1,000 UK Artists
Is This What We Want?
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Over a thousand musicians have united in protest at the UK government’s tech-bro-influenced proposal to change copyright law. This change would allow AI companies (and others who can exploit the same policy) to use copyrighted work without a license. It’s ridiculous and we should all join the protest.
Is This What We Want? opens with the echoing tones of background clatter and electrical hum, ‘The’ sets the stage for the record. Like all the songs, this has been captured in an empty studio, rehearsal room, or performance space, symbolising the impact of defunding creativity by removing the need to pay the creators for their work.
‘British’ features distant transport noise and a persistent fly. Perhaps a nod to the rotten idea that caused the protest. I had to pause this song temporarily as someone nearby was using a lawnmower and it made it hard to discern the details. There’s a person moving around in ‘Government’, it sounds like they’re using a computer mouse at various points.
There’s a big-space background hum in ‘Must’. An occasional bang. The deep tones and static buzzes punctuating the flow-of-air sound bed. In contrast, ‘Not’ feels small and personal. In near silence, the occasional sounds of a human walking are heard. Is that a seat creaking? A short sniff? Someone interacting with a computer and eating a crisp? And then silence once more.
‘Legalise’ has a quiet hiss and the sound of vehicles passing. An occasional donk and thoughts of whether that deep droning sound is a plane compared to the whoosh of a cars on wet tarmac. The vehicular segue way blends us into ‘Music’. More cars. Even a horn. Someone passes through.
The background hum of ‘Theft’ is instant. There’s a sound like a hi-hat tap, or a spoon on a tray, and then more hum. A person moves around quietly, then another tap and they walk possibly up or down some stairs making a hollow thud. Their steps then tap across a harder surface. In ‘To’, there’s a squealy sound along with a background hiss, and an occasional background duck.
Heading to the final songs we have ‘Benefit’, where someone knocks past an instrument and moves objects around, the sound of their clothes as they move and their swallowing as they take a drink. The sound of a stack of paperwork slapping against a desk at the two-thirds mark and a deep breath.
‘AI’ is one of the quietest tracks. I turn things up to hear the creaks, crackles, and breathing. The final track, ‘Companies’, features a fuzzing low buzz and a demanding cat who soon sounds content.
The Artistry of Is This What We Want?
I could have summed up the tracks after the opener. ‘And so on,’ I could say. Except that would treat the songs as less than they are. Less than a ‘proper song’. But they are proper songs.
The album could have featured proper songs. It could have included proper lyrics – words that tore apart the issue. I did wonder if there might be hidden moments, which spurred me on to listen to the whole of each track. I encourage you to do the same. But the bleak emptiness of creative spaces is probably the most impactful way to communicate this message.
And to avoid any doubt, the complete track-listing reads:
The British Government Must Not Legalise Music Theft To Benefit AI Companies
This issue affects everyone. Despite the obvious flaws, AI is being pitched as a replacement for human creativity in music, film, writing, and communication. It is built on theft, it aims to de-value our most human virtues, and all the cash will end up in the infinite pockets of people who are already fat on worker abuse. Heaven knows the average reward for creative work is low. I’ve recorded records, written a novel, and even published a technical book through a well-known publisher. I do not, dear reader, live in a mansion.
Each song likely has a story. The artist would have thought about how they contribute to the theme. While the overall message is clear, these individual plots are more open to interpretation. Why is someone using a computer here? Is that an important part of the message? Was the cat in ‘Companies’ allegorical?
Here’s the official press release:
More than 1,000 musicians have come together to release Is This What You Want?, an album protesting the UK government’s proposed changes to copyright law.
In late 2024, the UK government proposed changing copyright law to allow artificial intelligence companies to build their products using other people’s copyrighted work – music, artworks, text, and more – without a licence.
The musicians on this album came together to protest this. The album consists of recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, representing the impact we expect the government’s proposals would have on musicians’ livelihoods.
All profits from the album are being donated to the charity Help Musicians.
