This being World AIDS Day, 4AD has appropriately chosen today to announce the release of a forthcoming compilation, produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National and aimed at raising awareness and support for the HIV/AIDS cause.

With the help of international charity Red Hot Organization founder John Carlin, who played the role of executive producer on the release, the Dessners enlisted 32 different artists to record material specifically for this project, then dubbed the compilation Dark Was the Night.

The sampler will be available on February 17, 2009 as a double-CD, triple-vinyl pack, or digital download. Proceeds from sales go towards Red Hot.

Here are the artists, listed alphabetically:

Andrew Bird
Antony and Bryce Dessner
Arcade Fire
Beach House
Beirut
Blonde Redhead and Devastations
Bon Iver
Bon Iver & Aaron Dessner
The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
The Decemberists
Dirty Projectors and David Byrne
Kevin Drew
Feist and Ben Gibbard
Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear and Feist
Iron & Wine
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Kronos Quartet
Stuart Murdoch
My Brightest Diamond
My Morning Jacket
The National
The New Pornographers
Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch
Riceboy Sleeps
TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek
Spoon
Sufjan Stevens
Yeasayer
Yo La Tengo