industry game. Cause he started out as a normal performer, just like any other artists out there, like he went down the route that every other artist goes down. So like the traditional route, right. And then he came up with the idea of getting

01:01:18

more innovative and that's where he found his place at the intersection of tech and music and he's not only big on like the you know NFTs he is obviously he's one of the top best-selling NFT musicians on sound xyz like he's two rows um two rows after snoot dog so he's like creepy

01:01:48

But what I, what I'm trying to say is that he's not limiting himself to only NFTs. He's also like, trying to figure out other ways that he could innovate by incorporating tech into music. And that's why I aspire from like, when it comes to X, cause he's like, he really tries to think out of the box and come up with better ideas to.

01:02:18

spread the word and make a buzz about his work, you know? Because if it was for him to go down the traditional route, it would have been so much harder for him to build an audience or fan base, but being so innovative and being one of the early adapters of sound xyd, he really built an audience and a good solid fan base for himself. So I really admire that.

01:02:48

about him. Yeah. Well, what would you say the fans, though? You know, like, what would you say about him? Like fans would like that would enjoy some real music to what he makes?

01:03:03

Um, I would say, as I said, like, him being innovative is the biggest thing. He really tries to- like, if you're into like, tech, but you're also into music, then X is the right person for you. Like, that's his biggest thing. What makes him special is the fact that he's big in both worlds, cause-

01:03:32

You know, like tech people are usually like nerds and that's the stereotype of tech people. Nerds, they don't really care about arts and culture and all those kind of stuff. And the stereotype of music people is that they're not really big on tech. They, they all, they're all into like music and arts and that creative side of things. But X is kind of half half. He has both. And that's what makes him really, really, really special. And.

01:04:02

I think that he would also attract people that have interest in both worlds. I personally have interest in both worlds. Like, I really want to know how we can, you know, incorporate tech into music because the music industry is the most vulnerable industry out there because it can change so fast.

01:04:28

with the technology, with the evolution of the technology that we're witnessing nowadays. So just like what happened with the streaming platforms and how CD selling was not a thing anymore overnight, I feel like this AI thing is also gonna... I mean, NFTs already shook the industry a little bit, but also this AI thing is kind of getting really scary for everyone. And I feel like...

01:04:54

It's kind of like an alarm for people in the music industry to like pay more attention to what's happening on the tech side of the things, because it's inevitable. Like either way is going to affect the industry. So it's better to, you know, stay updated and keep yourself posted about what's really happening in the tech world and how that can affect the industry in general. It helps you like stay about the, you know.

01:05:24

the weights that are coming your way because, you know, as I said, it's inevitable. It's going to catch you either way sooner or later. Do you have a specific song that you'd like to recommend to listeners and readers that are trying to get into this material?

01:05:46

Um, I don't have a specific suggestion. He has, if you're into like indie pop songs, then X is the right person for you to go and listen to with stuff. And if you like collecting music, cause you know, the point of the whole sound XYZ thing is for you to be able to build value at the same time as enjoying.

01:06:16

the artist that you're listening to or the song that you're listening to. So it's kind of like a win-win. You're, you're like kind of supporting your, the artist that you want to see win, but you're also winning on the other side. If the artist wins, you win at the same time, because that music collectible that you collected would gain value over time if that artist blows up. So it's kind of like.

01:06:41

If you're a fan of that thing and you're really a music enthusiast, then you should definitely check X out on Sun, X, Y, Z, and E. Like get on that platform as soon as possible. Cause that's where innovation is happening. And obviously he's available on traditional streaming services and all that good stuff. Okay. So last thing I'll bring to you is a bit of a round of rapid fire where I get

01:07:11

your impressions on current trend or current things that may or may not be relevant to not just the music scene but the tech scene in general and we'll end that on that note of giving you the opportunity to shout out whichever you'd like to shout out or whatever ongoing or upcoming things you got working on. So trend number one would be the NPC trend on TikTok. I've heard about it and if so, what are your thoughts on this whole thing like rapid fire

01:07:43

Yeah, so I have heard of it. I don't know much about it though. Um, I would pass that all to you because I don't know much about it, but I've heard of it. Definitely. Yeah, the whole NPC thing is just like, you know, people streaming on TikTok and pretending to be robots. I think that's like the whole idea behind it and that fans control their movements. That's really the core summary of what this is, but uh, I feel

01:08:11

To my knowledge, musicians actually started doing it too. So as far as that application for musicians, do you think you'll catch any, will you ever see Drake doing an NPC anytime soon?

