BARCODE runs on Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Upstash Redis, and Stripe. It deploys to Vercel. The OBS overlay connects via iframe. The Discord bot polls the API. It's a frankenstein of modern web tools stitched together with intent.
Why Next.js? Because server-side rendering matters for SEO, and static generation matters for speed. Every database dossier is pre-rendered at build time. The queue page is dynamic. The admin panel is server-authenticated.
Why Upstash Redis? Because the queue needs to be fast, persistent, and accessible from both the website and external services (Discord bot, OBS overlay, future stream engine). Redis is the nervous system.
Why Stripe? Because musicians deserve to get paid, and payment infrastructure should be invisible. No accounts, no sign-ups. Scan → pay → you're in the queue. That's it.
The CRT aesthetic isn't decoration — it's philosophy. Old technology had character. Scan lines, phosphor glow, signal degradation — these aren't bugs, they're texture. BARCODE looks the way it sounds: analog warmth through digital pipes.
Everything is being built incrementally. Phase 1 was the core site. Phase 2 added the Discord bot. Phase 3 (you're reading it) is the blog. Phase 4 will be the AI stream automation engine. Each phase adds a new dimension to the broadcast.
We're documenting the process because building in public creates accountability. And because someone, somewhere, is trying to build something similar and could use a reference signal.