Music: 'TRAИƧA' – A Red Hot Project
Honoring and acknowledging the trans and non-binary community with a 46-track love letter, courtesy of the Red Hot Organization
Art director: Rohan Rege | Photo: V. Haddad
This is not an ordinary compilation.
Red Hot began in 1990 as a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS by boosting the signal through music, most memorably with the ‘90s releases Red, Hot + Blue, Red, Hot + Dance, No Alternative, and the recent multi-part series Red Hot & Ra. TRAИƧA, a 46-track epic-style narrative breaks the notion of artists contributing singular tracks and instead reads as a mammoth, panorama novel in eight parts.
The key to unlocking the interconnectedness is harboring patience and empathy, two of the backbones when entering the trans community. By participating in this experience, a listener is not lock-picking one door under cloak of darkness but kicking it down and rushing in to join a constituency of like-minded artists.
While every track can and does stand on its own, the real purpose is to link the collective – a mix of originals and covers – by utilizing the eight chapters to help index and bookmark a listener’s personal space. The dissection of that meaning isn’t necessary to appreciate the entire project, but alludes to where someone might find themselves based on theme or feeling. And bonus: each of the chapters’ intro is also a tune.
While some artists may not ring a bell for name value, a few gems are illuminated here to highlight the scope of love given to this multi-tier campaign.
Frankie Cosmos and Soft Rōnin | Photo: Alex Tepper
Chapter 1 Womb of the Soul introduced with “Midnight Moon Pool” from Mary Lattimore + Laraaji + Mizu + Jamal Shakeri, is a harbinger for a majority of the journey, enveloped in ambient swirls and spoken words. Chapter 2 Survival houses the Interpol-style Belle and Sebastian cover “Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying” from Julien Baker + Calvin Lauber (feat. SOAK, Quinn Christopherson) and the pop-styling original “Rumblin’” from Soft Rōnin (feat. Frankie Cosmos). Chapter 3 Dark Night contains perhaps the most poignant and inspirational reason for TRAИƧA: SOPHIE’s 2018 “Is It Cold in the Water?” performed by Moses Sumney (feat. ANOHNI). Her death in 2021, galvanized the focus of the project for producers Dust Reid and Massima Bell. Said Reid, “We started talking about all the gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world, and wanted to create a Red Hot project that centered and celebrated those gifts.”
Moses Sumney (feat. ANOHNI) - Is It Cold In The Water? (Official Audio)/©Trans Nation Music, Sony Music Publishing (UK) Ltd/YouTube
Leading off Chapter 4 Awakening, is the 26-minute opus “Something Is Happening And I May Not Fully Understand But I'm Happy To Stand For The Understanding” from André 3000. The instrumental/spoken word presentation is hypnotic and trance-inducing and gives off the nascent vibe the artist debuted in 2023. Chapter 5 Grief is encapsulated by “My Name” an original from Kara Jackson, Ahya Simone and David Longstreth. The melody wafts along in a gentle intoxicating mix of harp, guitar with Jackson and Simone’s vocals, as the belief is palpable in finding beauty after loss.
David Longstreth, Kara Jackson, Ahya Simone | Photo: Kenny Laubbacher
Chapter 6 Acceptance finds a cover of the 1973 Judee Sill composition “Down Where the Valleys Are Low.” Brought to life by Asher White, Eli Winter & Caroline Winter, the synthesis of harmonies is eerily evocative, echoing Sill’s haunting take on the tug-of-war between secular and sacred. Chapter 7 Liberation is where “Young Lion” by Sade Adu finds its roots, a deeply felt minimalist dedication, rendered as a mother’s tribute to her son.
Sade Adu - Young Lion (Official Audio)/© Sade Adu, Aaron Taylor Dean, and Ben Travers/YouTube
Chapter 8 Resurrection is a rollercoaster ride tracked in a pair of reinterpretations. “Surrender Your Gender” is an anthemic call to arms, originally released in 2006 by trans punk icon Jayne County. Spearheaded by vocal-shredding Laura Jane Grace, with Lee Ranaldo, Kathi Wilcox, and Jay Dee Daugherty in studio, the song is even more applicable in today’s severely tested environment for championing gender rights in the face of resistance.
Laura Jane Grace | Photo: Alex Tepper
The compilation closes with a remake of “Ever New” from Sam Smith joined by Beverly Glenn-Copeland, the song’s composer. Couched with the folk ballad’s sweetness is the poignancy of Glenn-Copeland who, at 80, was recently diagnosed with dementia. The road ahead may figuratively be shrouded in uncertainty, yet there is no denying how the power of music permeates every generation.
TRAИƧA – A Red Hot Project is available November 22 on digital platforms, including TRAИƧA: Selects in vinyl format via Bandcamp.
As a limited edition 6LP box set (available for pre-order here) on the Red Hot website, the set includes:
32-page color booklet of photographs, liner notes, essays and lyrics
46-track TRAИƧA album on vinyl + Mystery Bonus Side
Digital download card
6LP Jackets & record sleeves with original artwork from Evangeline AdaLioryn, Female Pentimento, Osinachi, Tosh Basco, Greer Lankton (1958 – 1996), Michael Bailey-Gates and Pippa Garner.