IS THIS WHAT WE WANT
Listen to 1,000 UK Artists – ‘Legalise’.
Is This What We Want? Track Listing
- The
- British
- Government
- Must
- Not
- Legalise
- Music
- Theft
- To
- Benefit
- AI
- Companies
Contributing Artists
Here are all the artists involved in the project:
Aaron Shilson, Abbi Phillips, Adam Janota Bzowski, Adam King, Adam Robinson, Adam Wakeman, Adam Wren, Adem Ilhan, Adiescar Chase, Al O’Kane, Alan Bullard, Alan Naudin Levi, Alesia Harris, Alex Lindner, Alex Parsons, Alexander Campkin, Alexander Chance, Alexander Leeming Froudakis, Alexander Rudd, Alexandra Harwood, Alexis Ffrench, Alfie Jackson, Alice Eldridge, Alice Harper, Alison Cotton, Alison Moncrieff-Kelly, Alison Smart Fisher, Allan Clayton, Amanda Lake, Amelia Warner, Amy Balcomb, Amy Bryce, Anchor Lane, Andrew Baker, Andrew Broadbent, Andrew Frampton, Andrew Keeping, Andrew Kingslow, Andrew Knowles, Andrew Macmillan, Andrew Post, Andrew Potterton, Andrew Storer, Andrew Storey, ANDRO, Andy Lumsden, Andy Mackay, Angela Soanes, Ann Elise Smoot, Anna Gregory, Anna Hallett, Anna Lapwood, Anna Neale, Anne Dudley, Anne Nikitin, Annie Lennox, Annina Melissa, Anthony Marks, Anthony Vander West, Antony Kearns, Anyssa Neumann, Ash Howes, Ashley Mason, Ashley Riches, Astral Realm, Atli Örvarsson, Audiojack, Aya Origenes, Baby Queen, Barb Jungr, Barbara Lake, Bashy, Belinda Dalziel, Ben Foster, Ben Haynes, Ben Howard, Ben Morales Frost, Ben Onono, Ben Palmer, Ben Parry, Ben Salisbury, Benedict Nichols, Beni Giles, Benjamin Ellin, Benjamin Wallfisch, Billy Ocean, Black Bordello, Blair Mowat, Book of Revelations, Bradley Simpson, Brix Smith, Cameron Sinclair, Caritas Consort, Caroline Kraabel, Caroline Lenton-Ward, Caroline Tyler, Catharine Woodward, Catherine McAteer, Cathy Lou, Cathy Phillips Brady, Cave Conscious, Cécile Frangi, Chad Jackson, Charlie Laffer, Charlie Mole, Chill Milk, Chris Difford, Chris Grady, Chris Greive, Chris Hodgkins, Chris Hutchings, Chris Roe, Chris Smith, Chris Xylo, Christian Mason, Christopher Barnett, Christopher Schlechte-Bond, Ciara Millington, Ciaran Walshe, Cj Pandit, Claire Batchelor Morris, Claire Dibble, Colin Mark Andrews, Connie Tanner, Connor Smither, Corin Buckeridge, Crispin Hunt, Damian Grant, Damon Albarn, Dan Grech-Marguerat, Dan McGrath, Dan Potter, Dan Smith, Dan Watts, Dani Filth, Dani Senior, Dani Sylvia, Daniel Charles Beach, Daniel Hyde, Daniel Pemberton, Daniel Trocmé-Latter, Daniele Cocomazzi, Danielle Hartley, Danni O’Neill, Danny Hampson, Darren Campbell, Darren Fellows, Dave Jago, David Barton, David Bascombe, David Brewis, David Donaldson, David Fawcett, David Holmes, David Hyde, David Julyan, David Lale, David Lynas, David Mackay, David Schweitzer, David Stokes, Dean McGinnes, Deborah Hamilton, Dennis Locorriere, Diana Ambache, DJ Sahil AiM, Dobs Vye, Dominik