Georgian techno artists Irakli and Michailo have produced an EP made partly in a Tbilisi prison.
Story behind the release is that two producers intend the Release EP to serve as an open letter to the Georgian government about its strict drug laws, which punish users with long jail sentences for relatively small amounts. Irakli visited Michailo, who’s currently serving a nine-year sentence for drug possession, in prison before a gig at Bassiani. This was documented by Electronic Beats.
Irakli was sending files to Michailo’s wife, who would then bring them to the prison, which is interesting enough.
Here’s what Michailo shared:
My name is Michail Todua. I am turning thirty-four this year and I was raised in Tbilisi. Music was always my passion since childhood, which is why I decided to work in this industry. Thirteen years ago I met a girl named Salome in a club, we fell in love and I married her before she gave birth to our daughter who is now nine years old.
Sadly for the past six years, I have only talked to my little girl on the phone. She thinks I live very far away in the USA because we did not want to hurt her at such a young age with the truth.
On September 12, 2013, while I was driving back to Tbilisi from holiday, I was randomly stopped and taken into the local police station. After which I was sentenced to nine years for possession of the drug MDMA (for personal use). After two years in jail, I was granted the right to work on music.
Release is coming on June 15th, 2019.
Via: RA