Music for Relief in Japan: 2011

Project Fukushima!

Project Fukushima! is (mainly) a free music festival which will be simultaneously held in Fukushima and locations all over the globe on August 15. The organizers -- experimental music hero Yoshihide Ôtomo, Michiru Endô (from punk band The Stalin) and poet Ryôichi Wago -- also curate a series of DIY Hearts released recordings featuring artists such as Seijaku (trio featuring Keiji Haino, Yoshimitsu Ichiraku a.k.a. Doravideo, Mitsuru Nasuno), Tatsuya Yoshida (from Ruins), Ryûichi Sakamoto, and a jam session featuring Nanao Tavito, U-Zhaan and the dearly missed Rei Harakami. Here is the list of available titles.

Benefits will be used to finance the festival.

Recorded For Japan

R. Stevie Moore, members of MGMT, Kurt Vile, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and more are featured on charity compilation Recorded For Japan. Sales proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross. Here is a preview :

LA♥JPN♥LA

The "LA♥JPN♥LA" compilation is a collection of exclusive tracks from artists in Los Angeles and Japan showing their solidarity in supporting the earthquake victims of Japan.

Featured artists include Dâm-Funk, Carlos Nino + Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Ras G, Inner Science and 23 others. Details here.

Available through iTunes worldwide (you can also preview it on Bandcamp). Proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross and Civic Force.

Help Japan

Help Japan compiles remixes (Radiohead, Regina Spektor, Matisyahu) and original tracks in genres spanning folk, chilled instrumental electronica, dubstep, klezmer, indie, performance poetry and more. It's available on Bandcamp at the starting price of £2 and will later be released as a CD. You can also name your price and receive physical bonus material if you donate more than £15 (an iPhone app, videos to download, merch, CDs... the more you spend, the more you receive!).

Curator Steve Paul, who also wrote an important part of the music presented here, explains about the project in this Raised By Records interview. All proceeds going to British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Plus Records

Techno producer Shin Nishimura's Plus Records label released a two volume charity compilation featuring Dave Tarrida, Hiroshi Watanabe, Salmon and many more. Available through Beatport (vol.1, vol.2) and Juno Download (vol.1, vol.2). Benefits go to the Japanese Red Cross.

Ich Danketsu

German electro-pop label Megapeng released Ich Danketsu, a free compilation encouraging listeners to donate to GlobalGiving. Featured artists include Applehead, Kania Tieffer, Trippple Nippples and more happy-go-ravey bands.

COMPassion

Orange County, NY based Parrot On A Porch Records released a charity compilation entitled COMPassion, featuring indie pop/rock/emocore artists such as Jonah Matranga, Codeseven, Chamberlain, Mourning District and more.

Proceeds go to Relief International.

Something We Can Do

Something We Can Do features 15 previously unreleased tracks from some of the most revered names in the world of drum & bass and dance music today (notably Makoto and DJ Marky). Available on iTunes, Beatport, Bandcamp, Soundcloud. 100% of the profits from the sales of the album will be donated to the Japanese Redcross.

Japanease

Music distributor Wordsandsound curated Japanease, a colossal compilation of electronic dance music featuring Prins Thomas, Technasia, Elektro Guzzi, Anja Schneider and a ton more. Almost half of the 138 tracks were previously unreleased. Available as 3 packages or separate tracks, on almost every download platform one can think of (iTunes, Juno, Boomkat, Amazon...).

The entire income of sales will be donated to the area of Sendai/Miyagi through the German Japanese Association in Hamburg.

BPM Japan

Beatport-released charity comp BPM Japan features Ken Ishii, Mijk Van Dijk, Thomas Schumacher, Dominik Eulberg, Beroshima, Kaoru Inoue and other great techno artists. Volume 1 , Volume 2 and Volume 3 are out on Beatport. Exclusive cover illustrations and T-shirt by Katsuhiro Otomo. Proceeds go to the Red Cross.

Noises for Japan - Sustain | Rebuild

Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd, The Legendary Pink Dots, A Place To Bury Strangers, Hypnoskull and 44 others provided tracks for Noises for Japan - Sustain | Rebuild, a compilation supporting Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue And Support.

Forest Swords

Last year, Forest Swords' Dagger Paths album ended up on many year-end lists of the "indie-sphere". If you don't own the expanded edition, the six earlier tracks it included -- formerly released as the Fjree Feather EP -- are now available as a separate digital release, the proceeds of which will be sent to the Red Cross Tsunami Relief Fund. Available from No Pain in Pop.

