Areiacreations is a popular channel on Youtube, where thousands of people have been enjoying Jun's musical works. Jun has moved to South Korea three years ago, in order to pursue his dream of pop music production and be part of the constantly expanding kpop revolution - the Hallyu wave! This action has inspired his fans to be passionate and believe in their dreams!

Despite the success of his Youtube channel, Jun has been always offering his "areia remix" works for free and he wants to continue doing so. In order to maintain a stable living, he has been working as a songwriter, audio engineer and music producer for upcoming international artists and he was recently given the chance to work on his first official Korean pop song!

Jun is hoping> to upgrade his studio as well as his areia remix brand, something that will help him making the next step in his career which is becoming established in doing what he loves the most: making music that people can connect to and help them escape the everyday and feel unique and special! In order to assist this effort, he brings together several talented artists for the production of "Silicone Princess", an original album that features Jun's sound that everybody has been enjoying for the past 3 years!

Quick navigation: 

• The perks - What you will be getting
• The budget
• Silicone Princess
• Who is Areia?
• The Time is Now!
• Frequently Asked Questions

* UPDATE * KPOP Idols that officially support this campaign!

Before you choose your perks check out the following extras you will receive from kpop idols that are personally supporting this campaign!

Andamiro: The first 20 "Areia Super Fan" and "Producer of Silicone Princess" claimers will get their Hypnotize CDs also signed by Andamiro herself personalized with your name! These CDs are the only ones signed by both and limited to this campaign! (4/20 remaining)

The first 40 "Hypnotized Princess Remixed", "Areia Super Fan" and "Producer of Silicone Princess" claimers will also get Andamiro's first single "Malgo"! (18/40 remaining)

CHICHI: The first 100 people that will get "Korea Suvenir Pack", "Hypnotized Princess" or "Hypnotized Princess Remixed" will also receive CHICHI's Love Is Energy CD Single along with their copy of Hypnotize (50/100 remaining)
The first 20 "Areia Super Fan" and "Producer of Silicone Princess" claimers will receive CHI-CHI's "Love Is Energy" single signed by CHI CHI and personalized with your name! (4/20 remaining)

* CHI-CHI's Love Is Energy CD Single was a digital only release and there is no commercial version ever printed! This means you will not be able to purchase it anywhere else and these are actually the last bunch of the few limited version CDs ever printed!

Tiny-G Mint: All the extras offered from this idol are now taken and will be sent to the ones that contributed accordingly. Thank you very much!

$5 Everybody counts 

Starting with this perk and applied to every other perk offered, your name will be mentioned on a special thanks page I will be adding to my website. Most importantly though I will be making a large frame that I will put in the entrance of my studio. Within this frame I will add the names of each of you as well as your pictures in case you wish so (you will be contacted at the end of the campaign). This collage of pictures and names will be accompanied with a description of this project and how important it was at its time. I will keep that frame in my studio throughout my career, no matter how big or established I will ever get, in order for everybody coming in, from managers and other producers to famous artists and idols, to know that it was YOU that made this possible and your trust in me back then (now) is the reason that all this happened.

In addition as I will have your emails/addresses, I will keep in contact with each of you (don't worry I won't spam you or stalk you!) and if I ever make it into the "big" money working with your most favourite idols, I will make sure you will get some huge surprises at your post some random morning! I'm a fanboy myself and I know exactly how ultimately happy is to have something special from your favourite bias!

$15 Princess  

1. You will receive the online version of the "Silicone Princess" album in loseless and MP3 formats along with its digital booklet
2. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall

$25 Love Message From Korea

Surprise your loved one, family or friends with this exceptional Christmas present! I will write your personal message on a Love Lock or Love Tile and put on Namsan Tower in central Seoul! Then I will take a picture that you can show as a present! This way you will also have your own little thing in Korea waiting for your visit! ^^

You can chose either a lock or a tile. All the tiles and locks will be on place after the end of this campaign and not later than the 15th of December so you can show this picture to somebody as a little extra Christmas present! Your message is going to be readable on the picture and it will be obvious that it's in Korea by the surroundings.

