Where Everything is Music Campaign
Can you help us to record our next album?
ABOUT THE PROJECT
In 2023 we undertook an extraordinary musical collaboration at MONA FOMA with musicians from the legendary Ensemble Kaboul, in a project celebrating the links between Persian-Afghan traditional music and early Western-classical works.
With a title inspired by the Persian mystic/poet Rumi, Where Everything is Music garnered industry acclaim, rave audience reviews and multiple requests to produce a studio recording of the repertoire. It quickly became apparent to all involved that this was a project worthy of not just performing again, but recording for release on the newly-established VDB label.
A cross-cultural collaboration with Ensemble Kaboul's Khaled Arman (rubab), Siar Hashimi (tablā, voice) and Masud Hashimi (dhol, percussion), Where Everything is Music is a stunning composite of two distinct musical worlds, mixing the caramel sounds of VDB’s gut strings with traditional Eastern instruments, uniting the oriental sound world with occidental traditions.
You can get a sense of this wonderful project in this video:
Performing and recording this music is an essential act of musical activism, preserving a centuries-old musical tradition that has - until now - only been conveyed orally. In playing this music, Ensemble Kaboul are keeping alive a musical culture banned by Afghanistan’s current political regime. They are now based in Europe in order to protect their craft.
Following invitations to perform Where Everything is Music at Melbourne Recital Centre, UKARIA Cultural Centre and Hobart's Theatre Royal, VDB has formulated our first national tour since 2022, with concerts in Sydney and Brisbane also planned. The national tour is a superb opportunity for us to continue building our profile and influence nationally, showcasing VDB to audiences, media and industry around Australia.
DOUBLE YOUR MONEY!
As with several of our previous projects, Where Everything is Music has been awarded in-principle matched funding through the Creative Australia / Creative Partnerships PLUS 1 program. That means that every dollar we raise here will be matched dollar for dollar by the Federal government - so your donation will be effectively doubled!
HOW DO YOU CONTRIBUTE?
Follow the link at the bottom of this page - on our Pozible site you can choose from one of the many rewards we have on offer including pre-ordered copies of the CD. We will be accepting pledges of any amount and every dollar you give us will be DOUBLED by Creative Australia once our target of $33,500 is reached!
We can also accept tax deductible donations if you choose not to receive a reward for your pledge.
We thank you for your support!
The numbers of large record labels have been diminishing since the beginning of the internet age, a process further accelerated by COVID-19 and ensuing economic uncertainty. VDB has an existing global audience for our recordings (we have over 6.2m streams for our current albums), and this ongoing shrinking of the recording industry could severely limit our reach and impact.
Further, while some record labels still provide basic marketing/distribution support, the current industry model requires small organisations to fund all artistic costs while signing away recording rights and sales to the record label.
In response, we established the VDB label, leveraging our existing reputation as globally respected presenters/interpreters. By becoming our own producers, we incur higher up-front costs, but retain all our rights whilst keeping the majority of our profits. This model ensures that VDB can continue our already successful recording output into the future while building our reputation as internationally-respected producers.
We also know that we have a keen group of supporters who are happy to join us to make big ideas a reality! In supporting us to record Where Everything is Music, you are directly supporting Van Diemen's Band to continue programming, performing and presenting ambitious projects.
Where Everything is Music will be recorded in October 2025 in Nipaluna/Hobart, at the prestigious Frying Pan Studios at MONA. The anticipated release date is in early 2026. Supporters pledging $500 and above will also have the opportunity to attend one of the recording sessions - learn more about the Studios here.
By supporting this campaign, you are not only helping to fund our next self-produced album, but also helping Van Diemen’s Band continue to build a Lutruwitan/Tasmanian-based recording label through which the work of other Australian artists will be represented.
Further, it is an opportunity to be a part of the important community of philanthropists helping to nurture the arts in Australia. Opportunities such as this will see Van Diemen's Band continue to flourish as an internationally recognised performing ensemble, with an respected reputation as curators/producers, reinforcing our position in Australia as one of the finest ensembles of its kind.
Click here to contribute today
Make your pledge or give a tax-deductible donation via Pozible.
If you'd like to contribute via cheque or direct deposit please click here for more information.