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This episode's track list (title / artist / source / license):
1. Kieron by Alphabets Heaven [WotNot] (CC-BY-NC-SA) (2018)
2. Laces by Alphabets Heaven [WotNot] (CC-BY-NC-SA) (2018)
3. Yellowish by Warik [Bandcamp] (CC-BY-NC-SA) (2025)
4. LIFE IS A RHYTHM (feat. Cazeaux O.S.L.O) (Radio Mix 1) by Alexander Flood [Atjazz Record Co.] (CC-BY) (2024)
5. DontLetGo by AMARAFLEUR [Bandcamp] (CC-BY-NC-SA) (2019)
6. Energy by Cleveland Watkiss [Function Records UK] (CC-BY-SA) (2022)
7. Peat by Rephazer [Kahvi Collective] (CC-BY-NC-ND) (2024)
8. Rhapsody In Blue (1924 Recording) Part 1 by George Gershwin and the Paul Whiteman Orchestra [Internet Archive] (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
More often than not, just thinking about social media engagement makes me exhausted, but I've found reasons to hang out on Mastodon more than other platforms. It mainly has to do with an active and growing indie music community, including music makers, music lovers, and tech developers that are often a combination of the former two categories. It's just nice to witness them all speak to each other, brainstorm in real time, and make things happen. No social media platform is perfect, but what I'm learning on Mastodon gives me incentive to make return visits and engage with the community while I'm there. It also makes sense to share what I'm learning there with the BSOTS listening audience, particularly if the information is related directly to music appreciation, sonic curation, and/or media preservation.
There's an embrace of open source tools on Mastodon as well as Creative Commons licensed works, and I have stumbled upon a number of great CC music releases since I've been there. Respect due to Ryno The Bearded for putting me on to Warik, an artist that reminds me of the beauty of well-crafted pop music. The jangly guitars, catchy lyrics, and soulful bump of "Yellowish" have made it worthy of many rewinds on my player. On the electronic side of things, there's Alphabets Heaven and their album Your Lifestyle, a gorgeous and sun-kissed psychedelic beat tape that straddles the fence between hip-hop and house. Many of the songs on that release are brief, so I included two within this episode. And I can't get over the crunchy programming of Rephazer's "Peat," full of foreboding bass tones and a lighter melody that floats right above the surface.
Half of the joy of searching through CC music websites is the discovery and surprise that happens along the way, but since you can't be everywhere at once, it's always helpful to tap into the tastes and preferences of other CC music fans. I learned about AMARAFLEUR through watching one of her videos on the Friends Of CC Music YouTube channel. Hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, her left-of-center R&B displays a certain vulnerability that you can't turn away from. "DontLetGo" benefits from Aule Whan's futuristic hip-hop styled production. This is a head nod essential right here. I also have been coming across some incredible drum and bass tunes lately, but I never thought I'd find a CC licensed joint featuring Cleveland Watkiss, arguably one of the most charismatic vocalists that the UK has given to the world. "Energy" is a well orchestrated jazz stepper and a no-brainer to include within this episode.
Live jazz for the dance floor is delivered in top form courtesy of Australia's Alexander Flood. "Life Is A Rhythm" is a peak hour tune made with the house heads in mind. The episode concludes with a rendition of "Rhapsody In Blue" that entered the public domain earlier this year. It's rare that you get to hear a sound recording in the public domain from 90 years ago that represents the composer's original artistic intention, but this version of the composition actually features George Gershwin on piano. It's amazing that this classic work is available for all of us to access and interact with now. This is why I continue to crate dig within the CC music virtual bins: you'd be amazed at the familiar names or few that you'll find. Trust and believe that your curiosity for CC music discovery will always be rewarded. With all of that said, here's hoping that you will enjoy the show and I thank you so much for listening.
Theme music edited by macedonia (originally produced by cy tru). ID drop courtesy of Kahlee.
Other key info:
Macedonia on Mastodon
Macedonia on Mixcloud
Radio BSOTS show no. 187 - Testing The Waters
Radio BSOTS show no. 188 - Netlabel Day Radio Takeover (2024)
Banjee Boombox presents All Things Audio
Netlabel Day
They Reminisce Over You
2 Clowns In A Closet
Remembering Radio Free Fedi
Radio Free Fedi Fest '25
Background music by SoulProdMusic from Pixabay.
Additional music by Coma-Media from Pixabay
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
