VMA

[Modest @m0dest___]

i have been tinkering around with objects that make noise since i could walk.  the piano has been a constant in my life. keyboards, synths, beat machines, controllers.  each were ways to express something i felt/saw/needed.  i feel lucky to have a group of you who appear to enjoy the stuff i make.  

i have been thinking a lot about discovery as of late. not just about artists, but about the concept in general.  the feeling you get when you find something that you didn’t expect. particularly in music.

streaming services think they know what you want to hear before you do.  but that’s not discovery. thats math.

there was a time when discovering art or buying music meant taking a risk.

you heard one song on the radio.
you bought the album.
you lived with the rest.

side A is built around that feeling.

pick a category.

mint a 1/1.

receive a player loaded with 11 songs.
every player is different.
every song and every collection is unique.

you cannot preview the music.
you cannot see the track list.
you cannot choose specific songs.

you can only decide whether discovery is still worth something.

< side a >
soon

lenk below

➕

[Modest @m0dest___]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖟𝖊𝖓𝖘

presenting all 6969 citizens. commoners, taxpayers, bureaucrats - each with different rights and privileges. each their own.

seeing them like this is wild.

✖️💲

[Modest @m0dest___]

&lt;

there will be blood
&gt;
2.19

➕

[Modest @m0dest___]

☽⟡☾

<
born
to push

back >

a collaboration with @clairesilver
eighty seven co-created scenes
2 pieces of co-created original music and effects

this Thursday.
mechanics announced tomorrow.
so fucking proud of this work. thank you claire 🖤

please enjoy with proper audio 🔈

➕

[Modest @m0dest___]

₥є₥єภ†๏ร: launch

mementos isn’t just a collection.
it’s a system. a mechanism for creative exchange.
a way to align incentives between creator and collector.

when you mint a memento:
→ 70% of the mint locks into a vault, always yours to reclaim.
→ 30% flows to me, to fund work, experiments, and bigger swings - online and off.

each memento is a credit - an 1155 token you can redeem (or trade) to:
→ unlock new works
→ claim allowlists or physicals
→ commission something personal
→ or simply withdraw your eth

redemptions burn supply. less onchain = more meaning. when supply contracts, the work expands.

the mint

date: wednesday, august 20
time: 1:11pm ET / 10:11am PT US
supply: 6,969 (phase one cap)
price: 0.0369 eth
limit: 42 per wallet

allowlist phases***:
1- og 1/1 holders (2 hours to mint)
2- all modest holders (2 hours to mint)
3- friends of the project (2 hours to mint)
4- signup list (2 hours to mint)
5- public (if any remain)
***allowlists are cumulative, meaning if you miss your window, your spot will carry over into the next phase
mint proceeds will be initially vaulted into a gnosis safe and then deposited into the refund contract. Send and receive/redeem functionality will turn on shortly thereafter.

the shape of supply

this first set is finite - capped at 6,969. scarcity creates meaning. every redemption contracts supply.

but if mementos are going to live at the center of everything i build, the system can’t be closed forever. i don’t want this to become a gated club where only early holders can participate.

also, while mementos will be part of everything i do, it will not be the only financial mechanic to interact with me and my work. mementos is not a financial system. It is a creative system - a framework for exchange and engagement.

with time and growth, expansion will come - but never careless, and never at the expense of those who believed first. here are some paths i’m exploring for future expansion:

new tranches: capped waves, new mementos, new tokens, new redemption mechanics
burn-to-mint: growth requires destruction. nothing free, nothing infinite.
curves: bonding curve supply - always open, always scarce.
event-based unlocks: new supply tied to milestones, bodies of work, or irl events.

none of this is promised. it’s a toolkit. a way to let the system breathe if it needs to, without breaking its bones.

phase one is the root. every redemption makes it stronger. future phases may branch, but the foundation stays.

in closing

I’m humbled by the energy and enthusiasm stirring about this collection. I designed this to stand with you as we build together. I hope that is clear. We’re cutting a new path here.

a fairer flow of value. between us.

redeem to open.
redeem to discover.
redeem to build.
redeem to belong.
redeem to walk away.

each act cuts supply,
each burn sharpens what remains.
no hype. no roadmap.
just a cycle:
art into action.
value into circulation.
creation into return.

this is not just an edition mint.
it’s a structural shift.
from me, to you - and back again.

₥

[Modest @m0dest___]

sometimes art isn’t just art. sometimes it’s a lifeline.

today i’m releasing an edition that exists for something far beyond the work itself. a collector i know (you probably do too) is facing an unthinkable reality - trying to fund an emergency rescue of his son from a war-torn region.

he was about to liquidate pieces from his collection to make it happen. instead, i offered to help. and i hope you will too.

< beauty pageant winner > will be available to mint for 48 hours. proceeds will go directly toward helping reunite a son with his family and supporting a nonprofit aiding families impacted by conflict.

this isn’t about politics. it’s about people.
it’s about what we can do, together.

stand by

Ily
₥

[Modest @m0dest___]

to each of you who placed a bid on < Ţ𝖍͠𝒾͢𝓈 𝑰͡𝓈 𝖶𝐡̷𝖺͢𝓉 𝐼͟i𝓉 ͞ⱤɆ͢₥Ɇ₥ɓɆⱤȘ >

thank you.

this project was deeply personal. it came from a place between memory and machine, between grief and reconstruction. and seeing you respond to it - not just with your support, but with your attention and enthusiasm meant more than i can say.

your bid wasn’t just a gesture of interest. it was a sign: that this kind of work matters, that there’s space for art that asks more questions than it answers.

as a thank you, i’ve created a special edition just for you. something small but meaningful. link is below.

because in the end, this project isn’t just about what the machine remembers.
it’s about what we do.

with gratitude,
₥

***ps : i am trying to track down wallets for some of you - the way verse reports bidders is sometimes account name only. so, if you're not on the AL, reach out to me and i'll get you squared away.

[Verse @verse_works]

m0dest // @m0dest___
< this is what it remembers >
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