FREAKENSTEIN x RADIOACTIVE MAN
Green Point, NYC. JAN 2024.
Interview by Tristan da Cunha, Dec 2024
Let’s kick things off with the origin story. It might be a question you’ve been asked before, but I’m genuinely curious—and I know a lot of newer fans would love to hear it too—how did the name Radioactive Man come about? What was the spark behind the concept and the project?
So the name came from a certain yellow faced animation series. I thought the name really suited the music and names and titles are always hard to find something you want to stick with. At the time around 98-99 I was working heavily on the Two Lone Swordsmen music with Andrew, and at the weekends he was off playing gigs. I was in the studio on those weekends working on some jams and ideas for what would become the Radioactive Man project. Initially the 1st releases came out on a label called Fuel records, which was Dave Tipper's label and he was in the same basement studio as us.
Every artist has that defining moment or influence. What were the main experiences or sounds that shaped your musical identity and inspired the Radioactive Man vibe? Were there any specific artists, places, or moments that lit the fuse?
I was well into Jungle and DnB throughout the 90's - I definitely got inspiration from a lot of that music, for example on the track Uranium I was listening to tracks like Ed Rush, Optical & Fierce - Cutslo (Lokuste Mix), and I wanted to use those kind of distorted bass lines and fuse it into the electro sound i was working on which was around 125bpm. It was a mad time in the early/mid 90's watching and hearing that sound develop from Hardcore into Jungle.
When we last crossed paths in New York, we had a deep chat about “the funk.” You mentioned how vital it is to keep that energy front and center in your music. It’s definitely evident in the grooves on the new LP! Can you dive into your relationship with “the funk”? Why is it so crucial to you, and how does it shape your creative process?
Well, IMO the funk is integral to a 'Dance' record. To me, that's what makes people dance. Going back to 60's and 70's funk, where it originated - when you hear that music , you literally can't help but start moving, or it having this effect on you. So when the early 80's style happened , things like Afrika Bambaata and the Soulsonic Force 'Planet Rock' or Hashim 'Al Naayfish (The Soul)' were coming out, it still had the funk. In fact to me it was an extension of funk from the 70's but with drum machines and synths, hence the term 'Electro Funk' All about the 'one' in terms of musical bars. Prince was a serious purveyor of the funk too... Then fast forward to the early 90's and it was people like Underground Resistance who were using this kind of funky vibe . Still to this day I think, in terms of electronic music, UR are the Dons. When u hear some of it and its quite minimal , but its funky as fuck. This to me is the key, you don't need loads going on to make it funky. And if you can make a groove like this, then you're winning. Check back to bands like The Meters to validate this.
Your new album, Jam Out The Kicks has just dropped. Was there a particular mood, aesthetic, or theme you were aiming to caputure with this new release? Whats the vibe you want people to feel when they press play?
For it to have the funk was important..! I defo wanted it to reflect what I was playing in a live set too. The album was made in reverse in a way - I would make all these jams and unfinished tracks to play, and the beauty of that is that they can be just that, jams in a live set. And you can manipulate and twist them and mix them into the next jam to make up something unknown. Sometimes as a producer, you put yourself under too much pressure to finish tracks, whereas the joy for me lies in creating those jams and moving on to do more. Not to get bogged down in having to try and finish tracks. That comes with time. I wanted this album to be a dancefloor album really, or what I would consider dancefloor. As a Dj or a performer in a club situation, you are getting paid to make people dance. and they're paying to want to do just that.. so you'd better have some funk, otherwise you're fucked.
Every album is a journey. Was there anything different about your approach to making Jam Out The Kicks compared to your previous projects? Did any surprises or challenges emerge during its creation?
Just sometimes realising that it's not gonna make itself. you have to put the work in. The hours and hours of making something that makes you feel something! Like it's that moment when a track will click. Something will present itself and you go "ahh now we got something". Making music is like fishing. Sometimes you catch fuck all, but sometimes you hook these monsters..
Your live sets are the stuff of legend. You’ve been raising roofs worldwide with that killer analogue setup. What have been some of the standout moments or gigs recently? Any wild stories from the road?
Having just played at Fold in London for my good friends at Cartulis, it was their 15th anniversary night too - that really was a roof raising gig. The club has a no photo policy so it seemed that every single person in the club was there because they wanted to get down. Man, it was a seriously amazing vibe in there. The sound was next level, I did my A/V show with a big LED screen, it was magick. :)
Speaking of live shows, your setup is famously analogue. How does the gear you’re using today compare to what you started with? Has your approach evolved over the years, or is it about staying true to that raw, hands-on vibe?
Well its a mixture of digital and analogue tbh.. I use 2x MPC 1000's which are digital sampler /sequencers and I use them like turntables in a way. It's still the same kind of set up tbh. No computer, just boxes and each one has a particular job or sound. It's nice to have something to hit physically. :)
We’ve got to talk about road-testing music. I heard some of the tracks from the new LP for the first time at Dimensions ’24, and they absolutely blew my mind. How much of your live set material makes it onto official releases? Do you gauge crowd reactions before deciding what’s release-worthy?
