Everyday I think about what it would mean to suffer the
panic of a disastrous earthquake. Sometimes the thought is latent, residing somewhere in my metal recesses. But at other times, like a few mornings ago when a magnitude 4 earthquake centered a few miles away literally shook me out of bed at 5:33am, it glows at the front and center in my mind like a warning fire. Can anyone ever really be ready for a seismic shift of any size?
How does one prepare for the aftermath? Is there a price you wouldn't pay for
hindsight?
It has been almost a year since the
Tōhoku earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis and during that time there has been a great deal of giving, in terms of fundraising and charity, so that those in Northern Japan affected by the calamity may bolster their hope and know whatever relief may reach them while muster the strength to move forward and rebuild their communities. This Sunday, March 11 marks the one year anniversary of the natural disaster and I urge everyone to seek out and participate in local memorial events that honor those whose lives were claimed while maintaining awareness and providing support for organizations that continue in their effort to provide relief to survivors still striving to carve out an existence in the wake of such a catastrophe. For example, I will be heading to San Francisco's
Japan Town for the community remembrance fundraising events featuring live performances and street sale (the
Rise Japan booth will have all kinds of artwork on sale, including totes by
Kelly Tunstall) then afterwards to
Sushi Zone where owner, chef and
Amoeba Music regular customer
Kimiyaki Aoyama will have the restaurant open from 1-5pm -- mind you, they are never open before 5pm
or on Sundays -- selling sake, beer and sushi with
all profits to benefit the
Fukushima Network for Saving Children from Radiation. However, you can make a contribution
and score some new vinyl at the same time.
If for no other reason than to acquire some beautiful music,
Kazu Makino of the band
Blonde Redhead has recently released a charity compilation on her newly founded
Asa Wa Kuru label (meaning "Morning Will Come" in Japanese) with proceeds to benefit the
Japan Society Earthquake Relief Fund and
Architecture For Humanity (a list of these and other groups, individuals and institutions active in the disaster hit areas in Northern Japan can be found
here). The vinyl-only compilation, titled
We Are The Works In Progress, features some of the most hauntingly
4AD-esque broken-yet-crystalline pop-synth clarion calls to be heard of all the relief offerings put together by musicians with a mind to support Japan's post-tsunami healing process. The collection, spread over two LPs, features Blonde Redhead of course, plus an impressive array of singular artists like
Four Tet,
Ryuichi Sakamoto teamed up with
David Sylvian,
Broadcast,
Deerhunter,
John Maus,
Interpol,
Terry Riley,
Pantha du Prince and many more - it is available for purchase through Amoeba Music
here. Simply put, it is a gorgeous effort created to further a worthy cause - one that shouldn't provoke a pause to contemplate the value of music, but rather the value of hope.
