What is Speech Free?

Long known for creating records, CDs, video, fine art, books, radio and live performance using appropriated sounds, images, objects, and text, what does a Negativland album sound like when it’s missing all of those voice samples?  It sounds like: Speech Free. 

A triple vinyl / double CD release of Library Music for your use and reuse, this new album by Negativland has had every last trace of language carefully removed from the mix. But what does that really mean? It means that Speech Free is a complete reimagining of the 28 tracks of music that were hiding in plain sight beneath the branded Cultural Jamming of our last two record albums and EP.

Entirely composed and performed by the group with an all star cast of guest musicians, these productions explode out of even the tiniest of speakers as some of Negativland’s most listenable barrages of pure ear candy yet — all we had to do was remove all of the chatter that was previously there!  

As our marketing research suggests, these catchy tunes can work well for you as both new jingles and musical beds, perfectly suited for voiceovers discussing anything from commercial products to political campaigns. Most target audiences regularly indicate a preference for moderately subversive content and confusion, and you’ll find that this release provides that target with precisely the right amount of each. Because every second of Usable Music™ on this record has been personally guaranteed, by everyone still here in Negativland, to be Speech Free.

1. THERE IS NO PLANET (4:22)

2. IS IT OR ISN’T IT  (4:31)

3. SQUARE SHAPED CLOUDS (4:08)

4. LIVE AT SEA (2:46)

5. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? (3:13)

6. BUILDING AND RAISING (2:37)

7. I LOVE BEES (3:16)

8. NOTHING IS DESTROYED (4:41)

9. ENJOYING LIFE (4:02)

10. DON’T TRUST YOUR MEMORY (3:33)

11. BELIEVE WHAT YOU CAN (2:01)

12. LOOP FOREVER (12:19)

13. PARTICIPATE (3:55)

14. MORE THAN ONE ANSWER (4:30)

15. LET’S JUST SHIP IT (0:38)

16. BREATHE IN BREATHE OUT (4:49)

17. A PORTAL OF SORTS (3:20)

18. ALGORITHMIC ME (5:40)

19. THE REAL PUNISHMENT (1:33) 

20. NO EXCUSE (4:11)

21. A COUPLE OF MILLISECONDS (2:13)

22. DEATH IS OPTIONAL (1:59)

23. A BIG MISTAKE (2:22)

24. THEY’RE THE ONE (8:09)

25. TAPE THE PAIN IN PLACE (3:17)

26. EVERY SONG EVER CREATED (5:18)

27. NO WONDER (6:41)

28. OH (1:33)

More info about Speech Free: Recorded Music For Film, Radio, Internet and Television

• The fourth of two interconnected releases (yes, we know it’s confusing), with full color outer sleeves, inner sleeves, and label.  

• No lyrics included, because there aren’t any. But liner notes do include a very detailed source list of where all those voices came from -- the ones that you are no longer hearing.

• Guest artists on this record include: Prairie Prince (The Tubes, Byrne/Eno, XTC), Drew Daniel & M.C. Schmidt (Matmos), Ava Mendoza, Jem Doulton (Thurston Moore Group, Róisín Murphy,) Nava Dunkelman, Steve Fisk (Pell Mell, Pigeonhed,) Erich Hubner (Man or Astroman?, Cordero) Thomas Dimuzio, Kyle Bruckmann, and Kristin Erickson (Blectum from Blechdom.)

• Album cover art by long time Negativland collaborator Shawn Wolfe that continues the visual story and motifs of True False, The World Will Decide and No Brain, because we can’t stop ourselves and because….it’s all connected!!

• Composed, performed, produced, recorded, mixed, edited and reimagined by Negativland.