Turn It Down

The Turn It Down campaign (sponsored by the building democracy initiative) is trying to combat the forces and prevalence of white nationalist music in America. The mission for Turn It Down is best stated on their homepage, "Turn It Down is youth, bands, parents, teachers, and friends in the record industry speaking out, standing up, and turning down the sounds of hate. Thousands of young people and hundreds of bands, record labels, distributors, pressing facilities, and booking agents have joined to work against the spread of hatred. White power music has become the most significant recruiting tool for organized bigots across the globe. It has succeeded in infiltrating numerous youth subcultures, transforming healthy youth rebellion into hardcore white supremacy. The Turn It Down Campaign seeks not to demonize all youth culture, but to create a culture that is immune to the hatred and violence that white power music represents by teaming with young people, parents and teachers, and the record industry." They have many, many, helpful resources on their site in hopes of helping to stop white power music. In their news section, they post various articles on the topic, as Social Networking: A Place For Hate about an HBO documentary called Hate.com, which helps to understand how the Internet is utilized in the movement as a recruitment tool. An information section offering a resource kit booklet with various ways of understanding or recognizing white nationalist things (symbols to hate speech), dealing with various situations, and ways to help the campaign progress through action is in my opinion the best resource they offer on the site. Also offering a report that highlights various important aspects on youth music subcultures, such as Neo Nazis. They also have specific sections for youth, parents and teachers, and for the music industry. The music industry section specifically helps to persuade them to not tolerate hate, give a list of known white power bands to look out for, and to put pressure on others to follow in the footsteps of those that do not support white power music. The last thing they do is create a CD, but not just any CD. The sites says, “Throughout our ten-plus years of tracking and fighting hate across music subcultures, the Turn It Down Campaign has also made it our business to recognize and support bands and labels who take strong stands against bigotry. As necessary as it is to track those who would hijack our scenes to promote hate, it is equally crucial to work with antiracist efforts. We have published extensive resources, assembled rosters of bands and other elements of the music industry who support our efforts, and worked closely with touring bands to share information and ideas. Now we’ve taken it a step further. Earlier this year, word trickled out that Tightrope Records – headed up by Bryant Cecchini, formerly of Resistance and Panzerfaust Records – planned a follow-up to the 2004 Project Schoolyard compilation. While we’re happy to report that this sad sequel attempt to recruit youth to the white power movement has made barely a ripple, its release started a conversation between Turn It Down and Insurgence Records. Insurgence has long been known as one of the most vital voices in the antiracist scene. The Toronto-based label has produced such overtly anti-fascist bands as The Oppressed, Klasse Kriminale, The Press and The Prowlers. Insurgence was just as irate as we were to learn that the racist fringe would once again target our youth with a collection of (truly awful) music. So we decided to do something. And now, a few months after that conversation began, we’re proud to announce the release of Northern Aggression: Project Boneyard Volume II – a compilation of hardcore, punk and more that Insurgence asserts is “without question, the best collection we’ve ever compiled.” Turn It Down and Insurgence have pooled our efforts and resources to categorically answer the efforts of those who think music fans and youth can be so easily won over by lousy music and idiotic ideology. This comp is stellar. For starters, it has made us love hardcore again has renewed our faith in smart street punk. We’ve found a bunch of incredible bands we didn’t know, and we’ve rediscovered a few we hadn’t heard in a while. More than anything, though, Northern Aggression has proven that plenty of people will readily take a stand against hate in our music scenes." The site is primary function is to raise awareness that we tolerate hateful music in a country that says we respect free speech, but not if it harms others, and that it needs to end. They are taking great strides in contributing to the efforts of banning white power music, though it will be tough and will take a lot more people to join in the endeavor.

The Oppressed is one of the bands of the man featured bands on the album...