what if we were entering into a new time?
a time when the very systems of control and commerce
that we had believed to be the status quo
were somehow no longer relevant?
what we were faced with
a new medium, a new network, a
new system that connected the people and places of the world in a new way?
what if that system is here,
what if that time is now?
--
http://www.colinmutchler.com
These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
I am speaking the language of my reality,
images expressed, the distinctions between
my experience of moments of illegality
and the slanted views of they mean.
to me it’s about the choices we’re making,
the lives we're leading,
and the futures we’re creating
we are a generation raised on media
an image nation that sees the biased news, the many truths,
and yeah, buys sweatshop shoes
whose stories are being told,
whose stories are still owned by the ten o’clock blues?
and whose stories am I telling in my privileged shoes?
white, hippy, suburban, family, business, pharmaceutical industry,
dollars and stress, and love
that paid my way, sourced my days.
you see if we want to move forward
we need to acknowledge and build on the past.
so whether we shoot, or speak, or edit, or click through media,
we choose the direction of his encyclopedia, his story
which is becoming our story,
as we gain the power to lead the interpretation,
license the information, and
be the strategic communication
that hears competing views
and reconstructs the worlds’ truths.
I say that I'm a strong and powerful leader for love and freedom,
but behind the fear and the confusion
and the judgement and the stess
I see fighting images of beats and breath.
yes, things seem to be breaking down,
from church boy confessions and corporate transgressions,
to tommy and grandma getting sued as a copyright lesson,
and quote “men of peace” using solders and weapons,
yes these are the days of break down, break through
a time of forgiveness, to begin again,
truth and reconciliation
yes I am speaking the language of my reality,
images expressed, the distinctions between
my experience of moments of illegality
and the slanted views of what they mean.
--
http://www.colinmutchler.com
These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
which histories have we taught ourselves
whose histories have we learned
which histories have we bought ourselves
whose histories have we burned
and which histories do I know
my time caught, earned as it goes
I wonder how much of the mystery
will we uncover, are we told
about the blisters of America
as the frictions unfold
and i wonder,
how must they have felt
how would we feel
how much am I responsible
can I help things to change
I am a member of my family
what does that mean
and how much are you responsible
can you help things to change
you are a member of this democracy
but what does that mean?
my great grandparents were immigrants
am I less to blame
how would I've thought differently
if my great grandparents had been slaves
why'd we kill Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King?
imagine John Lennon, killed for singing
why so many dreamers had to die?
why so many dreamers had to die?
were they too much like Marx
did they love the poor
were we afraid of their hope for changing the world
we were afraid of their hope of gaining control
and so we chose freedom
we chose Banzer we chose Pinochet
and ruled as the pueblo cried
we ruled as the pueblo died
and now we choose, everyday we choose
hot sex on a glorified screen
we choose dollars and cents, a for profit TV
and rule as our love subsides
rule as our neighbors try to survive
how much am I responsible
can I help things to change
I am a member of my family
what does that mean
and how much are you responsible
can you help things to change
you are a member of this democracy
but what does that mean?
--
http://www.colinmutchler.com
These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
have you ever seen your soul in the mirror?
have you ever felt, like you were alone in a crowd.
I wish I knew the answers to the questions
so I wouldn't have to know if I was aloud to be
one of the leaders
one of the unfortunate ones
one of the rebels
who knew already what he wanted to do
supposed to know have to go
can't seem to break free
rippled water against the grain
wishing I could be
people rarely tried to understand me
people rarely look that far passed my face
I can't understand what's making me, mad again
seems like i'm stumbling through this empty space
supposed to know have to go
can't seem to break free
running water along the grain
still wishing I could be
running water along the grain
still wishing I could be
one of the leaders
one of the unfortunate ones
one of the rebels
who knew already what he wanted to do
supposed to know have to go
can't seem to break free
rushing water against my face
wishing I could breathe
rushing water against my face
still wishing I could breathe
I wish I could breathe wish I could breathe
--
http://www.colinmutchler.com
These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
English with Canadian,
French conversation, Mexican realization
it was a peaceful slow hot day,
"I like this way" I thought
as I'm winding back
thinking sleeping until the man with pack
changes the pace form tired to relaxed
italian relation, tobacco and hash
destination not specific
forgot the map not with it
ask a man please point us to the river
we crossed and back, drank a beer
situate ourselves among young without fear
we are here in Sevilla,
amongst the spanish tios and tias
de puta madre
i go with the flow the flow takes me
try to say no denial breaks me
go with the flow the flow takes me
try to say no,
denial breaks me
denial breaks me
denial breaks my concentration to this life
--
http://www.colinmutchler.com
These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
in the multi trans new local spaces
we are speaking from more than 2 sides
we got colorful faces and virtual spaces
that mix in both truth and lies
I wonder how I could’ve been lost couldn’t find my way
freedom comes from who we be, not what we say
take your time, we’ll be ok
and I say we got two sides believing that they’re all alone
while most of the people just trying to get home
we got two sides believing the other is wrong
while most of the people just trying to get along
I am telling what I know, I am singing what I see
and I see that we got to do more than we’ve done before
cause we are speaking for freedom today
yes this is independence day, yes these are our independence days
I wonder why, people are fighting
for the right to keep on remixing
cause maybe they might retell my story
but that’s alright with me, cause we got to keep telling our stories
I say we got two sides fighting about drugs on tv
while millions are dying from HIV
we got two sides fighting about who owns the sea
while a new generation’s just trying be free
in the multi trans new local spaces
we are speaking from more than 2 sides
we got colorful faces and virtual spaces
that mix between truth and lies
--
Now I see a cellar wall,
far from the sun, still afraid to fall
a fearful distance
blocked stopped by the light from electric resistance
I have not yet been home tonight.
