Red Hot's Latest Compilation Album Celebrates Queer and Trans People

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – Red Hot's Latest Compilation Album Celebrates Queer and Trans People

Episode Information:

• Title: Red Hot's Latest Compilation Album Celebrates Queer and Trans People
• Podcast: All Of It
• Host: Alison Stewart, WNYC
• Release Date: November 25, 2024

---

Introduction

In this poignant episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart delves into the creation and significance of Transa Selects, a new compilation album by the Red Hot Organization. The album serves as a vibrant celebration of queer and trans communities, featuring over 100 artists who contribute to its diverse and eclectic soundscape.

---

Red Hot Organization and the Genesis of Transa Selects

[02:09] Alison Stewart introduces the album, highlighting its 46 tracks spanning three and a half hours. She emphasizes the album's dedication to trans art and its roots in Red Hot's longstanding mission of using music to combat HIV and AIDS.

Elia Einhorn, one of the album’s producers, reflects on the personal significance of the project:

“I did come out as transgender many years ago, and I think that the recorded testament of all the people who came before me who proved that you could actually do it, Red Hot, was one of those.” [03:32]

Agnes Walsh, from the Red Hot Organization, provides background on how the album concept evolved:

“Massima Bell, who's a trans woman from Iowa now living out in LA, and Dust Reed, the producer behind the Arthur Russell tribute, came up with the idea. It started with one track and has grown into this expansive project.” [04:25]

---

Collaborative Efforts and Artist Contributions

Terrence Thomas, another producer, shares his journey into the project:

“I'm black and queer. I work with a lot of black, queer, and trans artists, and when Dustin John introduced me to the project, it was a no-brainer to come on board.” [05:28]

The album, originally titled Transa, underwent a stylistic change to make it more searchable, albeit with some technical challenges:

“We had to change it because we weren't coming up in the search queries. It's a stylistic S, but it's really hard to find the backwards S button on your keyboard.” [06:27]

---

Exploring the Album's Structure and Themes

The album is thoughtfully divided into eight chapters, each representing a stage in the trans experience:

1. Womb of the Soul
2. Trauma, Self, and Survival Mode
3. Dark Night of the Soul and Self-Reflection
4. Spiritual Awakening
5. Grief
6. Self-Actualization, Acceptance, and Self-Awareness
7. Gender Liberation
8. Reinvention

“Transa organized in these chapters is... the closest a work of art has ever really gotten to vocalizing what it feels like to be on that rollercoaster.” [12:29]

---

Musical Diversity and Genre Fluidity

The producers highlight the album's genre-spanning nature:

“We live in a time where genre is becoming porous. It's about capturing a particular kind of feeling in a moment and paying tribute in that moment.” [14:29]

This approach allows for a rich tapestry of sounds, from house and techno to spoken word and R&B, ensuring inclusivity and broad representation.

---

Featured Tracks and Artistic Highlights

1. "Make Em Laugh" – Performed by Benet and Faye Webster

   “Did you know I was perfect? Yeah, modeled right after you... Maybe you will sometimes, no one does.” [01:29]

   This track sets the tone for the album, blending resilience with vulnerability.

2. "You Don't Know Me" – Featuring Devendra Banhart, Blake Mills, and Beverly Glenn Copeland Agnes Walsh explains the significance of the collaboration:

   “We have two languages singing in English and Spanish, three different generations represented... It just feels so beautiful to have that inclusivity.” [08:06]

3. "Make Me Feel Mighty Real" – Cover by Moses Sumney and Sam Smith

   “They are really an activist himself... Everything they do is incredible.” [17:49]

   This cover honors Sylvester's original while infusing it with contemporary emotion and activism.

4. "Young Lion" – Performed by Sade

   “...seeing Isaac, who was assigned female gender at birth, come up as this little child and his journey... it's incredibly powerful.” [22:19]

   Sade’s heartfelt rendition is a centerpiece of the album, encapsulating themes of acceptance and personal growth.

