Nihon Kizuna

Worldwide artists contribute to Nihon Kizuna music compilation in aid of Japan disaster relief effort

Over 40 international artists have donated music for the Nihon Kizuna compilation in aid of the Japan disaster relief effort. Nihon Kizuna, or 日本絆 in Japanese roughly translates as ‘bond of friendship with Japan’.

Following the earthquake and tsunami which devastated the northern coast and prefectures of Japan on Friday March 11th 2011, a small group of Tokyo-based artists (from Japan, Ukraine and France) and one visiting London-based journalist (from Italy) decided to pull their efforts and contacts together to do the only thing they could to help the country and its people – sell music to raise awareness of the devastation that hit the area and raise money for its people and the relief effort.

The motivation behind Nihon Kizuna was simple: in face of the feeling of helplessness many felt here in Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami this compilation seemed like the best way to express our support and love for the country and its people. Amid widespread scaremongering and panic from the foreign media it felt only right to stand tall alongside the people of Japan who have always welcomed foreign artists and musicians with open arms and hearts.

The compilation was put together in five days thanks to the internet. Every artist and/or label on the compilation donated a track, either previously released, unreleased or created especially for the occasion. Many of the tracks, artists and labels on the compilation have a direct relation to Japan, further highlighting the connection many people outside of the country feel towards Japan in the current situation. It’s no small thing to say that many of those involved feel a kinship to the country regardless of whether or not they’ve ever lived in or visited the country.

Nihon Kizuna is released on Friday March 18th using Bandcamp as a selling platform and with payments handled via Paypal. This will be followed by a release on iTunes Japan in the week of March 21st – as many Japanese residents do not use Paypal.

The compilation will cost £10, $15, 1,500Y or 12E and there will be the possibility to donate more should people want to via Bandcamp. The compilation will be available on iTunes Japan until the end of March, while the Bandcamp page and this website will stay up for the foreseeable future.

All proceeds from the compilation will be given to the Japan Red Cross directly.

Artists and labels involved in the compilation include Kode 9, Kuedo, Rudi Zygadlo, Broken Haze, Circulations Records, All City Records, Daisuke Tanabe, Yosi Horikawa, XLII, Memory 9, Ninja Tune, Kid Kanevil, Om Unit, Paul White, One Handed Music, BD1982, Fink, Emika, Mux Mool, Ernest Gonzales, Paper Tiger, Sesped, Jay Scarlett, Elliott Yorke (Royalty), Kan Sano, Onra and many more.

Represented on the compilation are over 7 countries, 40 artists and 10 labels.

This news is for immediate release. We ask that you please help us spread the word about this as far as possible to encourage people to give their money for a good cause. With over 40 tracks not only does this compilation constitute value for money it will also help with the relief and reconstruction effort in Northern Japan.

Full tracklist, purchase links and hi res images can be found below.

Broken Haze / Laurent Fintoni / XLII / Audace

NOTE TO EDITORS: For any additional information please contact Laurent Fintoni (R.O.W) at laurent@spinscience.org.uk / 0081 8031788031 or Eugene Kovalenko (Japan) info@fubar-rec.com / 0081 9044641142

How to buy:
http://www.nihonkizuna.com/buy / Payments via Paypal / From March 18th, 2011
iTunes Japan information coming soon

Various Artists – Nihon Kizuna / 日本絆

PLEASE NOTE: this is a current tracklist – [Artist Name – Track Name – Affiliated or Release Label] – and will be finalised when the compilation is available for sale on March 18th.

Don Leisure (UK) – Trio of Desserts *
Darkhouse Family (UK) – Lemon Drizzle (Fat City Records) *
Onra (FR) – High Hopes (All City Records) **
Kode 9 (UK) – 9 Samurai (Hyperdub Records) **
Om Unit (UK) – Lavender (All City Records) **
Paul White (UK) – Grimy Light (One Handed Music) **
Ernest Gonzales (US) – Beneath The Surface (FoF/Exponential) *
Kper (IT/FR) – Chotto *
Tatsuki (JP) – Mirror In Bologna (Original Cultures) *
Memory 9 (IT) – Shinzen Variations (Soundcrash Music) **
Himuro Yoshiteru (JP) – Missing Links *
Danny Drive Thru (UK) – Prescience (Fat City Records) *
Rudi Zygadlo (UK) – Perdu (Planet Mu) *
Mus.sck (US) – Happiness Is The Best Face Lift (Car Crash Set/Daly City) *
Broken Haze (JP) – Move Forward (Raid System) *
BD1982 (US/JP) – Aluminium Riddim (Seclusiasis/Diskotopia) *
Nightwave (UK) – Hokusai Dream *
Paper Tiger (UK) – Lunar Notes (Jus Like Music) *
Kid Kanevil (UK) – One For Tokyo (One World Records / Ninja Tune) *
Sesped (VE) – Too High To Drive (Jus Like Music) *
2phast (IT) – JapaN *
Kuedo (UK) – Zap (Planet Mu) *
Primus Luta & Lonesome D (US) – Lockdown (Concrete Sound System) *
Takuma Kanaiwa (US) – Senpo World (Concrete Sound System) *
Jay Scarlett – The Rising Sun *
Elliott Yorke (UK) – Wormhole Squirm (Five Easy Pieces) *
B-Ju (GE) – Philly Run (Mux Mool remix) (Error Broadcast) **
Yosi Horikawa (JP) – Passion (Eklektik Records) *
Ido Tavori (UK) – Haunted Top Hats *
Kan Sano (JP) – Bless (Circulations) *
Daisuke Tanabe (JP) – Artificial Sweetener (Circulations) **
Super Smoky Soul ft. Guilty Simpson (JP/US) – Knockout Kings (Circulations) **
Audace (FR/JP) – Indestructible Soul (Inductive) *
The Electric ft. Yarah Bravo (UK) – Beautiful (Memory9 remix) (Organically Grown Sounds) **
Scrimshire ft. Inga Lill Aker (UK) – Warm Sound **
Pete Sasqwax (UK) – Aggro A Go Go *
Emika (UK) – Count Backwards (Ninja Tune) *
Eccy (JP) – EFH (Slye/Milk) *
XLII (UA/JP) – Standuptall Nippon (Raid System) *
Throwing Snow (UK) – The Luck Without (A Future Without) *
Jono McLeery (UK) – Garden (Ninja Tune) **
Fink (UK) – See It All (Ninja Tune) *
Virtual Boy (US/FR) – Thrust (Turnsteak remix) *

*exclusive to compilation
** previously released