Philosopher and Futurist Marshall McLuhan, in his 1962 book “Gutenberg Galaxy” said "(t)he new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village.” Could McLuhan have been thinking of Seattle? When Asterik Studio is put into the picture, he well could have. Founded four years ago by Don Clark, Demetre Arges and Ryan Clark – they have grown to include Greg Lutze, Josh Horton and Michael Madrid. With their office here in Seattle, and with Horton working from Nashville, Tennessee – they have rapidly become a major player in the new media web design scene. And they have done it the old-fashioned way, with long hours; free-hand drawing and illustration techniques; and innovative thinking to complement the software needed to design the websites, media players and blogs associated with the music industry today. And like so many trends created through popular culture, art and music – corporate America has discovered Asterik as well.
It could be said that Asterik melds art with whimsy - and deep spiritual meaning with joy and humor. Amassing an enviable client list: hundreds of recording artists (including some of the biggest names in pop, hip-hop and rock), over forty record labels, as well as a broad list of accounts ranging from shoe companies to magazines, state agencies to furniture makers – they are clearly an emerging player from a business standpoint. Asterik veritably exudes success, but ‘all that’ while growing their capabilities at the same time is the real attention-grabber. Demetre Arges indicated that for Asterik, music has been a catalyst. “We never would have met if we had not been in bands,” Arges said. “In fact, for the first two years of business, that’s how we built our client base – through people we met from being in bands.”
Web specialist Greg Lutze came to Asterik from Florida-based Relevant Magazine – which emerged in the 2004 presidential campaign as a leading source for Democrats engaging with youth culture on faith and values. Relevant Magazine’s website states: “We're twenty-something Christians. We want to break stereotypes, challenge status quo and enact change through the media. We're seeking God, living life and striving to impact the world around us. It's pretty simple, really.” Asterik is not unlike that – though from a diverse vantage point – working with recording artists ranging from Eminem, G-Unit and Young Buck to Jessica Simpson and Jeremy Camp (among many others). Adding to that a firsthand involvement in Christian heavy metal – makes them unique, if humble, cultural icons.
Marshall McLuhan also said ‘(t)he winner is one who knows when to drop out in order to get in touch.” Music artists have a need for that – if only to stay connected to the emotions which fans tap in to. Asterik is part of that world – the Clark brothers are heavy-metal rockers with a fan base as well (Ryan is lead singer and Don plays guitar with a successful touring metal band called Demon Hunter – their most recent release titled ‘Summer of Darkness’). As one reviewer describes: “Demon Hunter brews a potent mix of heavy-metal fury and heavenly perspective on Summer of Darkness. Bone-crushing percussion, relentless electric guitar salvos, and passionate vocals push listeners to evaluate their spirituality and cling to hope, rejecting hate and depression.” Don Clark furthers the point in a statement on the Asterik Studio website: “God has been fortunate to provide me with a life where I get to fuse both of my passions into one. Graphic design and music. I get to be on both sides of the fence. It's something I will never take for granted.”
When talking with the Asterik partners they make clear that it is their passion for, and involvement with, the “real” (non-glamorous, hard-working) aspects of music that gives them the edge. But fun plays a role as well. Don Clark describes it this way on their site: “Asterik is the coolest place to come to work every day. My best friends work here and everyone here inspires me. We all truly love our jobs and we never take them for granted. Demetre, Ryan and Greg. Dudes are off the hook. I really love them. We laugh a lot. I mean, A LOT. If you were in the office here with us, you'd probably think we were insane. I always tell people we could moonlight as comedians. Not quite sure if that is true though. We started Asterik in 2001 and it’s been growing ever since. We are in awe of some of the bands we get to work with, because we are such huge fans. I think that’s why things go so well for us a lot of the time: we are fans of almost every genre.”
Ryan Clark sums up how important music is in his creative process in a statement on their website: “I'm a music fanatic. I buy music like people buy groceries. Some people might say it's a problem. I buy a few records every week. Tuesdays are like weekly Christmas'. There's really no pinpointing my musical tastes either. I literally love everything from Ella Fitzgerald to Slayer and from Death Cab For Cutie to Linkin Park and everything in between. I like music for all different reasons. I like some music because it's real and raw and moving, and I like some music because it's heavy and sonically brutal. I like music that's authentic and heartfelt - and music that's kitschy and fleeting. I'm a sucker for top-notch production but I also love the organic sound of a low-fi, low-budget album.”
One of the biggest challenges of success in any artistic field is that the hard work involved creates tension with the creative spark needed to constantly evolve. The Asterik partners make eye contact with one another when the subject of growth is raised. Clearly they have been grappling with this, and in response they signal, true to form, that future growth will be on their terms. “We have talked about hiring a business manager for some time, but since this (a collaborative) has always been the way we have operated, we are making it work for now,” Don Clark stated. For now, they are not turning over the reigns to an outsider. This group has synergies, and because they work in such tight quarters (in a sublease from Tooth & Nail Records near Seattle's Discovery Park), they literally have choreography as well. Tooth & Nail, which specializes in Christian punk, modern rock, and hardcore/metal music – has been quietly thriving in Magnolia for years. As has Solid State Records – which Don Clark described as “the more hardcore and metal side of the business.” Echoing that, the e-zine Punk News indicates it is not without risk for punk and metal musicians to be “out” with their Christian faith: “Much controversy revolves around Solid State's bands just as it does Tooth & Nail's, with the brunt of the issues focusing on the bands' religious preferences. While many bands on the Solid State roster may contain members who are Christian, Solid State as an entity has never claimed to be a strictly "Christian" label. As religion has always been a hotly contested issue within punk rock, many of these groups have become - for lack of a better term - "martyred" by fans.” Punk News, for the uninitiated, is a leading online magazine (e-zine) devoted to punk, ska (Reggae’s punk cousin), emo (so-called metrosexual punk), hardcore (think mosh pit here), metal (so much more than Ted Nugent) and indie (anything inspired by Nirvana after they banned the term ‘grunge’) rock – musical forms which hold up The Ramones and country legend Johnny Cash as important elements of inspiration.
So a theme emerges. Asterik’s first priority is to grow as artists – expanding their capabilities in graphic arts as well as video. That supercedes another pull: to grow the company. In the struggle between art and commerce, art is winning at Asterik Studio. From that, it is not hard to speculate - there is something we will all benefit from. So say hello to the guys from Asterik when you see them. They are defining culture in distinct and admirable ways. And here in Seattle, we are part of Asterik’s world, and this global village may never be the same.
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