To everyone impacted by COVID-19 in India, families and friends, and those who have lost around the world – I hope we all take a moment to pause and think of you.
We need empathy for all crises and challenges, but this one is unique in that people are facing the same virus – if experiencing the reality of it in sometimes profoundly different ways. I know that the urgent catastrophic state of India is reaching a lot of you, whether you’re there now or connected through friends and family.
That may mean you need a break from the news, so back to that shortly – but meanwhile, I want to give some space over to this compilation. (And if you’ve done something similar, please send it in – I know not everyone has as big a platform, so weird noise music or whatever also welcome.)
Arjun Vagale, aka AsymetriK (also the name of his label project), is one of the Indian stars to earn some larger international success, including Europe’s festivals and clubs. But he’s also been a voice for some of India’s lesser-known artists. So this compilation also features some of those other producers working now in their scene:
From the description:
With the catastrophic second wave of COVID-19, INDIA is in crisis. There is an acute shortage of oxygen tanks, ventilators & beds – with even the biggest hospitals sending out SOS requests for help. As of 26th April 2021, there were over 17 million cases – over 300,000 reported in a single day. Our healthcare infrastructure is crippled – the system is broken! It’s now up to each of us to do our bit and help.
As artists sitting at home, perhaps the best help we can offer is via our music.
This compilation is our effort to raise funds for the Hemkunt Foundation, an NGO doing on-ground COVID-19 relief work and supplying oxygen to critical patients. We are deeply grateful for their fearless service to our communities.
Our compilation features unreleased music from some of the finest electronic music producers from India, and is available via Bandcamp exclusively. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Hemkunt Foundation.
There are more resources to follow – artist filmbeatz was tracking some, but this one has been unpublished; I’ll find out if there are more:
You can also donate directly to the foundation Arjun features in his compilation. (I can’t speak directly to that, but at least value the endorsement of these artists.)
https://hemkuntfoundation.com/
Folks in India or with knowledge of the situation, if you have other suggestions, please comment.
This is obviously all not going to be “over” any time soon, meaning as parts of the world do regain the ability to gather, we have an opportunity to spend that time and care with each other also directing effort to getting the rest of the world on its feet again, too. Knowing there is a lot of hurt around the world, that ability to care for one another may be necessary to our own recovery. And it’s absolutely the right thing to do.
Please keep other tips coming. Thanks to Polish DJ Kasia Gościńska for pointing me to this one and her own ongoing activism.