Violet Noise: 03

Black Lives Matter

Jun 08, 2020

“Radical simply means ‘grasping things at the root.’” - Angela Y. Davis

Hi everyone, my name is Sam Tornow, and this isn't the normal Violet Noise. It doesn't feel right to fill your inboxes with a standard experimental music newsletter when instead, I could use this platform to share some helpful resources in light of the recent senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many more.

In this newsletter, I’ve laid out some links that showcase more than 1000 black artists, direct links to organizations that support black communities and the people protesting in the street, and some books to educate yourself further.

Take a stand. Go protest and donate. And when the media moves onto the next story, let’s not wait for another murder to advocate for change.

See you in two weeks.

JPEGMAFIA @darkskinmanson

So when the smoke clears and places like Vice aren’t writing articles about black issues everyday anymore. I just hope we can have a real discussion about what’s going and I hope that we get actual real change not just symbolic shit.

Donation Links

If you take a screenshot of your donation to one of the links below (or any similar organization) and email it to me at sctornow@gmail.com with the subject line "Black Lives Matter," I’ll email you back with a personal 10 track playlist based around any theme/abstract scenario/color/anything of your choosing (basically the Automatic Tiny Mix Tape Generator).

Black Visions Collective

Communities United Against Police Brutality

National Bail Fund Network

Juneteenth

On June 19, and every subsequent June 19, Bandcamp is graciously donating its share of the profits to the NAACP Legal Fund. I recommend checking the Bandcamp homepage a day or two before the 19th, as I’m sure they’ll be making a master list of artists and labels who are donating all of their proceeds as well. Here’s a quote from the site’s announcement:

“So this coming Juneteenth (June 19, from midnight to midnight PDT) and every Juneteenth hereafter, for any purchase you make on Bandcamp, we will be donating 100% of our share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a national organization that has a long history of effectively enacting racial justice and change through litigation, advocacy, and public education. We’re also allocating an additional $30,000 per year to partner with organizations that fight for racial justice and create opportunities for people of color.

Artists and Labels Giving Back

Here’s a very, very incomprehensive list of artists/labels who are giving proceeds to support black communities for at least the next work week and/or on Bandcamp’s Juneteenth event. Sorry if you told me that you’re donating profits and you’re not featured in this list, Substack has a length limit is much smaller than I anticipated.

Not all of these are experimental, but they’re all certainly worth your time.

Orange Milk Records - Giving all proceeds (any release) to bail funds and organizations that support the black community.

Space Afrika’s hybtwibt - All revenue from this record will go to Black Lives Matter Global Network, National Bailout (NBO), The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, NAACP, Project NIA, Black Minds Matter, The Black Curriculum

NNAMDÏ’s Black Plight EP - All proceeds split between eatChicago and Assata's Daughters

MOVELTRAXX’s Street Bangers Factory 14 (Ft. DJ Early, DJ Manny and so many more great footwork artists) - All proceeds this week going to La Police Assassine

The Soft Pink Truth’s Am I Free to Go? - 100% of all-time profits go to the International Anti-Fascist Legal Defence Fund, which helps with the legal repercussions of anti-fascist and anti-racist protests

Wished Bone - Donating any sales (all releases) for the entire month of June to BLM and bail funds

Mukqs’ Head Grid Terminal - Forever donating all proceeds to black community mutual aid funds and BLM-related causes.

Alex Roth - Donating all proceeds (all releases) to NAACP and BLM until Juneteenth

Enternal Dragonz - Donating all profits (all releases) for June to black-led groups

Bargain Noise - 100% of any purchases (all releases) for the rest of June are being donated to NUFC to help rebuild the Midway neighborhood in MPLS.

Motion Ward - All proceeds for the month of June (all releases) will be donated to Act Blue's split mutual aid/bail fund and LACAN.

Germany Germany - Donating proceeds from all sales (any release) for the month of June to the Black Visions Collective and the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.

Ratskin Records - Donating proceeds (all records) to NationalBailOut and Gianna Floyd fund on Juneteenth.

Show Me The Body’s Corpus Mutal Aid EP - Forever splitting the proceeds between Nina Pop Mental Health Recovery Fund and Corpus Aid Mutual Fund