Last month the Utech Records family sadly lost a key figure in Kim Utech, who left behind husband and label head Keith Utech as well as two children, after a battle against breast cancer.
Keith’s sister-in-law, Michell Kubler Utech, created a GoFundMe page to raise funds to assist Keith in the immediate aftermath with living expenses while he takes time off from other work to be with their children and tries to pay expenses incurred from Kim’s treatment.
A compilation has now also been put together, comprising 41 tracks of exclusive material – some that had been unreleased until now, some recorded live, some created specifically for the compilation – and it clocks in at over four hours. There’s music in there from Mothlite (you can listen to that track, entitled ‘Pour Down Like Water’, above), Locrian, Dead Neanderthals and many more extended friends and supporters of Utech Records.
You can purchase the compilation – 100% of the proceeds (after Bandcamp and Paypal take their shares) will be donated to the Utech Family Fund – here and find out more about the fund and donate here. Below, Daniel O’Sullivan answers a few questions on his contribution to the compilation.
What’s the origin of the Mothlite track on the compilation?
It was just something I was working on at Tower Gardens. I double-tracked some bass, a bit of a tune on the Elka which my friend Daniel Lea gave to me as a present, multi-tracked some viola, sang it in. I’ve been processing the death of a very close friend recently and the best medicine for grief is making music, without a sh-sh-shadow of a d-d-doubt.
What made you share this track on the compilation rather than another track?
It was something I wrote to heal myself and Keith and his family are also healing. But also I think it’s important to put your better tunes on compilation albums.
It’s very warming to see so much music featured from friends and supporters of the label brought together so quickly. Who put together the compilation and how were you approached to contribute?
A kind man named Chris Elmore invited me through the wire. He pulled the threads together firmly. Keith and I have been in contact about working together on something or other for a while. Various friends of mine release fine phonographic objects through Utech. Including David J. Smith’s The Stargazer’s Assistant which is a vastness of beautiful inspired melancholy. Dave and I played in Guapo and Miasma & The Carousel Of Headless Horses together and he also played percussion in Mothlite come to think of it. He’s an incredible musician and a warm, gentle man. Rather how Keith comes across. The children have enough to deal with without seeing their dad stressed out trying to pay fucking medical bills – what a cruel and unnatural system we have there. Offer stength if you have strength to offer. We need enchanted sky machines to take the gentle home.
