Welcome to the Free Music Archive (Beta)

On Thursday December 12, Interpretations presents an evening of premieres and classic works from distinctive solo instrumentalists. Bassist James Ilgenfritz presents solo and chamber music by Anthony Braxton & Pauline Oliveros, plus two world premieres by Annie Gosfield, and JG Thirlwell, and an improvisation with Jason Ponce. Esoteric pianist Reinier Van Houdt presents the US Premiere of Italian avant-garde composer Walter Marchetti’s new solo piano work Concerto per la Mano Sinistra in un Solo Movimento (Concerto for the Left Hand in One Movement).

Interpretatons would like to share some works by these artists! James Ilgenfritz on two tracks, one performing the music of Anthony Braxton, and one performing duo with Pauline Oliveros. Reinier Van Houdt can be heard on two tracks, performing music by Christian Marclay and Francisco López.

The Free Music Archive now has our own iPhone app! Download it here (or search "FMA" in the app store), and enjoy our library of 65,000 free and legal tracks on your iPhone. The app lets you explore music by genre, listen to the song of the day, check out hand-picked mixes, and share and download until your thumbs go raw.

The app is compeltely free, but we need your help to spread the word. Please write us a friendly review in the iTunes store. Since this is a brand new app, your review will do a ton to help improve our rankings and discovery so more folks can learn about what we do. We'd also love to hear your candid and technically specific feedback over e-mail. We know the app has its flaws, and we have grand plans for version 2.

If you have any technical questions about using the app, check our our app support page.

Don't fret Android users! We're busy seeking funds to make an Android app possible. In the meantime, one of our fans made you this.

PATCH is a series of curated playlists selected from the Radius episode archive. Each playlist is organized around a specific topic or theme that engages the tonal and public spaces of the electromagnetic spectrum. PATCH serves as a platform to illuminate the questions, concerns, and complexities of and within radio-based art practices.

PATCH 04: Landscape

Episode 19: Emilie Mouchous & Andrea-Jane Cornell

Rise & Shine is the result of an improvisation session in the morning, when ears are fresh and most sensitive to stimuli. Using a set of graphic index cards, designed by Boston-based movement artist Joe Burgio, as compositional material to guide their improvisation, Mouchous and Cornell convened in the live broadcast studio of CKUT 90.3FM in Montreal to lay the groundwork for the piece.

The piece responds to the clarity of local signals in Montreal that are obscured in areas directly adjacent to the main radio tower transmitter site atop Mount-Royal. The areas situated in the shadow of the mountain, where there are no sight-lines to the tower, have poor reception because the signal must pass though the ground to reach the receivers. The signal is only received in mono and occasionally cuts out intermittently for indeterminate periods of time.

While scooping generous heapings of food into your plate this Thanksgiving, here are a few more ideas for what to do with all your do-good feelings. A few Free Music Archive artists and friends are amid interesting crowdfunding campaigns worth a quick shout out. Plus, all three offer incredible releases worth discovering here on our site.

1) FREAK FANDANGO ORCHESTRA

Crowdfunding Mission: Save the world! Also, making a new studio album with great songs to brighten your day.

Free Releases: This Barcelona street orchestra offers 2 free albums mixing east european folk music, polka, gypsy music from the Balkans, with a dose of punk-rock.

2) IONOSONDE RECORDINGS 

Crowdfunding Mission: Creating their first first physically released CD, written and produced by sound artist Telegraphy. It will contain 7 tracks of dub techno, IDM and ambient soundscapes.

Free Releases: 15 free releases form a netlabel from Detroit Michigan U.S.A. that focuses on experimental, ambient, sound collage, and electronic music.

3) CASH MUSIC

Crowdfunding Mission: Creating a sustainable future for music through a series of summits. Summit events bringing together musicians and technologists in ATL, CHI, NYC & SEA for new ideas, conversations, and workshops.

Free Releases: Many! Including Thank You Comp, Calexico: Live in Nuremberg & Kristin Hersh: Crooked Beginnings