News: Community remix compilation for Sorrow's '21.12.12'
Sorrow is a producer whose deeply ethereal and dub-laden UK Garage productions have amassed an endearing following over the years. His tracks touch upon deep emotions and hold a healing quality for many listeners. At the cusp of its 10-year anniversary, his track '21.12.2012' received some revived attention from a few fans and out of that the community remixes were born.
What started as a small challenge between Deescawa and a few friends, soon became a massive community undertaking. It began as a joke, really. 'Wouldn’t it be funny to release a remix a decade after this track?' was the sentiment after seeing Sign remix this track a few months earlier.
With the help of Keitha and Coil Circuit who took an active role throughout the entire project, Deescawa took initiative and quickly created a Discord server. Spreading the word and inviting people to join in. Thanks to the word of mouth within the musical community, the project grew exponentially into what its become today. A massive 72-track compilation a project in honour of Sorrow, authored cohesively by the collective musical community we find ourselves a part of.
Much of the pleasure and fun had during this endeavour was derived from the dialectical back and forth within a group of people who are passionate about the same project. The enthusiasm was outstanding. Having a project to puzzle over together fostered a terrifically welcoming atmosphere amongst participants. The short timeline and clear deadline of when to complete the remix also contributed an added fervour to the intensity - it was an even playing field for all involved. Over a month's time, over 350 artists joined the Discord community server and bore witness.
Each visitor contributed a small role to the project, in their own way. Whether it be a remix, a keen interest in following the project, a friendly word of encouragement, or even just discussing Sorrow’s music and leaving feedback on people's tracks, vibing in the Discord. The remixes which were created reflect this same personal sentiment. Each person is a mirror for their own relationship with the track, the community and Sorrow’s elemental sound. The passion of those involved gives this whole project a heartfelt consistency throughout the entire array of tracks.
The project even caught the support of Eyza from the mighty Intrinzic Music who had been keeping an eye on the happenings and passed the word to Sorrow himself. Who then graciously stopped into the Discord server from time to time to check on the project and drop off the original stems and project files. With the seal of approval from Sorrow, it made the project that much more valid and real - while never becoming serious or burdensome. It was always lighthearted and fun.
When I asked Deescawa for a few words about what Sorrow’s music meant to him, he replied.
“I can't speak for others, so I'll say it for myself. For me, Sorrow’s music means something very close, something that I know very well and can return to at any moment of my life. You know, there are periods in life when you learn something new, constantly exploring, for example, new music, but still, in the end, you come back to things that are very special and important. Sorrow’s music is something like that for me.”
/ A few words from Deescawa on the project
Even amongst a busy schedule and life's business in the holiday season, the hype of a project like this catches all of us up in the excitement and certainly gripped my interest from the start. I hope you find some consultation and joy within these tracks - a commemoration to our musical community - as we step into a new year. Massive shouts to Deescawa and the crew for putting this tremendous project together. Something to be proud of for sure.