Transa - Red hot Org

By: Eva Sawdey

For people who are uninterested in listening to someone they don’t know preach about a topic they may not care about, music can be an easy, passive way of educating oneself and evoking emotions they may have been aware of. The Red Hot Org is a nonprofit production company that aims to promote public and equal access to healthcare, concerning diverse groups. The organisation was founded in response to the AIDS epidemic in New York and donated the profit of its first album to AIDS charities. Since then, Red Hot has produced albums promoting safe relationships and safe sex, spreading awareness of COVID-19 and nuclear warfare, and now with their latest album TRANSA, spreading awareness of trans rights. 

TRANSA includes eight discs. Each disc begins with a soothing monologue, accompanied by a space-like instrumental that sets up the theme of that disc. The album consists of different genres of music: ambiance, rock, indie, disco, techno. Additionally, the album is a collection of many different artists, including Faye Webster, Julien Baker, Frankie Cosmos, Gia Margaret, Adrienne Lanker, and many others. 

The first disc explains a story about being strangers, getting to know each other, and then one of them leaves and the other tries to cope. The second track, ‘You Don’t Know Me’ by Devendra Banhart, Blake Mills, Beverly Glenn- Copeland, is a bit dark and mellow with the notes descending and the voices whispery and echoing, setting up a sense of unfamiliarity and on edge. These two people don’t know each other, and one is asking to learn more about the other. The third and fourth tracks are more relaxed and soft, with ‘How Sweet I Roamed', sounding hesitant as getting to know people can be vulnerable and scary. The last track on the disc, ‘Same Train’, is more fluid and somber as someone is hurt and coping with the betrayal of the other leaving them. 

‘Rumblin’ by Soft Rōnin and Frankie Cosmos, has a vengeful undertone in the second disc. The two voices alternate singing each line of the verses and alternating each word during the chorus. In doing this, the song feels like a love song where the two build off each other. However, the lyrics reveal that the singers may be projecting instead. The song talks about how as a society, people become less relevant if they are single or alone, with the first lyrics being, “Can you feel that rumbling in everyone’s tum? If it's not there then they’re no one.” Even though the tone is vindictive, the beat is playful, with their vastly different pitches in voices unexpectedly complementing each other.

The third disc is very elemental and starts with Hunter Schafer, most known for her role in Euphoria as Jules, speaking on the first track. Hunter Schafer has talked about her experience as a transgender person and the challenges that arise when being sexually active. TRANSA reached beyond the music industry, using others’ voices to spread awareness of trans rights. She recites a poem twice, discussing an alternate dimension where it was only her and the company of another. The instrumental sounds still and angelic, creating a vulnerable space. By repeating the poem, a sense of confidence gained. The first time, Hunter sounds emotional, becoming more decisive for the second rendition. 

The first track off the fourth disc, ‘Something Is Happening And I May Not Fully Understand But I’m Happy To Stand For The Understanding’ by André 3000 is a 26-minute song that could have been in the Blade Runner 2049 score. This song takes the listeners on a journey, beginning with some techno and luminescent beats. Some water acoustics are echoed, transporting the listeners to what feels like a sewer. Jungle noises then replace the water sounds, with the constant techno beats holding steady throughout. The songs turn into a mix of anthropogenic and natural sounds with a heavy emphasis on wind instruments. A robotic voice is introduced towards the end, making the song come to its destination of a new world, getting to the core theme of the album: transitions.

In the fifth disc, the song ‘In Another Life’ by Lomelda and More Eaze resembles a hopeful wish that the singer could end up with the person they love. “There are endless chances between you and me,” is repeated in the song, emphasising their willingness to keep their relationship intact. The song is a mix between indie and electronic, juggling the idea of wishful thinking and unrealistic delusions. The singer is consumed by the idea that in another life, the two could have been together, yet they are stuck in this life. The beautiful harmonies distract the listeners, encouraging them to see the song as full of innocent yearning, when it’s really about loss and being unable to get someone back. 

‘Mourning Dove’ by Gia Margaret is an instrumental lullaby with the piano as the central focus. Birds sounds play in the background. Depending on how ‘Mourning Dove’ is listened to, the song could be interpreted differently. If someone were to hear about the song, it could be interpreted as a morning dove. In this view, the song paints a picture of a sunrise in a field of tall grass. ‘Mourning Dove’ introduces a sense of sadness or loss. The duality of this song adds to its charm, and how something can be serene while it still feels like something is missing. 

The last two discs more directly focus on trans rights and the freedom of accepting who you are. ‘Aaron’ by Cassandra Jenkins, Bloomsday, and Babehoven is sung from the perspective of someone supporting ‘Aaron’ who has transitioned or is going through the process. The singer acknowledges the adversities transgender people face during this time, and shows them compassion, with the lyrics “And if closing my eyes will help you turn around, Aaron, I will.” The album ends with ‘Ever New’ by Sam Smith and Beverly Glenn-Copeland which highlights how most things in life are constantly changing in beautiful ways. These changes should be welcomed in all forms because it’s natural and human.