On February 25th, Palms Out will release the first in a series of compilations on cassette and digitally. Titled plainly: End Broken Windows, 100% of the proceeds of the series will go to charity in an effort to raise awareness about broken windows policing methods. Specifically, I hope this project contributes in some small way to spreading the word about the ways in which policing and prosecuting low-level offenses serves only as a way of terrorizing and traumatizing vulnerable populations, without achieving the intended goal of preventing violent crime. The theoretical premise of broken windows policing is fundamentally flawed, and woefully misguided — there is no evidence that focusing police power on low level violations like sex work, loitering, minor vandalism, petit theft, minor drug offenses, etc. leads to any reduction in violent crime. The practice must end.
Each volume of the series will benefit a different charity doing work to counteract the effects of broken windows policing. All broken windows really does is criminalize being black, trans, queer, young, unhoused, etc., so helping those people avoid the worst repercussions of these policies is a worthwhile place to start. The first volume will benefit the SBB National Sex Worker Bail Fund. Sex workers are often intersectionally and inordinately affected by broken windows policing, and should never be forced to spend a single night in jail merely for exercising agency over their own bodies.
Musically and conceptually, this record is inspired by a place where broken windows policing is disproportionately felt: the subway/metro. I gave all of the artists the vague prompt to write music inspired by the NYC subway system — and the results were expectedly varying. For this volume, I pursued artists who have been generally exploring midtempo dance music without focus on 4 to the floor drum patterns. The result was a collection of largely breakbeat-oriented songs, some with direct classic NYC & Detroit electro references, others with more melodic and euphoric UK hardcore inspiration, and others still that kind of split the difference between modern bass and Baltimore club (for lack of better descriptors).
Featuring: Max Ulis (CA), Khari McClelland (US), Carli (SE), Disaffected (UK), Garneau (CA), Varum (DE), Martyn Bootyspoon (CA), Lobec (UK), A.dixen (DK), AVIVX (KZ), SUMORAI (SE), Ubahnrider (DE), The Droid (UK). Mastered by Joel Krozer at Six Bit Deep.
Out Feb 25th. Preorder End Broken Windows Vol.1 now!