Ed Balloon is a dynamic musician and creator who seamlessly bridges the worlds of music and art, forging a new genre that captivates audiences. Spearheading cultural representation and identity through his music and digital art, he is not only an artist in Web3 but also a community leader. Known for his innovative approach to music making and his unique blend of electronic, hip-hop, and R&B, Ed Balloon’s Run Ed collection combined generative sound and motion, showcasing his technical prowess while uplifting underrepresented artists.
Can you tell me about your journey to Web3? How did you get here?
So, let me tell you how I ended up in web3. It all started with COVID and we were trying to figure out what to do as musicians. See, I’m a musician first and foremost. Anyway, we were supposed to go on tour in 2020, but you know how it goes—COVID happened, and everything got canceled. So, in the meantime, I was working at this doctor’s office. Yeah, random, right? I mean, I was just trying to make some extra cash. By the way, I went to Brandeis, a college in Boston. Studied philosophy and even took some Chinese courses. My original plan was to work at the U.N., you know, all diplomatic and stuff. But then I switched gears and thought about becoming a lawyer. But deep down, I always had this love for music. So, after graduation, I found myself surrounded by all these lawyer types, doing their lawyer thing and flexing hard. I had to take a step back and ask myself, did I want to be a lawyer for the reputation or did I want to do something that truly made an impact and that I was passionate about?
Where did the name Ed Balloon come from?
So Ed balloon is actually a band. I am half of it. And then the other half is my band mate, Dave Chapman. But I am also Ed and the face of it. So I am actually Ed Balloon. It started with me and then became the band.
Why balloon, though?
It’s a weird thing. I’ve always had this obsession with balloons. To me, it symbolized this dude who just felt like I was always like fighting barriers. And then I just took it to the point of, like maybe it represents me, you know, trying to see myself as a balloon who has all these ideas all into one. And his goal is to always just float over these barriers and all these things that try to stop him from being his best self. So I was like, okay, let me just call myself that balloon and use it as my name.
What inspired you to create the Run Ed collection? In it, you are blending generative sound and motion with stop-motion, 2D and 3D animation, and music, right?
It’s like there’s this mix of animation and music going on, you know? That’s what really got me into it. The whole puppet thing has always been my jam. It’s like my signature as a web3 artist, you know? But the puppet is more than just a puppet to me. It’s a way for me to say all the things I wish I could say but feel like I have to filter. So when I discovered the web3 space, I was like, “This is perfect! I can use this puppet and let it speak its mind.” I did a few one-on-one pieces and the response was amazing. People really loved and respected the puppet. It was like a special kind of love, you know? And that got me thinking, like, why? Was it because the puppet represents a side of me that can say the things I can’t? When that love started pouring in for the puppet, it was hard for it not to touch me too, you know? At that point, I realized there was a genuine love for what the puppet represents.
Then I did my “Run Ed” collection and I was like, “What’s the deal? Where’s the love?” I mean, it could be for many reasons, but my main intention with the black puppet was to say, “Hey, this is a black puppet that embodies sassiness, but also black joy.” Sometimes we try to express ourselves and get shut down or dismissed. So I was like, “Fine, if you want to dismiss me, do it through this puppet and see how it shines. Let’s see it dance, let’s see it be bold.” I wanted that black puppet to get the recognition it deserves, you know? That’s always been my thing.
So when I approached the “One Ed” collection, I wanted to bring more to the table. It wasn’t just about showcasing the puppet. I mean, sure, I could have done the typical puppet stuff, but that’s not me. I’m more than just a one-dimensional artist. So I thought, “Okay, how about we have this puppet running? Running from web2 to web3, but also running towards a place where I don’t have to keep running. A place where I can just coach, you know?” I think that narrative resonates with many artists, especially artists of color. We’ve always felt like we have to run, you know? The running symbolizes struggle in a way, but it’s always with the goal of running towards something, running towards being. It’s like this euphoric destination we’re chasing.
My main intention with the black puppet was to say, “Hey, this is a black puppet that embodies sassiness, but also black joy.”
Ed Balloon
It’s inspiring that a percentage of the secondary sales from your collection went toward The Ed Balloon Generational Wealth Fund. Can you tell us more about this initiative and how it supports Black and underrepresented artists in Web3?
So, let me break it down for you. The whole idea behind the generational wealth fund came about when I wanted to do a big collection. I also wanted to fully fund my pilot, you know? But let’s be real, the market wasn’t as crazy as before. It’s not like back when we were all privileged and stuff, you know? It’s a bit more chill now, like around 3,000 or something. Anyway, I thought to myself, “Okay, I need to do a bigger collection. And we should really make sure we have this fund to buy art because, you know, when the bear market hits, ain’t nobody gonna buy our stuff.” Honestly, I was already seeing that nobody really cared about giving us visibility. So I was like, “If nobody’s gonna do it, maybe I can use my own money. I mean, I got a decent amount saved up from my indie circles and all that. Maybe I can be the hero of this space, you know? But hey, you can only do so much.”
So I dropped the collection, and unfortunately, it was on the same day as the eighth Oslo, which happened to be the day of the bear market. Talk about bad timing, right? But hey, we still managed to sell out the collection of a thousand and I was able to buy some pieces, though not as many as I wanted. I really wanted to come in like Santa Claus, flexing and showing everyone, “Hey, we’re here, we’re making moves!” I just felt like it needed to happen, you know? But things don’t always go as planned, you know? God works in mysterious ways and all that. So I ended up buying what I could and hoped that people would see that I’m trying to make things happen. Hopefully, it inspires others to come together and join the movement. That’s the goal, you know?
