Blockstar ร Rockstar / introduction
Original release trailer.
Open original video โ01 / WHAT FEEDS THE WORK
TWO INPUTS.
ONE ENCOUNTER.
Urban culture, translated through an algorithm.
This four-piece series combines audio, lyrical and demographic data. The archive describes a meeting of the Billboard Top 100 GOAT chart and cities ranked by population and area. A bespoke algorithm turns those inputs into animated soundscapes.
I wrote the soundtrack to each work. The named songs supply data to the visual mashup; the audio you hear is my original composition. An ExyOzy is hidden at the artworkโs core.
Data is the material. The encounter is the work.
02 / THE EVIDENCE
ORIGINAL ARTWORK & ARCHIVE MEDIAFOUR CITIES.
FOUR FREQUENCIES.
Take your time. Moving-image works start only when you choose to play.
Delhi ร Closer
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey / song data input. Original soundtrack written by SidXO.
Open original video โExplore the work โTokyo ร Blinding Lights
The Weeknd / song data input. Original soundtrack written by SidXO.
Open original video โExplore the work โNew York ร Uptown Funk
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars / song data input. Original soundtrack written by SidXO.
Open original video โExplore the work โSรฃo Paulo ร Royals
Lorde / song data input. Original soundtrack written by SidXO.
Open original video โExplore the work โ03 / ANOTHER LAYER
ANOTHER CITY.
ANOTHER SIGNAL.
The original project also included WhaleX ร Immutable, connecting the series to its collector community. Earlier commission and holder offers are part of the release history; this archive does not reopen them.
WhaleX / Immutable
04 / NOTHING EXISTS ALONE
INTO THE
SYSTEM.
Music and urban information pass through code and composition. The result is neither a chart nor a map, but something to experience. BLXWCO takes the audiovisual question into seeded generative sound; ExyOzys supplies a recurring presence.
I AM THE SYSTEM / follow the whole loop โโถ Back into the world. Another encounter. Another input.
05 / KEEP FOLLOWING
Collect the soundscapes
Explore the collection on OpenSea. Open an individual work to see its current owner and available offer options.
View collection on OpenSea โBLOCKSTAR ร ROCKSTAR / INSIDE THE WORK
DATA.
DECISIONS.
Sound.
The city is generated.
The choices are mine.
These films follow the work from its first idea to the decisions behind Delhi and Tokyo. Code brings separate sources together; colour, manual intervention and original sound give each city its character.
The chapter notes are edited from my spoken walkthrough. The final film records the original rewards concept and its personal origins; it is release history, rather than confirmation of current reward availability.
Watch the complete playlist โSTUDIO FILM 01 / 05
BLOCKSTAR ร ROCKSTAR01 / The inspiration
My love of code, statistics, urban culture and music came together here. I took the idea of combining separate datasets to reveal patterns and brought that way of thinking into the artwork.
STUDIO FILM 02 / 05
BLOCKSTAR ร ROCKSTAR02 / How the cities grow
An algorithm picks a city and a song, then combines population, area and density with recurring lyrical words, a binary representation of an audio snapshot, and the track and artist names. That mix sets constraints on the distribution and growth of the blocks. I intervene manually at stages of the process so my intention remains present.
STUDIO FILM 03 / 05
BLOCKSTAR ร ROCKSTAR03 / Delhi: colour and rhythm
An ExyOzy becomes part of the architecture: I convert the image to black and white and sample fragments as the buildings are created. For Delhi, I hand-picked bright colours inspired by Holi and made an urban beat with instrumental sounds that brought India to mind. The feeling I wanted was uplifting and joyful.
STUDIO FILM 04 / 05
BLOCKSTAR ร ROCKSTAR04 / Tokyo: neon after dark
Tokyo grew from my imagination of a city filled with people, neon and popular culture, and from growing up watching Akira. Its bright lights carry that influence. The vaporwave-like soundtrack came after the visuals: the colours suggested the sound.
STUDIO FILM 05 / 05
BLOCKSTAR ร ROCKSTAR05 / Collecting and the surprise
The rewards idea began with childhood memories of finding a prize inside a cereal packet. I wanted that excitement to continue the relationship between artist and collector. In the original release plan, bringing all four works into one wallet would lead to a bespoke city-and-song work with its own soundtrack.