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Music For Humanitarian Aid In Gaza
John Doran , December 18th, 2023 11:01

Here are ten tQ-friendly albums, comps and EPs which are helping to raise money for charities which are providing medicine, food and shelter to those who currently need it most in Gaza. (Direct charity links also provided)

Al Remal neighbourhood of Gaza, Copyright © 2023 Oxfam International

The following feature is a list of ten compilations, EPs and albums which are currently helping raise much needed money for humanitarian aid in Gaza, with the total emphasis on the provision of medicine, food, clean water, emergency healthcare and shelter for the worst affected.

The charities supported by releases featured in this article can, of course, be supported directly, and I’ve included a list of clickable URLs below which will take you directly to the Gaza-related page of the main website of each organisation; from there it is easy enough to read more about their history, their aims and their current remit.

Oxfam International’s Gaza Crisis Appeal states: "Food, water, electricity, and fuel have been cut off. Gaza’s sole power plant has run out of fuel and the main hospital is already running dangerously low on medical supplies. People have lost loved ones, homes, and income. A donation from you can help our teams respond in Gaza as soon as it’s safe to do so."

Medical Aid For Palestinians state: "Our team in Gaza are working right now to buy and distribute whatever aid they can find in the local market. We are now also operating in Egypt, where our team has procured over US$1 million of medical supplies for Gaza."

Medicins Sans Frontieres/ Doctors Without Borders state: "An unprecedented humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Gaza. MSF teams have worked to treat the wounded and supply overwhelmed hospitals as indiscriminate airstrikes and a state of siege threaten millions of men, women and children."

The Palestine Children's Relief Fund state: "The urgent food parcel initiative, made possible through the support of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) and implemented by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, has brought crucial assistance to 5,000 displaced Gazan families."

The Save the Children: Gaza Emergency Appeal state: "Children in Gaza are living through a nightmare – one that gets more distressing by the hour. Children in Gaza and Israel have been killed, maimed, abducted and subjected to unspeakable violence. Hospitals and schools sheltering civilians have been destroyed."

Use Knife – Sowieso F***ed

Already featured on tQ, Iraqi-Belgian trio Use Knife, here summon up a psychedelic industrial stew of a stomper, where the spirit of early 80s Cabaret Voltaire and Clock DVA is bolstered with blistering bursts of zanbor. Aid information: "The profits made from this release and the accompanying t-shirt will therefore go to the Gaza Crisis Appeal of Oxfam International."

ZULI – Komy

tQ regular ZULI of Cairo’s most recent EP Komy is named after the Arabic for the seven of diamonds, the most valuable card in the game Bassra. A selection of club bangers with violently manipulated vocal samples and read ‘em and weep beats. Aid information: "My collaborators and I have decided to donate all the profits from this EP to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)."

Various Artists – For Palestine By Paralaxe Editions

The label Paralaxe Editions is run by Dania an emergency medicine doctor who is part of the Arabic diaspora, who has chosen Medecins Sans Frontieres as the sole recipient of funds raised by this excellent 64-track compilation as, unusually, she has a lot of colleagues who have worked directly for the organisation. There are more tQ-friendly artists here than we have space to list but dig deep for the likes of The Soft Pink Truth, Martyna Basta, Claire Rousay and Cucina Povera. Aid information: "MSF currently has doctors and staff on the ground in Gaza, and they are actively working to treat patients and get desperately needed supplies across the border."

Toumba – For Palestine

Toumba released one of our favourite mixes of 2022. Here the Jordanian producer has put together an archival EP of dubby bangers, with the highlight being the Aphexian (via Amman) skitter acid of ‘Daboor’. Aid information: "All proceeds go to Medical Aid for Palestine."

Various Artists – Atteral Gaza Fundraiser

Aterral of Berlin locates its core in old school deep house music and derives its heat from "the scorching Northwest Winds of Malaga" and this compilation features cuts from Black Loops, Brawther and DJibouti. Aid information: "We have decided to select two charities, donating 100% of our proceeds equally between them: Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)."

Various Artists – Avon Terror Corps x Exist Festival: Resist To Exist ق​ا​و​م ل​ِ​و​ج​و​د​ك

We’ve talked about this compilation several times before but are happy to sing its praises again, coming, as it does, from Bristol’s own Avon Terror Corps (with Exist Fest) and featuring such site favourites as Concentration and Harrga. Aid information: "From October 2023 100% of all profits will go to Medical Aid for Palestinians Gaza emergency appeal."

Ballamona – Re-Institutions

Heavy as all hell Mancunians Ballamona revisit their debut EP Institutions and return with a slew of reworkings, including the electro-psych fuzz out of ‘Open-Air Prison’, reswizzled by Mandy, Indiana. Aid information: "All of the money raised from the purchase of this EP will go to the Save the Children: Gaza Emergency Appeal."

Various Artists – C2E: Emergency For Gaza

Moody, noir electronics from Stockholm label Cease 2 Exist feature sumptuous spectral ‘toe-tappers’ from Varg2TM, Van Boom, Spöke, FAKETHIAS and friends. Aid information: "All proceeds raised from the sales of the compilation will be donated to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. PCRF ensure humanitarian aid & medical care to the children of Palestine."

Various Artists – Human Worth Vol. III

One of the more tQ-friendly charity compilations out there at the moment, Human Worth have released the third in a series of fundraising digital albums. This one kicks off with a stirring effort from from former Neurosis man Steve Von Til and features folk recently featured on the site such as Thee Alcoholics, Enablers, TORPOR and Modern Technology. Aid information: "All funds raised will be donated to support Save the Children’s Gaza Emergency Appeal."