Five Kickstarter Projects You Should Support, and Why

You're probably aware of Kickstarter. It's a popular crowdfunding website which has been used to fund all sorts of creative projects, from vinyl album releases to lock-picking tools. One of the downsides to the rampant success of Kickstarter is that with every other creative type trying to use the site to fund a project, it can be difficult to decide which projects to support. I've taken the hassle out of this decision making process, and hand picked five projects which deserve at least your consideration, and possibly your money.

“So, How Did All The Damn Scientists Die?” by Scott Bateman

This is a 24-page minicomic depicting fictional causes of death for 22 famous scientists. Presented as an homage to Edward Gorey (possibly best known as the man whose handwriting was converted into a typeface by MC Frontalot), you can get hold of an autographed copy of the minicomic for a measly donation of $5. At that price, this creative nugget of nerdery is well worth a look.

Funding status: Successfully funded (but more can't hurt!)

Time remaining: 3 days (hurry!)

Europe OR Bust! - Random & K-Murdock @ The London Anime Con

Random, also known as Mega Ran, has emerged as one of the most talented and prolific nerdcore rappers of recent years, and has earned a lot of love from the community as a result. This level of support gave him the confidence to quit his job as a teacher a few weeks ago. The least we, as fans, can do is support his efforts as he begins his quest to make a living doing what he loves most. After his successful 2010 Kickstarter campaign with K-Murdock (the ultra-talented Panacea beat-maker and Random's collaborator on the Forever Famicom album), they're back at it, this time looking for funds to make their way across the Atlantic to perform for the first time in front of UK audiences. Check out the Kickstarter project, and have a listen to Ran's latest release, the TeacherRapperHero 2 Mixtape, which I also highly recommend (expect a review in the near future).

Funding status: Successfully funded (but I'm sure their budget has room for expansion!)

Time remaining: 7 days

The Magic Comic Book: Teaching Magic In A Comic Book Format

OK, I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for magic tricks. I had to include this project to create a 20 page minicomic (the last minicomic in the list – I promise!) teaching the techniques behind easy magic tricks in an original and engaging way. Whilst the video on the Kickstarter page didn't include a single magic trick (a heinous oversight), creator and amateur magician Matthew Martin won me over with the clear motivation behind the project. He's not doing this to make money (he's giving the publishing rights away for $75, for frig's sake!); he's doing it to engage kids with a hobby he finds fascinating. I know that I would have loved something like this as a child (and as an adult!), so whether you know a kid with an interest in magic, or you never lost your fascination with the art, help this worthy project see fruition. Do it for the children!

Funding status: Nearly there! ($15 more needed at time of writing, but as more is pledged his plans for the book are expanding!)

Time remaining: 21 days

Relatively Prime: Stories from the Mathematical Domain

Any mathematician (myself included) appreciates the delight and wonder to be found in the subject. Unfortunately, these aspects are often overlooked by the general public, whose opinions are tainted by memories of classroom boredom. Whether you are already familiar with the more beautiful side of mathematics, or struggle to stay awake when you hear it mentioned, you should see the value in the collection of audio-stories Samuel Hansen is proposing. As a mathematician, I feel that it's very important that projects like this are allowed to flourish, so that they might one day inspire the next Gauss or Euler to follow a mathematical path (as well as for my own entertainment!). I can promise the non-mathematicians among you that once Samuel Hansen has begun to draw back the curtain currently obscuring the glorious panorama of mathematics from your sight, you'll be glad that you gave him the opportunity to do so.

Funding status: A few more thousand dollars needed (so get pledging!)

Time remaining: 50 days

Time Hammer! (The HTML5 Game)

We all know that browser-based flash games can be fun, and it's clear that the future of this mode of gaming lies in HTML5. It's a young technology, but one which has shown great promise in the projects already starting to surface in our browsers. HTML5 is the future, and Time Hammer is laying claim to the title of the first full-featured, plot-driven HTML5 based game. Combining this trailblazing approach to game development with a strongly rooted retro aesthetic, it looks like it's going to be a fun game. However, the biggest reason to support this project is that as well as creating a game, Torgie Madison and Christopher Flanagan are creating an HTML5 based game engine, on which other developers can build the next generation of browser-based games. On top of that, the whole thing will be open-source. This project has real potential to catalyse the evolution of this medium of gaming. By supporting Time Hammer, you're not just supporting an open-source game and game engine – you're investing in the future of your own procrastination!