01:08:26

Uh, I don't think so, cuz... Personally, I don't get it. Like, I just don't get it. Like, I don't know why people would even take the time or waste their time on such a concept, cuz... It kinda does not make any sense to me. Yeah, they make money, but like, by spreading what? Like, stupidity? Like... No. That I do not.

01:08:57

admire people that do such thing. Good thing they make money, but like, it's just stupid. I wouldn't be a fan to watch them for hours and hours trying to pretend to be a robot. So yeah, I've definitely seen some videos of it on TikTok. It's actually crazy, but like, I don't know what's so enjoyable about streaming such people and watching them. It's just not interesting to me personally. And that's interesting because you're, you're

01:09:25

you would definitely fit that bracket of Gen Z, right? You definitely end that crowd and yet, this does not appeal to you as a trend or concept whatsoever.

01:09:36

Yeah, specifically, I don't think that it's gonna have like an impact on the musicians, because like, you know, people that do such a thing, they don't really have any talents to show, and people that stream on- on like these kind of content, they usually- they just want to make fun of the person that is doing that, and it's just- I don't think that's a place for an artist to be at.

01:10:03

You know, an artist has something more special and, you know, something worthy of watching to offer. So they don't really need to like come up with like such concepts and, you know, play the role of a clown to get clout or gain attention from other people, you know? The art speaks for itself. So yeah, that's my take on it.

01:10:33

But obviously the art, I think, needs marketing too. That's where a lot of that stuff on the social media channels comes in. But as far as Drake is concerned, like Rapid Fire style, have you caught wind of their recent podcast interview that they've done with, I believe their name is Bobby. I forgot the other name that they go by. Yeah. Yeah, it's Bobby.

01:11:00

Yeah, I did watch the interview. It's actually pretty interesting because what Bobby offers as an interviewer or as a podcast or whatever you want to call it, it's kind of like, it's like a new concept. She's literally doing every, what every other podcaster is doing out there. She's just like adapting this cold, cold hearted, cold blooded.

01:11:28

person's character, you know? And that's what's interesting to watch because it makes it so funny and awkward to watch like such big artists being put on the spot like that, you know? If she doesn't hear like Bubby, like that big character that she adapts.

01:11:50

It's like a person that does not give a shit about what's happening or what they're saying. They just say whatever that comes to mind and without like, filtering anything. And that's what's really interesting and makes it funny to watch. It's quite awkward. Like, I'm not gonna lie, like being in Drake's position or anybody else that she's intervening in such an awkward position to be in, but that's what makes it very interesting for people to watch because it's something-

01:12:18

Extraordinary it's not like the other into interviews that you watch and two people are just talking it's Quite awkward. You just want to see what happens next So what would the artist's reaction be to one just Bobby said because she says a weird ass shit that you're not expecting to hear and yeah So yeah, I think you forgot to mention one thing about the Bobby

01:12:46

It's something I truly don't share in common with Bobby too. Oh, I don't know what you're pointing at. It's intimate showing I did there. Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Actually that's so true. Like even though settings where she interviews these people is like from very unusual places. Um, she was recently interviewing, um, Mark Cuban and she literally took him

01:13:16

to like a construction site or something like that. And the floor was actually full of dirt and disgusting and they had to like sit on the floor and there was no cushion or something comfortable to sit on. They were literally sitting on the floor. And yeah, there are snippets of videos where Mark Cuban is like.

01:13:43

Please tell me that you wipe the floor before we sat down." And she's like, yeah, we wipe this area only for you to sit on it, but the rest is like dirty and stuff. And you can see, because they're barefoot, they're like, you can see Mark Cuban's toes literally on the podcast. And you can see that he's like, he's so dirty, just because he was like walking around.

