HUPOMNEMATA

Unfortunately, i don’t read german. For those who do, De:Bug is reviewing net releases on a very regular basis. (i’ll just trust them and go and listen anyway)
De:Bug\’s net reviews

Good rock under creative commons, not easy to find (or so you would think). Just downloaded the new Santa Inferno from Imaginary Albums and i’m shaking my head, and liking every minute of this truly bizarre LP. Here’s the promo text from Imaginary website :
“From the opening exhortation of “Let me hear those drums, motherfucker!” Santa Inferno’s sophomore release for Imaginary Albums unleashes an unrelenting torrent of teeth-achingly memorable melodies, ass-shakingly irresistable rhythms, and heart-palpitatingly wonderful weirdness. Where Wonderland of Smut was, for lack of a more evocative categorization, a pop album breathtaking in its variety, Desert Music is a rock album whose energy, exuberance, and raw beauty leave you gasping for more.
Geeks will want to sample the quirky theme song “A TV Guide Zealot’s Xmas Carol” or the deceptively effortless, Lennon-worthy “Marmalade” first. Freaks will prefer to go straight to the scalp-tingling “Flashback Track.” But (what’s the opposite of filler? emptyer?) every one of these nine tracks is glorious, indispensible emptyer. ”
Santa Inferno on Imaginary Albums

note: Imaginary has also a great FAQ called whaaaa?. It’s full of wisdom:
“Why does this site suck so much?

Because it isn’t about astounding you or seducing you with stunning graphics or breathtaking Flash animations or competent web design.
The point is functionality. The point is usability. The point is to share good music. The point is, none of us know how to code.”

For some times, Opsound was this, described below, and it contained some great music:
“Opsound is a record label and sound pool
using an open source, copyleft model,
an experiment in practical gift economics,
a laboratory for new ways of releasing
music. Visit the Opsound Open Pool for
free copyleft music downloads. Musicians
and sound artists are invited to add
their work to the pool.”
Except it was not really a record label yet as they are now throwing a party at the CBGB’s lounge in order to launch the label. It’s a bit far from here where I write. But anyway, the point is to celebrate the release of their first record, the excellent full length CD of Catalpa Catalpa. Even if Opsound just made one step in the direction of material consumerism, it’s still possible to download the album from their website, and it’s licensed under creative commons. So go there and do it, it’s very good music, experimenting the crossover between nostalgic blue sky poppy tunes and big waves of noise.

Already posted some times ago about “Down with the chairman”, the Sijis radio program broadcast by Resonance in London. They did a special issue of it in order to prove there are other things than electronic music coming from the netlabels. And it’s rather good.
details and download

Gosh, Anton, friend and collaborator and part of Martiens go home had Yi Ban released on Earlabs’ netlabel and I didn’t even know about it. Just stumbled upon the page.

Here’s an online review : “GUANXI—First approach of voices and odd talking almost reminding you of an airport? Drones, that build , higher vibrations and head rattling waveforms. Again more vox, static-murmur and clutter, light hizz and krumplez. Bubbles and lazers with crunch in my minds eye tapped with reverse loops! Whos tapping on the wall? Minimal high end clicks and cutz, low end rumbles more knocking. Birds chirping with high end shrills ear piercing madness. Anton Aeki brings some great sounds and processing to this wonderful work of art! Highly recommended for field recording buffs!”

Another radio program around free music (in the various meanings of the word free), produced in Ontario, Canada :

“Every Thursday at 10:30 EST, Marc and Chris bring you an hour of the finest music legally and freely available on the internet.”

If you don’t live in Hamilton, you can download the last two programs from their website.

from the incredible Comic Covers database

Very fun and chirpy chip tunes, stompy chaotic pop made with worthless electronic junk. I would recommand the track Efedrin. Cheers.
download, candymind via archive

And from the same candymind label, Hectopascal is also very fine.

Not the first time we write about the very nice chip-music of Binaerpilot. It’s the perfect soundtrack to run around in the street pretending you’re PacMan. Now you can download a whole LP with sleeve art and all from Microhertz. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Microhertz on archive.org

Some months ago, I saw (I think it was in Edge magazine) pictures of people dressed as Pacman and ghosts running around in the street, playing the game (kind of). It looked more like a very funny cosplay than like an experiment in gaming. Now people in Singapore did this, Human Pacman:
“a novel game that mixes elements of physical game play, mobile computing, tangible interaction and multiplayer interaction. The game is based on the original Namco arcade game of Pacman where a small yellow creature moves around a maze eating pellets while avoiding ghosts. In this version of the game players interactively role-play the characters of pacmen and ghosts. Through the use of wearable computers, and wireless networks the players wander around a game area that is defined in virtual and augmented reality. Each player has a helper viewing the events on a laptop to aid in navigation and strategy. Objects are represented in both virtual and reality form to provide novel experiences of seamless transition between different world views.”

their website
another article about the project