HTMKER to Release Original Music for Web3 With World-Class Producers
Including some who have worked with Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and more.
Minting on December 12, HTMKER is a hybrid music x intellectual property (IP) project founded by Brandon Eng. Its goal is to reshape the way music is interacted with through the use of storytelling — which it plans to do with anime-style artwork.
The platform has brought on several world-class producers, including some who have worked with Ariana Grande, the Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and more.
Music x Storytelling
“We brought on the executive producer for Frank Ocean’s discography, the producer on Ariana Grande’s most recent album Positions, and one of the most legendary producers from Japan,” shared Eng.
He added that “HTMKER is a hybrid music x IP project building the biggest music and pop-culture fandom in Web3 by combining anime storytelling, original music production, and technology.”
Kicking things off will be the launch of “HTMKER UNIVERSE,” the storytelling aspect of the Web3 brand which will utilize a music-based anime featuring an initial six main characters — three producers and three artists.
Each of the characters in the Web3 universe represents real songwriters, producers, and artists. Collaborating with these producers, artists will release original music under what the brand is calling “HTMKER EP.”
Several of the producers joining the project have hundreds of number-one records, have won multiple Grammys, and have worked with some of the top musicians in the world.
A few of the characters include SHIN who represents famed producer Shintaro Yasuda, ENZO representing Malay, and HIRO representing her0ism.
PART THREE. THE CATALOG
crowned in billboard royalty@htmkerSHIN @htmkerENZO @htmkerHIRO
The Platinum Era #HTMKER pic.twitter.com/Ni6TyuY9AK
— HTMKER (@HTMKER) October 12, 2022
Yasuda, a Japanese-born producer under Champagne Music Therapy has been Grammy-nominated for his “off the table” song with Ariana Grande featuring the Weeknd. He’s also worked with K-Pop artists like Le Sserafim, and most recently produced the Backstreet Boy’s Christmas album.
Another major addition to the lineup is Malay, the executive producer for Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange and Blonde albums. He’s also worked with artists like Alicia Keys, John Legend, Zayn Malik, and more.
Joining HTMKER with experience in the Anime music sector is Japanese producer and songwriter her0ism, who has over 130 number-one records and has produced some of the biggest J-Pop and Anime hits — including the theme song for Inu Yasha.
Mission and Utility
HTMKER plans to release a limited quantity of digital collectibles around the characters in its universe, with the first drop containing 3,000 NFTs.
The Studio shares that its goal is to bring the community and fans as close to the digital, live, and artist discovery experience as possible — which it aims to do through its collectibles, global live events, and a community-driven A&R fund that will allow holders to vote on how it is invested into developing artists.
One week after the December 12 mint date, HTMKER plans to release its first song onto global streaming services. The song has recently been announced to be “Sugar Daddy,” delivered by artist “MICHI” and producer SHIN.
The ecosystem will also provide additional utility to its members, including a points system that participants can use to redeem a one-of-one PFP token, with more to be shared following the mint.
“Music is the heartbeat of culture,” shared Eng in a recent tweet, explaining that “music shapes the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, to the places we travel. The ethos of this entire project is to empower artists, songwriters, and producers at every stage to share their brilliance with the world. Welcome to the Studio.”
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