---

Artists as Catalysts for Social Change

The conversation emphasizes the pivotal role artists play in advocating for and facilitating social change. Agnes Walsh shares a touching personal story related to Sade’s participation:

“Sade stepped all the way up because there's a way of phoning in, helping out... She has gone above and beyond those responsibilities. She is just a goddess who can speak to everybody.” [23:52]

---

Production Challenges and Triumphs

Managing contributions from over 100 artists posed significant logistical challenges. Agnes Walsh elaborates on the emotional and managerial aspects:

“The responses from everyone were incredibly genuine and moving... It’s about managing how many people were really interested and invested in contributing to a really special project.” [19:21]

---

Personal Impact and Community Support

Elia Einhorn shares a personal anecdote illustrating the album's impact:

“My friend Devin... Her mother sent her this song 'Young Lion'... It's so nice that I get to see you now as my daughter... That's the significant point about why we do the music.” [21:08]

This story underscores the album's role in fostering understanding and acceptance within families and communities.

---

Conclusion

Transa Selects emerges as a monumental project that not only celebrates trans and queer artists but also serves as a sonic journey through their experiences. By blending diverse genres and featuring a multitude of voices, the album fosters empathy, visibility, and solidarity. Through heartfelt collaborations and powerful storytelling, Transa Selects stands as a testament to the resilience and creativity of the trans community.

Notable Quotes:

• Elia Einhorn [03:32]: "I think the recorded testament of all the people who came before me who proved that you could actually do it, Red Hot, was one of those."
• Agnes Walsh [08:06]: "It represents... three different generations... the inclusivity... how can you really see the beauty and complexity of someone with that wall of bigotry between you?"
• Agnes Walsh [23:52]: "She has gone above and beyond those responsibilities. She is just a goddess who can speak to everybody."
• Elia Einhorn [21:08]: "That's the significant point about why we do the music."

Transa Selects is now available for listeners to explore, inviting everyone to engage with and support the vibrant trans and queer communities it represents.

Transcript

[Lulu]

Hey, Lulu here.

[Alison Stewart]

Whether we are romping through science, music, politics, technology or feelings, we seek to leave you seeing the world anew. Radiolab Adventures Right on the edge of what we think we know. Wherever you get Podcasts.

[Agnes Walsh]

Listener supported WNYC.

[Lulu]

Studios.

[Alison Stewart]

This is this is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Coming up on the show this week, we'll send you into the Thanksgiving holiday prepared for almost any situation. Tomorrow, we'll talk about how to preserve your favorite family recipes and also what podcast you might want to binge on your travel to your gathering. And on Wednesday, we'll talk about how to navigate difficult family dynamics that is in the future. Let's get this hour started with the new album Transa. In a bold effort to bring awareness to trans art, a new album features trans binary and allies. More than 80 to participate in an album titled Transa Selects. Transelects emerged from a collaborative project with Red Hot, an organization that began using music as a tool to fight HIV and AIDS more than 30 years ago. Here's a sample. Let's listen to trans musician Benet and singer Faye Webster singing Make Em Laugh.

[Benet]

Did you know I was perfect? Yeah, Modeled right after you. I feel you everywhere. Without even trying to. Sorry, I got a little angry. You know, it's not hard to do. Hopefully you'll forgive me like I've done and continue to. Or maybe you will sometimes no one does. Not even if I make them laugh.

[Alison Stewart]

The album features 46 tracks. That's three and a half hours of songs, covers and new music, including a battle from Sade, her first song in six years, which is dedicated to her trans son. The album blends electric, eclectic genres from house, techno, spoken word and R and B to create a soundtrack that speaks to resilience and self discovery. Transit Selects is out now. Joining me to discuss the genesis, the music and the movement it represents are the producers of the album, Ileya Einhorn and Terrence Thomas.

[Agnes Walsh]

Hey, hey, hey, Allison.

[Alison Stewart]

And also joining us is Agnes Walsh from the Red Hot Organization. Nice to meet you.

[Elia Einhorn]

Nice to meet you as well.

[Alison Stewart]

So, Agnes, I want to get a little background on the Red Hot Organization. Those of us from the 90s remember when it first came out with George Michael and Madonna to help produce a wide range of albums to bring awareness about HIV and aids. When you think about what roles those records play, what did they play in the fight?

