Steve Aoki x 3LAU Form Cryptopunk DJ Supergroup: PUNX

NFT champions and prolific electronic musicians Steve Aoki & 3Lau team up to form PUNX – a web3 CryptoPunk supergroup! The music NFT duo will use their CryptoPunk NFT PFPs to draw inspiration for the partnership. The Grammy-nominated Steve Aoki & chart-topping 3Lau are two of web3’s most prominent music NFT proponents and entrepreneurs. Read on to learn more about how this supergroup operates and how this is a special music NFT link up!

What Exactly Is PUNX?

On December 6th, both Steve Aoki and 3Lau announced via Twitter the formation of their supergroup PUNX. PUNX is an innovative audio-visual real-world-meets-metaverse supergroup. The conceptual music/art project confirms that it will sound completely different from either of the artists’ current sounds. On the Twitter thread, the duo announced that the project was also a result of their decade-old friendship. The supergroup aims to not only explore a range of new sounds and spaces, but also wants to incorporate a large portion of the web3 community into the building blocks of the project. The innovative move paves the way for an influx of brands, artists, and creators to follow in their footsteps. The supergroup works at the intersection of music and web3 to bring forth a new era for DJs and also a new sound palette for the iconic duo!

“Punx is a forward-thinking, conceptual musical art project with a nod to the music we love and the music that shaped who we are today.” Aoki stated in a press release. “Using our own CryptoPunks in the visual imagery is just the start of how we plan on bringing the incredible Web3 community into this project.”

Furthermore, 3Lau states “Over the last few years we’ve navigated the insane world of web3 together and have been wanting to combine our passion for music with that space in an even bigger way, and we’re doing that as PUNX. We can’t wait to share with the world a new sound and all of the crazy ideas we’ve been cooking up in the studio.”

PUNX is also an imminent culmination of both of the artists’ experiences in web3. 3Lau’s infamous “Ultraviolet” NFT collection released last year broke all records, amassing about $11 million in revenue. Steve Aoki has previously stated that he has made more money off of NFTs than his major record label deals. Moreover, 3Lau is also the founder of multi-million dollar NFT company Royal. With PUNX, Aoki and 3LAU are the first DJs to use the CryptoPunks IP following the updated CryptoPunks licensing agreement. The new agreement allows CryptoPunk holders to use their artwork to create derivative projects. PUNX pushes the boundaries of EDM sonically and in terms of pathbreaking digital possibilities.

More About The Announcement

Since the announcement went live, Steve Aoki changed his Twitter profile picture to CryptoPunk #6748. This is potentially the PFP that Aoki will use as his avatar and alter ego in the duo. #6748 rocks a purple cap and a burglar-esque eye mask. Aoki purchased Punk #6748 for 89.95 ETH or $147,000 earlier in September. 3LAU’s CryptoPunk is Punk #6708. The avatar has white hair and black sunglasses. 3LAU purchased the NFT back in March 2021 for 29.99 ETH (about $51,000).

There is a recent trend of EDM artists teaming up to form supergroups, and PUNX are a continuation of this phenomenon. Earlier this year, Deadmau5 also joined Kaskade to release music under the moniker KX5.