Scherrer, Dru Masters, Dutch Van Spall, Dylan Williams, ECKOES, Ed Marsh, Ed Newton-Rex, Ed O’Brien, Edd Holloway, Edmund Butt, Edmund Jolliffe, Eduardo Bombace, Edward Grint, Edward Picton-Turbervill, Edward Rhys-Harry, Edward Woodhouse, Eleanor Cameron, Eleanor Turner, Eleftheria Kotzia, Eliza Marshall, Elizabeth Ball, Elizabeth Cunningham, Elizabeth Slatter, Elizabeth Stratford, Ellen Beth Abdi, Emma Hartsuiker, Emma-Jean Thackray, Emmanuel Ekeng, Eoin Schmidt-Martin, Erika Gundesen, Esther Abrami, Esther Cavett, Esya, Eugenia Georgieva, Eurielle, Ex Cathedra, Fenella Humphreys, Finn Foxell, Fiona Higham, Fionagh Bennet, Firewhorl, Fortesque, Francis Bucknall, Francis Bucknell, Francis Pott, Frankie Plato, freyyyja, Future Cut, Gabriella Swallow, Gareth Baker Thomas, Gary Carpenter, Gary Cole, Gary Yershon, Gavin Greenaway, Geoff Clark, George Bloomfield, Gizmo Varillas, Glasvegas, Gordon Giles, Gordon Thornett, Graham Boyle, Graham Ross, Graham Walker, Graham Wilson, Grahame Maclean, Greg Usek, Gregory J E Sanders, Gus Nicholson, Guy Chadwick, Guy Farley, Guy Johnston, Hannah Barnett, Hannah Koppenburg, Hannah Ockendon-Rowe, Hans Zimmer, Hard Life, Harry Christophers, Heather Elisabeth Bird, Helen Epega, Helen Lynch, Helen Lyon, Helen Neeves, Helen Rathbone, Helena Culliney, Helienne Lindvall, Hetty Snell, Hilda Paredes, Hilgrove Kenrick, Hillbilly Vegas, Ian Arber, Ian Bostridge, Ian Broudie, Ian Hill, Ian Norsworthy, Igor Olejar, Imogen Heap, Imperial College Chamber Choir, Isaac Stuart, Ivor McGregor, Jabun, Jack Hylton (Jnr), Jack Thomas, Jack Wilson, Jacknife Lee, Jacob Coton, Jade Leamcharaskul, James Byrne, James Earp, James Hannigan, James Jones, James Lark, James Luxton, James MacMillan, James Morgan, James Oldfield, James Turnbull, James Watson, James Waymont, Jamie Finlay, Jamie Hall, Jamie McVinnie, Jamie Vizard, Jamie Wright, Jamiroquai, Jan Lauren Halen, Jane Warren, Janet Overfield, Jason Garrett, Jason Tarver, JC Stewart, Jenna Brown, Jeremy Cornes, Jeremy Drew, Jeremy Huw Williams, Jeremy Jackman, Jeremy Summerly, Jess Gillam, Jessica Dannheisser, Jessica Rose Weiss, Jill Streater, Jim Clements, Jim Prime, Jimbo Barry, Jimmy Somerville, JKL DUO, Jo Goldsmith-Eteson, Jo Hadler, Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, Joanne Walton, Jobe Baker-Sullivan, Jocelyn Pook, Joe Hearson, Joel Cooper, Johannes Steinray, John Crothers, John Foyle, John Lodge, John Lunn, John Myers, John Pitts, John Powell, John Rutter, John Wilson, Johnny Mortimer, Jon Beattie, Jon King, Jon Opstad, Jonathan Sharif, Jonathan Slatter, Jordan Rakei, Joris de Man, Josephine Oniyama, Josh Nelson, Julian Black, Julian Lloyd Webber, Julian Nott, Julie Cane, Juliette Bausor, Juliette Pochin, Justin Tailor, Karen Newby, Karina Tammy Byrne, Kat Pugh, Kate Birchall, Kate Bush, Kate