Even if you are not doing this for somebody else, you can write up your little story on the message, like the support for your favourite idol!

Namsan Tower (or Seoul Tower) is located at the geographical center of Seoul and except the great view it offers two great places to express your love! The area sourounding the tower is covered by thousands of locks put there by people that wanted to have their message shown or express their love. Your message should be a rather short one, something that would fit on an average sized lock. Then your lock will be locked among the rest. Along with its exact location, I will be keeping the key for you and if you come to Korea you can visit areiacreations and I will hand you the key :) 

The love tiles are located inside the tower and are attached on its central walls in almost every floor. Your message can be larger compared to the lock and you can actually send me a picture that I will print and stick on the tile! Then your tile will be attached on the wall :)

What you will get

1. I will take two pictures of your lock or tile after they are attached and I will email them to you along with its relevant location so you can find it in case you are visiting Korea!
2. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall

$30 Silicone Princess*

1. You will receive a limited signed hard copy of the  "Silicone Princess" album along with its multipage color booklet
2. You will receive the online version of the "Silicone Princess" album in loseless and MP3 formats along with its digital booklet
3. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall

$50 Korea Souvenir Pack

1. You will receive a pack from Korea with a collection of Kpop and Korean culture related items, from cute stationary and cosmetics to kpop idol socks!
2. You will receive the online version of the "Silicone Princess" album in loseless and MP3 formats along with its digital booklet
3. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall
4. LIMITED EXTRA You will receive a hard copy of CHI-CHI's Love Is Energy single (56 left!)

$60 Hypnotized Princess

1. You will receive a signed by me hard copy of Andamiro's Hypnotize mini-album which features my first official kpop production!
2. You will receive a limited signed hard copy of the  "Silicone Princess" album along with its multipage color booklet!
3. Your name will be in the special thanks section printed on Silicone Princess CD!
4. You will receive the online version of the "Silicone Princess" album in loseless and MP3 formats along with its digital booklet!
5. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall!
6. LIMITED EXTRA You will receive a hard copy of CHI-CHI's Love Is Energy single (50 left!)

* You will be receiving two packs! Silicone Princess will be sent in May but the rest of the items will be sent to you way ahead this December!

$100 Hypnotized Princess Remixed

1. You will receive a signed by me CDR that contains the areia remix of your choice, along with its original CD! 
2. You will receive a signed by me hard copy of Andamiro's Hypnotize mini-album which features my first official kpop production!
3. You will receive a limited signed hard copy of the  "Silicone Princess" album along with its multipage color booklet!
4. Your name will be in the special thanks section printed on Silicone Princess CD!
5. You will receive the online version of the "Silicone Princess" album in loseless and MP3 formats along with its digital booklet!
6. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall!
7. LIMITED EXTRA You will receive a hard copy of CHI-CHI's Love Is Energy single! (50 left!)
8. LIMITED EXTRA You will receive Andamiro's first single CD "Malgo" (19 left!)

* You will be receiving two packs! Silicone Princess will be sent in May but the rest of the items will be sent to you way ahead this December!

$125 Areia Remix Co-Producer

As areiacreations and areiaremix grow, this is the final chance to pick a song directly for remixing! You will be able to chat online via Skype and affect the final product using desktop webcasts from areiacreations studios or via multiple updates like a Soundcloud stream. Then the remix will be released normally on areiacreations channel, with your name being on the video as "Executive Producer".

After you agree with Jun on which kpop song to remix (January), you will set up a way to work together: either a direct one if you are available (where you can directly watch what Jun is doing and able to tell him if you like what you are hearing) or an indirect one where Jun will keep you updated with soundcloud streams, where you can leave your comments and shape the remix in that way.

No production experience or software needed! Jun will guide you through the whole process!

What you will get

1. You will be the executive producer for an areia remix which you picked the song
2. You will have the chance to work directly or indirectly with Jun and shape the remix
3. You will be fully credited as "Executive Producer" on the video released on areiacreations Youtube channel
4. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall!

