GroundUp Studios Launches Creative Council of Producers to Accelerate Web3 Music and Art in Asia

GroundUp Studios, a forward-thinking, web3-focused music label today announced its Creative Council of professional veterans in the music industry, to accelerate the pace of web3 music and art creation among its community members. As part of the announcement, Derrick Sepnio, Fergus Chow and Jae Chong will become GroundUp Studios’ first wave of award-winning producers to support the label’s community of songwriters and musicians in their career development.

GroundUp Studios’ vision is to shine a light on the impressive pool of musical and artistic talent in the region. It plans to build a comprehensive web3 ecosystem using NFTs as an access pass, to attract NFT art investors; technology enthusiasts; music and art lovers; songwriters; producers; and artists of all disciplines. As members socialize and connect, GroundUp believes that this would inspire new artistic ideas, allowing them to re-imagine the music and art they are capable of creating.

Fast-tracking Web3 Music and Art With The Creative Council

The Creative Council is GroundUp’s longer term plan to bridge undiscovered and independent artists with top-tier industry professionals in music and art. The main responsibilities of Council producers are to connect and socialize with the label’s community members; pass on valuable knowledge about music creation and production; and generally broaden their artistic horizons by sharing great music within the community. As working professionals, the producers will also keep a close eye on emerging talent within the GroundUp community, and eventually find ways to collaborate directly with them.

GroundUp’s trio of producers represent some of the most seasoned and in-demand veterans working currently in Asia. Working closely with GroundUp, the producers will evaluate opportunity gaps in the traditional music industry and develop trailblazing initiatives and projects that will shape the future of digital art and music.

“GroundUp Studios is honored to work with Derrick, Fergus and Jae – arguably three of the best producers in Asia – to re-imagine music and art using web3 technology,” said Adrian Fu, co-founder and Creative Director. “In our view, web3 is not purely about technology; rather, we see it as a new way and attitude towards the creation and monetization of music and art. I look forward to working closely with the producers to evolve music from an artistic, commercial and technological standpoint. This will ultimately deliver unique experiences for lovers of new music and art.”

Producer Profiles & Quotes

About Derrick Sepnio

Derrick is a celebrated producer, guitarist and artist across Asia. A 7-time winner of the prestigious Golden Melody Awards, Sepnio is a producer in high demand especially in Greater China. In his career, he has worked with some of the biggest artists including Eason Chan, Sandy Lam, Khalil Fong, Karen Mok, JJ Lin to name a few. He has played over 1,000 concerts, and produced and recorded over 500 albums and is often a regular guest on China’s music-related TV shows.

Quote:

“I look forward to working with GroundUp Studios. In my view, technological innovation always inspires individuals and communities to discover new ways of doing things. Invariably, web3 will inject excitement and new energy into music – regardless of the commerciality of the product. I am confident that my experience as a producer and performer in the industry, combined with the creativity and ingenuity of our artist and their community of fans will lead to some great things!”

About Fergus Chow

Fergus is one of Greater China’s pre-eminent producers and Musical Directors. He has led headline tours with Khalil Fong, Gin Lee, ALin, Tia Ray and others. As a performer, he has toured extensively, performing for artists like Faye Wong, Sandy Lam, Karen Mok, Li Rong-Hao. His production credits are equally impressive, having produced for ALin, Coco Lee, Fiona Sit, Karen Mok among others.

Quote:

“This is an exciting time for music and the arts. Web3 transforms the dynamics of the recording industry, and deepens the transactional relationship between fan and artist. To the artist, this means greater creative, commercial and monetary control, as well as more sustainable careers. Furthermore, new generation social media platforms are empowering truly borderless connections and collaborations, opening up limitless possibilities in artistic output. I look forward to working with GroundUp’s fans and artists – the sky’s the limit!”

About Jae Chong

Jae is an acclaimed producer, musician and entrepreneur who began his career in Korea, as one of the founding members of SOLID. The band was the first R&B group to reach over 4 million in unit sales. Jae then launched Taiwan’s first hip-hop entertainment group, MACHI Entertainment, and was the first Korean-American producer to receive awards from Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards in 2005 and 2006. His portfolio of artist collaborations is incredibly wide, including Coco Lee, Stanley Huang, Jolin Tsai, Elva Hsiao and more. Jae brings extensive industry connections in Korea, Taiwan and the US.

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“I’m excited to work with GroundUp Studios to explore the potential of web3 applications in music. I believe web3 will bring about greater transparency to the music industry and equity to artists. As someone who lives in the US with networks there and across Asia, I’m particularly interested in using web3 to build organic relationships between artists in these countries, facilitate connections and ideas to bring projects to life.”

About GroundUp Studios

GroundUp is a forward-thinking, web3-focused music organization that views music and art in a brand new light. We aspire to empower #ExtraOrdinaryArt and artists, by creating a borderless space for creators to connect, collaborate and monetize. We do so by capitalizing on rapidly transforming technologies, economics and consumer/artist dynamics.

