by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Emmett Shoemaker writes profoundly and eloquently in the documentation to this release, penned on 13 January – detailing the heartbreaking story behind Staying. Masterminded by Leaving Records head Matthewdavid, this is a massive compilation of 90 tracks released to benefit those whose lives have been wrecked by the “heretofore unimaginable destruction in the land we now call Los Angeles.”

Shoemaker wrote, “The wildfires that began on the morning of Tuesday, January 7th—and which are still raging—are, in scope and intensity, unlike any other disaster, natural or manmade, in the city’s living memory. Thousands of homes destroyed. Twenty-four lives lost at the time of writing (that number will almost certainly rise), and innumerable lives forever altered. The devastation arrived suddenly, and has persisted over the course of a punishing and surreal week.”

Later, he details the heartbreak suffered. “The individuals and communities affected in this moment are numerous and varied, but it is the case that Los Angeles’s musical community has been absolutely upended. The Palisades fire, with its reach into older parts of Malibu and Topanga Canyon, and the Eaton fire, in its virtual erasure of Altadena, have affected some of the only areas in Los Angeles where working musicians could live with a modicum of comfort—Though, as we are all too aware in this moment, precarity has always been part of the bargain here.” Later still, “Leaving Records in particular has deep roots in Altadena. Label founder MatthewDavid cut his teeth printing J cards at a home operation in the neighbourhood, and countless Leaving artists reside in the area. Many of these artists have either definitively lost their homes or are currently waiting to learn their fate. The path to rebuilding (how long it will take, what it will cost, whether it is even feasible) remains terribly unclear.”

Finally, “Seeking to supplement the numerous GoFundMes and the profound, often harrowing acts of mutual aid that are currently buoying recovery efforts, and in lieu of donating to a third party organization, all proceeds will be donated directly to impacted individuals. 50% will be meticulously,  manually allocated to Los Angeles artists and music colleagues in need, as equitably as possible. We will be referencing existing music community aid spreadsheets / documents already circulating, alongside a succinct internal list of those affected in our immediate community. The other 50% of funds will be allocated to displaced Black families and community impacted by the fires, again, as equitably as possible.

Personal and collective healing, ecological recuperation, spiritual transcendence, radical communality — these concerns are woven into Leaving’s roster and catalog. Never in the label’s history has it been so called upon to celebrate and implement these principles. Though we may not even know what “hope” constitutes yet, we know we’ve got it somewhere. We know it’s in solidarity, and we know it’s in the music.”

What’s the music like?

To say this is a generous offering from Matthewdavid would be a massive understatement. $15 buys you a digital album crammed to the brim with 98 tracks, including luminaries such as Laraaji, Julia Holter, Peaking Lights, Steve Roach, André 3000 and of course Matthewdavid himself. Vinyl and cassette options are also available.

The compilation may be sprawling but the standard remains incredibly high throughout – and it is a moving experience listening in the context of what these artists have had to deal with.

Highlights that Arcana has plucked illustrate the sheer musical variety of what is on offer here. They include the appealing oscillations of Xyla, the soothing ripples of the harp on Beyond Beyond from Earthtones with Shelley Burgon, or the melodic sweeps of Arushi Jain’s California, that feel like exclamations in the wake of the fires.

Charlene’s Mantra, from V.C.R., is a subtle call to arms, while by complete contrast MIZU offers an extended and immersive ambient track, The Course Of Empire. Baths and More Eaze are playful, Eddie Chacon’s Fate is an intimate confidential, while Sweatson Klank offers hope in the dreamy Find Our Way Back. Peaking Lights are typically mesmeric, Honeydrip exuberant, and Laraaji’s Joyous Dance ’82 full of bright and positive energy.

Ohma’s Live at LTMOITDUAT 10.14.23 has vibrant duetting saxophones, the instrument then fluttering gently on the thoughtful Matters Of Time from Anenon. There are good grooves, too, notably Automatic’s Mq9 and Jon Makes Beats’ The Mountain. Freeform tracks come from Matt Baldwin and Spencer Zahn, contrasting with the wall of sound offered up by Ryan York. The shimmering and rather magical Brijean track Strange Times takes the form of a live dubby workout, while lively percussion infuses Café Ale’s 60 W Palm. Aisha Mars’ Song For My Father. Toucan’s Stay is a carefree electro number, a polar opposite of Tate EC’s Wings, with its feathery outlines.

Does it all work?

It does. This is such a wide range of music, embracing fast and slow, colourful, stylish, ragged, improvised and processed. All for a meaningful cause!

Is it recommended?

Without question – it’s a no-brainer.

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,443 – Wednesday 12 February 2025