[Elia Einhorn]

I actually wasn't alive during most of that. I'm a very recent addition. Yeah, I'm a very recent addition to the Red Hot team. I may have been either unborn or a very young baby at the time, but I think its legacy does impact my life. I did come out as transgender many years ago, and I think that the recorded testament of all the people who came before me who proved that you could actually do it, Red Hot, was one of those.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, tell us about the catalyst for the new album.

[Elia Einhorn]

Well, I guess the joy of being transgender, at least prior to the political moment of today, but even still, even more so still that I think when you listen to Red Hot, and at least when I listen to Red Hot's Tranza, and I recognize a lot of these names since before the project was even conceived as an idea. And like Time Warp, for example, she's one of the artists on the album that I've been working in comedy with for years prior to this project. It's a testament to the friendship of what it takes to make something together as transgender people, what we do to survive and what you can make out of it, hardship or not.

[Alison Stewart]

Elijah Terrance, let's bring you into the conversation. The new album features folks like Andre 3000, Sam Smith, Allison Russell, Fleet Foxes. Yes, yes, yes. Well, how did you first hear about Trans?

[Agnes Walsh]

So this is Elia speaking. I was producing another series for Red Hot, the Red Hot and Ra series, which is tied to Climate justice, as all their records are tied to a different cause. And this was a celebration of Sun Ra. And the two people that concepted this album were Massima Bell, who's a trans woman from Iowa now living out in la, and Dust Reed, who lives in New York and was the producer behind the wonderful Arthur Russell tribute record that Red Hot did about a decade ago. So I was working on the Sun Ra record, and the two of them had just come up with the idea and had one track, I think, recorded out of 46. I think the first one was Jeff Tweedy from Wilco with Claire Rousey, the incredible trans musician and sort of orchestrator. I mean, she's incredible. And they said, elliot, would you come on and help us bring some artists on? And I said, of course, of course. And two and a half years later, here we are, and. And the record's finally out.

[Alison Stewart]

And how did you get involved?

[Lulu]

Actually, this is Terrence speaking, by the way. I came to Red Hot's founder with one of my business partners to talk about a completely different tribute album. I won't say the name because I'm still hoping that happens. And in sort of us sort of like generating some ideas back and forth about how it might Work. I think Dustin John kind of took note of my passions for the community. I'm black and queer. I work with a lot of black, queer and trans artists and have for many, many years. And it became an opportunity for us to sort of collaborate. They introduced me to Toronto, asked me to come on board as a producer. It was a little bit of a no brainer. There were a couple of years into the project already, so I could sort of see what they were shaping and think very, very deeply about how I might be able to contribute to it. So.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, who wants to explain how the S in Transa is backwards? You take that, Agnes.

[Elia Einhorn]

We had to change it. We had to change it because we weren't coming up in the search queries. It's a stylistic S. We just thought it would look cool. But it's really hard to find the backwards S button on your keyboard. So for most intents and purposes it's just a regular S. There you go.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen to another track from Taranza. This is yous Don't Know Me from Devandra Banhart, Blake Mills and Beverly Glenn Copeland. Let's listen and we can talk about on the other side.

[Benet]

You don't know me. Bet you'll never get to know me. You don't know me at all. Feel so lonely. The world is spinning round Slowly there's nothing you can show me from behind the wall. Show me from behind the wall. Show me from behind the wall. Show me from behind the wall. You don't know me but you'll never get. You don't know me at all. You're so lonely. The world is shining around Slowly there's nothing you can show.

[Alison Stewart]

So Ella, tell me about these. Elliot. Excuse me. Tell me about these three artists. Devondra Ben Hart, Blake Mills and Beverly Glen Copeland.

[Lulu]

Sure.

