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Music

Makeda’s “Not Voting For This” is an 18-minute Mix Against Mandatory Detention

Ahead of this weekend's federal election, the Brisbane musician implores listeners to vote carefully and compassionately.

The Australian election just a little over a day away, and it's make or break time for the big ticket policies and the pollies behind them–and one of the biggest for many is Australia's disturbing treatment of refugees.

Activists, artists, and regular people of all kinds have spoken out against the injustices and lent their voice to the so-called "debate". One such artist is Makeda of All Day Breakfast, who tends to be prolific and political in much of her work. Whether it's fashion, radio shows, blogging or making music or touring, everything she creates is infused with a political message promoting, as she calls it, "health and stability."

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Set off by the mess that was Brexit, Makeda wanted point out the power of privilege voting as an Australian citizen can hold—and how dangerous a lack of engagement can be.

Her meditation comes in the form of a composition called "Not Voting For This", an 18-minute-long meditation on the clusterfuck that is Australia's asylum seeker policy. The track features a warped recording of Behrouz Boochani–an Iranian Kurdish journalist who's being held indefinitely on Manus Island–'s writings for the Saturday Paper.

And to splice up the political message, the mix around Boochani's words features artists Felicita and Elysia Crampton which Mekeda uses like a 'Trojan horse messages', to engage people who might not normally be interested in politics.

Come July 2nd, "Not Voting For This" is a reminder that as a country we have a huge decision to make. Because, like Boochani, being unaware can easily "allow unethical decisions through the back door."

At the end of it all Makeda wants everyone, yes all of you, to "cross check" who you're voting for and to make sure you're "happy for those parties/politicians to represent their views."

It can't get as bad as Brexit, right? Right?

Follow Makeda/All Day Breakfast on Soundcloud.