Solidarity Soundwaves, Q+A with John Russell of 4000 Records
4000 Records has pulled together a bunch of Brisbane-based artists to support humanitarian aid in Gaza. The result of this collective effort is a compilation called Solidarity Soundwaves, "a curated collection of (mostly) previously unreleased music with the singular purpose to raise funds to help people who lack access to enough food, shelter and medical care."
You'll find 37 tracks on this compilation, largely instrumental electronica ranging from danceable techno beats to chill out ambient, contemplative drone to more experimental compositions with found sound and field recordings baked in.
I came to Solidarity Soundwaves via YEARNS, who was included in episode 14 of the show - they've got a great track on this compilation titled "Cyclones then seedlings," by the way. After featuring YEARNS on here on the blank mood blog, I ended up connecting with John from 4000 Records, an independent record label focussed on artists from Brisbane, Australia. John kindly answered a few questions about Solidarity Soundwaves, the label and some other cool projects happening in Brisbane.
If you had to pin-point the minute or occurence that made you decide to put together the Solidarity Soundwaves compilation, what would it be?
I’d been vaguely aware of the “conflict” over the last decade or so but it was definitely the heightened attention from October 7th that made me pay closer attention. I started following Palestinian accounts who documented what was occurring on the ground. I started asking folks if they’d be keen to contribute to an album in late November, but I can’t remember anything specific as a trigger, although it was definitely the daily bombardment of despicable acts against civilians that moved me to create something to try and help. There’d been local rallies and calls to action (emailing politicians, boycotting brands funding the genocide, sending civilians eSims etc.) but so much of that felt futile. So it was really moving to use art in a collective way to make a statement of support and solidarity.
Are all artists on the compilation from Australia?
Yep, they’re actually all from Brisbane - that’s the schtick of the label, I strongly focus on collaborating with local artists.
Is there anything in particular on the compilation that you'd say is characteristic of 4000 Records?
Not specifically, I don’t think so, no. The through-line is that all of the contributing artists are local and I am a fan of their work, which can be said of all of the label’s releases. The label doesn’t have a “sound" per se, I gravitate towards particular sounds and love to collaborate with artists whose creations excite me. The label is basically a vanity project for me to work with music that I love because I’m not good at making music myself, haha!
How much has Solidarity Soundwaves raised for charity to date?
I'm not sure yet. I do accounts every quarter, so we’ll be sending off some cash periodically, although of course this first chunk will be the biggest. My goal was to generate $1000 to donate for this first quarter and I’m quietly confident that we’ll achieve that. If there’s a shortfall I’ll probably make up the difference myself.
A personal fave on the compilation is "Relentless" - can you say anything about the contributors, Lite Fails and Drṓwryh Creesp?
That’s wild for me hear as Drṓwryh Creesp, now known as Vintage Credenza, is actually the moniker I release music under and I am by no means a “real” artist; I baaaaaarely dabble! Although to be fair, 90% of the credit here goes to Henry (Lite Fails). I made an ambient drone/soundscape out of some vocal harmonies and Henry assembled this abstract electronica monolith on top of it! Lite Fails is part of the label proper and typically creates gorgeous soundscapes built around field recordings and what I like to call “squiggly” synth meanderings. So ‘Relentless’ was a departure from that for him, and I love the final result!
How did 4000 Records get started?
It actually rose from the ashes of a former label, Valley Heat Records, which I started with another fellow. The name is quite boring - it’s just the postcode of the city, a nod to our focus on local sounds. I had done a bunch of other small roles in the music and events space and it wasn’t until searching for a label for one of the bands I was managing at the time and being flatly rejected across the board that we decided to just start our own (VHR). It very quickly clicked that running a label was where I wanted to throw my energy into.
And what is the Brisbane Music Graveyard that I've seen mentioned?????
The Graveyard is essentially a digital archive for obscure and hard to find local releases. It’s a place for the records that would otherwise be lost to dusty boxes in garages and under bass players’ beds. I pinched the idea (with their blessing) from a local musician and was really drawn to the idea as I had a tonne of CDs that I had bought at local shows and there was simply nowhere to hear these recordings unless you had a physical copy. So, I got to work on chasing down the artists and asking for their permission to make their music available for all to enjoy.
Wow, that's really cool! I'm digging The Kents - sounds like Squeeze and early INXS!
Is there anything else you have going on that would be interesting for readers to know about?
Two other projects that I’m really proud of: Jazz in Meanjin is another imprint/sub-label where we record local jazz shows, mix and master them and release them in a series of digital albums. It’s a really cool snapshot of the current local jazz scene.
The other thing is our House Keys series. These are compilation albums where local artists record cover songs of other local artists and all the proceeds go to our local community radio station, 4ZZZ. I’m currently finalising the 3rd volume with hopes to release in September this year.
Any last thoughts?
Hmm. I do want to mention that I’m truly humbled by the 37 artists who dedicated their own time and resources to write and record pieces to contribute to the Solidarity Soundwaves compilation. They did so 100% off their own backs and with zero desire for monetary compensation. This was a beautiful collaborative endeavour to do something proactive and as loudly as possible in support of people who are suffering the worst atrocities in our lifetime.
Get links >> here << for getting lost in the Brisbane Music Graveyard and lots of other goodies courtesy of 4000 Records. Also, you can read more about the cover artwork of Solidarity Soundwaves by Tessa Fox, a freelance journalist, photographer and filmmaker, on the 4000 Records Bandcamp page.
Thanks for the chat, John!