Frequently Asked Questions

The idea for this collection was born from an awe of the beauty in the code of life.  We hope this project helps to raise awareness that even a virus capable of inflicting such misery is fundamentally based on the same code as every living thing on earth.  We thought it would be interesting to take this code and make it play music.  We hope you find it as haunting, interesting and provocative as we do.

Please see our short video: ViroMusic - How It's Made

The melody in each song is made using the genetic code of the Coronavirus.  Each note you hear is one codon in the RNA of the virus (a codon is three letters of RNA).  Not a single note has been altered - it's a direct musical representation of the viral code.

Other instruments are added to the songs as an accompaniment,  including cello, guitar, drums and synthesizer.

There are definitely gems hidden within this collection, as some NFTs will sound more musical than others.  As they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.  Choose a song that really speaks to you personally!

The pictures are called "ribbon diagrams".  They're used to show what a protein actually looks like.  Since the melody in each song is derived from a particular gene in the virus, the picture represents the protein which the gene codes for (makes).  The diagrams are all made by a program called "D-I-TASSER" at the Zhang Lab, and are used by permission

Yes, after purchase, you will receive a 24-bit WAV file of the song in the "unlockable content" section on rarible.com

RNA is an older cousin of DNA, and they are interchangeable when analyzing the code.  In fact, typically the RNA in the virus is converted into DNA when using a sequencer.

The description section in the NFT contains all the information you need:

- The position and length within the viral genome

- The codon-to-note assignment used in the song

- The particular gene which corresponds to the code used in the song

- A description of what this gene is used for in the virus

The cello parts were played by Yoed Nir.  His credits as a cellist and string arranger include Regina Spektor, Judy Collins and Interpol's Paul Banks.

Drums were recorded by Chuck Sabo, who's recorded on albums by Elton John, XTC, OMD, Natalie Imbruglia and many others.

The guitar parts were recorded by Bryan Kelley.  His credits include playing with Scott Mercado (Candlebox), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), and members of Queensryche and Alice in Chains, with additional help on guitar solos by Paul Strolia.

The bass was recorded by DavidBassy who's credits include Beyonce, Khalid, Selena Gomez and may others

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token.  In plain language, It's a way to buy something that gives you undisputable proof that you really own it.  Once you buy an NFT, there's a permanent record of that sale that gets written to the blockchain (a global ledger of sorts).  So while other people may be able to view your NFT, only you are the true owner.

Viromusic is an initial sale (drop).  When you purchase an NFT, it will be minted on the spot and you will receive your own ERC-721 token with full provenance.

Viromusic NFTs are ERC-721 tokens and carry all the benefits of this type of token, such as full provenance and trading ability on the secondary market.  The contract used is based on Open Zeppelin.