The curse of the rofw is one that has been whispered about for generations. It is said to be a haunting affliction, one that takes hold of those who dare to speak its name. The origins of the curse are shrouded in mystery, with some claiming it comes from a long-lost tribe of ancient sorcerers, while others believe it to be a punishment from a vengeful god. Those who are unfortunate enough to fall victim to the rofw curse find themselves plagued by a series of misfortunes and tragedies. It starts slowly, with small incidents that can easily be dismissed as mere coincidence. However, as time goes on, the curse amplifies, causing more frequent and severe instances of bad luck.
Set in the Taiwanese countryside, the story centres around an ancient ritual called “The Rope Ritual”. It is believed that the spirit of a person that hang themselves can create a curse that will reside on the rope used, and the power of the curse will keep on growing the longer is left to its own devices. To prevent this from happening a special ritual must be performed, ending with the rope being buried at sea, making sure it never returns to harm anyone else.
The ghostly appearances are slightly too few and far between and after a strong start, seem almost completely forgotten during the middle of the film, regardless of the ample opportunities for the angry spirits make its move. It may be slightly lacking in the scare department but is nevertheless well paced and the two timelines present in the story play very well side by side.
However, as time goes on, the curse amplifies, causing more frequent and severe instances of bad luck. The curse is relentless, affecting every aspect of the victim's life. Their relationships crumble, their health deteriorates, and their financial stability evaporates.
The Music of Curse NFT
Among the many artistic disciplines Curse NFT seamlessly integrates —film, 3D photography, conceptual art, performance, the digital and the literary—it is easy to understate the role that music has played in the project. Curse NFT is so iconic that, if seen whilst scrolling through a Twitter timeline, one might assume the image is static—and silent.
Do not assume. It is neither.
We invite you to spend some time with Curse NFT in its compressed, non-4D version below . With the volume up . Up, up!
While the video cycles through its five presentations in one loop and one song, this is a simplified version of the NFT’s behaviour. As we have shared, Curse NFT is a 1/1 NFT; the first one to use Chainlink’s revolutionary Keepers oracle technology to respond to the changing price of Ethereum. When the price of ETH goes up for 1 and 2 days in a row, Curse NFT will display ‘positive’ 3D renderings (the runway and the flashing strobe lights). When the price of ETH decreases for 1 and 2 days in a row, the displays will be ‘negative’ (the votive candle and the Blade Runner -esque scene in the rain). Finally, when the price of ETH hits 20K, Krystall’s face will be displayed in its full blessed form, accompanied by an angelic chorus threaded through her own voice.
The music to accompany these transformations was integrated early into the process by Barrett Avner, the frontman of cult podcast Contain , and a visual artist and composer in his own right. Barrett is a classic rock guitarist, who has been obsessed with music —“mostly that by other people”— his whole life. It was once he began to think of music as part of a unifying structure that encompassed art and language that he finally began to make it: on the computer. “I used to use hardware, analog synths, etc., but I didn’t like the pastiche sounds they made. It is also very difficult to get the right sounds on them, because there are so many variables that affect the capacitance and component drift over time.” Now Barrett records guitar parts that he runs through Max MSP to create unique sounds which he stretches, loops, then bakes effects into.
The invitation to do the music for Curse NFT was extended to him in May, when Mónica and Charlie visited Contain , and it developed into his crafting one composition for four of Krystall’s five phases/faces. Under Charlie’s direction, Barrett started work before having an image —let alone four of them. The early steps of composition were thus narrative-based, trying to capture the descending and ascending moods the piece proposed.
Each of the four compositions was done in Ableton 11, as “it has a lot of very interesting granular effects that mimic tree-tones, earth frequencies. I run a lot of samples and guitars through these.” The two ‘negative’ images throw drums into the mix; while the ‘positive’ ones, “those that are time-stretched,” incorporate synths and samples Barrett froze, reprocessed and (re)crystallised, again and again, as if forging a sword.
The fifth and last image—the Blessed Vision of Krystall—was an intimate affair conducted by the model herself and her partner in music and life, Dan Smith, aka T.O.L.D. (The Order of Death and Life).
The project suited him, since T.O.L.D. is devotionally-inclined and known to use gospel choirs in his compositions. Within this one image, he sculpted rising and falling melodies that synthesized the affect of the previous four to convey the “glorious” character of the blessed variation. He directed Krystall to sing, and arranged the parts to the accompaniment of a favoured synth patch he likes to deploy for song climaxes. He also started composition before experiencing Curse NFT , and completed it while he had only seen the blessed form and not the fivefold suite in its entirety. This was not a problem: “I instantly heard the chord progressions and harmonies. There was almost no thought involved. I think I laid down the individual notes one by one on a piano, and then played them back and had Krystall sing them all, layering up about eight times for each note.” The effect is, indeed, glorious.
Curse NFT will be on auction at cursenft.com until Monday, September 13, at 5:00 PM CST.
It is as if the curse feeds off the misery it creates, growing stronger with each tear shed and each dream shattered. Many have tried to break the curse, seeking out the help of shamans, witches, and spiritual healers. But their efforts often prove futile as the curse seems to have a power of its own, defying all attempts at exorcism. It is as if the curse has a mind of its own, choosing when and how it will strike next. The tales of the rofw curse have become cautionary legends, passed down through generations as a warning to those who dare tempt fate. It serves as a reminder that there are forces in this world beyond our comprehension, forces that can turn our lives upside down with a single word. In the end, the rofw curse is a chilling reminder of the fragility of our existence. It reminds us that we are mere mortals, subject to the whims of the universe. And while we may never fully understand the curse or its origins, it is a stark reminder that there are forces at work in this world that we may never fully comprehend..
Reviews for "The Rofw Curse: Legendary Tales and Untold Stories"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I found "The Rofw Curse" to be quite disappointing. The plot felt disjointed and the pacing was all over the place. The characters lacked depth and their motivations were unclear. The writing style was also lacking in polish, making it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the story. Overall, it was a forgettable read for me.
2. Mark - 1 star - I couldn't get past the first few chapters of "The Rofw Curse". The writing was simply unbearable. The grammar and punctuation errors were so distracting that I couldn't focus on the story. The dialogue was also incredibly stiff and unrealistic. It felt like amateurish writing that hadn't gone through proper editing. I wish I hadn't wasted my time on this book.
3. Jennifer - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "The Rofw Curse" based on the intriguing synopsis, but unfortunately, it failed to deliver. The story started off promising, but quickly became convoluted and confusing. There were too many unnecessary subplots that only added to the confusion. The ending was also unsatisfying and left many loose ends. I was left feeling frustrated and disappointed.
4. David - 2 stars - "The Rofw Curse" had an interesting concept, but it fell flat in its execution. The world-building was underdeveloped and lacked depth. It was difficult to connect with the characters as they felt one-dimensional and lacked growth throughout the story. Additionally, the pacing was inconsistent, making it hard to stay engaged. Overall, the book had potential but didn't quite live up to it.
5. Emily - 1 star - I couldn't get past the first chapter of "The Rofw Curse". The writing was incredibly dull and lacked any spark of creativity. The characters were uninteresting, and the dialogue felt forced. The plot seemed predictable and lacked originality. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging and imaginative read.