Bob Hope would

Audio Antihero's "Bob Hope would." is a charity compilation of exclusives and otherwise for the Japan relief effort. It features exclusive/unreleased/advance/rare songs from Darren Hayman, Jack Hayter, Nosferatu D2, Benjamin Shaw, Shoes & Socks Off, Paul Hawkins & The Awkward Silences, Broken Shoulder, Fighting Kites, The Owl Service and more.

The record is available for £3.99 (with the option to donate more) from Bandcamp.

All money to be split between Japan Society, Red Cross, Shelterbox, Save The Children and The Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Relief Fund.

DIY Hearts

Old news but great news : DIY Hearts now have an English page which helps non-Japanese speakers purchase their nice catalog. With contributions from Doddodo, Dorian, Doravideo, Keiji Haino, Yoshihide Otomo, Magical Power Mako, Fishmans, Kleptomaniac, U-zhaan (ex-Asa-chang&Junray) and many more, you simply can't go wrong !

DIY Hearts is an offshoot of mp3 store DIY Stars (an artist-run service comparable to Bancamp) dedicated to charity. It features not only music but also videos, novels, smartphone apps etc.

Also available from DIY Stars is singer-songwriter Nanao Tavito's new song "Kesa Tsukutta Uta" ("a song I wrote this morning"), the proceeds of which also go to charity.

Tracks are DRM-free. All benefits go to the Japanese Red Cross.

Rock Back for Japan

A burn on demand/net label releasing lo-fi post rock, dreampop, shoegazer, electro-dreampop, nu-gaze, electropop, dreamy, psychedelic, slocore, indie rock, post rock, post punk (and more !), Patetico Recordings released 6 volumes (and counting ?) of disaster relief fund compilation Rock Back for Japan. Available from the Amazon MP3 store. Benefits go to the Red Cross.

A Compilation for Japan

Record labels Mental Groove and Villa Magica teamed up to release A Compilation for Japan, featuring Gad Mizrahi, Cuizinier&Orgasmic, Canblaster, Shackleton, Imperial Tiger Orchestra and many more (28 tracks in total). Techno, ambient electronica, broken beats and ethio-jazz... there's a lot of good music here and it holds together suprisingly well. Available for 7,99 € (or more) from Bandcamp. Proceeds go to Civic Force.

Soul Aid

Free compilation album featuring Jeff Mills, Los Hermanos, Miss Kittin, Alexkid, Thomas Fehlmann and more (don't miss the "more music" button). Website includes link to Just Giving, a free service which not only allows you to donate, but also gives you tools to start fundraising yourself. Check it out here. Benefits will go to Civic Force.

Artist Action

Bajune Tobeta is rather unknown in the West, but he has collaborated with some of the finest names in modern electronic pop (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yukihiro Takahashi, Atom(TM), Aoki Takamasa....). He just curated Artist Action, a charity album featuring 37 contributions from (mostly) Japanese and international artists, among which a rather Bjorkesque track by electronica pop wonder Erina Koyama. Proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross.

Hope For Japan

A pretty post-rock /ambient compilation featuring 36 international artists. While Bandcamp proved a very useful tool for musicians who wanted to help fundraising to release music as quickly as possible, it still has the incovenience of processing fees (15%) and Paypal fees. This is why the good people behind Hope For Japan have thought out a system ensuring 100% of sales go to the American Red Cross. Read about it here.

Music 4 Japan

Working at Topspin, a company selling marketing and retail management solutions for musicians, Wells Baum (aka Bombnote) is in contact with a lot of artists, and many have offered tracks to support relief efforts in Japan. Baum has thus put together a compilation album called Music 4 Japan featuring indie rock, electronica, hip-hop, grime, and even a little country. 100% profit goes to the American Red Cross' Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief fund. One lucky donator also has a chance to win one free year of direct-to-fan media platform Topspin Plus.

Kibou

Australian Techno label Elektrax are releasing Kibou, a 4-disc charity compilation featuring Beroshima, Ken Ishii, Si Begg and almost a hundred more international artists, with many exclusive tracks. Out on Beatport. Proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross.

Universal Music

Universal Music's Songs For Japan charity comp features more big-ass names one could hope for : John Lennon, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Bob Dylan, Madonna, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake... I know this kind of big charity project doesn't go well with subtlelty and in these times every donation helps, but I find songs like Cee Lo Green's "It's OK" and Pink's "Sober" quite out of place. Proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross.

Antiopic

Antiopic release another all-star comp featuring Fennesz, Prefuse 73, The Ex, Zeena Parkins, Sylvain Chauveau, Oneohtrix Point Never... Available from Thrill Jockey's download shop Fina. Proceeds will go to Civic Force.

For Nihon

Unseen Music are releasing this big compilation with contributions from Alva Noto, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Taylor Deupree, Robin Guthrie and many more ambient / pop / electronica artists. Available directly from the label as a digital release (mp3/flac) and as a CD (temporarily out of stock, to be repressed in September) or from iTunes and emusic Proceeds will go to the Japan Eartquake Relief Fund.

