About the episode
Generative audiovisual artist DEAFBEEF joins Kevin to discuss how a childhood love of computer programming and the need to stay busy during the pandemic gave rise to his unique creative vision. DEAFBEEF addresses how the community has allowed him to evolve, why he created a series of NFTs that degrades with each wallet address change, and the plans to bring his work to the analog world.
About our guest

DEAFBEEF
DEAFBEEF is a generative audiovisual artist who pushes the limits of what can be created on the blockchain with nothing but a 10-year-old computer, a C compiler, and the human imagination.
Topics covered
Links from the episode
What Does “Dead Beef” Mean? | Stack Overflow
Macintosh Plus | Apple History
Commodore 64 – The Best Selling Computer In History | Commodore Computers
The Basics of BASIC, the Programming Language of the 1980s | The 8-Bit Guy
Forward 40: What Became of the LOGO Programming Language? | Wired
Generative Art and NFTs | ARTnews
Star Trek 1971 Text Game | CodeProject
Modular Synthesizer | Wikipedia
Coding Music from Scratch in C | 0 x DEAFBEEF
NFTs: Blockchain-Powered Art, Trading Cards, Music, and More with Aftab Hossain | Modern Finance 1
Series 0 – Synth Poems | DEAFBEEF
Wayback Machine | Internet Archive
CryptoPunks – The NFTs That Started It All. Their Origin Story and Future Plans | Modern Finance 5
Deafbeef Marketplace | OpenSea
Token ID: 13, Series 0 – Synth Poems | DEAFBEEF
Series 4 – Glitchbox | DEAFBEEF
Decentralized Auction Protocol | ZORA
Show notes
The purpose of featuring NFT artists on this show.[00:18]
Where did the name DEAFBEEF originate?[02:10]
When and how did DEAFBEEF get into programming?[03:58]
How the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic led to DEAFBEEF’s creation as an artist.[10:15]
How did DEAFBEEF tie what began as an artistic hobby to NFTs and blockchain?[14:02]
Finding the fine line between self-promoting and shilling.[18:10]
DEAFBEEF’s first series: Series 0 – Synth Poems.[18:58]
How did DEAFBEEF decide on his project’s visual aesthetic?[25:13]
How much time went into DEAFBEEF’s first project?[26:38]
DEAFBEEF’s favorite piece from Series 0 – Synth Poems.[27:44]
What DEAFBEEF considers more important than scarcity to the value of a piece.[31:39]
What happens over time as pieces from Series 3 – Entropy change hands?[34:31]
How often have these Series 3 pieces changed hands, and are the effects permanent?[36:12]
Thoughts on artist intention, social consensus, and what it means to “own” an NFT.[38:26]
DEAFBEEF is constantly surprised by the tweaks to his work that other people come up with.[42:53]
Who else in the NFT space captures DEAFBEEF’s attention at the moment?[43:32]
People mentioned
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