$200 Silicone Princess Producer

1. You will be the executive producer on one song of Silicone Princess! Along its production you will be presented with several drafts of the song, its lyrics and the recordings throughout all the production phases and you will be able to give your direct input that will determine the final outcome.
2. You will be fully credited as "Executive Producer" on Silicone Princess CD and the website.
3. You will receive a signed by me hard copy of Andamiro's Hypnotize mini-album which features my first official kpop production!
4. You will receive a limited signed hard copy of the  "Silicone Princess" album along with its multipage color booklet!
5. Your name will be in the special thanks section printed on Silicone Princess CD!
6. You will receive the online version of the "Silicone Princess" album in loseless and MP3 formats along with its digital booklet!
7. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall!
8. LIMITED EXTRA Your Hypnotize ablum will be signed by Andamiro herself with your name! (4 left!)
9. LIMITED EXTRA You will receive a hard copy of CHI-CHI's Love Is Energy single which will be signed by CHI-CHI themselves to your name! (4 left!)
10. LIMITED EXTRA You will receive Andamiro's first single CD "Malgo" (19 left!)

* You will be receiving two packs! Silicone Princess will be sent in May but the rest of the items will be sent to you way ahead this December!

$350 Areia Super Fan

1. For the next two years (ending 31 Dec 2014) you will be receiving a signed (at least by me) copy of every production I am involved in, from international artists to kpop idols, no matter how famous they are. In case of a digital-only release, you will receive a signed by me CDR with the release!
2. You will receive a signed by me hard copy of Andamiro's Hypnotize mini-album which features my first official kpop production!
3. You will receive a limited signed hard copy of the  "Silicone Princess" album along with its multipage color booklet!
4. Your name will be in the special thanks section printed on Silicone Princess CD!
5. You will receive the online version of the "Silicone Princess" album in loseless and MP3 formats along with its digital booklet!
6. You will get mentioned on my website and my studio wall!
7. LIMITED EXTRA Your Hypnotize ablum will be signed by Andamiro herself with your name! (4 left!)
8. LIMITED EXTRA You will receive a hard copy of CHI-CHI's Love Is Energy single which will be signed by CHI-CHI themselves to your name! (4 left!)
9. LIMITED EXTRA You will receive Andamiro's first single CD "Malgo" (19 left!)

* You will be receiving two packs! Silicone Princess will be sent in May but the rest of the items will be sent to you way ahead this December!

 $500 Remix Production

Are you an artist and looking into ways to spice up your next release? Or perhaps you are just thinking a way to push your already released song with an extra remixed version? Our more than 100 loved remixes prove that we know how to do this. Your song will be taken care at the highest standards!

If you chose to release the remix commercially we will only keep 5% of the royalties, leaving you with 95%!

Except that you will be getting Silicone Princess, Hypnotize, Love Is Energy and Malgo CDs.

 $1000 Song Production

Are you an artist yourself or their representative? You have been experimenting with demos but never had the chance of a full-scale production? You are dreaming of a great quality release? We have the skills and experience to make your dream reality! From lyrics to recording, to composing, arranging and mixing, we will fully write and produce your song!

If you have some great song idea already we will pick it up from there and make it reality. If you can't be in Korea yourself to record, you can record at a local studio with our guidance. If this is your first release we will also help you to release it!

Even if you have just started or you are a mid-range artist, we will make sure your next song will be a hit! If you chose to release the song commercially, we will only keep 10% of the royalties for this production, leaving you with the rest 90%!

Except that you will be getting Silicone Princess, Hypnotize, Love Is Energy and Malgo CDs.

Silicone Princess

Who is this Princess?

Since the first days of areiacreations on Youtube there has been a strong interest for releasing my own musical works that aren't bound to following another song's arrangement. Since then I have written and worked on several songs for other artists released through Warner Music and other labels but none under my own name.

Silicone Princess is an effort for the production of a quality 8-song album that will bring together the sounds that everybody loved through areia remixes but featuring original songs sung by me and other artists. The album will move through a variety of genres, from electronic dance and pop music down to softer songs with acoustic elements.

How the music will be like?

