Legowelt, Hieroglyphic Being, KiNK & Neville Watson, and Perc are among the contributors to a new compilation to support Russia’s beleaguered gay community. Bearing the self-explanatory title, LGBT Rights for Russia Now!, the album is the dance-music scene’s latest salvo in the battle to protect LGBT rights in Russia, following the announcement of solidarity parties coordinated by Berlin’s Berghain, Munich’s Harry Klein, and Brooklyn’s Output, among others.
All proceeds from the compilation will go to Gayrussia.eu, the organizers of Moscow’s Pride events, and a group whose very existence is threatened amidst a climate of beatings, police abuse, and new legislation banning so-called “gay propaganda.” “It’s partly to raise awareness, partly to show support, and partly to hopefully generate some cash to make their job and their cause a bit easier,” says organizer Vincent Koreman (a.k.a. Drvg Cvltvre, RA-X), a Dutch producer of experimental techno and a curator of Tilburg’s Incubate festival.
“The music we make, play, and love stems from the gay disco and dance clubs from Chicago,” writes Koreman in a press release. “Its power and drive come from the positive vibes and the feeling of love that ooze through in the relentless drum machines and synths. We decided that it was time to speak up. To stand by what we think is right. Freedom to think and act for everyone, across the globe.”
Perhaps appropriately, given the current state of affairs, an ominous undercurrent runs through many of the album’s tracks, which range from slow-motion acid to dub techno, and from lo-fi house to delicate electronica. (If you’re familiar with Drvg Cvltvre or RA-X, the music’s dark cast will probably come as no surprise.) The rising American producer Huerco S., Dutch electro legend Rude 66, and “haunted dancehall” troublemaker Leyland James Kirby, a.k.a. the Caretaker, are also among the 24 artists contributing unreleased, exclusive material. Individual songs are 1 euro apiece (approximately $1.33), and the full album is 10 euros ($13.33). (Bandcamp was chosen to distribute the album, says Koreman, because it takes the smallest cut of all the major digital retailers, leaving more money to go to the intended beneficiaries.)
In related news, more clubs have signed on to Berghain’s Promote Diversity initiative. In addition to the three venues originally announced, clubs in Paris (Rex), Tel Aviv (The Block), Zürich (Heavenclub), and San Francisco (Holy Cow) will throw fundraisers for the gay-rights non-profit All Out in September, with further clubs in Sao Paulo, London, and Manchester still to be announced. Berghain’s lineup is shaping up to be especially epic, with Ellen Allien, Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Radio Slave, Seth Troxler, Steffi, Tama Sumo, Norman Nodge, and Jennifer Cardini all slated to play the three-room affair.
See the full track listing for LGBT Rights for Russia Now! and listen to the album below; the compilation is available now on Bandcamp.
LGBT Rights for Russia Now! Tracklisting:
1. Legowelt, “Rivers III”
2. Hieroglyphic Being, “A Joyful Noise”
3. Kid Machine, “Flight Manoeuvres”
4. Baz Reznik, “One Nation”
5. Drvg Cvltvre, “The United States of Fuck You”
6. Truss, “Roath”
7. Scanner, “Citta”
8. Just So Nah, “Six O’ House”
9. De Tuinen, “Gay Pride”
10. Cottam, “Slo March”
11. Chris Moss Acid, “Acid Box 2”
12. KiNK & Neville Watson, “Heavy Sweat”
13. Rude 66, “Sliding Backwards Into Darkness”
14. Leyland James Kirby, “The Archaic and Modernism in Russian Culture”
15. Kitbuilders, “I Try (V-Mix)”
16. Erikoismies, “Tomtar I En Slang”
17. Archie Koba, “Capital Trauma”
18. Antoni Maiovvi, “Ain Love Immortal”
19. Mintdeluxe, “MDI”
20. Run Dust, “Justify Your Fine”
21. Huerco S., “Azhjjtee”
22. Borealis, “Jawberry”
23. Perc, “The Slow Path”
24. Meibion, “Calon”
