I was part of a vegetable collective once. It cost me $60 every two weeks for a huge box of fruit & veg that would slowly rot on my kitchen counter. I was told i was saving the planet by purchasing organic, fairtrade, bionic, free-range and whatever-else foodstuffs. But there really wasn't much in it for me. Am i really going to know the difference between a hydroponic and non-hydroponic eggplant?? And Rambutans? WTF.

The 20th project is a collective of sorts too, though it's got little to do with vegies. It's a bunch of composers and musicians who set aside the 20th of every month to construct and record a song from beginning to end. No previous ideas or tried and true riffs allowed. The morning of the 20th begins with a clean slate and hopefully finishes with you having a complete track (however rough) to send. What's stopping you putting forth a completed track you've spent months perfecting?? Nothing. But you've completely missed the point. It's a collective designed to get lazy musicians off their arses and/or high horses and get something done. It's also a great opportunity to get to know other composers, and other production styles.

The best bit?? Being a collective, the only people that get to hear the monthly mix are those that have contributed themselves. You get a personalised CD (with artwork created by Sydney artists!!) sent to your home address, and a tracklist with all the other contributors for that month. Anyone can get involved, and unlike my ill-fated foray into the underground vegetable society, you can come and go as you please... Oh, and it wont cost you a thing (except a couple enjoyable hours of your time).

It's run by Sydney-sider Jeff Edwards, also known as The Desks, who himself has proffered numerous tracks for the project under this moniker. If you're keen on getting involved, all you need to do is send your track in mp3 form (make it decent quality yo), to 20th[at]cabnetpin.com. Send it on the 21st of the month or thereabouts. And hey, why don't you even introducte yourself! Jeff and his co-conspirator Richard are keen to know ya. Some other contributing artists include Telafonica, Aeriae, 44Hertz, Bagley, Batty Wing Wing and a zillion others.

Now I wouldn't want to be accused of blogging something with which i've had no experience, so i'm proud to say I've given the 20th project a crack myself. To dispel any concerns you might have that there may be some barriers to entry based on musical ability, I've included it here (it indeed made an appearance in the March 2009 edition). See below for some tracks from other legit artists, all of which are chemical free, preservative free, ethically grown and produced in less than 24 hours. --- JZ