I'll personally write, arrange and engineer every song in the album, while actively getting feedback from other parties. In fact I've already writen a number of songs, some of them presented in this preview video released about 2 years ago. Despite the very warm feedback on that preview, I am pretty sure that with the gained experience the target quality can be even higher and I'll be aiming for a more pop-compatible sound, while of course retaining some main "areia" elements.

Who else is involved?

Except from the songs that I will be singing, I have already presented you in the video the female Korean vocalist Minjoo. Tony is a talented vocalist and dancer with extensive training. Julian Lim is a promising artist from Singapore and I have met him during his training days here in Korea. There are also several indie artists that I will first have to build the studio and work with them so I can make sure they fit for the purposes of the album.

What will I get?

The online version will be in both high quality WAV and 320K MP3 format and will be received by all contributors from the "Princess" perk and above. The physical versions I'll be sending to you through this campaign will be limited to the number of contributors and signed personally to you. They will be "limited" version and they will include a multi-page coloured booklet.

When will I get it?

The recording and production will start in December with the targeted release date being slightly before summer, around mid-May. You will be kept updated about the progress throughout the next few months via numerous videos released on my Youtube channel featuring the production process and the artists recording live. The digital downloads will be available first and the CDs will be posted immediately as soon as the manufacturing process is complete.

The Budget

During the past many months I've been running the numbers in order to find the right recipe to make this possible. All numbers presented below are given after extensive research for a realistic purchase at minimal cost. All purchases (except if items unavailable) will have to be made within South Korea as importing from abroad implies international shipping and a 20% customs fee which put together is more than the amount saved.

The following setup has been established based on real experience working with such equipment and it is tweaked to fit the minimum requirements for music production at a professional level. Any specific brand and model choices were made out of preference or familiarity with the product and they might be replaced with a similar item from another brand if found to fit the setup better.

I want to be as transparent as possible on how the funds will be spent. For that reason I have created a new Youtube channel called "areiastudio". During the progress of this campaign and the upgrade of the studio I will be posting several videos with me building up the studio, purchasing and installing all the equipment, recording the artists, producing Silicone Princess as well as other videos that associate with the studio.

Physical products manufacturing and shipping cost: $2500
(Approximate cost based on 300 CDs of "Silicone Princess" with multi-page booklets, manufactured in Korea and shipped internationally. Price also includes the expected shipping and purchase cost of Andamiro's Hypnotize CDs. Shipping from Korea is particularly expensive and thus is calculated in the budget)

Studio Room Deposit: $2000 (out of $5000)
(For a 20sqm or smaller studio room in the cheap part of eastern Seoul with a $300~$500/month rent. A fair deposit requires around $5000 from which $3000 are already saved for this purpose. Any overfunding goes here in order to raise the number of available rooms and lower the monthly rent significantly)

XEON based Workstation Computer: $3000
(2x intel Xeon E5-2620 @ 2.0Ghz CPU, Asus Z9PE-D8 M/B, 32GB Memory, 256GB SSD HD, 2x 2TB Sata III HD, OSX operating system. Custom-build.)

Audio Equipment and Software: $3000
(Yamaha HS-50M monitor speakers, Se2200a II recording microphone, Avid MBOX3 Pro audio interface, Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro monitoring headphones, Audiotechnica ATH-M50s recording monitor headphones, Behringer Analog Mixer/Console, Avid Pro Tools 10 software, Midi Controller/Keyboard)

Additional studio setup: $2000
(studio suitable desk, sofa and other furniture, 27' computer monitor, audio insulation and acoustic foam, audio cables, other smaller necessities)

Campaign fees: $1500
(Rough estimate based on the assumption that the $14,000 target will be reached. The fees are as follows: Indiegogo 4%, paypal and credit card clearance 3.9%, currency exchange 2.7%)

Overfunding ($14,000+)
Any extra funds will be added to the studio's room deposit money and allow for an extra upgrade on the equipment (most notably the microphone and the audio interface).

Areia Who?

