Dateline Kolkata, India, June 2021… It’s sobering now while everything in New York City looks like a big street party with things re-opening, school letting out and Pride Week all converging, that India is still getting hammered by Covid-19. The situation is probably worse than anything the rest of the world has seen, simply because of the disparity in wealth and access to healthcare. It’s a good reminder that despite losing 700,000 people it still could have been worse. One day it most likely will be when something more deadly comes down the pike, but for now… India.

ONNO COLLECTIVE, a South Asia label, released this collection to benefit relief efforts in Kolkata. It’s one of the first times that I’m actually going to reach out and purchase what is otherwise available free of charge on Youtube or Bandcamp. The cause is righteous and not fer nuthin, these are all bangers. Solid label anthology of local DJS and producers… ambient, dark ambient, electronic, techno, dance, etc. It’s really good.

No joke though NYC did look like one big party yesterday, and last night the first of the Fourth of July fireworks were banging away their preview. I’m beginning to suspect that a lot of people are going to simply pretend that the last 15 months didn’t happen. It will be harder of course for the families that were directly afflicted by sickness and death, but people are already literally dancing in the streets. It’s not for me to say whether that’s a good or bad thing. It’s not like I’m going to dwell on the morose but celebration seems out of order. We didn’t win. We didn’t beat Covid-19. It beat the fuck out of us and we have more or less survived it. That’s the whole truth of the matter. This doesn’t go in the W-column.

And I am off myself to a big public gathering in Greenpoint, so it’s not a holier than thou scenario either. I don’t intend to sit home in somber reflection.

Nope.

The songs in this collection cover the somber reflection business. It’s dark stuff. And don’t get it twisted either. This isn’t Bollywood. So… anyway… enjoy.

The Tracklist:

• 1. Deadmanglad – Sickness 0:00
• 2. Haved Jabib – Park Hotel Bathroom Floor 3:04
• 3. sw@p°þÿ – leftonr3ad 11:42
• 4. Human Harmonics – ETHER 14:03
• 5. June – Form and Void 21:39
• 6. Ritwik – Toxic Perfume 30:23
• 7. Diaspora – Down the Rabbit Hole 34:29
• 8. TITO+ – Violence becomes Tranquility 43:40
• 9. soft problems – Emergence 47:13 1
• 0. sadbydsgn – Plastic Cemeteries 50:52