Mix: Kidz

Whether or not you agree with the act of procreation on ethical grounds, most of us can concur that—much like the somewhat analogous case of house pets—it doesn’t do any good for your beliefs to affect how you treat a conscious, emotionally sentient being that has already entered this plane. But the fact is, this happens all the time, just in the reverse of what you might expect: children are either shielded from the “bad things” in the world because they’re not ready to handle them, held in a sterile gossamer cocoon of safety before eventually being jettisoned alone into the merciless void of self-awareness; or they are neglected and cast away completely because their presence is a burden or inconvenience. It’s unfortunate for every child ever born that their parents couldn’t take the time to consider what a fucked up thing it is to create a new consciousness for one’s own personal gain, and how much of a responsibility it is once it’s here, until after the deed was done, but they were born nonetheless, dragged out of blissful nothingness to think and hurt and struggle and cry with the rest of us. In the face of that profound violation, we owe them the respect of treating them like the intelligent, fully perceptive individuals they are, rather than slinging the the cloying condescension of baby voices, sugarcoating, age-based exclusion, etc. And yet, despite being walked all over and denied decency since their first breath, they remain the most creative, wisest, and happiest of us all. Here are the beautiful sounds of bittersweet existence.

00:00. IT IT – “Pig Death” [ending] from IT IT (self-released, 2016)

00:39. Matinee Orchestra – “It’s a Fantasy World / Everyone Has the Right to Protest Even If No One Listens” [excerpt] from Matinee Orchestra (Arable, 2006)

05:21. Ludwig Berger – “After Nature” from Cargo (Canti Magnetici, 2019)

09:54. Áine O’Dwyer – “The Little Lord of Misrule” from Music for Church Cleaners (Fort Evil Fruit, 2012)

17:45. John Collins McCormick – “Oh Boy” from No Most Fatigue (self-released, 2018)

18:25. Horaflora – “Lunacy in the Garden of Forking Paths” from Eaves Drop (enmossed, 2020)

20:46. Raven Chacon – “MVHS” from An Anthology of Chants Operations (Ouidah, 2020)

22:39. Manja Ristić – “Spring” from The Nightfall (Naviar, 2018)

28:42. Ezio Piermattei – second untitled track from Gran trotto (Chocolate Monk, 2018)

32:19. Nina Ryser – “Whoever Listens to This Tape…” [ending] from I Hope All of Your Dreams Come True (Ramp Local, 2016)

32:33. Climax Golden Twins – first untitled track from Locations (Fire Breathing Turtle, 1998)

35:26. Mémoire vide – “B” from Mémoire vide (Affenstunde, 2020)