My name is Jun Areia and I'm a songwriter, audio engineer and music producer based in Seoul, South Korea. I was born in Corfu, Greece and have studied Audio Technology as well as Video Games Development in UK.

I moved to Korea three years ago with plans to work as a video games programmer but my creative mind had other plans for me. I'm currently working with Warner Music, several independent international artists as well as making songs for the Korean Pop music industry.

My musical adventures have started when as a child I would annoy my sisters that were trying to sleep in the room, since the only way I would fall asleep was to sing melodies for hours every night. In my little fantasy world, I was some kind of famous idol and I was performing, often new songs that I would make up from my mind in a random language. As I was growing up those melodies became compositions that would be later carried to my first production attempts back in 1997. I would call myself Areia and my "company" Areiacreations.

While DJing at various clubs and events around the island of Corfu, I have released six albums as an indie artist between 1999~2003. Despite the early success though, back then I have given up my dreams of being a musician since my surroundings would emphasize how unworthy and unstable such a job would be. Indeed I've left my fears take control and I didn't believe in my music or my position in it as a professional. Instead I headed into a more "stable" field, that of Computer Science.

Areia Remix!

While a university student I would open my music software and compose something new, "secretly" from myself. It was my little guilt. Pretty much like that extra large cup of chocolate ice-cream. I should have been studying but instead there I was making music. I have managed to excel in my Games Developement class but my creative mind has already started a revolution that would change my life completely. All the musical knowledge was there since my teenage years, my first degree and my previous production experience. During those days I also started getting familiar with Korea, its culture and its music. I couldn't help it but starting to experiment with changing Korean Pop songs.

You see, I really loved the idols and all those images in the music videos, but the music for my "western" standards was kind of "soft". Some random day I have started crafting new beats and sounds that fit the original songs as well as syncing the remixes on the music videos so I could enjoy a more "intense" experience. Because of my past experiences I was afraid that my hard disk might crash and I would lose all that data so I've uploaded those videos on Youtube in order to preserve them. What would follow... I could never imagine.

Three and a half years, 100 remixes, 20,000 subscribers and 7 million views later, Areia Remix is currently the most popular brand in Korean Pop remixing. It has brighten the days of thousands and has inspired many to follow their dreams. The music behind every single remix, composed and produced from scratch, has its own intense story and it was my chance to let out all those unexpressed melodies from my childhood. Yes! I was finally that "idol". Not singing my melodies; but instead writing them, arrange them and deliver them to the world as music.

As "areia remix" was becoming bigger, the indications that this wasn't just a random spare-time hobby were multiplying and I have started getting confident again with my position in music. I have made attempts to extent the brand beyond my hands and I have worked with Vodge Diper, Gionata Caracciolo, Christopher Vassilakis and Kenny Parkz, who have released some of their works with areia remix.

But music for me was still a "guilt". Something that I was doing, when I was supposed to do something else that would directly make my life more stable. After a lot of consideration, last December I finally took the decision to give my life to music. I would do everything and keep doing it till it works. And indeed it has.

A dream becoming true

These 15 years of musical efforts and the three years of areia remixes didn't go unnoticed. Just a year into areia remixes I've started receiving the first attention from individual kpop producers and entertainment companies' managers up to recording and production studios in Korea. I've met with established producers and famous kpop idols and I had some small participation or creative input in the final products.

The breakthrough though came when last summer Trophy Entertainment approached me with a professional and serious attitude to work on Andamiro's upcoming mini-album "Hypnotize". I have spent several months in the company working with everybody and getting more familiar than ever with the kpop production process. In addition they gave me the rights to produce official remixes for some of their songs. I'm now actively co-operating with Trophy for the production of their artists and beyond.

The time is now!

This is the time that I need to get out of my Youtube "cave" and start putting my ideas together, meet with important people, pass them my songs and work together. During the past few months I have met a large number of enstablished producers and influencial people in the kpop industry and their words are all the same: "your works are amazing!", "bring me some demos!" and "let's work together!". And while in the entertainment industry some times such words are empty promises from the context and the standing I know they actually mean it and I could be making songs for the biggest idols right now!

So what are you waiting for??!

