Oakland--based collective, independent label and party series, CLUB CHAI, announced at the end of last year that it was closing its doors for good, with founders Lara Sarkissian (a.k.a Foozool) and 8ULENTINA moving on to pursue other projects. Five years in, CLUB CHAI had not only established itself as one of Oakland’s essential musical communities, but also cemented itself as a hub for emerging US-based MENA talents, helping launch such voices as Thoom and DJ Haram onto the global radar.
As one final hurrah, a massive 18-track compilation CLUB CHAI. 2, has been released in celebration of the music and community built around the DIY collective. Across 18 tracks, CLUB CHAI VOL.2 brings a nonstop, multi-genre sonic barrage that flows between breakbeats, ambient, noise, industrial, garage, IDM, trance and countless other corners of modern electronic music.
“We move forward with so much love and gratitude, it’s difficult to describe how much CLUB CHAI has impacted us. The project has given us the opportunity to collaborate with so many artists and create an archive of music we are extremely proud of. It’s important for us to acknowledge the amount of labor it takes to work on our individual art practices while also facilitating other artist’s projects, event organization, and running a label. In order for us to grow as artists we must honor our work with the same intentionality and time. We are excited about the potential of this new chapter. The CLUB CHAI ethos will continue through our individual practices and collaborations. We remain committed to work that challenges the Western perception of international music and genres.” - CLUB CHAI.
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