I'd say 90% of it makes it into a proper track. I like the idea of jams staying like that for live purposes. I like the vibe of hearing a version in the live scenario. A lot of the time I know they've got to be taken further , but in the heat of the moment on a big sound system, these loops and sequences can work really well.. Yep for sure I do notice when certain tracks are getting a bigger reaction to others...
For the production nerds out there (myself included)… What were the main bits of kit or plugins that shaped Jam Out The Kicks? Were there any pieces of gear that became your secret weapon for this album?
Just to get a good recording of what you're doing with the hardware, and as separate as possible is what i like to do. I bought an amazing Apollo soundcard and that coupled with an old RME soundcard using the optical inputs gives me plenty of inputs which is vital to separation. The endless plug-ins is amazing but not something I go too deep into .
Every studio needs its MVP. What’s your favorite bit of gear in the studio right now? Any go-to gadgets or gizmos you can’t get enough of lately?
I got an old Sequential Circuits Pro 1 synth that I'm pretty much using on everything atm. Using the sequencer from a Elektron Analog 4, I send the built in CV/Gate to it and it's superb. That and using the same vibe from my Roland TB303 to sequence it is also cool as fuck. I also love the Eventide H9 Multi Fx Pedal.
Your connection with Andrew Weatherall is legendary. While we’ve shared the odd funny anecdote about him, I’d love to dive deeper. What was it like working with him during the Two Lone Swordsmen days? Any particular studio memories or creative rituals that still stick with you?
Oh man.. What a superb person to make beats with. A vibesman . A music lover of the highest order. I used to love it when he would always halt proceedings to just play some other music. Get a vibe, or break the repetition. It's so important to do that during a session. There literally wasn't enough hours in the day for him to devour as much music as possible. It was really awe inspiring to be around him tbh. Infectious. Laughing, listening to, and making music, that's what we did for about 13 years. :) He loved comedy like Chris Morris, The Fast show etc, so he was always quoting those things like 'Oh I getcha , I getcha', and older stuff like Terry Thomas who was a complete Cad and a Rotter which is where the name of the studio and label came from in a roundabout way.. The Rotters Golf Club. We would play golf on the playstation whilst bunking off work . :)
In the studio, did you and Andrew have specific roles? Or was it more of a free-flowing process—taking turns with the knobs, the tea-making, and, of course, rolling the odd joint?
Yeah, I was generally programming everything and using the samplers and synths. Andrew had a sampler on the dj mixer which was great for getting little ideas from his vast record collection. He could loop bits on that and if it worked, we would then sample the record into the Akai sampler and continue the process. Then once we had the main loop going and separated on the mixing desk he would sit at the desk and experiment with muting things in and out to see how the arrangement might work. Then - quite amazing - he would have it all worked out in his head and he would direct how the arrangement was to be programmed. Or sometimes do a live take onto DAT tape which was standard procedure back then before we had 'Audio' capabilities. As time went on, Andrew became much more hands on with the whole process.
Two Lone Swordmen
Looking back, what are some of your fondest memories of creating with Andrew? Is there a track or project you’re especially proud of? And—here’s hoping—are there any unreleased gems sitting in the vaults waiting to see the light of day?
I think the album 'Tiny Reminders' is probably my favourite period . There's a lot of heavier bits on that record but also some really nice delicate vibes which I'm really proud of. I mean the whole time in the studio at Scrutton St was super productive but I think that album and tour we did stands out for me as a magical time. We didn't take the time for granted, we were generally in 5 days a week until late working on music. There's one or 2 mixes I've found of tracks but not like a huge collection of unreleased bits tbh.
You’ve done a ton of mastering work at Curve Pusher over the years. From what I hear, it seemed like every record was coming through your hands at one point. Now that you’ve stepped back from that, what’s filling your time? Are you taking it easy, or is there a new focus brewing?
I stopped cutting records this year. It was taking up so much time and I wanted to get back to making more music. That's where my real love lies tbh. I'm still doing some mastering there, and I'm much happier - time is more important than money or anything really.. We all know how time flies, it's scary. So I just wanted to focus on getting the new album done and now that's out I can start the whole process again.. But maybe think in terms of just doing a few EP's , less pressure on myself and just enjoy making music.
With Jam Out The Kicks now wrapped up, what’s next for Radioactive Man? Are there any new projects or collaborations on the horizon? I know we’re planning to get freaky in the studio together soon, which I’m buzzing about, but is there anything else you’re excited to dive into?
I love doing collabs, I still work with friends like Ara-U and Ben Pest, and yeah lets get in the studio in the new year too! I'm excited about expanding my A/V live set too, I couldn't do it without my guy Nathan Hernando who does all the visual side of it. Just keep on keeping on , music will always have this huge thrill for me. :)
Jam Out The Kicks Album is out now on triple vinyl and download from radioactiveman.bandcamp.com and will be on all major platforms from mid December.