Recording, mixing and music production at a professional level requires a decent environment with the proper acoustics and equipment. Seoul though is very densely inhabited and my home is not appropriate for any kind of music production. A studio must be isolated and far from neighbours in order to make sure round-the-clock operation. In addition smooth co-operation with production studios and entertainment companies also requires working with the established software (Pro Tools) as well with a powerful enough workstation that can handle the intense workload involved with music production at this level.

Moreover, for the past three years "areia remix" has been the most exciting project of my life and the reason I've finally chosen to follow a music production career path. On the other hand except from your kind donations, I had no income whatsoever from it. Living in Seoul is as expensive as in any other metropolis ($1000+ per month for the basics including rent) and it's the income of my original productions that has been the main contributor for paying that. But under the current circumstances it would never be enough for making the next move.

Breaking through that static situation and making the next move requires a step up! A step that will push my production levels and efficiency on every aspect. A step that would be the milestone of my career but at the same time the hardest one to make alone.

Everything for me is happening in Korea. And it's happening NOW! The producers and the entertainment companies are here, so are the opportunities. It took me years and years of sleepless and reward-less work in order to approach them and this is the right time and place. I went against the social standards and have chosen the hard path, not to compromise to an unsatisfying job so I can commit fully to my dream. I have sacrificed the comfort of my family and friends in Greece and my worriless unlimited visa status in Europe for the pursue of a dream in an unfamiliar place at the other end of the world. I have given my maximum efforts towards pursuing my true identity as a person and making use of my internal talent and core passion: making music that people can connect to and help them escape the everyday and feel unique and special!  

FAQ

What is Kpop? I'm not a kpop fan!
Kpop stands for Korean Pop music. Popularized throughout the world during the past few years and most recently with PSY's ultra-hit "Gangnam Style", kpop is a genre of its own. The most important difference than other popular music around the world is that the artists (the idols) are taken in (literally living in) and trained by their entertainment companies to every aspect from singing to dancing and performing for several years. Millions of dollars are invested in training and this creates an extraordinary quality in the genre.

Even if you are not into kpop music, your contribution to this project will serve to aid several indie and mid-level artists around the world and of any kind of music from rock to pop and dance. As I'm currently working with Warner Music Group and other international artists at a steady basis, I will make sure that those productions will benefit equally and will allow for many new talents from any country and music genre to shine!

$30 for a CD? It usually costs $25 at other funding campaigns.
Except than the CD being printed at the highest standards including its multi-page booklet, I will be shipping it by air from South Korea which is particularly pricy thus the slight increase in the price.

When is my copy of Hypnotize going to be sent and which version is it?
Your copy of Hypnotize will be send as soon as this campaign is over, way ahead than Silicone Princess. The CD could be either the "Promo" or the "Commercial" version depending on the availability. The only difference between the two is that the "Promo" version can't be just found around or bought which makes it more rare, pretty much like a limited version. I will keep a strict priority sending this version to the first contributors. If you would like the commercial version instead please feel free to mention so during your contribution.

When is the new studio going to be established?
I'll start purchasing the required equipment as soon as November and the move in and setup will take place within December and January. By mid-January everything will be setup and fully operational.

Why such a powerful workstation?
Audio processing in a professional way requires the handling of very large projects with numerous high quality audio files, virtual instruments and effects attached. The faster the workstation the more the productivity and creativity. A slower configuration would result in compromises that would lower the resulting quality and significantly raise the time needed for the completion of the project. For example, a half the price single cpu based configuration would do fine for typical electronic music productions but when pop/rock vocals or real instruments recording and processing are added to the equation things get really demanding. In addition with the proposed budget I won't be able to afford any hardware supported effect units, making the workstation the only processing unit that will have to handle everything in a decent speed. 

Custom built-PC?! All trendy producers seem to be using a Mac.
I don't mind fruits in my room; in fact I will be installing OSX on my workstation and it will be my main platform for working. The question is more of a practical one. Most of my configuration's hardware is nearly identical to what resides inside a Mac. In comparison though, a Mac Pro with a similar configuration costs approximately $8,000. I'd definatelly rather be more practical and put that extra money into purchasing better audio equipment or increasing the room's deposit and leave the trendiness for the future.

