When you are an artist at heart, you do whatever seems necessary to create your art and share it with the world. That is the independent spirit of expression and human connection that has always guided my artistic endeavors.
And it always will. As I say goodbye to one phase of my life, I embrace my new God-guided path with open arms 😊
In 2010, I set up Sykophunk Productions as a legitimate business in New York State. My goal was to build an independent record label and production company that would at least be self-sustaining and eventually pay the bills. I had little interest in fame or fortune. The dream was simply to do what I love for a living and connect to others through my art.
While I can’t say that Sykophunk has ever been financially successful, I can say that it’s been a wild journey through which I’ve learned valuable lessons. Songwriting, book publishing, live performance, event coordination, project management, business, marketing, psychology, patience, survival—I’ve learned a lot about these things and more.
Even better, I’ve met some amazing people along the way! I am eternally grateful for every person that ever came to a show, bought one of my albums or books, listened to my music online, shared my posts, or supported Sykophunk in any way. I appreciate all the creative people I’ve been able to collaborate with, even the ones I no longer talk to, on all different kinds of projects, reaching people all over the world.
Most of all, I can honestly say that Sykophunk played a role in saving my life. Chasing this dream was sometimes a path of self-destruction. But it also brought me out to the middle of nowhere—Fort Wayne, Indiana—where I met my wife and accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. Without her and Him, I probably wouldn’t even be alive to write this.
So after a twelve-year roller coaster ride, I am officially retiring Sykophunk Productions. Sykophunk.com is down, and my social media has all been changed to @JVBwriteon. My music will still be available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and other streaming services. I am still working on new material. In fact, my new book Born Again is now available for pre-order!
Please bear with me as I fumble through this transition. Thanks again to everyone who has supported me in the past. God willing, I’ll have a lot more cool creative stuff coming out soon!
Joseph VanBuren 