For all enquiries, please email contact@groundupstudios.io

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GroundUp Studios Launches in Hong Kong to Re-imagine Music & Art in Web3

GroundUp Studios, a forward-thinking, web3-focused music label today announced that it has officially launched its operations in Hong Kong. The company is one of the first entertainment platforms in Asia focused on the development of original art and music utilizing NFT and blockchain technology.

GroundUp Studios’ vision is to shine a light on the impressive pool of musical and artistic talent in the region. By using transformative technologies like blockchain and NFTs, it aims to drive the creation and commercialization of art that will be ultimately seen and embraced around the world.

GroundUp’s plan is to build a comprehensive web3 ecosystem of NFT art investors; technology enthusiasts; music and art lovers; songwriters; producers; and artists of all disciplines. The goal is to use new-generation social media platforms to create a borderless space for artists to socialize and connect with the web3 world. This in turn inspires artists with new artistic ideas, empowering them to re-imagine the music and art that they are capable of creating.

As part of this community building effort, GroundUp Studios plans to issue its first NFT membership access pass in the coming months. Apart from networking opportunities, owners of this access pass will gain a wide range of benefits – from virtual music sharing sessions; to live songwriting jams; and exclusive IRL artist performances. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.

Multi-disciplined Management Team

GroundUp Studios is led by co-founder and Creative Director Adrian Fu. Fu is a multi-disciplined executive with over 20 years of experience in brand marketing and partnerships, as well as having extensive work experience in technology sectors. Furthermore, he is also an award-winning songwriter and recording artist in his own right, having written for top-tier artists in Greater China such as Eason Chan, Sammi Cheng and others. As a recording artist, he has released two albums to his name, of which his debut album “Good Morning, Hard City” earned him a nomination in 2015 at the 26th Golden Melody Awards for best newcomer of the year.

Fu will be joined by a dynamic team that engages with a vibrant Web3 global community. The team has minted out several NFT projects in recent years, and also has extensive experience building and operating regulated CeFi platforms, DeFi infrastructures, and blockchain-based applications for mainstream adoption.

Collectively, the team will advise artists on how to build (and own) their brand utilizing Web3 tools including minting NFTs, representing themselves in virtual worlds, and establishing an engaged community.

“Adrian’s uniquely diverse experience across marketing; recording artist; published songwriter; and NFT / blockchain project execution is a natural fit with the team’s extensive web3 and fintech expertise. Together, we will unlock the true value of web3 to artists and fans, as we achieve true democratization and equality of music, commerce and monetization,” said Alexander Lee, Executive Director. With experience across TradeFi, CeFi, and DeFi, Lee was involved in spearheading the early developments of SFC-licensed virtual asset platforms, and continues to drive mass adoption of Web3 across mainstream sectors.

Fu said, “I am excited about the promise of web3 music, which presents incredible new opportunities for artists around the world – both commercially and artistically. I firmly believe that the timing is right to launch a music company like GroundUp Studios. We are witnessing a giant leap in technological innovation right now, which is rewriting the mechanics and rules of most industries and businesses. Now, professional and amateur artists are able to create and connect with audiences halfway around the world, while generating steady revenue. In my view, we are on the cusp of a golden age in art and music.”

Web3 music sector ramping up

As an umbrella family of new technologies, web3 is still in its early stages of development but it has already transformed the arts industries. Currently, the music NFT market is only valued at around US$87 million (source: Token 2049), but artists are now realizing the potential opportunities – including new monetization models, to new forms of creative expression.

Commercially, artists now leverage blockchain technology and NFTs to sell their music directly to fans without intermediaries such as traditional record labels, managers and distributors. This enables faster payouts and expanded revenue streams for all levels of artists. For example, iconic rapper Nas teamed up with DJ 3LAU’s platform, Royal, to release his first-ever NFT collection. 1,870 NFTs were issued across two drops; both were sold out in minutes which generated over US$560,000 in revenue.

From a music fan’s perspective, web3 music (through NFTs) offers new ways for them to engage with their favorite artists and music. In many cases, NFTs allow fans to actually own a unique piece of digital art or song, and could deepen their engagement and support for their artists beyond sharing social media posts. As owners of an artist’s NFT, fans can play a more active role in shaping an artist’s day-to-day business and creative decisions, allowing audiences and artists to grow together in more meaningful ways.

About GroundUp Studios

GroundUp is a forward-thinking, web3-focused music label that views music and art in a brand new light. It aspires to empower #ExtraOrdinaryArt and Artists, by creating a borderless space for creators to connect, collaborate and commercialize. We do so by capitalizing on rapidly transforming technologies, economics and consumer/artist dynamics.

For media enquiries, please contact PR@groundupstudios.io

For all enquiries, please email contact@groundupstudios.io

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