​Stand Together unites drum 'n' bass labels to tackle racism, launches compilation and fundraiser event

Stand Together has united a number of drum 'n' bass labels to collectively tackle racism within the music scene.

The collective will be releasing a collaborative 23-track LP on April 30 followed by their first event at The Cause on May 3.

Conceptualised during last summer's Black Lives Matter activity following the death of George Floyd, they first raised money for the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation with a live streamed event.

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Now Stand Together want to help make drum 'n' bass more accessible by recognising the genre’s rich heritage.

“We want drum 'n' bass to be an open and accepting environment,” said Warren Rousseau, organiser of the collective.

“A lot of people say drum 'n' bass is an open-minded and welcoming space and while it is most of the time, crucially it’s not all the time.

“This initiative means we can better understand what the music represents and how to reflect that ethos in our releases, line-ups and aesthetics.

“We want to encourage new artists and DJs to step forward into the spotlight no matter their race, gender or background.”

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The globally committed group of over 20 drum and bass labels includes Overview, Soulvent, Terra Firma and Unchained.

Warren continued: “It’s rare for so many labels to come together so closely and we wanted to channel this sense of community into something positive that could take action on issues that so many people talk about but don’t normally get involved in.

“By bringing together as many as possible, we hope that we can foster an ethos that all labels will stand by and most importantly act on.”

The collective will raise money for a number of charities including The Black Curriculum, XLP and GOSH.

As well as the LP and event, Stand Together hopes to conduct workshops and in-person events to help develop young artists from minority backgrounds.

They are also considering introducing a pledge so labels who sign up to Stand Together ensure equality and diversity.

“We want to ensure all labels that are a part of this are committed to that. It won’t be an overnight fix but it’s something most labels could do with looking into and addressing.

“It’s very important for newcomers to drum and bass to see that labels of all sizes from all sides of the spectrum are committed and showing support for initiatives like this.

"Diversity attracts diversity and that’s what we want to see!”

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