MUMBAI: Indie music stars Ritviz and Nucleya are no strangers to doing things differently. While desi bass producer and DJ Nucleya disrupted the electronic dance music scene in India with his unique, desi twist to the genre, popstar Ritviz – who is the most streamed Indian indie artist on Spotify India – has redefined storytelling and created a new music language through his songs and videos.

As they come together to release their collaborative album Baaraat – an amalgamation of styles and emotions coming together to tell one slightly quirky and unusual but charming love story – they have once again rewritten the marketing playbook.

Baaraat will release a single at a time starting with ‘Sathi’ on August 13, but fans have a lot more to look forward to than just music. Starting August 15 and for the next seven consecutive Sundays, Ritviz and Nucleya will release over 60 NFTs in what will be India’s largest NFT drop on the NFT marketplace, WazirX.

To be dropped as bundles on Sundays between August 15 and October 3, the NFTs include a mix of iconic photographs, artworks that embody different phases of their careers, personal artefacts like sneakers and clothing, and special, limited edition art pieces. The duo have put together a collection of NFTs that are each associated to different benefits linked to the Ritviz and Nucleya universes.

Crafted for the art lover, and the ardent fan, this drop is set to change the way musicians look at building a relationship with their audiences, personalising the experience by offering attached benefits including access-all-areas (AAA in industry speak) passes to Ritviz and /or Nucleya shows over the next three years and even up for grabs is the the opportunity to have the two artists play a house party at the house of the collector.

Nucleya, who has employed the shock-and-awe tactic with great effect via album launch shows at a festival procession and stadiums, and quirky teaser videos for his music, emphasised the fact “it’s imperative for artists to stay ahead of the curve”.

“The way music is consumed has changed so much over the years and it’s imperative for us as artists to stay ahead of the curve by developing new and exciting ways for us to engage with our audiences,” he says ahead of the August 15 drop. “NFTs are a disruptive way for artists to put themselves out there and build on relationships with their fans, and how artists use this new medium will definitely be exciting to watch,” he adds.

Ritviz, who along with Nucleya was among the first musicians in India to get involved with NFTs, points out, “Right now we’re in a new renaissance as NFTs are putting value and attention back into art and music,” before adding, “We wanted to create a different experience for the audience with our music. Each one of these bundles is a unique NFT with the most incredible art you’ve ever seen. There’s a lot of hope in what they can bring to the wider music community in time.”

The Ritviz x Nucleya drop will also use the auction feature that WazirX will activate for exclusive launches on their platform starting August 15. Ritviz and Nucleya will be the first creators to auction their digital token on WazirX NFT Marketplace.

Commenting on collaborating with Ritviz and Nucleya to launch their new feature Sandesh Suvarna, VP, WazirX NFT Marketplace says, “The auction feature is going to be a game changer for NFT enthusiasts, and we’re excited to announce this by dropping exclusive artwork by India’s leading artists, Ritviz and Nucleya. As part of this model, sellors or creators allot a minimum bidding price and an auction end date to their artwork. All the subsequent bids need to exceed by a minimum 100 WRX or 10 per cent higher than the original cost, and whoever places the highest bid, wins the auction. This will create a terrific opportunity for both creators and collectors to drive value for the digital collectible.”

For both of the artists, the NFT marketplace feels like an organic fit, given the strong visual identities that have accompanied their musical careers, designed by Airphish for Nucleya and Santanu Hazarika for Ritviz. For this NFT sale, all four – the two artists and their designer counterparts – have come together to work with Wolves Visuals, a visual studio and animation agency known for delivering game-changing live experiences across the music industry. Fans and collectors will have access to not only the existing visual elements that are characteristic of Ritviz and Nucleya, but also to specially crafted and curated art pieces and videos representing this new collaborative identity, thereby continuing the trend of art and music working so closely together.

‘Sathi’, first single from ‘Baaraat’ is out, listen here