[Agnes Walsh]

And you know, this is the first sort of song on the record. We have an introduction which is piece of music and poetry, but this is the first song. And Deventra Bernhardt was, I think, one of the first people to sign on to the album. He was so passionate about it. And one thing I love about this track. Oh, well, let me tell you about the other two first, I suppose. Beverly, Glenn Copeland is a man who is only a trans man, who's only really gotten the love he deserves in the last five, seven years, ten years at most. He spent most of his life putting out gorgeous records in obscurity. And Blake Mills is one of the great producers of our time now working out of studios in Hollywood. Now one thing I love about this track is that it represents right out of the gate, we've got two languages singing in English and Spanish. We've got three different generations represented. We've got, you know, Blake, who is a millennial, We've got Devendra, and then we've got an octogenarian on the track. And it just feels so beautiful to have that inclusivity and to introduce Tranza in that way. The other thing I'd say about this is that lyric that I believe was in the clip you just played. Alison, you know, show me from behind the wall. It's very powerful and evocative. I mean, how can you. How can you really see the beauty and complexity of someone with that wall of bigotry between you? Now, if you're able to lift that, if you're able to just peek around or over that momentarily, you can see the totality of other people and the beauty that there is not something that's happening much in the climate here in America right now.

[Alison Stewart]

Terrence, I'm going to ask you just to speak to the musicality of the performance. How do those vocal styles complement each other?

[Lulu]

I mean, to be perfectly honest, I think when you have an intention that's aligned, you oftentimes will have people find this really beautiful symbiosis in recording. And that's what happened. And obviously, Blake is an incredible, incredible producer and musician in general, and being able to have him sort of help bring that glue all together is really, really remarkable. But I think oftentimes anyone can make music together so long as their intentions are aligned and so long as they are coming from a place of really genuine, meaningful collaboration. And I think that's what the song speaks to really, really beautifully.

[Alison Stewart]

Eli, when you think about Beverly Glen Copeland, what legacy has he created? Because it's. I mean, he's going. He's announced that he has developed dementia.

[Agnes Walsh]

Yes, yes. Glenn is a very rare gem, both as an individual and as a trans elder. We don't have that many trans elders because of the way that the world treats the trans community and all of the obstacles. And as we were putting this record together, Glenn, as the representative of someone who will fight for beauty, even under the radar for decades, was so powerful for us. And I think the other touch point was really the artist Ononi, who many of your listeners may be aware of through her own work and her work with Lou Reed and Lori Anderson, but two trans pioneers who are of different generations, but are leaving legacies of love and the invitation to acceptance, not just of trans people, but across the board.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm saying I'm going to ask you to pronounce your name because I've pronounced it like 15 different ways.

[Agnes Walsh]

This is what happens when you invite someone on who's got a Welsh Jewish name.

[Alison Stewart]

It's tough.

[Agnes Walsh]

It's Elia Einhorn.

[Alison Stewart]

Elia Einhorn.

[Agnes Walsh]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm speaking with Ellia Einhorn, Elise and.

[Agnes Walsh]

Don't Worry at all.

[Alison Stewart]

And Terrence Thomas and Red Hot Crew maker Agnes Walls with a new compilation called Transa that celebrates transgender communities. It is out now. So, Agnes, the album is billed as a, quote, spiritual journey celebrating trans people. It's split into eight different chapters. Do we know what the eight signified was?

[Agnes Walsh]

Eight.

[Benet]

Good.

[Alison Stewart]

Was there a lot of people behind eight?

[Elia Einhorn]

Yes, actually, we have very specific nomenclature attributed to each of the eight in order. The first one is Womb of the Soul. The second, Trauma, Self and survival mode. Third, dark night of the soul and self reflection. 4. Spiritual awakening. 5. Grief. 6. Self actualization, acceptance and Self Awareness or the Transformation. Chapter seven, Gender Liberation and eight, Reinvention. I really do appreciate the work that Dust and Masi have both done. Not only just like intuiting what it's like to be trans, because we all, like, either are trans or on some sort of gender liberation spectrum that we view ourselves, but this is what it feels like. It feels. It's the greatest joy and the greatest hardship, heartbreaking thing of my life to be trans. Tranza is maybe the closest a work of art has ever really gotten to at least vocalizing what it feels like to be on that rollercoaster. All the beautiful aspects of it, all the loss. I mean, when you're trans, you definitely will live to see someone, you know, pass away. And that's just the reality of being trans. But there's so much, much to look forward to that there was no other way I could have lived the rest of my life. So with Tranza being organized this way, we hope that not necessarily to have someone realize that they're trans just by listening to it. Many non trans people can and should listen to it. But if there's a way to at least dip your feet into this experience, I think Transa organized in these chapters is. It has my stamp of approval.

