Upcoming Releases and Projects Feature Bicep, Brian Eno, Coldcut, Kate Simko, Martyn Ware, Matthew Dear, Osunlade Alongside Indigenous Artists ãssia ghendir, Juliette Motamed, OKI, Talitnnite Ouaouani & Vivian Guyrá 

Partners include A2IM, AFEM, BBC, Beatport, The Outernet, PRS Foundation, Roland and RA

Global charity In Place of War launches record label, sound archive and event series, EarthSonic, to tell the story of climate change through music collaborations

In Place of War, celebrating 20 years as an international charity using the arts as a tool for positive change in areas of conflict, today announces the launch of its latest ambitious initiative, EarthSonic. The global project will tell the story of climate change through music, working with indigenous communities, musicians, cultural organisers, scientists and climate activists and experts.

Aiming to distil big complicated data, EarthSonic strives to reach young people’s hearts and minds, inspiring a clear call to action and unifying a movement to stop climate change. Understanding the proven strong capacity that young people have to change their behaviours, more than any other demographic, the EarthSonic programme aims to reach those young people through music, relevant artists, and via large scale, unique performances and world firsts. Through its youth-led climate advocacy programme, the team will provide individuals and community groups with the tools to drive meaningful systemic change. And through its work with grassroots organisations, EarthSonic will explore how it can influence leaders and policy makers to make systemic change.

Music Industry Partners
Led by music industry execs, Ruth Daniel (CEO, In Place of War/Un-Convention) and Vickie Amiralis (formerly Vinyl Factory), overseen by industry trustees Nadia Khan, David Bianchi and Claire O'Neill, in collaboration with Sounds Right, EarthSonic is partnering with a range of industry and cultural organisation partners, including A2IM, AFEM, BBC, Beatport, The Outernet, PRS Foundation, Roland and RA to amplify its work. Beatport and RA will stream the large-scale projects across their platforms, The Outernet will provide their screens and tech to premier the projects each Earth month, and Roland will contribute equipment for EarthSonic’s Sound Of The Year and recording fund, to document sounds and bio-diversity for the organisation’s archive.

Upcoming Releases on the EarthSonic Label
Over the next few years, EarthSonic will release various initiatives combining music and creativity to address the climate crisis. Launching an international label platform, the team is currently researching how it is possible to create a carbon-free record label using geo-thermal powered servers. EarthSonic’s releases include sounds of Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Extinction, Humanity and Waste. The organisation will celebrate global collaborations and aims to raise awareness of disappearing landscapes and environmental issues around the globe.

Echoes, an unprecedented 7 track compilation featuring new music collaborations between U.K. and international indigenous musicians and communities, will be the label’s first release across the following timeline:

Pre-orders & single release: 25th September 2024

Release date: 18th October 2024

Label: EarthSonic

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This will be followed by the re-release of the Cucusonic album, a 19 track compilation raising awareness of the biodiversity in Colombia’s neotropical rainforests. Featuring tracks from Brian Eno, Coldcut, Kate Simko, Laima Leyton, Martyn Ware, Matthew Dear, Osunlade, and more. Each track uses sounds and field recordings from the unique Cucusonic sound archive created by a diverse group of local communities, bio-scientists and anthropologists.

Ruth Daniel, In Place of War CEO and Founder of EarthSonic, said, “This is a huge and ambitious project, which has many partners, all co-curating and creating together to produce collaborative music, immersing people in the story of our planet and inspiring action around six changes we can make in our lives to help preserve the planet, its species and landscapes and ultimately humanity itself. Music can reach people’s emotions and help inspire change and action. We have a window of hope, and we can all be part of the change.”

Matthew Dear, producer and DJ, and founding artist on the Ghostly International label, who has contributed to EarthSonic’s work, added, “It was an honour to contribute to EarthSonic’s new record label by recording indigenous Arctic musicians. This particular project wasn’t just about capturing sound—it was about preserving culture and amplifying voices often left unheard. I’m proud to be part of this effort, giving these voices the platform they deserve.”

Other projects within the EarthSonic initiative include a sound archive, capturing global sounds of Earth and climate change, recorded by scientists, nature sound recordists, indigenous communities, and others. The organisation will also host a series of groundbreaking events combining music-making and climate activism, showing how individuals can collaborate with nature to tell our planet’s stories.

Further details on upcoming releases will be announced by EarthSonic in due course.