Bandcamp Friday: Artists Supporting Covid-19 Relief, Ambient, Indie Rock and More

This month, there’s plenty of reasons to support indie musicians on Bandcamp Friday. In addition to sublime new music from electronic producer OX7GEN aka Aditya Ashok and multi-instrumentalist Sidd Coutto’s cheeky fourth EP No Woe, there’s also the compilation S O S out via recordAsymetrik and a surprise new single from Chennai band The F16s. Both records seek to raise funds for COVID-19 relief via Bandcamp Friday. Check out the full rundown of our picks this month below:

Various Artists – S O S [Charity Compilation]

Music from electronic music stalwarts such as Arjun Vagale (plus his project Asymetrik), Ankytrixx, BLOT!, Func, Kohra, Murthovic and more are put together for S O S, a 14-track compilation. Sales from the record will go directly towards non-governmental organization Hemkunt Foundation, who are part of nationwide Covid-19 relief work.

The F16s – “To Be There With You”

Available as a download-only single via Bandcamp, Chennai alternative band The F16s have dropped their first new material in about two years in order to raise funds for different charities. The slinky, easygoing synth-rock track “To Be There With You” is presented with the promise that 100 percent of sales go towards Give India, a non-profit organization.

Spacecraft – Evening Star

Mumbai producer Rishi Bhatia aka Spacecraft returns with a self-described “cosmic journey” on his latest album Evening Star, which released on April 23rd. Crafting out blankets of sound and employing elements of drone, the nine-track record is a calming yet arresting listening experience, released via Australian label Valley View Records.

OX7GEN – Moon Shot EP

Creating a deep new thematic set of songs which flow effortlessly, Goa-based producer OX7GEN aka Aditya Ashok’s EP Moon Shot is as much escapist as it is fantastical. The journeying four-track record sees the producer break away from club-friendly drum and bass elements to simply present genre-free music that is appropriately spacey and wondrous.

Reckoner – Safe Mode EP

Brooklyn-based guitarist and composer Sumanth Srinivasan aka Reckoner journals his own perspectives of 2020 in his most recent EP Safe Mode, which released in February. A result of live coded music in June last year, when the U.S. was in the throes of the pandemic as well as Black Lives Matter protests, the EP is described as a “palliative” by Srinivasan and also includes a re-imagination of Bengaluru-based producer Disco Puppet’s song “Eh Baba.”

Sidd Coutto – No Woe EP

On his fourth EP this year, Mumbai multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and vocalist Sidd Coutto is at his high-energy, cheeky best, dealing with a world in shambles through a bit of humor to ease the pain. Aided by everyone from Karsh Kale to Shiraz Bhattacharya (from Pentagram), bassist Nathan Thomas and more, Coutto has now finally released a studio version of “The Mayan’s Know,” a live staple that’s updated with pandemic-informed lyrics.