[Alison Stewart]

How did you decide on. There are so many different kind of genres on this album? 1. What does it say that there are many genres? And how do you sort of manipulate that many genres?

[Lulu]

I think we live in a time where genre is becoming. I won't say irrelevant, but porous kind of. Yeah, exactly. Porous is A good word. And so in many ways, I don't think very much about genre per se. We always want to try to have certain things represented. What was really, really interesting about, for instance, having Alison Russell and Aya Simone was the sort of like, Black Diaspora strings moment with harp and banjo, which I think there was, like, one song that I could reference where I'd heard a harp and a banjo together, and that was it. And that was a really beautiful moment, but I didn't really care whether it came out sounding like a folk song or sounding like an R and B record or whatever. It was really about sort of capturing a particular kind of feeling in a moment and tributing in that moment. Jackie Shane, with any other way. So in thinking about genre, oftentimes it's just not something that I think too deeply about. It's something that you can look back on and reflect and say, hey, like, this is what this feels like. Or this is where this space is sort of leading us. But in the making, in the moment, who cares?

[Alison Stewart]

All right, let's listen to a track from the album. This is a cover of Make Me Feel Mighty Real from Moses Sumney, Lyra Pramuk. Did I get that correct? And Sam Smith. Let's take a listen.

[Benet]

When I'm out there dancing on the floor darling and I feel like I need some more, darling and I feel your body close to mine and I know, my love, it's about that time make me feel mighty real make me feel mighty real youl make me feel mighty real youl make me feel mighty real when we get home, darling minutes Listen. Dark music's in me and I'm still real hot and you know you love me like you should.

[Alison Stewart]

That'S a really good cover.

[Agnes Walsh]

Oh, my God. I mean, just hearing that again, we're all vibing here in the studio. There's. There's a little bit of booty shaking going on and some feels, too.

[Lulu]

Yeah, they sound so fantastic together.

[Alison Stewart]

It does. You know, I'm wondering, like, how did you make the decisions between original composition and covers?

[Agnes Walsh]

We left a lot of that up to the artists, and a lot of it was we trusted the artists. You know, I had. My work, aside from producing records, is I host music radio and podcasts and tv. So I think the ones I'm most associated with probably are like, Pitchfork, Sonos Radio and Talkhouse. And that work brings me out to the Grammys pretty regularly. So I was there last year when Sam Smith and Kim Petrus won. And, you know, Sam is non binary. Kim is the first trans woman to win a Grammy. And I was there with tears in my eyes as Sam stepped back and gave Kim the whole speech. I saw that moment, and we were like, we've got to get Sam on the record. We've got to get Sam. Their voice is just incredible. Everything they do. They're really an activist himself. I don't know if your listeners might be aware of their podcast, the Pink House, where they talk about gender and identity and inclusion. And, you know, when we went to Moses, at first, we came with the idea of Is It Cold in the Water? Which was a tribute to Sophie, the trans musician, who was another touchstone of this record and whose estate were on board for it. And Moses said, I've got another idea, too. And so Moses is on twice. But that's how this song came together. And. And what a change to Sylvester's original while also honoring it. Right.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm wondering about 80 artists, though, just hearing you talk about, like, you had this moment at the Grammys, like, we have to get that person on the record. We have to get that person on the record. We have to get that. How do you get 80 artists on the record?

[Lulu]

Well, I think the final count was around, like, 104.

[Agnes Walsh]

104, I think, even since we told you.

[Lulu]

Yeah, yeah. So I think the final count was somewhere around there. But everyone was just sort of incredibly, incredibly ambitious, I think. And when it came to sort of presenting this project to people, I think the response is just in terms of presenting it and being like, hey, this is what we're working on. This is what we'd like you to be a part of. The responses from everyone, all the artists, their teams were so incredibly, incredibly genuine and moving. Like, there was crying and presentations and things like that from record executives who are not people who typically are crying in presentations about, you know, about coming on song. So when you have those sorts of moments, what actually ends up being the challenge is not the number of people coming in, but how you manage that. Because there's only so many of us. There are only so many producers that are able to help get things across the line. So it's actually the resources to help. If this album could have been 200 artists, if there were enough of us to make that happen, that would have been the case. It's really about being able to manage how many people were really, really interested, invested in contributing to a really, really special project in a meaningful way.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm speaking with Ellia Einhorn, Terrence Thomas, and Red Hot crew member Agnes Walsh. About the new compilation. It's called Transa. It celebrates transgender communities. It is out right now. Some of the artists have connections to the album. Sade dedicated Young lion to her song Agnes. Why is it important for people to publicly show their support for trans people in their lives?

