For 2006, the Radon Collective has prepared a year of intensive activities featuring a diverse cross-section of oddities from the American and European underground.
Since the turn of the century, Radon has existed as a label, booking and promotions agency and association of recording studios. Our main goal is to help improve communications in the international community we find ourselves a part of.
FEATURED ARTISTS
SMEGMA: Still available in the new year! "30 Years of Service" cd
In 2003, Smegma celebrated the end of their 3rd decade as a musical entity by creating one of their most structured and detailed works to date. Later captured at the legendary Smegma studio, "30 Years of Service" is an essential disc for followers of these Portland, OR icons.
COSTES: The return of Jean-Louis Costes to the USA is certainly one of the most anticipated noise tours of the year. His 2003 presentation of "Holy Virgin Cult", both thrilled his long-time fans and earned him a legion of new listeners. After surviving malaria, the Paris riots and the authoring of his first book, Costes tours the USA with the new show "I Love Hate".
OVO: With the release of "CICATRICI" (Radon/Sunship '04) and the two subsequent US jaunts, these touring mainstays of Europe have carved their place in the USA. This fall they will return in support of their new disc for Load Records. Expect new and bizarre aural explorations from the costumed Italian duo.
RADON COLLECTIVE
STEVE MACKAY: After circling the globe the past months and becoming the first of Radon to play on 6 continents, Mackay delivers perhaps the definitive Radon release, "Michigan and Arcturus". 3 years in the making and 2 in waiting, this disc showcases highlights from his tremendous body of work during the formative years of the Radon Collective. Steve will front line-ups of his ever changing Radon Ensemble in the USA and Europe in addition to his continued work with Iggy and the Stooges.
SIKHARA: The tribal percussion project of Scott Nydegger has played nearly 300 shows in 23 countries. In 2006 Sikhara will be on the road in the USA and Europe backing multiple new releases including the cd "Bardos State", a collaboration with Bastard Noise and a 7" for France's Samboat.
RIPIT: Ripit, join Bastard Noise to close out the 3 volume Radon Uropa 7" series. This audio/visual, noisebreak hybrid from Paris has recent releases for Yb70 and Zhark International. He will be invading the US in February, before returning to Europe to be a part of the Radon Ensemble.
KOONDA HOLAA: Please pay attention to him now! Koonda Holaa unleashes a trilogy of new releases from his varied personas for Radon, Manufracture and Precordings. While home, 6000 ft above the sea in the Joshua Tree Desert, Kamilsky stays deep within the bowels of the "Starcraft", producing much of the music from Radon artists. At the end of the year he emerges to conjure live acts by Koonda, Jameel Abdul Kebab and the Radon Ensemble.
36: Sa + Mu = 3 + 6 = 36 = Sam Lohman, the drummer who has taken on duties with Nimrod, Sheer Terror, Maji, Steve Mackay, Nik Turner, cock ESP, Acid Mothers Temple and Cash Slave Clique (to name a few) has presented his unique take on noise percussion on 4 continents. In the new year he threatens new forms of musical suicide in the USA and Europe.
NEQUAQUAM VACUUM: Nequaquam vacuum is the post-Asiatic, free form creation of Noah Mickens. In 2005, Mickens took the project out for a series of festivals including Burning Man, Autonomous Mutant Festival and joining Blixa Bargeld, Mike Watt and others on the Mobilization fest. Scrap-metal percussionist, circus master and event promoter Mickens will be a part of the European Radon Ensemble tour, Radon west coast events and hopes to at last unveil "Fallout Over Peking", the Vacuum's debut for Radon.
RADON ASSOCIATION OF RECORDING STUDIOS
BUNKER 207 - TRACK BRACK - SEIZURES PALACE
Over the past year, the Radon/Soopa studio co-production series has churned out recordings for a number of European and American labels, under the leadership of engineer Jonathan Cactus jUiel, in their Oporto headquarters, Bunker 207. Working amongst diverse styles including harsh electronics and extreme ethnic music, they have also produced 2 epic albums in cooperation with Fonoteca Lisboa and the Camara Municipal.
"United Scum Soundclash, Soopa vs Radon" (cd Radon/Soopa/Base)
-a sonic duel between the Radon and Soopa collectives
MECANOSPHERE "Limb Shop" (cd Radon/Base/Raging Planet)
-The 3rd disc from this French, Portuguese, American unit (www.mecanosphere.net)
These releases available at www.soopa.org
The most recent productions in this series are a set of tracks for the Radon 2006 sampler including Steve Mackay, 36, Sikhara and Hhy, the solo project of jUiel.
HHy: hhy uses acoustic instruments as sound sources and submits them to rigorous, computerized manipulations. The resulting material reflects a host of influences, while remaining an abstract musical vision.
The production talents of Kamilsky and his Track Brack mobile studio will be displayed with the releases of the Sikhara/Bastard Noise collaboration cd and a series of projects for Steve Mackay and Koonda Holaa.
Radon's long-time collaborator Jason LaFarge continues work at Seizures Palace, inside Brooklyn's BC studio, including a series of massive improv sessions. During 2006, the 3 studios will alternately be working on a joint collaborative project, to simultaneously wield the powers of Radon's entire studio association.
RAINCO
In September, 2005, Radon launched the legalized French association RAINCO with an event appropriately titled "World Fuckerz". This occurrence brought together a group of artists, who have each toured 3-5 continents. The pinnacle of these 2 days was a massive 8 person/8 country line-up of Damo Suzuki's Network including musicians from France, Belgium, Portugal,
US, Canada, Singapore, China and Japan.
The aim of RAINCO is to create support for future projects in multi-national co-operation.
OTHER RADON COLLABORATORS
MR NATURAL: 2005 saw Mr Natural return to road in a big way, with multiple tours of Japan, Europe and the USA. This Nashville-based instrument builder extracts sounds from a variety of objects including plants and his intensive touring schedule will continue in 2006.
TENTH TO THE MOON: Mitchell Foy's seminal tribal rock band Pineal Ventana was amongst the first to collaborate with the original formations of Radon. In 2002, his project Terminal IF joined a Radon backed tour with (r), side project of Larsen. In 2006, Foy is back within the fold of the collective promoting his latest project 10th to the Moon with Broken Symmetry's Doug Hughes.
DANIELE BRUSASCHETTO: This Torino, Italia based singer songwriter has a long history in the diy hometaper scene as well as an extensive rock background. From his early releases on RRR to his latest disc "Mezza Luna Piena" for Bar La Muerte, he has displayed incredible diversity in delicately crafted noise rock compositions.
ASHTOOL: Guitarist Mirco Rizzi first came to Radon in 2001 along with Bruno Dorella to back Daniele Brusaschetto on the disc "Bluviola" and supported this first Radon issued cd with tours in the USA and Europe. In 2006 presents his second cd as Ashtool, "S.o.c.g.: Vecchie Paure" for a host of co-releasers including Radon.