Drowned By Locals Marks 5 Years with ‘Pornographic-Time’ Compilation

Drowned By Locals, a Jordanian-bred record label, has marked its fifth anniversary with an expansive three-part compilation series titled Pornographic-Time.

All three volumes draw their titles and thematic bearing from Black Cire, a printed anthology and manifesto that comes with the compilation, outlining ‘Pornographic-Time’ as a condition where desire is constantly activated but never fulfilled. “It’s the experience of being pulled outward, toward images, expectations, and demands, faster than you can return to yourself. You remain visible, but rarely seen.”

Written by Ian Bruner and published by the label’s sibling imprint Drowned By Public, the VA compilation album reads as a sonic portrait of Drowned By Local’s instinctive curatorial logic, bringing together artists from across borders, both regional and international. Rather than functioning as a retrospective, the series sketches the label’s evolving sound, as well as its expanding cohort of misfits, gathering new works, long-buried collaborations, and half-formed artistic ideas or future intentions. Some of the artists contributing to the album include DJ GAWAD, Palmistry, Saint Abdullah & Eomac, Bergsonist, Bernardino Femminielli, DJ DEATHDEFY, and more. 

Each volume of the series adopts a different facet of that ‘Pornographic-Time’ state. Volumes one and two of the compilation are currently out on all platforms, with volume three set to be released on January 30th.