Meet SMLDMS
SMLDMS’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in the world of techno music and the free party movement. In 1996, they discovered the underground scene and started DJing, soaking in the raw, collective, anti-system energy that would later shape their creative vision profoundly.
In 2000, a new chapter began when SMLDMS bought their first PC with the intent of making electronic music—yet it was a different software that became a life-changing revelation: Macromedia Flash. Through Flash, they discovered randomness, occurrences, iterations—concepts that echoed their techno roots of glitch, automation, and endless variation. Self-taught in digital creation, they built websites and interactive applications, always with sound and rhythm in mind.
By 2004, they had become a multimedia designer, later joining a team of multimedia evangelists and helping co-organize the first digital art festival in Toulouse in 2008. Diving into tools like Processing and Pure Data, they fell in love with generative art, creating scenographies where visuals and sound danced together through code.
Despite these creative pursuits, SMLDMS never fully embraced the title of "artist"—until NFTs changed the game. With the emergence of decentralized platforms like Rarible, AsyncArt, and FXhash, they found a new frontier where work, artist, and audience could connect without intermediaries. A pivotal moment came when NFT legend XCOPY collected their work and followed them on Twitter.
Having been into crypto since 2017 with a soft spot for Bitcoin, SMLDMS naturally gravitated toward Bitcoin Ordinals after hearing about the ability to inscribe generative works directly onto Bitcoin. Today, they proudly celebrate having some of their generative pieces among the first 100,000 Ordinals ever inscribed.
Systems, Glitches, and Emergence
When it comes to describing their artistic approach, SMLDMS emphasizes a deep commitment to randomness, glitch aesthetics, and creating 100% on-chain. They love when a piece emerges from a system, an algorithm, an internal logic—rather than a direct “human” gesture.
What fascinates them most is the moment when code births something alive, unique, and unpredictable. Lately, SMLDMS has been drawn especially to runtime art—artworks that continue evolving even after their creation. For them, authenticity lies in the delicate tension between structure and chaos, between code and emergence.
A Philosophical Stand
Releasing art using Bitcoin Ordinals wasn’t just a technical decision for SMLDMS—it was a philosophical choice. They see Bitcoin as a form of resistance, a system born from the ashes of a global economic crisis, fundamentally opposing inflationary policies and endless fiat printing.
The experience of inscribing art on Bitcoin differs profoundly from other blockchains. Here, “on-chain” means truly on-chain: no IPFS, no intermediaries, no risk of vanishing files. By inscribing their art directly into Bitcoin’s immutable protocol, SMLDMS gives their creations a sense of permanence and pays tribute to the mother of all cryptocurrencies. Some of their works even integrate Bitcoin’s data into their internal logic, forging a profound connection between medium and message.
Acid Bitcoin
Among their many creations, Acid Bitcoin holds a particularly special place for SMLDMS. It encapsulates their passions: techno, glitch, real-time systems, and the living essence of Bitcoin itself.
Described as an "on-chain rave," Acid Bitcoin is a generative audiovisual experience where every Bitcoin block transforms into a raw, acid-drenched, strobe-soaked techno set. Live-generated music using Tone.js pulls parameters directly from block data—the hash becomes the kick drum, transaction fees drive the distortion, block height modulates the vibe, and fees set the BPM, ranging from 118 to 160.
Each block creates a deterministic rave—load the same block, and you experience the same track and visuals. Visually, SMLDMS leans into glitch aesthetics: CRT scanlines, reactive waveform masks, strobing "BLOCK #" text, and a chaotic monochromatic style that echoes the raw energy of warehouse parties.
Interactive by design, users can scroll through block history or let the rave unfold naturally. In their words, "The Bitcoin network becomes the DJ, evolving the experience block by block." It’s raw, immersive, and forever inscribed.
An Unexpected Shift
Interestingly, despite their mastery of the digital realm, SMLDMS did not come from a traditional art background. No classical training in painting or drawing; their creative beginnings were entirely digital, rooted in self-learning and passion. They did, however, earn a Master’s degree in digital creation while working as a graphic designer, always focusing on code, visuals, and interactivity.
Recently, SMLDMS began exploring pottery—specifically, crypto-inspired pottery. Sculpting Bitcoin logos into clay, firing pieces in kilns—it’s a radically slower, more grounded form of creation. Yet, this hands-on work complements their digital practice by reconnecting them with materiality, touch, and the beautiful unpredictability of physical processes.
Letting Go
Reflecting on their personal growth, SMLDMS shares how deeply their artistic journey has transformed them beyond their creative work. Generative art and coding taught them to embrace randomness and release control—lessons that have bled into their personal life.
Digital art, especially paired with the slow rhythm of pottery, instilled discipline, experimentation, and patience. Moreover, their engagement with NFTs and Bitcoin opened paths toward independence and community, encouraging them to stand by their choices without waiting for validation from traditional art institutions.
For SMLDMS, creating art has become a way of inhabiting the world differently—a deeply personal form of evolution.
Born from Sound and Error
When asked about their artistic influences, SMLDMS doesn’t point solely to visual art but also to the powerful, chaotic world of music. Free parties, stroboscopic lights, DIY visuals, and the beautiful distortions of VHS tapes formed the raw canvas of their teenage imagination.
Among the artists who left a deep mark: Aphex Twin, for his violent yet subtle sonic worlds; Ryoji Ikeda, for his precision; David Lynch, for his experimental Flash works; and Trent Reznor, for his ever-evolving creative spirit.
SMLDMS doesn’t overthink the balance between influence and originality. Instead, they operate in "absorption mode," pulling from everywhere—music, code, architecture, nature, interfaces—and remixing it all through their multidisciplinary lens.
New Dimensions
Navigating the fast-moving world of digital art and crypto is not without its challenges. For SMLDMS, constant adaptation—learning new tools, enduring bugs, overcoming failures—has been essential.
Bitcoin taught them new dimensions of patience and long-term thinking. Though they humbly admit to struggling with promotion and community building, they recognize that even these difficulties are part of the larger growth journey.
Runtime Art
Looking ahead, SMLDMS has clear aspirations: to focus entirely on 100% on-chain runtime art—living, evolving works that change in real time with the Bitcoin blockchain.
They’re currently developing a minimalist graphic collection where visuals evolve with every new Bitcoin block—sober, dynamic, and meditative, honoring both transformation and Bitcoin’s structural elegance.
Alongside this, SMLDMS is crafting a generative remix project centered on the 10,000 Bitcoin Punks inscriptions, bridging collective memory with the future of living on-chain art.
Words of Wisdom for Emerging Digital Artists
For aspiring digital artists, SMLDMS offers simple but profound advice:
"Keep learning. Understand on-chain, mess up, try again.
Don’t chase trends — build your world.
Forget the algos. Do it for you.
And above all: be patient. What lasts takes time."
