Things that inspire me - Marble Machine X
Since I usually always have the computer next to me while I'm working on my artwork, there's often something playing in the background. Sometimes I'll even allow myself to watch a video, especially if it is inspiring or motivational. There's nothing like following someone else's creative endeavours and projects to get you fired up with your own.
One of those projects I regularly check in on is Marble Machine X. Its creator, Martin Molin rocketed to internet stardom when he published a video of him playing his original Marble Machine back in March 2016.
The video with its song become such a phenomenon that people started creating their own covers of it. Martin later edited a collection of these into one video. The variety and creativity of people riffing off and reinterpreting the song is something to be seen and heard. One man's creative project became a collaborative project with many strangers all over the world, only something that internet technology could enable.
As Martin openly admitted, the Marble Machine did not work that well. So after that one performance he retired it and immediately started working on designing a new and improved version, called the Marble Machine X.
But this time, he was not alone. Having garnered so much attention for his mad inventor project, professional engineers, machinists, CAD experts and more started to step forward and offer him advice when he was struggling. This totally transformed the Marble Machine X into an extremely well planned and organised engineering and assembly project.
In the past year or so, Martin has been regularly documenting and uploading videos of the development of the new machine and his progress in learning how to design and manage the building of what has now become a very complicated piece of music machinery. It now has in excess of 2000 parts.
So every Wednesday afternoon, I allow myself a break from my own creative projects to see how Martin is coming along with his. I guess it has become a fun engineering series for nerds.
Mind you, building the machine is just the first stage of a bigger goal, and that is to tour worldwide with the Marble Machine X and his band Wintergartan. What a fantastic bit of marketing and promotion this ends up being for the band and the tour when they finally hit the road. I don't think they will have any problem in selling out their shows. All of this will be achieved without a big record label and not even a media company promoting them.
The whole project is a case example of how the old music industry has become irrelevant and may eventually disappear. There is no middleman, no gatekeeper between the creator and their audience and success.
If you're interested in following Martin and his Marble Machine X project follow him on his Wintergatan YouTube channel.
Keep inspired, and Steem on!
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My artwork can be found on my website. LeoPlaw.com
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oh gosh i didnt know about martin and his marble machine but now i am sitting here with my eyes all starry and ... and, gosh what a wonderful project !!! thank you for sharing this, leo <3
i think the future will be a different world for the music industry :D
Make sure you subscribe. I guarantee you, that you'll be drawn in to see each step of progress he's making and cheer him along. It really makes the whole project very personal.
I think the future will be a very different world for many industries. ;-)
Really true and I am really going to follow up on this. This is awesome and it sounds just great.
Martin's videos are very entertaining. He's a great story teller, as well as musician and mad inventor. =)
Another example is 2Cellos. Using YouTube they built their audience. Although they did sign to Sony, it is their YouTube channel that has made them famous. Famous enough that Elton John asked them to tour with him.
I know those guys - love them! Thanks for reminding me. This one was the first video I watched!
Same here Otto.
Just like it should be I think. Internet makes that a whole lot easier, now all we need to do is ignore the control freaks ;D
Find a way around them is more to the point. Yes, Steemit is one option, but our reach here isn't that far... yet.
I was reading a post on Instagram from fellow artist Chet Zar:
These companies are using dirty tricks, so we have to use dirty tricks to reach our audience.
That's...really obnoxious D: Instagram did that? Though the other ones probably aren't much different. Working around works as well. I just like hitting them where it hurts :)
not that I make any difference as I'm not popular but it's the principle of the thing ;D
Remember, Instagram is owned by FB now.
I tried out FB ads / promotions twice. My conclusion was, it's like playing the poker (slot) machines. Its actually criminal that they can get away with treating businesses like that. We know what would happen to other businesses if they treated their customers that way. But when a company can get away with it, this demonstrates that they have become too large and need to be forceably broken up.
This is interesting - that there were were further developments. I remember watching the original when it came out. Thanks for the update! I am checking it out.
Interesting also that I (again) published a effort by a group of artists that began in 2006: KILROY WAS HERE - THE ANTIPODES PROJECT REVISITED, because now that I publicized it again, there is renewed interest in the project, and I will be involved in 2 prongs: one is to add a final panel to a stalled work that dates back to the same time, and another is a project proposal that came out of conversations with lead artists on the Antipodes project, to start a digital cooperative. I will get the ball rolling on that very soon. Right now there are 3 of us, but once the basics are set, we will be inviting many other artists to contribute.
Moving on from the Antipodes Project to Triptacular Art Collaborations
Check in on the Marble Machine X every Wednesday evening for updates.
Sounds like its the right time for your project again Otto.
Hello @leoplaw, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!
Cheers! I'll check it out.