On March 11 2011, the world watched in horror as a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan – and as the terrifying scenes replayed on TV and the Internet, people both here in Japan and around the world hurried to do what they could to help.

Based in Osaka since 2005, DWA has long functioned as a bridge between the international alternative music industry and Japan - establishing trading relationships with many of the industry’s top labels, bands and magazines.

Within hours of disaster striking Japan, we spoke to all our artists, friends and media partners around the globe to ask if they were interested in joining a relief project, and the response was immediate and overwhelming.
A 32-track compilation album that would usually take anywhere up to 6 months to organise, we have been able to finalise every detail of within just 2 weeks.

Most artists instantly dropped what they were doing in order to find rare and previously unreleased material to donate – and in many cases sat down to create something specially for the project.

Every label that we spoke to – from long-standing partners like Infacted Recordings, Black Rain/NoiTekk, Dark Dimensions and FiXT to others known to us like Dependent, Accession and Trisol - instantly agreed to give permission for material by their artists to be used: all completely royalty-free.

Our regular mastering engineers Jan L and Kolja Trelle in Germany agreed to process the many tracks that began to arrive, and Nathan Winter (IndustriArts), UserDX, Mike Saga and Vlad McNeally (Kallisti:Design) - some of the best-known graphic designers in the industrial music scene - offered to make artwork.

Leading magazines like Orkus, Rock Oracle and Side-Line agreed to publicise and promote the album.
Our European distributor Black Rain agreed to handle EU distribution at no charge.

All administration, physical manufacturing costs of CDs, booklets, cases etc. plus shipping are being paid for by DWA.
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of all the people and companies involved who have all given their time, services and material for free, we will be able to donate 100% of all money raised less any “handling charges” that PayPal and banks choose to levy (we hope these will also be waived after negotiation).

Understandably, international attention and financial support has been focussed thus far on the Red Cross - as the most internationally-recognised organisation working in the affected area.
In addition to the medical assistance provided by the Red Cross (www.jrc.or.jp), we have chosen to support jointly Japan Platform (www.japanplatform.org) – an umbrella group of 32 Japanese NGOs providing food, shelter and a variety of other relief measures.

At the end of every week, for the next 50 weeks, all money raised by “Direct World Action for Japan” will be paid into dedicated bank accounts set up by the Japanese Red Cross and Japan Platform, and officially receipted.
A public record of all money raised will be published here and updated weekly for the lifetime of this project.

“Direct World Action for Japan” will be available as a 2CD Limited Edition of 1000 for “first responders” while stocks last - and as a limited-period download for one year (through to just after the anniversary of the disaster).
The 2CD physical edition will be available from April 15th and all orders come with an immediate free download of the full digital version which is released today March 30.

“Direct World Action for Japan” features 32 tracks including

- 24 exclusive tracks or mixes from BE MY ENEMY, BINARY PARK, CAUSTIC, DETROIT DIESEL, DIE SEKTOR, DYM, ENCEPHALON, INERTIA, INTERFACE, MODULATE, NACHTMAHR, PANIC LIFT, PREEMPTIVE STRIKE 0.1, PROJECT ROTTEN, SHIV-R, SOMAN, STRAFTANZ, SUICIDAL ROMANCE, TERROLOKAUST, VIGILANTE, VPROJEKT, X-FUSION, XP8 and YADE

- 2 deleted tracks from MODULATE and FEINDFLUG

- 4 tracks never available on CD before from SQUAREHEAD, DIARY OF DREAMS, DOPE STARS INC. and SANGSARA

- remixes and guest vocals from A7IE, CELLDWELLER, DIE SEKTOR, FUNKER VOGT, JAN MOSER, KOMOR KOMMANDO, LATEXXX TEENS, MIGHTY MIKE SAGA & MINDBENDER, PHOSGORE, PSIONIC, THE SYNTHETIC DREAM FOUNDATION, TERRORKODE and XIESCIVE

- the latest singles from IN STRICT CONFIDENCE, DOPE STARS INC. and DIARY OF DREAMS, plus new album track from TYSKE LUDDER

The Limited Edition 2CD comes with an 8-page booklet featuring 4 “alternative covers” from
- Nathan Winter (IndustriArts)
- UserDX
- Vlad McNeally (Kallisti:Design)
- Mike Saga

Mastered by Kolja Trelle (SOMAN) and Jan L (X-FUSION/NOISUF-X)

Time is a critical factor in providing humanitarian aid for a disaster of this kind – which is why we are particularly grateful for the “no-nonsense” attitude taken by everyone who has supported this initiative.
As a result, we have been able to cut instantly through red tape that would otherwise have made any such project “too little too late” – what would usually take anywhere up to 6 months has been achieved in less than 2 weeks.
By administrating this project in Japan and being able to release this project right now, money can be raised right now and immediately provided directly where it is needed here in Japan.
And over the course of the following year, long-term fundraising will continue to generate funds for reconstruction long after international attention has moved on.

Many people and organisations are playing a part in the relief and reconstruction efforts, and are every day announcing various other projects that are equally worthy of attention and support - “Direct World Action for Japan” is merely how we and our friends have chosen to play our part.
We humbly extend our thanks to all the artists, labels, engineers, designers, magazines and distributors who have chosen to stand together with us and support this DWA-led initiative.
Without this incredible generosity of spirit, this album could not exist.
That it does is a testament to the human kindness of our many friends in the alternative music scene who feel a connection with Japan, and who have stepped forward to come together with us to help at this time.

We cannot all be “first responders” like those engaged in search-and-rescue, those providing food, shelter and medical treatment, and those struggling to bring the stricken nuclear reactors under control.
But everyone can do something.
Every purchase of this album will do something.
And in the future, when we look and listen to it, it will remind us that we did something - long after the memory of these terrible events has begun to fade.

JAMIE NOVA
International Sales Manager
Deathwatch Asia (DWA)
2-14-13-403 Senrioka-Higashi
Settsu-shi
Osaka 566-0011
Japan
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Deathwatch Asia (DWA)
〒566-0011
大阪府摂津市千里丘東2丁目14-13-403
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www.deathwatchasia.com
www.myspace.com/deathwatchasia
www.facebook.com/deathwatchasia
www.vampirefreaks.com/deathwatchasia
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Our partners in this initiative:
www.blackrain.de
www.infacted-recordings.com
www.darkdimensions.de
www.dependent-records.de
www.fixtonline.com
www.accession-records.de
www.trisol.de
www.orkus.de
www.side-line.com
www.rockoracle.ru
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