Rad Geek People's Daily

The latest issue of Wired arrived at my door a few days ago with a delighful surprise tucked into the front cover: an unassuming white compact disc, included for free with the magazine, that just happened to contain 16 precision strikes against the intellectual monopolists, freed under a Creative Commons copyleft license for sharing and sampling.

Since I’ve inveighed against enforced intellectual property monopolies and praised copylefting content here before, you know that I’d be delighted just to see the growth in the world of free content (free as in free speech, not as in free lunch–the songs were gratis as well as libre, but that’s not the important part) and the contribution of big-name artists to publicity for the work that Creative Commons is doing.

However, I’m also happy because it has so many damn good songs on it; in the car and at home I’ve been enjoying a free culture that now embraces fantastic tracks from the Beastie Boys, David Byrne, Le Tigre, and Chuck D, among others. The real hidden gem of the CD, though, is from The Rapture, a group I’d never encountered before hearing them on the Wired CD, in the form of 7:05 of deviously pulsing electronic deliciousness known as Sister Saviour (Blackstrobe Remix). The groove–racing, zigzagging, turning back on itself in my mind–is something that has to be shared. And the best part is that I can, thanks to artists who are actually willing to turn their work out into the world without threatening people who presume to use it.

Since I like this m?@c3;ba;sica libre so much, I’ve decided to do just that–by making it all available to you, gentle reader. You can find a full track listing and MP3 files of each track in the extended section of this entry. Listen, share, remix. Enjoy!

Further reading

• GT 2003/11/06: Copyleft and Copyright: the Prospects for Liberty
• Rad Geek People’s Daily: Copyleft Notice
• In a Blog’s Stead 2003/09/14: Thoughtcrime

Liberated music from the Wired CD

All songs are available under a Creative Commons Sampling Plus license. Songs marked (nc) are limited to sampling for non-commercial uses.

1. The Beastie Boys: Now Get Busy (nc)
2. David Byrne: My Fair Lady
3. Zap Mama: Wadidyusay?
4. My Morning Jacket: One Big Holiday (nc)
5. Spoon: Revenge!
6. Gilberto Gil: Oslodum
7. Dan the Automator: Relaxation Spa Treatment
8. Thievery Corporation: DC 3000
9. Le Tigre: Fake French
10. Paul Westerberg: Looking Up in Heaven
11. Chuck D with Fine Arts Militia: No Meaning No (nc)
12. The Rapture: Sister Saviour (Blackstrobe Remix)
13. Cornelius: Wataridori 2
14. Danger Mouse & Jemini: What U Sittin’ On? (starring Cee Lo and Tha Alkaholiks)
15. DJ Dolores: Oslodum 2004
16. Matmos: Action at a Distance

More details on the Wired CD are available from Creative Commons.