CNUK is a non-profit organisation that is dedicated to creating and promoting creative works that can be built upon, shared and sampled. All not-for-profit, with for-profit options left available to the creators.

The mission of the free culture movement is to build a bottom-up, participatory structure to society and culture. We believe that culture is a two-way affair, about participation, not merely consumption. With the Internet and other advances, the technology exists for a new model of creation, one where anyone can be an artist, and anyone can succeed, based not on their industry connections, but on their merit.
(Source: CNUK Media Foundation)

I got sent the link to the above lovely new resource by Matt Lee in an email:

I do this ‘free culture’ thing now. Have you heard of Lawrence Lessig? Creative Commons? It’s something to do with all of that… we’ve got some pretty cool tracks
up on the site already – people like Beastie Boys, Le Tigre, etc… all there with a purpose: to allow people to sample them. Legally.

I’ve just been and had a browse about and it looks very, very promising. They’ve already got an impressive breadth of artists listed:

Beastie Boys / Now Get Busy

David Byrne / My Fair Lady

Zap Mama / Wadidyusay?

My Morning Jacket / One Big Holiday

Spoon / Revenge!

Gilberto Gil / Oslodum

Dan the Automator / Relaxation Spa Treatment

Thievery Corporation / DC 3000

Le Tigre / Fake French

Paul Westerberg / Looking Up in Heaven

Chuck D with Fine Arts Militia / No Meaning No

The Rapture / Sister Saviour (Blackstrobe Remix)

Cornelius / Wataridori 2

Danger Mouse & Jemini / What U Sittin’ On? (starring Cee Lo and Tha Alkaholiks)

DJ Dolores / Oslodum 2004 (includes (cc) sample of “Oslodum” by Gilberto Gil)

Matmos / Action at a Distance

(Source: CNUK Music)

When I’m feeling a bit depressed and angry, which is a lot these days with Labour and the Tories trying to out-racist each other, I look at projects like this and they’re tiny glimmers of hope. Proof that not everyone in the world is a totally self-serving and psychopathically solipsistic automaton.

Right… I guess it’s time that I go and catch up with the election campaigning…sigh…