Our story is about a lot of things — the corrosive effects of technology, an unaccountable federal government, sussing out the difference between good and evil, flirting with a cute sentient mechanical woman — but it starts with friendship. Bassey Etim and David Debiak are, respectively, a journalist and a songwriter. Dave wrote albums that grew into a story in Bassey's mind so many years ago. They became collaborators, with a shared vision to create works of art that speak to those quiet and tumultuous parts of our souls. 

Behind the scenes photos including music recording, vocal editing of the pilot, and even the writing of the show!

After years of work, with the help of an amazing team and the Faustian Nonsense Network, our great big vision is finally becoming reality. For more information on everyone involved, make sure to check out our Team page here on Seed&Spark!

KEY INFORMATION

- 21 Fully written episodes, ~45 minutes each, split into 4 story arcs

- 40+ Songs that draw listeners into key storylines

- Plot-centric musical interludes

- Original background beats and songs establish familiar places

- A clear artistic vision: moody, sumptuous and strange

- A quiet, contemplative, and ambitious sound palate that expands with our characters' self-discovery

- Most of this project is already recorded, but we've still got quite a ways to go until it's ready for your ears. 

In this music-driven epic, Karen James, a rookie Agency product manager, finds herself thrust into twin crises.

First, the scientist hired to build an AI flight system instead assembles a sentient mechanical woman that he falls in love with. Then, the pilots sent to resupply a classified space station vow to reveal the secret of Karen's work. 

This first-person narrative makes the case that if we find the courage to carry regret's heavy burden, we might one day discover the very best in ourselves.

Despite the way she hurts people – often, the ones she most cares for – Karen's story tempts you to excuse her, to convince yourself that her actions are justified. Karen 1% challenges listeners to consider their own morality, how far they might go to achieve their dreams, and why they might judge Karen less harshly than she judges herself.

At its core, Karen 1% is about a scientific product manager who comes to realize that the products are evil. It's about the sacrifices it takes to truly atone for our mistakes. It's about the struggle to build a life of purpose and ambition in this existence, where the arrow of time makes the consequences of our actions an eternal mystery. 

Karen's story is told in prose, it's told in poetry, it's told in the rhythms of specks of dust doing their dances in basement laboratories, it's told in music by way of 40+ plot-driving songs, it was told in the past by Sleep Station's David Debiak — whose albums are the core foundation of this narrative, and it's told by Milton and Marcia: Karen's best friends. 

If we can reach our stretch goal of $10,000, it will also be told by Kathryn Allison from "Wicked", "Aladdin", and "Company" on Broadway. We mean that literally. Kathryn will take over as star of the show and play Karen!

Much of our work is already done: countless hours in the studio, puzzling over original music, endless lonely re-writes. 

Well, not so lonely anymore. We've linked up with with Faustian Nonsense, a collective of creators who are helping us bring Karen's story to life. We're almost at the finish line and we're hoping you'll pledge to help us complete the sound design, music and additional casting needed to do Karen's story some justice.

For so long, I've felt an irresistable compulsion to tell Karen's story, which grew out of my work with big tech and my career in national journalism. My greatest hope is that in its quiet certainty and warm methodical rhythm, you find some peace in this crazy world, and an opportunity to discover parts of yourself that you'd put aside for so long. In short, I hope you feel some reflection of what I felt as the author for this project. I'm so excited to finally present it to you. 

We hope to prototype a new style of audiodrama: Longform stories fully immersed in longform music from lyric-inclined artists that, together, tell an epic tale.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read a bit about our journey. One of the most important ways you can help is to tell your people about our project. 

It's not every day that a Sci-fi series about a Black tech product manager gets released, so talking to your friends, family, or just posting on social media would be super helpful. Here's a few examples you can use for your own social media - don't be shy about copy/pasting!

1. Just listened to the pilot ep of this fiction pod called "Karen 1%" -- it's actually about a woman who gets a promotion to sci-fi product manager! You can support them on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/karen1

2. There's a new podcast coming out that's: 1. Sci-fi 2. About a Black tech product manager 3. It's basically a musical. They're raising funds right now on @seedandspark!: https://seedandspark.com/fund/karen1

3. So excited to finally listen to this new sci-fi pod @KarenOnePercent It's basically a Black creator's critique of big tech, and you can support the team on @seedandspark now: https://seedandspark.com/fund/karen1

To Alexandra Keenan, thank you for your endless love and support. My greatest ambition is to make you proud. To David Debiak: Your record inflected my mind so long ago, here is the fully grown virus. To Zack Hample's NYC writing group: I can't thank you enough for joining me for this entire journey. Your feedback and inspiration have shaped this project. To my family and friends, your support is a lifeline I cling to, thank you for your strength. To Eleanor Levinson: You edited the first version of this idea so many years ago, and your short but absolutely incredible life will inspire me forever.