GANGI

Originally posted at MTV O Awards on September 5, 2012:

New O Music Blog feature alert: There are tons of really innovative music crowdfunding campaigns out there — from massive efforts like Amanda Palmer’s million-dollar album to Spanish Prisoner’s humble “Vantasy” — and we think it’s about time we start regularly highlighting them. This week, we spoke with LA band GANGI, who in their quest to fund their next album created some pretty rad custom hardware — which can be yours if you choose to dig around in your pocket lint and fund their record.

In addition to being the founders of their very own record label — the Office of Analogue and Digital (OOAAD) — Matt Gangi and Eric Chramosta are also a couple of gearheads, building and modding custom equipment that they used when creating their first album as a duo, gesture is.

“We really got into electronics out of necessity,” Gangi says. “Just from fixing up our own equipment.” The musician started learning about fixing and modding gear via the Web, as well as Radio Shack’s electronics learning lab and visits to manufacturers like Jensen Transformers.

“They taught me a lot of the basics like soddering,” he says. “It’s crazy because in our generation they were talking about how not a lot of us know how to sodder or know basic electrical engineering and stuff, so they were happy to share that information.”

Using that knowledge, the guys created all kinds of custom gear that they used to record their album — preamps, compressors, etc — and which they’re now offering up as rewards for generous Kickstarter users who choose to fund gesture is.

Pledge $500 or more and Gangi will build you a Classic API preamp channel for your 500 series rack, $600 will get you a custom-built synth, and those who tack a couple of hundred more on there will get even more tricked-out gear. The band also offers mastering and mixing for those who pledge dollars on the lower end of the spectrum.

The rewards for this particular campaign stand out in that they appeal to DIYers and musicians — IE, Gangi’s peers. There’s a kind of back-and-forth here that’s not as evident in other crowdfunding efforts that cater to fans — campaigns that offer up signed posters and meet-and-greet deals. Yes, Gangi is obviously selling their music first and foremost, but they’re also serving a community of like-minded musicians (assuming anyone actually has the cash to purchase a custom synth).