Self-Introduction | I Closed My Company and Made a Fresh Start

Hello, I'm Cypher, a bassist.

Now in my late 40s, I work quietly and peacefully without being employed by anyone, earning over 300,000 yen a month through online sales and AI music to make a living. (I have been experimenting with AI music for about two years.)

I like alternative rock in general, but I'm also good at pop, city pop, soul, R&B, and funk. Having been active as a bassist (and guitarist) for many years, I'm quite particular about rhythm.
I'm a cat lover and spend my days peacefully with my cats♪

I also love games (though my eyes are getting tired as I get older, haha).
The Switch 2 is too expensive, so I haven't been able to buy it, sweat.
I also like historical subjects like the Three Kingdoms and the Sengoku period!

I tried animating myself playing.

However, the road to get here was by no means smooth sailing. Rather, it is a 'quiet and personal way of working' that I finally reached after a pile of failures, regrets, impatience, and anxiety.
Today, I would like to tell you my story. If there is anyone out there currently struggling with how they work or their future, I would be happy if this could be a trigger to make your heart feel even a little lighter.

During my time as a salaryman, my heart was always on the verge of its limit.

I originally worked as a company employee. However, I was dissatisfied with the working conditions, and my heart gradually wore down in an environment where my efforts were not fairly evaluated.

“Can I really keep working like this forever...?”
“Why am I so depressed just from waking up in the morning?”

One day, while I was continuing to work while glossing over those feelings, I heard a small voice deep in my heart.

Isn't this my limit?

I am a sensitive person and, at the same time, the type with a strong sense of responsibility. Even though I thought, “I want to quit” or “I want to change,” I couldn't easily take action. Still, at the moment I could no longer ignore my heart's SOS, I took the plunge and chose the path of independence.

I established an import company. But the COVID shock changed everything.

After becoming independent, I started an import and sales company.
However, just as things were getting off to a smooth start, the COVID shock hit.

Logistics stopped, mountains of inventory, and a sharp drop in sales.
Everything I had built up was overturned in an instant.

Before I knew it, I was facing a process called voluntary liquidation, which is almost the same as bankruptcy.
Honestly, I was mentally pushed to the limit at that time.

“Is this the end?”
“Maybe I'm just no good at anything.”

There were times when I thought that.

However, there is something I realized there.

Isn't it precisely because I failed that I can choose my own way of life all over again?

Strangely, my spirit didn't break.
Instead, a feeling like a quiet fire began to well up inside me.

A complete shift to freelancing. The comfort of working quietly

By putting my company on hiatus, I decided to live completely as a freelancer.

I don't use an alarm clock in the morning; I wake up when I naturally open my eyes.
I brew coffee and calmly face my work in a quiet room.
No one tells me what to do, and I can focus steadily at my own pace.

This "quiet way of working" suited me surprisingly well.

I rebuilt my online sales system and simultaneously took on the challenge of a new field: AI music.
My experience as a band member familiar with music connected to my work in an unexpected way.

Before I knew it, I was earning a stable income of over 300,000 yen per month.

Working freely means "living with your own responsibility"

"Isn't it scary not to be employed by someone?"
I am often asked that.

To be honest, there is never a day when the anxiety disappears completely.
But the "freedom to live by my own judgment" while facing that anxiety is something irreplaceable.

When I was a salaryman, I was always worried about "someone else's evaluation."
But now, I sit quietly at my desk, working steadily and immersing myself in my work in my own way.

Just that alone makes my heart feel surprisingly light.

It's okay to fail. You can restart your life as many times as you want

Closing the company and the voluntary liquidation were both major blows to me.
But looking back, that was the turning point.

If it weren't for that failure, I wouldn't be who I am today.
I wouldn't have these days of living peacefully in a quiet room, working in online retail and doing the music I love.

If you feel stuck or unable to see a future right now, I want to say this loudly:

You can restart your life as many times as you need.
In fact, those who have failed significantly once are the ones who can live more freely and more like themselves.

That is what I have realized.

A life of working quietly is richer than you think

What I feel now that I am approaching fifty is that "working quietly, calmly, and at one's own pace" might just be the most luxurious way to live.

If you are tired of being swayed by others' evaluations or your environment,
if you want to change how you work but cannot take that first step,

please do not rush.

You can steer your life in the direction you desire at any time.
Even if you have experienced a major setback like I did, you can still build a quiet and free life from there.

Your story can be changed as much as you like from here on out.
And it will surely be a future that is kinder and warmer than you think.

※Regarding the SoundCloud link below, I believe an English page will appear when you first click it.
Please rest assured that once you accept the cookies by clicking "I Accept," it will not appear again.
It is a well-known music sharing site in the indie artist community.
By the way, it is operated by a German company.

● This is a playlist I add to whenever I make a good song.

● I am pursuing a new sound by leveraging the omnivorous nature of alternative rock. It is a bit on the niche side, haha.

● I have gathered familiar songs that lean towards J-POP.

● I have collected songs with mature female vocals. (Acid jazz, AOR, etc.)

I have uploaded about 400 songs created with AI to SoundCloud (a music sharing site). I am pursuing the possibilities of AI composition by creating a wide range of music, including for my own real-life band.
I am sharing information to spread AI music in real-world settings, including monetization through music streaming (subscriptions) and as a side business. I have been working on this since around the spring of 2024.
Based on this experience, I will be sharing information on how to earn income with AI music.
If you follow me, you can learn how to earn a side income with AI music.

My main business is online retail, so if you are interested in that as well, please do check it out.

For those interested in AI music (subscription streaming) or those who want to improve the quality of their songs. Let's aim for monetization.
"SunoAI Composition Know-How" which reveals the judgment criteria I use for long-term success in AI music
The AI composition know-how I am releasing ishere♪

The real shortcut to earning money with AI music is explainedhere.

The secret know-how I use in real-world settings ishere♪

If you enjoyed this note article or the songs posted, I would be happy if you could "Like, Follow, or Comment."