Various Artists - Solidarity Soundwaves

Released: February 15

To raise money and bring attention to the ongoing crisis in Gaza, 4000 Records put together a sweeping compilation of nearly 40 tracks from artists across the world. When I say sweeping, I mean to say that the sheer variety of genres touched upon is amazing. There are some of the more upbeat tracks touching on drum and bass, some synthwave, and even a bit minimalist house. On the other side of the coin we are given some drone, ambient, downtempo, and even some things that are difficult to define but tap into the more noisy and avant garde realm of music. Of course I  find myself partial to the noisy and difficult to classify tracks, but even some of the more conventional ones caught my ear such as the deceptively dubstep "ARSONIST" by XRSYZM and the springy drum and bass "Thru the Air" by Akirpap. These fit in surprisingly well with all the other more obscure sounding compositions. 

The flow of the compilation is rather interesting as it drifts from genre to genre, but the opener is a purely soundscape driven piece that sets the purpose of the compilation upfront and center. "932 Sirens" consists entirely of a maddening scene with sirens coming from every direction amid a catastrophic scenario. As we move through the compilation, we hear all the variety with some being calm and other being much more abrasive. "The silver case" by evieeeeeee is one that can't help but catch the ear as its aggressively distorted breakbeats hit you in the face as the are joined my pained and unhinged scream-singing. Funnily enough, this moves directly into one of the most serene tracks on the compilation with Spirit Lights' "Yield." Layers upon layers of slowly morphing and melding pads stack cleanly to bring but a moment of peace. 

It would be nearly impossible to mention everything this release has to offer without writing a full essay. But I can say that I highly recommend giving a listen and purchasing, if for no other reason than your purchase going to a good cause as all proceeds go directly to Medical Aid for Palestinians.