No Genocide: A Benefit for Mutual Aid in Gaza

Artist: Various Artists

Title: No Genocide: A Benefit for Mutual Aid in Gaza

Release: Tape / Digital

Year: 2024

Label: Self-Released

For several months, Israel has aggressively pursued a devastating bombing campaign in Gaza. Backed by Western governments and utilizing the most advanced military technology available, the Israeli war machine has carried out indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, causing horrendous casualties and making it one of the deadliest areas for civilians this century. Palestinians who have been forcibly displaced to places like Rafah in the south find themselves trapped with no way out. The latest bombardments of Rafah, which began last week, only underscore Israel’s genocidal intentions toward the Palestinian population, beyond its stated target of Hamas. Such events appear to be part of a broader, systematic attack on the Palestinian people and a case for a depopulation campaign unparalleled in the 21st century.

In the midst of this humanitarian crisis and a growing movement for a ceasefire, the global hardcore punk scene has responded with a tremendous amount of solidarity and self-organized efforts to provide mutual aid to the children and civilian population of Gaza. Released in February 2024 by members of the peace punk band The Dissidents—featuring old punks from bands like Witch Hunt, The Pist, Mischief Brew and Mankind?, among others—and mastered by Steve Roche at Permanent Hearing Damage Studio, No Genocide: A Benefit for Mutual Aid in Gaza is a new compilation that aims to raise funds for community mutual aid, but you can also donate directly to relief funds and organizations such as eSims for Gaza, Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, ANERA, Palestine Red Crescent Society, MSF/Doctors Without Borders, and Palestine Legal.

The compilation contains a total of 18 tracks, most of which are previously unreleased songs by both old and new bands from the anarcho and peace punk scene, with the first and the last track being particularly interesting.

The record opens with the original mix of The Mob’s “No Doves Fly Here,” arguably the most iconic peace punk song in the history of the genre, performed by one of the greatest bands of all time. This is the original mix the band did before Penny Rimbaud added the choir and synths to make the song as epic as it sounded when it was released on vinyl by Crass Records in 1982. The record continues with a host of unreleased songs by international bands like Mižerija (Croatia), Toxic Rites (France), UZU اوزو (Canada), Dogma (Canada), Zanjeer زنجیر (Germany), Rat Cage (UK), United States bands like D.O.V.E., Scarecrow, Peace Talks, The Ire, compilation hosts The Dissidents and old bands like Oi Polloi, Part 1, Behind Enemy Lines, The Pist, and Zowiso. Some of the tracks are brand new tracks (Oi Polloi), covers (Rat Cage covering The Varukers), others are live recordings (Behind Enemy Lines), rehearsal demos (Zanjeer), or remixes (Stig Miller remixing Part 1). All the tracks are really well thought out and put into place instead of just collecting different bands together.

The compilation closes with the chant “Ceasefire Now” by the Commoners Choir, about which you can find more information on their website. Available as a pay-what-you-want donation on Bandcamp and as a limited edition cassette, this compilation is one of those self-organized efforts by the global punk scene to stay relevant to current political events and contribute to a global community for ceasefire and mutual aid in occupied Palestine.

Ceasefire now

End this war

Today and tomorrow and forevermore

Source: diyconspiracy.net