Red Hot & Ra - Nuclear War (Orange/Yellow Splatter) (2LP)

The first project in this exciting new series, Red Hot & Ra – Nuclear War LP, is an album of political and social commentary, stemming from the incomparable Sun Ra track “Nuclear War”. Sun Ra’s 1982 track “Nuclear War” is an intense and potent call to action against the use of nuclear weapons and the potential for their use to inflict global destruction. The track is a stark reminder of the consequences of human carelessness and ignorance and the potential for our own demise. Originally written in response to the Three Miles Island incident in Pennsylvania in 1979, close to where The Arkestra was living at the time, in Philadelphia. The song may have been written in reaction to a very specific incident, but its relevance only grows.

Red Hot + Ra: Nuclear War LP features 4 separate versions / interpolations of the Sun Ra single “Nuclear War” by Georgia Anne Muldrow, Irreversible Entanglements, Angel Bat Dawid, and Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O. The album paints a vivid picture of the struggle and resistance in the face of nuclear war, touching on themes of racial injustice, environmental destruction, and the power of love in the face of disaster. The opening track, Nuke’s Blues by Georgia Anne Muldrow, features Josef Leimberg and paints a bleak, but hopeful picture of the struggles of war. Irreversible Entanglements’ Nuclear War is a nearly 19-minute long sonic exploration of the power of collective resistance. The following three tracks, all produced by Angel Bat Dawid, explore the complex emotions that come with facing a nuclear disaster, from fear and sadness to love and redemption. The final track, produced by Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O, features Grandmaster CAP, and is an urgent call to action. Overall, Red Hot & Ra – Nuclear War is an emotionally powerful and thought-provoking album, offering an artistic response to the ever-growing threat of nuclear war.

Long live Sun Ra!