Cryptonite – When collecting art affects the climate

I’m not known for writing political songs, but this one is a rage against NFTs. Do you know about the ecological footprint of cryptocurrencies and blockchains?! There are many other ways to embrace art, but not of the expense of planet earth.

The lyrical idea for “Cryptonite” happened in 2021, when people talked about NFT art. I saw a documentation about a lake in the USA where the water is used for cooling a computer farm that is mostly used for mining. Soon I figured out that this is not the only case, where technology fuels global warming. We cannot imagine how much energy is consumed for computing blockchains. I had a blast writing the lyrics from the viewpoint of an obsessed collector. There are so many puns included.

“Cryptonite” dusted in my drawer until I bought my first electric guitar around August 2023. Unfortunately, my audio interface crashed, and right after my computer. After a couple of months, I finally found the patience to learn and record the song on my own guitar. This riff is so addictive and fun to play, but it took me months to learn.

I would like to thank my good ol’ friend Stefan, who rerecorded the lead guitars and contributed a solo. Thanks also to DJ Clark, who has that gritty punk rock voice that is needed for these lyrics. This song took a while to finish, but it’s been worth it! As usual, you can listen to the new song on all streaming platforms, including SoundCloud and Bandcamp.