11/06/2019
Hi everyone,
I have some difficult news that I've been needing to share.
Understall has been a project of myself, TJ Richards, and Todd Grau aka Bira Gate. Tragically, Todd passed away in mid september in a fatal auto collision. He was a beautiful, passionate man with a unique understanding of the vaporwave scenius and a devotion to creating space in the community for LGBT+ artists. He was also a husband and adoptive father/uncle, as well as a lifelong skateboarder with strong ties in that world. He is deeply and sorely missed.
After being informed of his passing, I first thought that would be the end of Understall. Since he ran the paypal and bandcamp I've been effectively cut off from those parts of the label. However, I realized that giving up would be doing him a disservice. So I've decided to keep things going in whatever capacity I can manage, while expanding our genre reach outside of just vapor/vapor adjacent territories - something we had discussed prior to his passing.
The 3rd wave of HFM cassettes is on hold pending my ability to get the tapes. It may end up being canceled, although I am hoping not. I appreciate everyone's patience and understanding in regards to this.
My only immediate plan is to begin putting together a memorial compilation for Todd. This will be curated by the community - all original tracks submitted will be featured. I encourage those who knew him to create a thoughtful piece in his memory and submit it via this page. If a cassette run is created, all proceeds will go to one of Todds favorite youth skateboarding organizations, the specifics of which will be worked out with his family. Feel free to also submit memories or reflections to be shared on the release page, and possibly on physical materials.
Thank you everyone for your continued support. Hold your loved ones close and don't take your friends for granted.
-TJ