Leek, Kate St John, Katherine Carter, Katie Richardson, Katy Garner, Kegzi, Kelli-Leigh, Kevin Sargent, Kezia Tomsett, Kiah Gossner, Kieran Brunt, Kim Wilde, King Ed, Kirsty Devaney, Kirsty Oneill, Kiya, Kobus Frick, Låpsley, Laura B, Laura Jones, Laura Rossi, Laurence Warner, Laurie Stras, Lee Sparey, Lee Ward, Leifur James, Leo Popplewell, Leona Naess, Libby Smith, Lin Blakley, Linden Jay, Lindsay Gray, Lindsay Wright, Liz May, Liz Melville, London Choral Sinfonia, Lorna Dea, Lorne Balfe, Louis Dodd, Louis Lion, Louis Souyave, Louis Thorne , Louise Dodds, Louise Ellinson, Louise Golbey, Lowswimmer, Lucas Vedel, Lucy Makin, Lucy Morrell-Bannan, Lucy Poole, Luke Gordon, Luke Harrison, Luke Morley, Luke Richards, Luke Taylor, Lydia Kenny, Madeleine Mitchell, Magnus Fiennes, Mahaliah Edwards, Malcolm Archer, Manvinder Rattan, Margaret Archibald, Margaret Holtby, Marillion, Mariska Heijboer Castañon, Mark Aldous, Mark Ayres, Mark Choi, Mark Eason, Mark Jordan, Mark Newby-Robson, Mark Russell, Martin Kennedy, Martin Phipps, Martin Seymour, Martyn Ware, Maruja, Mary Cooper, Mat Andasun, Maths Time Joy, Matt Acheson, Matt Dunkley, Matt Kelly, Matt Saxton, Matthew Barley, Matthew Collins, Maurizio Malagnini, Max Cooke, Max Richter, Megan Lewis, Melvyn Tan, Mene Man, MEYY, Mia Angelice Burlinson, Michael Ashcroft, Michael Berkeley, Michael England, Michael J McEvoy, Michael Waldron, Mike Dixon, Mike Holt, Mike Kintish, Mimi Harmer, Minny Pops, Miranda Ostler, Mirco Altenbach, Miriam Sternlicht, Mitesh Khatri, Mr. Scruff, Murray Gold, Mystery Jets, Nancy Elan, Naomi Kimpenu, Naomi Waltham-Smith, Narin Gylman, Natalie McCool, Nathan Fake, Nathan James Dearden, Nathen Durasamy, Neil Barnes, Neil Dennis, Neil Taylor, New Order, Niall McNamee, Nicholas Daniel, Nicholas Hooper, Nicholas Moor, Nick Ferreira, Nick Fitch, Nick Hall , Nick Milburn, Nick Norton-Smith, Nick Pynn, Nick Samuel, Nick Smith, Nicky Newman, Nicky Spence, Nico Willems, Nicolas Moodie, Nigel Godrich, Nikk Hope, Nina Pankhaniya, Nitin Sawhney, Nubiyan Twist, Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, ORA Singers, Otala, Owain Park, Own Klly, P. Robin White, Paddy Fletcher, Pam Wedgwood, Pat Alvarez, Patrick Jonsson, Patrizio Knight, Paul Cheneour, Paul Handley, Paul J Housden, Paul Johnson Rogers, Paul Leonard-Morgan, Paul Lewis, Paul Max Edlin, Paul O’Duffy, Paul Thompson, Paula Juden, Peggy Seeger, Pet Shop Boys, Pete Colorado, Pete Q. Harris, Peter Ashley, Peter Fallowell, Peter Hewitt, Peter Mayne, Peter Nardone, Peter Salem, Peter Wallevik, Phil Manzanera, Phil Thornton, Philip Heyman, Philip Sheppard, Phoebe Hutchason, Piers Maxim, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Police Dog Hogan, Poppy Ewence, Porridge Radio, Prairiez, Public Service Broadcasting, R. Betts, Rachael Drury, Rachael