In what is now an annual outing Inner Ocean Records have dropped Bless Vol. 2 on to us: a 99 track double-cassette compilation of chilled beats, with all proceeds donated to the White Helmets.
Made up of contributions from 99 beatmakers across 25 different countries this is a special project right from the get-go. Over three and half hours of music means that keeping track of what’s what is slightly more difficult while listening on it’s intended format, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is music to get lost in your own space to; headphone music for work, early morning with the kids, head nod tunes to sit in the background of any day. It’s a compilation of tracks on one sonic plain to revisit over time, with new discoveries on each spin.
All physical comes gifted with the digital edition – and it’s also available on the usual streaming services – so for those times where you do hear something and need to track it down it’s not impossible to do so. It’s almost like a reward to dig through the second format and find a new beatsmith to follow.
As with Bless Vol. 1 the first time I reached down for a replay was Stlndrms. The man’s constantly on fire. No one really stands out as a solo effort though, especially as skilled curation from the Inner Ocean Records family allows tracks to work with one another without switching gears suddenly. With room to live out your own agenda against a non-intrusive but exceptional quality soundtrack you will reach for this constantly.
This is a project of love from all involved, and you can’t not talk about the artwork on both volumes. Zom Kashwak has an inimitable style ,which alone is stunning. When coupled with a focus on the global beatmaker community it goes next level. Where Vol. 1 took me back to the backpacker style I’ve so missed from my home scene, Vol. 2 brings out the tools of the trade for the modern bedroom producer.
If you don’t fancy grabbing it on tape you can grab a double LP of thirty four tracks from the full project. Alternatively, if you’re sticking to digital you can get hooked up with a t-shirt featuring Kashwak’s design. Don’t sleep.
The BLESS compilation series is our annual fundraiser to gather artists and beat makers together to raise money for the global community. BLESS Vol. 2 is a collection of 99 tracks from artists representing 25 different countries, the full album spans nearly 4 hours of incredible music! This year we wanted to do something special and curated a selection of tracks from the full album for this Limited Edition Double LP release.
*All 99 tracks can be found on the Double Tape Cassette and Digital Download you can find here: http://bit.ly/blessvol2
100% of the proceeds from the sale of BLESS Vol.2 will be donated to a variety of Micro Loan programs for Women, Sustainable Water and Agriculture projects, Refugees, Education, Health Care and the Arts. The funds from the Micro Loans are paid back over time and it’s our promise to the supporters of this album that we will perpetually reinvest those funds back into future Micro Loans. This way the funds can continue to support people who need it for many years ahead.
We want to extend our deep gratitude to all the artists who donated and contributed music to this project so that we can all support our global community with our creative passions. It’s truly a beautiful thing.