The Friends Of Creative Commons Music held their Constitutional Convention online yesterday over a period of ten hours. There were a lot of topics on the agenda, including but not limited to community building, fundraising, live shows, branded electronic shows, bylaws, tax status, and more. The sessions have been archived and are available for viewing on their YouTube channel.
I was barely visible for these sessions as I felt like I had little to give and not much of substance to suggest, but I've been feeling uninspired about a lot of things for a while now. This is in stark contrast to the person that appeared in this FOCCM episode a year ago. Last January, Doug Whitfield invited me on to talk about netlabels, my podcast, and my time at Bondfire Radio. (Back in 2023, I had Doug on my show for a two-part episode just before Netlabel Day.) In revisiting this appearance, I'm surprised at how upbeat and positive I am. The thing that I have to remember is that it took place before the post-Bondfire depression set in, and I let it have its way with me for a good nine months of 2024.
(One of these days, I might get over my aversion to webcams, but don't ask me when that will be. Seems like there will always be a part of me that wonders why seeing my face is so important and simply hearing my voice isn't enough. I didn't even have an external webcam for this appearance, but I made it work with the laptop cam even though it didn't dawn on me to turn on a light as the sun started to set.)
Other topics briefly mentioned include black metal, potential Bandcamp alternatives, and how we really shouldn't beat ourselves up for not experiencing all the music that we want to hear within a year's time. The fact of the matter is that you'll get to what you're meant to get to...and that's okay. Stick around for videos by The Warhorse and Sole and DJ Pain 1 shared within this episode.
Sometimes you need to hear your former self share some perspectives that your present self has forgotten about. For me, this is one of those times. Gotta keep it moving.
(In thinking about some CC music that I would have been listening to around the time of this livestream, Moki McFly's Tabernacle Sanctuary Alligator Soufflé definitely comes to mind. If anyone's in the mood for some drum and bass with touches of hip-hop here and there, check the blocSonic website to hear the album in full.)
Sunday, January 26, 2025
One Year Ago: my FOCCM debut appearance
Sunday, January 5, 2025
187 - Testing The Waters
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This episode's track list (title / artist / source / license):
1. Happy Birthday ccMixter by J.Lang featuring Snowflake [ccMixter] (CC-BY) (2024)
2. Thanks For The Memories (Featuring Belle McNulty) by CM aka Creative [blocSonic] (CC-BY-NC-SA) (2024)
3. drain the sun by niteffect [Bandcamp] (CC-BY-NC-ND) (2022)
4. Over by Suhov [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-ND) (2008)
5. Whenever You Wanna Call Me by Comfort Fit [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-ND) (2005)
6. Out for a Shrink Pink Drink by Apes On Tapes [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC) (2010)
7. Configurate by Proviant Audio [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-ND) (2009)
8. 1000 Miles by Bluntspeakers [Bandcamp] (CC-BY-NC-ND) (2010)
9. Soul Groove! (Patience) by !Mc'Lain! [Jamendo] (CC-BY-NC-ND) (2022)
10. The Holowaka Hides in the Shadow of the Sun by Fields Ohio [Bandcamp] (CC-BY-SA) (2024)
BSOTS BONUS TRACK:
11. Train Rides - In Praise of Black Men by Nikki Giovanni [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0) (2009)
If you're reading this, it means that you made it out of 2024. Happy New Year and welcome to Camp Lo-Fi. I hope and pray that you will be able to experience peaceful moments and great music throughout this year. I pulled this episode together as 2024 was coming to a close, making this the first sonic statement for Radio BSOTS in 2025. To kick off a new year of the podcast, this episode and the next episode will focus on my participation in the Netlabel Day Radio live stream marathon that took place in July of last year. I initially recorded a 30-minute test run for the stream and figured that I should share that with the listeners.
I gathered together some Creative Commons tunes from indie labels that ended up releasing later works under full copyright as time went on, but they're still imprints that I hold in high regard (namely Tokyo Dawn, Budabeats, and Error Broadcast). All cuts played during the test run can still be found online via Jamendo, Bandcamp, and the Free Music Archive. This set of music leans heavy on the sounds of international beat culture, particularly that first decade of the early 2000s where the lines between electronic music and hip-hop production got blurry (and for the better, in my opinion). Featured selections from Comfort Fit, Suhov, Bluntspeakers, and Apes On Tapes are probably the best examples of this.
Outside of the test run, the show opens with a selection in honor of ccMixter turning 20 years old (featuring the voice of Madam Snowflake - check out the video below for a snapshot of her artistic journey) and closes with an addictive, head-nodding joint from Fields Ohio. I also get to share some listener feedback this time around. As a bonus, I couldn't let the episode end without the words and voice of the late, great Nikki Giovanni. As always, I welcome your interaction and hope that there are some selections within this installment of the podcast that grab your attention and increase your curiosity about other gems that can be found within the world of Creative Commons licensed music.
Theme music by Cy Tru (edited by Macedonia). Background music by Techniken Defunkus. ID drops from Morganics and Jonny Sonic.
Other key info:
BSOTS show #178 - Creative Commons Gems From Public Enemy And Nikki Giovanni
BSOTS show #181 - Creative Commons Sightings Of Kool Keith And DJ Harrison
BSOTS show #186 - Download While You Can
Netlabel Archive
Funkwhale
Castopod
Tha Bloc Report
Background music by SoulProdMusic from Pixabay.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.