The Free Lantern

Free music, free software, a small light to carry.

Short bio

The Free Lantern is Jasper Nuyens (Linux Belgium): a musician who writes the lyrics and performs the songs live as a DJ and MC, with projected visuals and lantern lights. Free by Design, twelve tracks in twelve genres, is out now.

Longer bio

The Free Lantern is a solo project by Jasper Nuyens of Linux Belgium. It began with a simple idea: a small light that people can carry or share, standing in for curiosity, knowledge, warmth and freedom. Everything grows out of Jasper's own lyrics and concepts, and the songs return again and again to freedom, sharing, OpenSource and a good dose of humour. The Free Lantern deliberately refuses to settle on one genre. Free by Design, released around FOSDEM 2026 and also available on CD, has twelve tracks in twelve genres. Our Story, a series that adds a new song on the last Friday of every month, runs until December 2026, and a third album, Compiled to Connect, is in progress. The songs come from feelings first: the joy of making something and giving it away, the itch to question how things are run, and the small warmth of people sharing what they know. Live, Jasper is alone on stage as DJ and MC in a brocade jacket and top hat, with a Pioneer controller, a mic and strings of lantern lights, while projectors show album art, music videos and English lyrics with Dutch subtitles. The first show was at Fri3d Camp 2026, for a cosy audience. Sets run 45, 60 or 90 minutes. The music is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, so you can share it and build on it.

The music has more than 125,000 Spotify streams. A new song comes out on the last Friday of every month.

The live show

Solo DJ/MC + visuals: Jasper alone as DJ/MC in brocade jacket and top hat, with a Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3 controller, 3 laptops, a handheld mic, lantern string lights and two JBL party speakers that can serve as the PA in small rooms. Visuals are projected: album art, music videos and English lyrics with Dutch subtitles, ideally on 3 to 5 short-throw projectors with screens, and the show also works with a single projector. A volunteer sound technician helps with setup. First performance at Fri3d Camp 2026 (August/September 2026), cosy audience. Set lengths 45, 60 or 90 minutes.

Set lengths: 45, 60, 90 minutes.
Jasper brings: Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3 controller, 3 laptops, handheld mic, lantern lights, 2 JBL party speakers (can serve as the PA for small venues).
Sound: venue PA with a stereo line input plus one mic input (larger rooms); or Jasper's own JBL party speakers (small rooms).
Projection: The full setup uses 5 short-throw projectors with screens: 1 in the middle and 2 on each side. 1 projector is the minimum.

Listen and follow

Video

Photos

Jasper Nuyens in a top hat, arms raised and a cane in one hand, on stage at Fri3d Camp. Three projected screens with The Free Lantern artwork fill the wall behind him, with JBL speakers, lantern lights and a silhouetted audience around him. — Download photo

Jasper Nuyens in a top hat at the DJ table at Fri3d Camp, with the Fork the Future artwork projected on the wall behind him, laptops on two speaker towers, short-throw projectors on the side tables, lantern lights along the table and the audience in silhouette. — Download photo

Jasper Nuyens in a top hat, round glasses and a black and gold brocade jacket, looking down at the decks under purple stage light, with a second person blurred in the background. — Download photo

Licence

The music is released under CC BY-SA 4.0. Share it, remix it, build on it. Give credit and share what you make under the same licence.

Downloads

Booking and contact

Bookings: [email protected]
Band manager (Max Lumen, AI, supervised by the band): [email protected]