For Nihon - compilation sampler to benefit the Japan earthquake by Keith Kenniff - Helios

Chad VanGaalen

Chad VanGaalen’s "Your Tan Looks Supernatural" EP is composed of outtakes from his upcoming album Diaper Island. Exclusively available on Bandcamp as a response to the crisis in Japan, 100% of all proceeds from the EP will be forwarded to the Red Cross Aid Effort.

The Morning Benders

The Morning Benders released a new EP in support to the Japan Society's Eartquake Relief Fund.

Snuff Crew

Get ready to sweat for good ! The enigmatic "two-person collective" (!) Snuff Crew rounded up Laurent Garnier, Hard Ton, Patrick Pulsinger and 42 other artists to contribute to techno charity comp Snuff Trax for Japan, out on March 23. Proceeds will go to the Red Cross tsunami relief fund. Available from Juno Download, What People Play, Zero Inch.

Mushrooms Project

Italian cosmic disco duo Mushrooms Project have released "For Japan", a Juno-exclusive track in support to the UNICEF Japan Emergency Appeal.

Mamerico

Japanese band Mamerico will send benefits from download sales of their new track "A Border" to the Japanese Red Cross. (tips on ordering from Ototoy here)

Motomitsu

Music can help raise funds for relief, but it can also help people by easing their fears and anguish, even if it's only for a few minutes. In this perspective, Japanese producer Motomitsu made his house track Water Sun Rise (which he had just released before the earthquake) downloadable for free. Links for donation here.

Punk 4 Japan

A compilation spread out in two volumes for a total of 83 tracks. Now's your chance to discover music by Bob Killed A Dinosaur, Surgery Without Research, Public Disgrace, The Randy Jerkoffs and friends. Available here. Proceeds go to the British Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

A collection box / 11th March 2011

Pray for JP contributors Ametsub, aus and Yuri Miyauchi team up again with this collection of soothing electronica pieces out on Bandcamp. Proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross.

Heartbeats

Get an invigorating shot of heavy bass and beats with this generous compilation available through Bandcamp. I'm no expert about dance music so I could only recognize big names like Klaxons and Steve Aoki, but in all honesty the whole selection is really solid ! Proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross.

LIFETONES

Ringtone label LIFETONES released Pray for JP, a charity album with contributions from Ametsub, itoken, Minotaur Shock, Lullatone, I Am Robot And Proud and more. Proceeds go to Japanese NPO Civic Force. Available through Bandcamp.

toe

Post-rock band toe has released new song "Ordinary Days" (scroll down for a Youtube preview) on iTunes and Ototoy. Proceeds will go to either Japan Platform or Save the Children.

Nihon Kizuna

Over 80 international artists (among whom Kode9, Onra, Daisuke Tanabe, Machinedrum...) have donated music for the Nihon Kizuna and Nihon Kizuna Bonus compilations in aid of the Japan disaster relief effort. All proceeds will be given to the Japanese Red Cross directly.

Read the whole press release here and download the compilation through Bandcamp and iTunes.

Zac Bentz

Japanese music writer Zac Bentz has released two albums under the Dirty Knobs and The Surfactants aliases, and is donating the profits from their sales to ShelterBox until March 19th. Download the 8-hour long drone album Field Recordings from the Edge of Hell and Diminishing Returns an electro-rock album somewhere in between Polysics and Faith No More, both available through Bandcamp.

Lullatone

Pajama-pop masters Lullatone are offering listeners to download their whole catalog and name their price. Proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross. With a total of 13 albums and EPs graced with titles such as The Bedtime Beat and Little Songs About Raindrops, this has to be one of the most adorable ways to donate. DRM-free, multiformat download available through Lullatone's Bandcamp page.

SXSW

After raising more than $ 125,000, SXSW released a charity compilation on Amazon's mp3 store, featuring artists such as Ben Folds, Ozomatli, Hanson (wow, didn't know these guys were still around). Proceeds go to the American Red Cross.

Play for Japan

On the initiative of guitarist Jinichiro Iida – from Tzadik-famed band Limited Express (has gone ?) – download platform Ototoy just released a massive six-volume compilation featuring 112 tracks by artists such as African Head Charge, MONO, Haruomi Hosono (YMO), Audio Active, DODDODO... Proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross. Tracks are DRM-free, encoded in 192 kbps mp3 format, and sold only as 18-19 track albums for the price of 1000 JPY (around $12).

http://ototoy.jp/feature/index.php/2011031604

The Ototoy website is only in Japanese, but explanations regarding the purchase process follow after the jump.

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