"The Encounters" series of compilations is to raise funds to keep Club Stomp - an established venue in the well-known Higashi-Shinsaibashi nightlife district in Osaka - going during the Covid-19 epidemic, as at the time of writing (25 April 2020) the club are currently in the middle of a voluntarily hiatus from business activities.
The 36 tracks to be released have been provided by Club Stomp-related and adjacent artists, showing the true scope of the music played and enjoyed at the club.
In light of the current situation the phrase "together - just at home" has been used quite frequently and these tracks were produced with this phrase in mind. The moods and feelings evoked range from more meditative tracks to help enrich self-isolation to proper bangers for whenever you want to evacuate to the nearest dancefloor just to get away from the stress of it all. Put another way we hope these tracks serve as a way to help listeners reflect on just what exactly the concepts of "a space" and "home" can mean.
We also hope these tracks can - in their own small way - give listeners the strength to persevere in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic and the knock-on effects it has had on society and provide some sort of mental respite.
Recently people have started to use the word "post-pandemic" to describe the hopefully near future where Covid-19 is no longer a threat to humanity but, due to the changes the epidemic has wrought, the world cannot exactly go back to how it was. Indeed we are already in the midst of a new order of things being created. As such when listening to these tracks we would like people to consider what sort of brave new world they would like to see created.
Incidentally the name of this compilation is a play on Akihiro (the man behind Club Stomp)'s handle - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (translated literally the Japanese title is "Encounters with the Unknown).
Akihiro may only be one person but this compilation expresses our well wishes for the Higashi-Shinsaibashi district as a whole as well as our desire to meet up in person with Akihiro at Club Stomp again.
It is our expression of sympathy for all of those affected by Covid-19 and a heartfelt prayer we can all meet again (in person!) soon - in the meantime however enjoy The Encounters.
2020年4月25日
Phonehead
The Encounters制作委員会一同
credits
released June 3, 2020
Mix : nutsman
Artwork : UC EAST
Design : SPINNUTS
Text : Phonehead
English language translation : Andy from Archipelago Sound System
Compiled : Hypnotic inc.
Special Thanks to AKIHIRO / Club STOMP
supported by 11 fans who also own “nutsman - People Who STOMP”
A gift from Ɲᴾ Ⅲ!
bandcamp.com/NP3
A wonderful comp of Japan's fusion genres, ranging between house, jazz, dub, beats, ska, and groove. Many of my favorite artists over there also contributed to this effort, including Shuya OKino (from Kyoto Jazz Massive), Loftsoul, and Omni Sight. And to top it off, all proceeds go to helping Club Metro. Whether here or there, any venue that plays good music is a worthy cause for me. DJ Home Movies
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