In the face of the continued perpetration of genocide against the Palestinian people, a group of two dozen artists have banded together to release a collection of poems and music titled The Olive Tape. Curated and produced by experimental indie-pop collective Blood Cultures with the help of actor/writer Rosaline Elbay and artist Dario Ladani Sanchez — the album’s 20 tracks share an arduous catharsis of grief, anger, guilt, and hope. One that attempts to process and pierce the heart of the humanitarian crisis instigated in Gaza.
This post may contain affiliate links. Ads and affiliate links are how independent blogs like Grimy Goods can operate and pay our staff. Thank you for supporting our work and being a part of our music community.
The record begins with a reading of “When They Say Pledge Allegiance, I Say” by Palestinian-American poet/psychologist Hala Alyan, her words set to Collector//Emitteran‘s amorphous instrumental “Sending,” her verses a sprawling historical recap of what it means to witness such atrocities as a member of the Palestinian diaspora. “Going Home” from Blood Cultures samples James Brown‘s “It’s a Man’s World” and Edwin Starr‘s “War” with uplifting effect, splicing into its surging melodics a pointed excerpt of a 1971 PBS Interview with James Baldwin.
On “Watermelon Seeds,” gloaming piano keys and gospel harmonies echo around the lucid bars of Phay as he cuts through a thicket of horrific realities — “Shit, I just watched a genocide in thirty seconds on TikTok” — as he grasps for hope in solidarity. Then there’s the ferocious rebuke of state-enforced violence and oppression that unfolds on Chris Gabo‘s “Body Cam,” a track that sheds scathing light on the training U.S. police forces from Los Angeles to New York receive from the IDF.
Whether through soulful affirmations of love (“All I Know Is Love” by Nadine El Roubi), glitchy noise-rock that translates the chaos of being unmoored from one’s home (“No Where To Go” by Nick Hakim), or visceral acoustic articulations of pain’s aftermath (“there’s a part of me the was never injured.m4a” by Olivia Barton) — the songs of The Olive Tapes reckon with the violent turmoil through a poignant mosaic of sound and emotion.
Interspersed between the more heavy-hitting tracks are healing instances of R&B/soul like Cool Company‘s “Running In Place” or the spellbinding revolutions of Rotana‘s “Cool.” For “Bossa Meta,” pop outfit Vansire shares an exuberant blend of bossa nova dreaminess; and bedroom pop crooner Jordana glides luminously through wistfully buoyant contemplations of new love on “Missed Connection.”
Another treat in the collection comes in the form of Molly Martin‘s show-stopping cover of Natalie Imbruglia‘s “Torn” — her anguish coalescing into triumphant expression as she breathes fiery new life into its lyrics.
Blood Cultures shared their thoughts on the mixtape via Instagram:
“Like many, I’ve found it very difficult to be constructive in the conversation around Gaza. I don’t know what to say, when it feels like nothing will help – when I feel the same things that we all do: that gut-wrenching heartache for those who’ve lost (and continue to lose) their homes, families, and lives and that despair that I can’t do anything about it. I’m angry because I’m hurt and I’m guilty because I’m still alive.”
“But I’m not alone. Working on this project with so many artists I respect and love reminded me of the warmth that togetherness brings and the hope that it creates. It softened that hurt and channeled it into something better. I hope, when you listen, it reminds you of that same thing.”
Words: Steven Ward
Head to Bandcamp to purchase and stream The Olive Tape. All proceeds and donations will go to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and Anera.
The Olive Tape by The Olive Tape