01:14:09

You know, these are the unusual things that you see on the video that you're not expecting that makes people want to talk about the video and that's pretty smart of Bobby to do. Because if that wasn't the case, then people wouldn't have been interested really. Okay. And the last thing I'll bring up to you is this recent piece of music that's been going

01:14:35

around my social media feed and I was curious to see whether or not it perhaps showed up on yours and I just pinned it to the top and let me know when you're able to see it. Or if you don't see it yet I can just DM it to you.wix2 which should be from here and here and us. There you go. So check your Twitter DM and check the screenshot and see whether or not you've seen this before.

01:15:10

No, but it's just it's just a screenshot it's on a video so I don't know what the content is. It's um so the video itself which I also just sent to you this is a video that I first found on TikTok and as of as of today that video alone has already has 15 million something views while over a million likes and over on Instagram it's about the same too.

01:15:39

So it was very interesting to see that a local artist in LA, that's someone that was able to get that much traction off of one song that by the way is unreleased or has yet to be released. But since you haven't seen it, it sounds like you can't really speak on it. But okay, as far as, yeah, like whatever you'd like to shout out, whatever you want to plug in.

01:16:05

That's your opportunity to do so and share that with the readers and listeners on people after the fact that see you on show media. Yeah. So first of all, shout out to you for, um, making this happen. Thank you so much. Like this was an interesting discussion. Um, it was definitely unexpected, but. Yeah. I love talking about what I'm passionate about. So like, I love what happened, um, on this platform. I really like.

01:16:35

those spaces. I wasn't really familiar with this space until you showed me how it works. So I'm really into it now. But yeah, now you guys know what we offer at Intimate Networks and if anyone is looking for connections in the music industry, then you should find us at Intimate Networks. And if you're intimidated and shy to make the connections and you know where to find us.

01:17:06

And the name you specifically go by that's tied with Intimate Network, that would be what exactly? At Intimate.Networks. That's the username that we use on IG. So if you look that up, you can also find it on my bio, on my Twitter bio. Or InstitutionDisco. Which is the one. Yeah. I don't know what would be the username for that one.

01:17:35

The Instagram? What do you mean? It's your Instagram account. My personal Instagram account is asa.llbtii. Hit me up if you have any questions. Don't be shy. I'll always here to answer. Or, or download locals and find the upcoming events that you will be scheduling. Yeah. You can also, um.

01:18:01

download Locals on your iPhone and join our group chat because that's where I usually announce our meetups. I also announce it on our Instagram page, but I usually ask people what dates work best for them and I take it from there. I usually set the dates based on people's availability and I take a poll on the Locals app in our group chat. And if anyone is looking for the link...

01:18:30

You can just hit me up on Instagram. I'm going to send you the locals link so you can send a request and, uh, I'm going to be filming you let you in. So let's I guess like last second entry, but it does seem that a major artist did in fact do the NPC trend and they go by the name and E chopper. Oh, this is a rapper slash hip hop artist. And I sent it to your DM and you can have a quick overview of what it is that they've done with it.

01:18:59

Shout out for CGO prod for sending me that one. I didn't even know it was a thing.

01:19:06

Are you officially a hater of NLE Choppa now that he's done the HMMM trend? Yeah, I think so. I can't believe Complex Music would agree to that. They're also laughing at it. They're like, NLE Choppa joins the NPC trend on TikTok with a laughing emoji. I don't know. Definitely not my thing. But people look very stupid doing that, but shut up to whoever that is and really into it. It's just not my thing. Personally, it's not my thing.

01:19:36

All right. Well, on that note, thanks for popping in. Um, congrats on the events you're curating and getting together and, uh, looking forward to see the kinds of, uh, ventures you engage in and do in the future, because for me, at least, um, I'm on the topic of complex briefly. I think a lot of what complex has done well, it is really tapped into the culture of, um, the art.

01:20:04

I think there's room for growth in that sense because Complex unfortunately turned into a bit of an aggency media where it's not as relatable. I think as far as I'm concerned, there's a lot of plays people can do to really bring what Complex does and does well, but make it questionable to people in terms of removing the barrier between a brand and now introducing the actual folks involved.

01:20:33

So I can be better to make it intimate in terms of the information that you're accessing about these topics of culture, arts, and technology that people might find interesting. But yeah, thanks again for coming through and shout out to CG for sticking around. You know, shout out to CG.OG. And yeah, I will be catching you folks on the other side of the metaverse. Thank you. Have a good one.