Attempting to catalogue the full spectrum of the Black planet\u2019s excursions in electronic music would be a fool\u2019s errand. A copious, if hardly comprehensive, selection of sounds of the moment is a more manageable undertaking. It\u2019s one Belgian label Rebel Up! has handled admirably across this wisely curated and programmed spread of almost 30 tracks, a fundraiser motivated by the growing global demand that the worth of Black lives be recognized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The artists contributing to the compilation\u2019s two solid hours of music speak a dozen tongues and hail from twice that many countries, on four continents. Sorry, five \u2013 Indonesia\u2019s MC Nina appears on Ugandan crew Sankara Future Dub Resurgence\u2019s \u201cTwo Thousand Seasons Dub\u201d, a shout-out to West Papua\u2019s own BLM uprising. Likewise, the tracks here cover enormous territories, stylistically and, more importantly, in mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s defiance and anger, certainly, but so much more as well. There\u2019s the caustic and the unsettling \u2013 Sc\u00faru Fitch\u00e1du\u2019s snarling, combative version of Cap Verdian funan\u00e1; The enigmatic \u201cMAMA\u201d by [MONRHEA] and \u201cA State of Uncertainty\u201d by Kirdec \u2013 but also the reflective, the pacific, the upbeat, even the wildly positive (Onipa\u2019s hectically happy \u201cNipa Bi\u201d). There are some interesting iterations of Angolan kuduro present, from Lua Preta, Octa Push, and Diron Animal. A snatch of hyperactive singeli from Tanzania\u2019s Duke, as well. There\u2019s Dandana\u2019s slick Mandingo funk with silky synth parts, and Disco Vumbi\u2019s fusion of Kenyan benga and intractable Berlin techno (DV, alias Alai K., has a new album out this weekend too<\/strong><\/a>). All the aforementioned don\u2019t cover even half the goods here, some of it exceptional, very little of which can be easily ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In keeping with the principle of abundant possibilities, proceeds from your purchase of the digital album are directed to any one of almost 20 advocacy groups active in countering racism and fortifying Black communities, among them Colombia\u2019s Renacientes, Brazil\u2019s Criola, Portugal\u2019s SOS Racismo, and the U.K.\u2019s Black Minds Matter. Review the list and choose the one that suits you best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n