Funding status: A way to go yet (but there's plenty of time left)

Time remaining: 54 days

Keep an eye out for my forthcoming review of Mega Ran's new mixtape, and in the meantime let me know if any of the above projects has piqued your interest!

Review: Tuesday by Benjamin Bear

Benjamin Bear is a prolific artist whose musical presence has been making the internet that little bit more interesting for a number of years now. Although best known for his talent for rap, he has consistently demonstrated that he has both the inclination and the skills to express himself through a variety of different vocal styles. This versatility is well represented on Tuesday, his latest release. Predominantly a rap album, Benjamin Bear balances more traditional hip-hop sounds with occasional emotionally sung choruses (from B Bear himself on Dead Planet, and with a strong guest appearance from Marc with a C on the intensely personal Broken Windows), and a rock-infused attitude on Here, You Can Have This Back (featuring Betty Rebel and Schaffer the Darklord). The coherence of such contrasting tracks, and the differing styles of their collaborators, are a testament to the broad appeal of this album.

I'm sure it's clear by now that this is a collaboration-heavy album; eight of Tuesday's twelve tracks feature guest vocalists. This adds to the diversity of sounds provided, keeping the listening experience fresh throughout, and provides some of my favourite parts of the album. The Wordburglar's fun flow is well delivered on the appropriately titled Special Delivery, whilst YTCracker's love of all things scientific provides a powerful catalyst in the interaction between his and Bear's respective styles in Everyday Science You Can Do At Home. If there is a weakness to this album, it is that due to the variety on offer, you may not find every track to your liking. By the same token, however, most listeners will find something to their satisfaction.

Lyrically, Benjamin Bear doesn't disappoint. The more personal narratives presented are done so sincerely, and create an atmosphere which seemingly brings the listener closer than many artists can manage. Those lyrics that deal with less serious concerns are delivered with obvious thought and maintain a decent level of complexity without ever becoming a chore to follow. B Bear knows his audience, and provides his take on one of the hottest and most enduring topics in this community in About This Whole Nerd Music Thing. This combination of self-awareness and consideration of the listener is refreshing, and represents a significant part of this album's appeal.

Featuring Benjamin Bear at his best, Tuesday is indicative of years of persistence paying off, and it is well worth a listen. You can download the album for free from benjaminbear.net, and at that price I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Review: Cold Winter by The ThoughtCriminals

Followers of nerdcore should recognise the name of the ThoughtCriminals. A collaboration on Random's highly lauded Black Materia album and a track on the first Nerdcore Now compilation are but two signs of their whole-hearted participation in today's nerdcore community. If such guest appearances are your only experiences of this band, however, you are missing out on some of the most interesting and compelling music on offer in this scene, as listeners to Cold Winter, their latest release, will attest.

An atmospheric sound pervades this album, the band's tight instrumental and vocal efforts augmented by often subtle touches added by producer (and rapper) Mikal kHill. This level of atmosphere complements the vocal efforts of kHill and Sulfur, the group's other primary vocalist, which deliver emotion at a level suiting their lyrics. These lyrics are reminiscent of Random's in that they manage to deliver on thoughtful and personal levels as well as appealing to the nerds (and, in particular, the gamers) in the listeners. Combined with satisfyingly skilful flow, the result pleases the ears in ways both familiar and less familiar to fans of good rap music.

True to their habit of sharing the love amongst their fellow nerdcore artists, Cold Winter plays host to verses from five visiting luminaries of the genre. The first such guest of the album, Stevie D of the Illbotz, rounds off Return of the Antagonist well with a style melding nicely with those of the regular vocalists. Later on the album we are reminded of nerdcore legend Beefy's versatility as he delivers strongly on the personal-feeling Our Time. Following this, and closing the album, comes Earthbound – a strong closing track if ever I heard one, boasting the talents of Adam WarRock and the (twice) already mentioned Random. My favourite collaboration of the album, however, is delivered in the form of All the Coins, a great song made greater by the mature flow of Dual Core's Int80.

With no weak tracks, the only conclusion can be that this is one of 2011's strongest nerdcore releases so far. The clear and continuous respect afforded the ThoughtCriminals by more established favourites of the genre is justified by the consistent standard of this album. The group's somewhat raw sound is both an endearing feature of their music and an encouraging sign that further growth can be expected in their future releases. Now, on the back of this release and on the cusp of surely ever-better releases to come, is a perfect time to expand your knowledge of the ThoughtCriminals. And with this album's 'pay what you want' pricing model, what excuse do you have not to?