Photo by Matt Deifer
Disclaimer: Author is an employee under Gravitas Recordings and is affiliated with this compilation.
David Starfire is no stranger to using music to spread a positive message. In March 2016 he released Karuna, a benefit album that raised money for Burmese refugees. All proceeds were donated to Thai Freedom House, a not-for-profit organization to assist in education through language, arts, and academia. This year, he brings the same sentiment a bit closer to home.
This year, David Starfire has teamed up with SOOHAN to curate a world bass compilation, Circulate Vol. 1, which will be released via Gravitas Recordings on August 15th. Gravitas Recordings, whose mantra is “doing good with good music,” has released many charity compilations in the past, most notably Beat ALS Vol. 1 from 2014, and several series of DEF CON Soundtracks to help protect internet freedoms and privacy. Considering the history the artists and the label have with social change and spreading goodness with music, this partnership seems like the perfect pairing.
Circulate Vol. 1 was created in support of Beyond the Grade, a grassroots 501(c)3 not-for-profit Austin-based charity that provides after school music education for underserved children. With Gravitas Recordings also being based in Austin, its team has been able to witness first-hand the good Beyond the Grade has done, and how powerful the programs they offer are for children.
Over the years, Austin musicians have donated their time to Beyond the Grade in teaching various programs, camps, and classes such as: beats, live performance, drum kits, keyboard/piano, and guitars. Music is proven to positively increase people’s happiness, learning, and creativity; however, many schools are not able to fund music education. David Starfire and SOOHAN understand first-hand how beneficial it can be towards cognitive development and self-esteem in children, and they are excited to spread Beyond the Grade’s mission among the electronic music community through Circulate.
An-ten-nae kicked this project off with the release of his single, “Kayu,” which was released on July 30th. If you haven’t heard of An-ten-nae, he classifies himself under “acid crunk,” and I can promise any world bass fanatic will go absolutely crazy over this track. If you’re unfamiliar with world bass music, think Beats Antique or CloZee type of sounds. World bass is truly such an underrated genre, and I’m excited to see all the good this compilation will do for Beyond the Grade and for the music scene as a whole. There are two more singles slated to drop before the compilation, as well.