Now I see horizon's call,
the difference in degrees makes us nothing to it all
a cheerful existence
block stopped by the plight from my mind's indifference
beauty for reality's innocence
red orange roses to blue greens and browns
rivers meet, nuclear vision by the sun
I'm on a castle on a hill in Germany
traveling on a river boat mansion to Mainz
I'm looking for my friend KP
should I stop to ask her why?
I won't walk alone
I will not try to blunder
you shall not have to walk alone, either
confused I wander
I will never know if you do not believe
I'm learning how to feel, I
confusion, makes it hard to see
simplicity
I'm on a castle on a hill in Germany
traveling on a river boat mansion to Mainz
I'm looking for my friend KP
should I stop to ask her why?
I won't walk alone
I will not try to blunder
you shall not have to walk alone, either
confused I wander
--
http://www.colinmutchler.com
These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
the markets are starting to question themselves
the bloggers exposing our blisters
and the everyday words of everyday people
are shifting the tone of the televised speeches
and the artists are starting to question themselves
the poets are speaking like leaders
and the everyday choices of everyday people
are facing the storms and curing diseases
so go skype an ipod, premix some wages
but don’t forget to make a version for the sages
because when we look beyond our next meal, our next post,
we are responsible for our everyday votes,
the ones we use to buy our shoes, to buy our homes, to buy our tunes.
yes I'm talking about our dollars, our euros, our pesos, our yuan
because what if the next 20 years are happening again?
what if we’ve we already arrived, it's 2025?
and the doomsday duos, the war and peace heroes
haven't avoided the global cooling,
the flu grown zeros, and the forgotten people
yes the markets are starting to question themselves
the bloggers exposing our blisters
yes the everyday words of everyday people
are shifting the tone of the televised speeches
and the artists are starting to question themselves
the poets are speaking like leaders
and the everyday choices of everyday people
are facing the storms and curing diseases.
--
http://www.colinmutchler.com
These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
Colin Mutchler thinks there’s a multi-billion dollar industry in giving music away for free, and he’s betting on his new album to prove it.
Before heading out on his celebrated Free Culture tour to universities and media organizations in 2005, Mutchler released free a cappella tracks of song fragments through the popular remix site ccMixter.org, explicitly “premixed” (prepared for remixing) for producers to build on his work. With each track primed with a Creative Commons license that encouraged other musicians and artists to remix and re-release the work non-commercially (as long as credit was given), the tracks generated a tremendous response from the ccMixter community.
One year and more than 50 remixes later, Mutchler is releasing a full-length album of the best remixes plus two bonus versions of previously released songs. Entitled Premixed, this groundbreaking compilation features tracks produced by global “mixters” from North America, Europe and Japan – only one of whom Colin had ever personally met before collaborating. While major artists like David Bowie, Trent Reznor, and others have invited fans to remix their albums, the Premixed album is a first in that it would never have existed if it weren’t for the collaborative work of producers putting the pieces together legally over time.
The lessons of the last year for Mutchler have proven both humbling and inspiring. “Remix and mash-up culture is huge, but how will these artists get paid when the legal issues are still unclear? Premixed shows that compelling music can be legally produced by building on each other’s work within the commons, and then releasing the best commercially so producers and sampled artists get recognized.”
Mutchler is perhaps best known by bloggers for the story of “My Life Changed,” his online collaboration with North Carolina violinist Cora Beth Bridges in 2003, which has been used widely as a prime example of the kind of collaboration made possible by Creative Commons (see more info at http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/reticulum_rex/). Lesser known are the myriad later versions of “My Life,” including a sweeping French ballad (“Ma Vie”), a Japanese art video (“My Life Changed Completely”), and the version that made it onto the album, “Our Lives Change,” a trans-continental collaboration from Tryad (producers from Seattle, Ohio, and Japan).
