Two Years Fundraiser in Tokyo on March 30th, 2013 – Click for details

Nihon Kizuna is a compilation of music featuring over 50 international artists and labels put together to raise awareness of and money for the victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northern coast of Japan. For a mere £10/$10/E10 you can purchase 50 tracks including many exclusives and know that all proceeds from your purchase go to the Japanese Red Cross’ fund for help in Northern Japan.

Following the initial success of Nihon Kizuna a bonus compilation is also available featuring an additional 30 tracks of music from worldwide artists. This bonus compilation is free to download or available for a pay what want fee via Bandcamp only. We kindly ask that you donate what you can.

The compilation has – as of March 2012 – so far raised over $33,000 thanks to a groundswell of support from around the world. We would like to thank everyone who has donated money and spread the word and encourage any new visitors to visit our buy page where they can purchase the compilation and continue to support the Japanese Red Cross efforts in Northern Japan.

You can stream a preview mix of the compilation below as well as find more information about how the compilation came together and which artists are featured. The compilation is available to buy via iTunes and Bandcamp (using Paypal).

Latest fundraising totals update:

As of June 2011 the compilation raised just over $30,000 via both Bandcamp and iTunes sales. Out of the total raised, over $26,660 was paid to the Japanese Red Cross Society, this includes $19,260 of Bandcamp sales and approximately $7,000 of iTunes sales. The difference between the total amount raised and the total amount paid are the fees levied by Bandcamp and Paypal as sales platforms – namely 10% by Bandcamp for every sale and Paypal’s standard charges for transactions via its system.

Receipts for the first round of Bandcamp payments are as follows: payment 1 (£7,420 or $12,000 via bank transfer), payment 2 ($5,000 via paypal), payment 3 ($1660 via paypal), and a fourth payment for $1,000 was made in July 2011. Money from iTunes sales is being paid directly to the Japanese Red Cross by our distributor, One Peace. As of summer 2011 this amounted to $7,000.

Between June 2011 and March 2012 we continued to raise money through Bandcamp and iTunes sales, and on March 11 2012 we hosted two fundraisers in London and Tokyo to raise further money and awareness one year on from the disaster. Money from these sales and fundraisers has been paid to the Japanese Red Cross Society as of March 26, 2012. The breakdown is as follows: one payment of £1430 (or $2,270) via bank transfer which covers both the money raised at the London fundraiser and the Bandcamp sales from June 2011 to March 2012, Y34,000 (or $410 via bank transfer) which covers the money raised at the Tokyo fundraiser and Y82,729 (or $1,000) from iTunes sales between July and December 2011 paid directly to the Red Cross by our distributor.

This brings the total raised by Nihon Kizuna in one year to over $33,000 with over $30,000 paid to the Japanese Red Cross Society. Many thanks to everyone who has donated and supported our efforts. Payments will continue to be made at regular intervals from money raised via both Paypal and iTunes.

Featuring 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, Illum Sphere, Fink, Emika, Mux Mool, Ernest Gonzales, Paper Tiger, Sesped, Jay Scarlett, Elliott Yorke (Royalty), Kan Sano, Onra and many more.

Artwork by Justin Sereni.

Tokyo 17/03/2011

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, Illum Sphere, 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-nihon-kizuna/ / Payments via Paypal / From March 18th, 2011

http://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/nihon-kizuna/id427953639 / Payments via iTunes / From March 22nd, 2011

Various Artists – Nihon Kizuna / 日本絆

[Artist Name – Track Name – Affiliated or Release Label]

Kode 9 (UK) – 9 Samurai (Hyperdub Records) **
Don Leisure (UK) – Trio of Desserts *
Kuedo (UK) – Zap (Planet Mu) *
Himuro Yoshiteru (JP) – Missing Links *
Onra (FR) – High Hopes (All City Records) **
Tatsuki (JP) – Mirror In Bologna (Original Cultures) *
Om Unit (UK) – Lavender (All City Records) **
Danny Drive Thru (UK) – Prescience (Fat City Records) *
Slugabed (UK) – Rockin U (Ninja Tune) *
Ken One (JP) – Mindrain (Raid System) *
Paul White (UK) – Grimy Light (One Handed Music) **
Darkhouse Family (UK) – Lemon Drizzle (Fat City Records) *
Illum Sphere (UK) – Sweat The Descent (Hoya:Hoya / Tectonic) **
A Taut Line (UK/JP) – Azul (Dyskotopia) *
Fink (UK) – See It All (Ninja Tune) *
Mus.sck (US) – Happiness Is The Best Face Lift (Car Crash Set/Daly City) *
Rudi Zygadlo (UK) – Perdu (Planet Mu) *
Broken Haze (JP) – Move Forward (Raid System) *
BD1982 (US/JP) – Aluminium Riddim (Seclusiasis/Diskotopia) *
Nightwave (UK) – Hokusai Dream *
The Electric ft. Yarah Bravo (UK) – Beautiful (Memory9 remix) (Organically Grown Sounds) **
Ernest Gonzales (US) – Beneath The Surface (FoF/Exponential) *
Jono McCleery (UK) – Garden (Ninja Tune) **
Ido Tavori (UK) – Haunted Top Hats *
Jay Scarlett – The Rising Sun (Ampsoul) *
Paper Tiger (UK) – Lunar Notes (Jus Like Music) *
Kid Kanevil (UK) – One For Tokyo (One World Records / Ninja Tune) *
Takuma Kanaiwa (US) – Senpo World (Concrete Sound System) *
B-Ju (GE) – Philly Run (Mux Mool remix) (Error Broadcast) **
Primus Luta & Lonesome D (US) – Lockdown (Concrete Sound System) *
2phast (IT) – JapaN *
Doshy (DE) – Space Attack (Robox Neotech) **
Sesped (VE) – Too High To Drive (Jus Like Music) *
Yosi Horikawa (JP) – Passion (Eklektik Records) *
Audace (FR/JP) – Indestructible Soul (Inductive) *
Scrimshire ft. Inga Lill Aker (UK) – Warm Sound (Wah Wah 45s) **
Kan Sano (JP) – Bless (Circulations) *
Elliott Yorke (UK) – Wormhole Squirm (Five Easy Pieces) *
Daisuke Tanabe (JP) – Artificial Sweetener (Circulations) **
Super Smoky Soul ft. Guilty Simpson (JP/US) – Knockout Kings (Circulations) **
Emika (UK) – Count Backwards (Ninja Tune) *
Eccy (JP) – EFH (Slye/Milk) *
Throwing Snow (UK) – The Luck Without (A Future Without) *
XLII (UA/JP) – Standuptall Nippon (Raid System) *
Pete Sasqwax (UK) – Aggro A Go Go *
Virtual Boy (US/FR) – Thrust (Turnsteak remix) *
F.A.M.E (US) – Real Surreal (F.A.M.E/4OneFunk) *
re:ill (JP) – We Are Possible (Circulations) *
The Qemists (UK) – Stompbox (Ninja Tune) **
Kper (IT/FR) – Chotto *

*exclusive to compilation
** previously released