Mini Profile
jason on 06/30/2010 at 09:00AM
Creative Commons workout mix
This Creative Commons NonCommercial workout mix is inspired by a little piece of current events:
|
Last month, Australia's Copyright Tribunal increased music licensing fees for fitness classes by 1500% per class. Now, Australia's gyms are faced with the question of whether to pass this new cost -- averaging over $20,000/year -- on to their customers, or to search for alternative solutions. One solution is to play recordings that are not covered by the agreement to begin with. The blanket license for recordings (but not compositions) is overseen by the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA). Their catalog includes the discographies of hundreds of Australian labels & artists who've opted to join the collecting society, but its primary licensors are the four multinational major labels. |
For those who want something a little real-er than mock pop tunes the next time they're at the gym, I made this mix of Creative Commons-licensed workout-ready tunes. All of these tracks (except the liberally-licensed Juanitos) are licensed under NonCommercial terms (click the "i" for the complete terms). So other than the Juanitos, these tracks wouldn't fly in a for-profit gym, but they could be used in school gyms and non-profit YMCA types of fitness centers. As long as the song isn't being used to enhance somebody's business, these artists would bee happy to see you getting in shape to their music. So feel free to download and bring this with you on your next trip to the gym. And if you find yourself having to use this to block out another knockoff "Oops I Did It Again" again, now you'll know why.
More about each artist after the jump or by clicking the "i" button next to their track. As always if you like what you hear, you can tip the artist by hitting the $ symbol on their artist page.
The mix starts out with a Japanese hip-hop jam by Gunhead, released by the top-notch netlabel Maltine Records.
Next up is a kwaito track from Banana Clipz, a production team featuring Chief Boima (of DJ/Rupture's Dutty Artz collective and a WFMU blogger), Oro 11, Zurita, and Brooklyn's Uproot Andy.
Prepare To Meet Thy Broom! is two electro-funk brothers from Juarez Mexico, and this comes via the lalala4e netlabel
Y△CHT is both a belief system and a band consisting of Portland Oregon's Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans and you. Last year's See Mystery Lights (DFA) made countless year-end best of lists, and the album's instrumentals are available here.
Nambavan hails from the Russian republic of Tatarstan, and this track can be found on his album Chechnya on a Dance Floor (WM Recordings)
Dan Deacon is the godfather of Baltimore aka Wham City. This track appeared on UpitUp's Back From the Future compilation, and was also the promo track off 2007's acclaimed Spiderman of the Rings (Carpark Records)
Professor Kliq is Mike Else from Chicago, and this track comes off BlocSonic's NetBloc Vol. 26
Roglok is one of the key players behind the UpItUp netlabel, and this track was picked for the 18-track 6-netlabel bestof Greatest It comp, originally on 2008's Out of Disorder
Switzerland's Bacalao got his start in the demoscene making music on Amiga in the 1990s. He continues to wow the world with netaudio gems like this one (not to mention his amazing submission to the Anti-Pop Consortium remix contest)
Mochipet is David Y Wang, born in Taiwan, based in Daly City CA, touring the world in a dino suit. This track's off Peppermill Records' Summer compilation, where every track was inspired by a news article headline (here's the one)
Juanitos have been making "100% Good Vibes Music" since 1991, and this is off their latest release Soul Africa. The French group's work is available under a CC license that permits commercial use, and they've been around since 1994 experimenting with a range of styles -- take a listen through their vast discography here.
Please point us towards your favorite Creative Commons workout jams by leaving a comment, especially music that is licensed in under terms that allow commercial use...maybe you'd like to make some?
