Steve Aoki and 3LAU Create CryptoPunks Supergroup
Popular DJs Steve Aoki and Justin "3LAU" Blau are joining forces to create a new CryptoPunks-inspired music supergroup, PUNX.
The pair will use their Ethereum-based NFTs (CryptoPunk #6748 and CryptoPunk #6708) as alter egos to create a new and unique electronic music sound.
"[Ten] years of friendship has led to this moment," 3LAU and Steve Aoki tweeted. "We are excited to introduce a conceptual music/art project partly inspired by our own CryptoPunks NFTs. The sound of PUNX will be different from either of our current sounds."
The duo offered a sound bite from what is seemingly a yet-to-be-released song.
Despite the group's affiliation with CryptoPunks, this project is not dropping an NFT at the moment.
"A lot of the inspiration for this current project came from us exploring a variety of new sounds and spaces, but also - how we can potentially involve the web3 community in this project," 3LAU explained. "This isn't an NFT."
Blau did leave open the possibility of utilizing blockchain technology down the road.
"But that doesn't mean there won't be future moments where our music and blockchain tech won't be intertwined," he continued. "We're excited to explore what this will mean for all of us. Whether you're a hodlr or not, this is something you won't want to miss."
This isn't the first time popular musicians used NFTs as alter egos for upcoming releases. Snoop Dogg and Eminem released a music video for "From The D 2 The LBC" using their Bored Ape Yacht Club PFPs, which now has more than 64 million views.
Universal Music Group also has a Bored Ape band called Kingship, which features Grammy-winning producers Hit-Boy and James Fauntleroy.
It is, however, the first major supergroup for CryptoPunks, one of the reasons Aoki and 3LAU decided to use their Punks.
"It hadn’t been done on the Punk side as [much] compared to how many Ape projects were launched," 3LAU told Decrypt. "And that’s sort of how Steve got into this space in the first place. I told him about all this stuff toward the end of 2020, so Punks just made the most sense."
