A Note From J.R. Gilmore: Adieu Santa Rosa Records

For nearly seven years I’ve poured my heart into Santa Rosa Records.

She rose from a puddle of blood, sweat, and tears in the streets of San Marcos, Texas.

And in that time she’s grown from a mere fever dream I had in the heart of South America, into an admirable boutique record label, and independent curator of underground music from around the world and across all genres.

But like all good things, the end, or death, is inevitable.

All good things must eventually come to an end my friend. This is the cyclical nature of life. Our collective fate as a living and breathing organism walking upon planet earth.

However, Santa Rosa Records will not die, she’ll merely shed her skin and evolve into a living thing of greater beauty.

Like Jesus Christ of Bethlehem, she’ll descend into hell, and then spread her wings and ascend to the heavens – born anew, like the rising Phoenix.

In plain earthling speak, in the coming weeks, Santa Rosa Records will be transitioning into a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization, and will be reimagined as Blackwater Collective.

In essence, Blackwater Collective will be a self-sustaining nonprofit record label, book publisher, and charitable creative collective dedicated to empowering the less fortunate.

Everything (label-wise) will essentially be staying the same, but we’ll be expanding the scope of the organization in order to manifest a more physical, and charitable presence in the world.

We’ll do this by adopting New Mexico highways, offering employment, training, and education in horticulture and the arts, and developing distressed areas throughout New Mexico.

And in an effort to support environmental conservation, we’ve chosen to donate to The National Audubon Society — an organization who’s in alignment with our own values in preserving natural habitats for wildlife.

Unfortunately, in order to accomplish all of this, we’ll have to mitigate the music blog facet of our organization, in order to stay focused on the bigger picture.

We’ll still post up underground artists we stumble upon, but this function will no longer be the focus of our scope.

We must adapt to the ever evolving landscape if we’re to survive.

This is merely the beginning my friend. Unfortunately, the end will have to wait for now.

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And to conclude this chapter, here are some cryptic words of wisdom from the now deceased Daniel Johnston: “Ain’t no woman gonna make a George Jones out of me.”

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J.R. Gilmore

J.R. Gilmore was born in the woodlands, on planet earth, 4.5 billion years after the planet was formed out of a mixture of dust and gas. And at least 3.5 million years after hominids stopped swinging in trees and began walking upright.