[Elia Einhorn]

This actually happened yesterday. My friend Devin, she runs its transgender recreational basketball league in Brooklyn called Basket Dolls, and her mother has been diagnosed with illness, basically, and without me telling Devyn about the album. Devin herself is transgender. Her mother sent her this song Young Lion. Being like this reminded me of you. It's so nice that I get to see you now as my daughter and get to a point where I have now basically taken a parallel journey to what the song Young Line talks about as Sade re accepts her son as her son. That's the significant point about why we do the music. I think when you can find a reason why this song or any of the individual songs on Tranza fits into your life, that's the. That is why we do it. And yeah, it was just yesterday. This was told to me.

[Alison Stewart]

Very beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. Let's take a listen. This is Sade with the song Young lion from the album Transla.

[Benet]

Young man, he's been so heavy for you you must have felt so alone the anguish and pain I should have known with such a heavy burden.

[Agnes Walsh]

You.

[Benet]

Had to carry all your Forgive me, son I should have known so close your eyes oh, no and feel the light oh, no, you shine like a sun Shine like a sun Younger See how far you've come.

[Alison Stewart]

Also watch the video. You haven't had a chance to see the video for that.

[Agnes Walsh]

But also have tissues on hand.

[Alison Stewart]

Have tissues on hand when you watch that video. For real? Yes. Ellie, what do you think are artists responsibilities for helping facilitate social change?

[Agnes Walsh]

I'm always a little bit reticent to sort of ascribe responsibilities, but I will say, in curating Tranza, we hoped to include trans artists who were overlooked, but also allies who could help get the message across echo chambers and across political lines and across social lines. And Sade is one of those artists. Now, Sade had worked with red hot maybe 22 or so years ago, and the founder of Red Hot, John Carlin, knew that Sade, her son Isaac, was trans and that she was very supportive of him and said, why don't we. Why don't we reach out? And our producer Massima sent a letter to Sade through her band. And I will say Sade stepped all the way up because there's a way of Sort of phoning in, helping out. And then there's what Sade did, which is writing a whole song for her son, really apologizing for not being there for him during the most difficult times of his life. Wife as he transitioned. And, Allison, you mentioned this video. I got it on our text chain, our transit text chain. My wife and I were in bed. It was about midnight a couple nights ago. It came through. I cried watching it. We've never seen Sade open her private life so much. She's a very private person. And to see Isaac, who was assigned female gender at birth, come up as this little child and his journey, and then at the end, you see him now as a man, it's incredibly powerful. So Sade has really, whatever those responsibilities may be for artists, she has gone above and beyond those responsibilities. She is just a goddess who can speak to everybody.

[Alison Stewart]

The name of the album is called Tranza. I've been speaking with Elia Einhorn, Terrence Thomas, and Agnes Walsh. Thank you so much for bringing this to us.

[Agnes Walsh]

Thank you so much for platforming our record. It really means a lot to us, and we hope that people share this out into the world.

[Alison Stewart]

We'll go out on Adrienne Linker's Feel Better.

[Benet]

Did you like when I count off? Yeah. 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4. Holding onto an idea Being right here it's just an idea we can let it disappear Search into the night for someone so dear doesn't it feel better when.

[Agnes Walsh]

If you know your party's extension, press or say 1. To leave a message in our company mailbox, press or say 2. Spoiler alert.

[Elia Einhorn]

It will be full representative.

[Agnes Walsh]

Would you speak to your mother in that tone?

[Alison Stewart]

Speak to a real human being.

[Agnes Walsh]

You shouldn't need to shout into the void to get your health insurance questions answered.

[Alison Stewart]

Pacific Source Health Plans. This is a real person. How can I help you?

[Agnes Walsh]

Human service, not automated phone trees.

[Alison Stewart]

Pacific Source Health Plans.