When we interviewed Kickstarter advisor (and now CTO) Andy Baio last month, he gave us a sample or two of what could be done with the social fundraising software.
Kickstarter operates on an all-or-nothing principle: users solicit pledges from their friends online, and if their fundraising goal is met by the deadline, the money is collected. If not, then no one’s pledge is withdrawn. Baio, whose past oddball projects have delighted and amused many, decided to put the Kickstarter platform to use in a novel way. He gathered funds to pay royalties for a cover album: Miles Davis’ legendary Kind of Blue, in the grandeur and majesty of 8-bit recording.
“I’ve always wondered what chiptune jazz covers would sound like,” wrote Baio on his blog back in May. “What would the jazz masters sound like on a Nintendo Entertainment System? Coltrane on a C-64? Mingus on Amiga?
“So I asked ast0r and sergeeo, along with three incredible chiptune artists (Virt, Shnabubula, and Disasterpeace), to collaborate on a track-by-track remake of the album.”
That’s the kind of initiative that makes the Internet, and indeed, the world, truly awesome.
The resulting tribute album, Kind of Bloop, was funded well in excess of the $2,000 Baio asked for from his social network, and he wrote that he hoped the downloadable tracks would drop today, on the 50th anniversary of the original album. And although Kickstarter backers can now hear the full album, the rest of the world must wait a few more days. Kind of Bloop will be available to the general public on August 20 at $5 a pop.