I thought pro-audio hardware is way more expensive!?
The range of professional equipment is very large and of course there are some great stuff out there. I'm being realistic here though and I have minimized the requirements down to the absolutely necessary. Besides I'm not going to be recording Big Bang or SNSD any time soon. The proposed equipment though is just enough for the creation of original songs and the production of artists from the indie up to the mid-range level.

I have a suggestion to make for a change in your configuration.
While the equipment is tweaked as the minimal quality solution to the requirements, you are more than welcome to make any suggestions based on your experience and I could consider some small changes in the equipment choices!

I know of a very cheap place to get some of this equipment.
Searching the internet I'm able to see how cheaper (~25%) it would be to purchase this setup if I was living in the States and it makes me kind of sad. But I'm not living there and in some cases I'll have to pay as much as 40% more in order to obtain the same product in Korea. I've done my research though and I've tried to avoid such brands and items. Still, feel free to suggest any shops that could make a significant difference. Please mind that I would avoid eBay for warranty reasons and I wouldn't purchase software licences that are not in my name. More importantly though remember the automatic extra 25% or more from the price you find for customs and shipping fees!

Why is the studio room so expensive to rent?
Real estate in Korea is a monster with its own soul. As a westerner I never understood the need of those enormous deposits just to get your feet in a tiny room but that's the reality. I find the rents exhausting too as I've been living in non-capital cities throughout my entire life. But on a second thought except from an extremely fast developing and prosperous city, after Tokyo, Seoul is the largest metropolis on the planet, which pretty much justifies everything. In a mid range priced area, for a 20sqm single room setup (kitchen and bedroom are together), a $5000 deposit and $500 rent is pretty much the standard. In fact more than 70% of the rooms require at least a $10,000 deposit, significantly bringing down the number of available choices. In addition as a rough rule, for every $1,000 you give in deposit the $10 less becomes your monthly rent, up to making it to the $30,000~$40,000 range where you can start touching rooms with $0 monthly rent - which is my ultimate target for the near future.

Of course by "deposit" I'm talking about the amount of money that you hand in on the first day you get in the house and that you take back fully at the end of your contract. So on the bright that money are secured and not spent on super expensive rents like a typical western metropolis. Another limiting factor is the noise I'll have to be making during production and that's going to be all around the clock. I don't want to make the neighbours lives miserable so the room is limited pretty much to basements or rooms that are relatively far from others, something almost impossible in the super densely inhabited Seoul, lowering the number of available rooms further.

What if the full amount is not collected? Will I still receive my CD?
The less the donations the less the CDs I will have to produce anyway. The priority is collecting the money required for giving back to you what I've promised. Therefore no matter which perk you choose, the delivery is pretty much guaranteed.

What about the remaining fan funded remixes and the Twinkle cover?
The choice of fan funding my remixes for $50 was completely unproductive as it resulted in heaps of work (50 studio hours for each remix) with no realistic income. This had very damaging results to my long term prospects as it left me with no time to work for my actual living and I therefore had to slow down in order to commit to income critical projects, such as official productions. I have terminated that option and I'm working to release the last remixes funded in that way as well as the Twinkle cover productions. The list of those remixes can be found at my website and they will be all released gradually throughout the next few months.

What about that NU ABO remix I've been hyping all these years!?
While moving to Korea I have experienced a critical damage on my hard disk resulting in the loss of its project files. It is one of my priorities to attempt remaking the exact same sounds from scratch, after the new studio is completed. It is a very challenging attempt but be sure I'll get it done.

Will you continue making kpop remixes or is this end?
Absolute yes! "areia remix" and your support towards it is the reason I'm here and the only change that could ever happen (and I'm actively pursuing) is the official establishment of the brand that would bring more releases of great quality, supported by their respecting entertainment companies. In fact this very funding campaign is exactly what will guarantee the long-term viability of areia remixes and allow me to explore more opportunities for official remixes.