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After splitting with his production partner in 2009, Radial has been the solo project of Dutch techno producer Jeroen Liebregts. And since then, he's remained somewhat mysterious. That was until releasing two EPs in 2013, the first of which was on fellow Dutch artist Bas Mooy's new label, Mord, the other on Audio Assault. Now, Radial will release his second LP, "Crux,' a solo follow up to 2008's "Deleted Scenes," on his own brand new imprint, Radial Records. You can stream the LP here.
The album, which strays from traditional techno in many ways, was born while Radial redesigned his studio, filling it with gear that he built himself. So we sat down with Radial to find out more about this process, the new imprint, and what it's been like to carry the Radial moniker on his own.
The new album, Crux, is the follow-up to 2008's "Deleted Scenes." Obviously, this is you continuing the project on your own without former production partner Laurens van der Starre. Was there a temptation to start fresh with a new name given that you are now solo, or did you always want to carry on Radial after 2009? At the time I was releasing under three different aliases, Radial, Jeroen Liebregts and Museum (with Anton Pieete), and running three labels as well, Audio Assault, a sub label, Arms, and Dinner Records. But Radial was my main focus and I felt I shouldn't make things more complicated then they already were by starting another alias. Since the sound of Radial was close to my heart and we had a good thing going, I really wanted to continue under that name.
As well as straight-up techno, the album has many moments of light and dark. Was this something you'd wanted to explore for a while, and it was a case of finding the time to make an album that could allow you to do that that releasing singles couldn't do? The concept of the album definitely allows you to widen your range and gives you some space to show your scope as a producer. I think it can also give the audience an insight in the musical interest of the producer and gives them a better idea of where the artist gets his inspiration from. I haven't started doing non-techno tracks because I wanted to release them on this album, I’ve always been doing these kind of tracks “on the side.
Do you think that it's important for producers – whatever genre they make – to branch out to different styles, to be more creative, as it will help with production more than sticking with one style would? Of course, I can only speak for myself, but yes, for me this is exactly how it works. If I’m trying to produce track after track of straight up techno, I end up going towards something different almost automatically. I just need that variation in the music, but also in my methods in the studio. You can definitely learn a lot from leaving your comfort-zone and trying something different, but you need to take your time, and your goal should not be to release a new record as soon as possible. You should do it for your own fun to get the best results, at least that is how it works for me. And I’m happy to finally be able to show a few of those works to the world as well.
Part of the process since Radial became a solo project involved almost rebuilding your studio from scratch. As well as choosing mostly analogue kit, you've actually undertaken the task of building much of this yourself. What's now in your studio, and how hard was that process? Did this naturally come from your study at the Conservatory in The Hague in 2006? The technical element of electronic music production has always fascinated me and it is where I get a part of my inspiration from as well. I like to start with a technical idea and build a musical idea around that. So I’m always trying to understand more and more of it and dive a little bit deeper all the time. The knowledge I have gained in my study of Sonology has probably given me the confidence to take up projects like building my own software and hardware. In school we built instruments, computer programs and interactive installations, now I use that knowledge to make modular synths, drum computers, etc. The last couple of years I have also been involved with the design and build of the Synton Fenix II synthesizer, the follow up on the Fenix I (most famously used in Aphex Twin - Fenix Funk 5)
Will Radial now take all your focus ahead of working under your own name? What else can we expect from you in 2014 and your new Radial Records imprint? I will be doing another EP myself this year and there will be an EP with remixes of the album. And yes, Radial is my main project, I haven't released under my own name since 2009 and I will probably never again. I've heard some non-Dutch speakers trying to pronounce it, and it seems to be impossible.
Crux will be released on Radial Records February 24th, 2014.
