We thought this year’s June 11th would be spent in quarantine or relative isolation, so we curated a mixtape to help close the distance between us. Instead, many of us will be spending it in the streets. Just as well, while we’re facing new rounds of arrests and state repression, we hope this collection brings new resolve and inspiration wherever you find yourself this June 11th. Thanks to everyone who contributed and everyone who’s listening.
The first several songs, on the YouTube playlist, are favorites chosen by anarchist prisoners. The last few are originals written by friends across the world.
Tracks 1-5 are from Jennifer Rose:
“I choose these songs because they have something legit to say, whether political, cultural, social, or personal. They say something about the Social War we are engaged in as anarchists and insurrectionists. They’re motivational songs that get me pumped up and that I can relate to. They are songs about the struggle to live our lives in freedom.”
Tracks 6-7 are from Sean Swain:
“The greatest song ever written is, “People Who Died,” by the Jim Carroll Band. Jim Carroll is the kid played by Leonardo DeCaprio in Basketball Diaries, and he later started a band and recorded this song in order to honor everyone he knew who died when he was growing up. So, the whole song is him listing everyone and their causes of death. The cool thing about it, it’s so upbeat. Love that song.
If I have a back-up choice, “Desolation Row,” by My Chemical Romance. Those are songs I can imagine as background music while lighting dumpster fires.”
Tracks 8-9 are from Eric King:
“Revolution”
“‘Don’t you know, talking about a revolution, sounds like a whisper.’ We must put action to our rhetoric, or abandon empty rhetoric. This is not a game, its our lives and future and out children’s future. No mas hablando, mas accion. No more talking, more action.”
“Harsh Realms”
“In prison there is so much toxicity coming from every corner, it can make you feel hurt and alone. That vulnerability resonates deeply cause trauma and insecurity don’t just vanish. It’s hard and scary and that’s ok.”
A note from Non Serviam:
We have a strong relationship of hate with the prison complex, not only because most of the members of our musical collective have visited its cells on occasions, but also because it is the reason why this world of greed and control that we despise and suffer from keeps on existing. Society needs prisons to instill the fear of breaking the law and all of its rules. Marius Mason was convicted for breaking the rules, like any anarchist with a practical sense of theory and courage, therefore Marius needs all our solidarity. Because this world he’s still fighting against from inside the walls is everywhere, there is no escape from it, and escape could never be enough anyway : this fucking world has to burn and everything else is poetry. Compagnons dedans, dehors, le cœur bat encore…
A few notes on this world
For Marius Mason, june 11th
in solidarity
Everything else is poetry
Nothing could be worse
Nothing could be better
This fucking world has to burn
Down
Burn it down
This world
This fucking world
Down
Everything else is poetry
Nothing could be worse
Nothing could be better
Every prison has to burn
Burn the prison down
Burn this fucking world to the ground
Fuck this world
All music and lyrics written, performed, recorded, mixed and dismastered by Non Serviam
https://nonserviamband.noblogs.org/