Inspiring more than 15 remixes in a matter of weeks, Mutchler’s spoken word manifesto “Language of My Reality” spawned everything from a synth-pop dance remix to a dub reggae slow jam from a German producer which ultimately made the cut for the album. The dub version of “Language of My Reality” hit #1 as the most downloaded track at versionist.com, one of the best known and largest reggae communities on the web. Another highlight is “Castle of Serenades,” a reflective remix produced by Pat Chilla the Beat Gorilla, whose work has been featured extensively on UPN’s America’s Next Top Model.
Visit Colin Mutchler’s site, http://colinmutchler.com/, for information about how to listen to and purchase Premixed.
Colin Mutchler
colin@activefreemedia.com
347.731.6240
Eric Steuer
Creative Director, Creative Commons
eric@creativecommons.org
In the fall of 2005 in France, Everyday Choices was released through CCmixter and within 48 hours had two solid remixes. fourstones must have been feeling Colin's words about the "everyday words of everyday people" because he added his own guitar riff and beats to transform it from a decent spoken word piece to a solid track. Lyrics, Listen. Buy.
Described as on the first great songs to be created out of CCmixter, this reflective remix of Colin's 1999 song 'Castle on a Hill' showcases the masterful skills of producer Pat Chilla the Beat Gorilla, who's work has been highlighted on America's Top Model. Lyrics, Listen. Buy.
Originally written and performed with an acoustic guitar and images as part of Colin's Free Culture Tour, More than 2 Sides by fourstones speaks to the many spaces unfortunately dominated by two opposing voices. The fourstones version fills out the acapella voice with chill beats and trebel percussion. Lyrics, Listen. Buy.
Written while travelling in Sevilla, Espana in 1996, this new version of Destination-Nonspecific was recorded and updated by Victor Ohm in Jackson Heights, Queens in the Summer of 2005. Victor's airily distorted electric solo adds so much to the otherwise chill acoustic recount of a night going with the flow in Sevilla. Lyrics,Listen. Buy.
Originally the first song that Colin had ever written, this version of Break Free distinguishes itself with Victor Ohm's electro guitar solos that fill out the sound of the voice and acoustic guitar. Lyrics, Listen. Buy.
History's unique evolution from the acoustic "Choose Responsibility" on Colin's 1999 album 'activefreedom' started with Awkward Silence using the amazing piano sample from Minus Kelvin and a high pitched version of Colin's voice. Awkward Silence then shared an instrumental version that enabled Colin to re-record his voice in line with the new instrumentals to make History, version 2.0. Lyrics, Listen. Buy.
Language of My Reality was the first CCmixter 'hit,' since it inspired so many remixes in so little time. Versions varied from slow to fast tempo, from a synth pop dance version to alionsonny's Dub Reggae version which ultimately made the album. Lyrics, Listen. Buy.
This original collaboration has been used endlessly by Larry Lessig as an example of what's possible with Creative Commons, precisely because of its beauty and simplicity. (see this video) Listen. Buy.
After My Life Changed, Colin received emails from several people over the following year that included a French version (Ma Vie), a video from Japan (My Life Changed Completely), and this final version. According to Try^d, Our Lives Change was a soundtrack of sorts for a volunteer who was helping after the Tsunami in Asia. Listen. Buy.
Teru's version of this brief prescient statement recorded in 1999 adds a variety of trip hop beats to fill out the mood. "What if we were entering into a new time? A time when the very systems of control and commerce that we had believed to be the status quo, were somehow no longer relevant?" The evolution continues. Lyrics, Listen. Buy.
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My
Life by Colin Mutchler
My
Life Changed by Cora Beth Bridges
Ma
Vie by Francois
My
Life Changed Completely (mpg video, mp2)
Other photographs by Colin can be found through his Flickr page.
Colin collaborated with Paul Miller, aka DJ Spooky, on an event in NYC in April 2005. Paul is a leading thinker and practictioner in communicating about DJ culture and its political and social relevance.
Colin collarated with friend and amazing spoken word artist Alix Olson on a video version of her powerful piece "Pirates" which has been shown throughout the US and internationally on tour. Colin's good friend Samantha Farinella also produced "Left Lane: On the Road with Alix Olson" in 2005, which has won audience awards at festivals around the world.
Negativland founder Mark Hosler has been mashing up culture before the internet even existed. Colin talked with him about his experience and current state of mashup culture in the hills of Asheville during his Free Culture Tour in 2005.]]>