Philip, Rachael Pickering, Rachel Mahon, Rachel Portman, Rachel Roberts, Ray Cooper, Raz Olsher, Răzvan Kim, Rebecca Berkley, Rebecca Brown, Rebecca Hepplewhite, Rebecca Seale, Recordare, Redline, Revenge of Calculon, Rhiannon Mathias, Rich Cooper, Rich(ard) Dawson, Richard Allain, Richard G Mitchell, Richard Gowers, Richard Hudson, Richard Lowe, Richard McVeigh, Richard Pike, Richard Shakeshaft, Richard Warren, Riz Ahmed, Roary Skaista, Rob Lane, Rob Lord, Robbie Medina, Robert de Fresnes, Robert Fripp, Robert Green, Robert King, Robert Mingay Smith, Robert Mitchell, Robert Robertson, Robert Tucker, Robert Webb, Robin A Taylor-Firth, Robin Jax, Robin Kiel, Robin Schlochtermeier, Robyn Sellman, Roderick Williams, Rodolfus Choir, Roger Vignoles, Ross Gilmartin, Ross Morrow, Rowland Lee, Roy Babbington, Roy Kerr, Roy Moore, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Rozzi, Rupert Gough, Ruth Barrett, Ryan Probert, Ryan Trebilcock, Sally Herbert, Sam Burt, Sam Cramer, Sam Dudley, Sam Fender, Sam Harper, Sam Hayes, Sam Klempner, Samuel Pegg, Samuel Sim, Sandy Nuttgens, Sara Foster, Sarah Blair, Sarah Connolly, Sarah Denbee, Sarah Playford, Sarah Warne, Scottish Session Orchestra, Scouting For Girls, Segun Akinola, Serge Sainte Rose, Seton Daunt, Shao Dow, Shean Bowers, SILVASTONE, Simon Carrington, Simon Elms, Simon Franglen, Simon Hewitt Jones, Simon Le Bon, Simon Lole, Simon Nathan, Simon Surtees, Simone Marie, Sion Trefor, Sissy Ford, SOHN, Sophie Kauer, Stay At Home Choir, Stephen Armstrong, Stephen Bullamore, Stephen Hough, Stephen Power, Stephen Shellard, Steve Luck, Steve Pretty, Steven Dodsworth, Stewart McIlwham, STORRY, Stuart Earl, Stuart Jackson, Stuart MacRae, Sue Quin, Sue Sutherley, Susan Bixley, Susanna Gray-Jones, Suvi-Eeva Äikäs, Suwuese Smith, Tamsin Waley-Cohen, Tara Creme, Tasmin Archer, Terl Bryant, The Anchoress, The Choir of Royal Holloway, The Choir of St. Bartholomew the Great, The Clash, The Flight, The Gesualdo Six, The Kanneh-Masons, The King’s Singers, The Ligeti Quartet, The Sixteen, The Swingles, The Ugly Guys, The Vivum Singers, The Wellermen, Thee Alcoholics, Third Girl From the Left, This Is the Kit, Thomas Coldrick, Thomas Hewitt Jones, Thomas Richard Haslehurst, Tim Exile, Tim Gosden, Tim Knight, Tim Oliver, Tim Scott, Tim Seddon, Timothy Blinko, Toby Wheatley, Tom Bullard, Tom C. Cleary, Tom Grennan, Tom Rasmussen, Tom Stafford, Tony Valsamidis, Tony Volker, Tori Amos, Toyah Willcox, Trevor Heath, Tristan Hambleton, Uinya, Victor Ray, Victoria Ann-Louise Whittaker, Vincent Watts, Vinther, VOCES8, Walter Mair, Wayne Corrie Beecham, Will Mowat, Will Todd, William Morris, Willie Dowling, Yard Act, Yazz, YolanDa Brown, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Zara Nunn, Zero 7
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