LONDON-- The The [ tickets ] frontman Matt Johnson will offer free, full-track MP3 downloads of the group's latest album "NakedSelf," without prior permission from label Universal Music.

According to "The The Versus the Corporate Monster," his lengthy statement on The The's official website, Johnson will offer one free downloadable "NakedSelf" track per week from the website. Songs were supposed to be made available to the public from July 13, but have yet to appear on the site. Johnson said that the free songs are a means of promoting the group's seventh album, as he is unsatisfied with Universal Music's treatment of "NakedSelf."

"I recently released 'NakedSelf,' an album that is generally considered one of the best of my career," he said. "...Yet the reaction from Interscope/Universal has been destructive and negative in the extreme. Their utter dependence on the radio means that the good ship TheThe is abandoned as soon as the fear of no-play takes hold."

Johnson also cited the Universal-PolyGram merger instituted by parent company Seagram as another reason for his discontent.

"In order to get the green light for the Universal/PolyGram merger, Seagrams [sic] promised their shareholders a return on cuts, not profits. They have a huge artist stable raped from three established major labels and two thirds has got to go, bringing it down to a trim, wealthy machine made up of just the plump ripe sellers."

He also expressed views similar to Public Enemy and Prince that new music technology will eventually cut out the "middle men" of the record company and bring the downfall of major labels.

"Through their short sighted arrogance and greed the major label media conglomerates are sowing the seeds for their own destruction... New technology, both in cheap, high quality recording equipment and the tremendous potential of the Internet, mean that it's possible for musicians to fund their own recordings, own their own copyrights, distribute their own music and control their own careers. The audience will begin to deal with the artist direct and the middle men will be cut down to size."

Universal Music has yet to issue a response to Johnson's attack.

The The is scheduled to play at London's Royal Festival Hall on December 10. Johnson has also promised details of "massive autumn tour" which will run from September to December.

The band was last in the Billboard 200 Chart with the live album "Dusk" in 1993.