- Matt Edwards returns to the RA podcast with two home-listening mixes, one under his own name and one under his Rekid moniker.
- When it comes to electronic music, artists often carve out their specific niche and then stick to it throughout the course of their career. Matt Edwards is certainly not one of those producers.
His Radio Slave project, of course, is the most famous of his pseudonyms, seeing him harness the power of repetition to create extended tech-house grooves with a real sense of dance floor dynamics. But even that moniker began its life as an outlet for electro-house mash-ups, with Justin Timberlake, Sean Paul, Nas and Missy Elliott all getting reworked by Edwards and his then production partner Serge Santiágo.
Elsewhere we've seen him take on trippy sample-infused house as Rekid, Balearic edits and slo-mo remix excursions alongside Joel Martin as Quiet Village and vintage house edits on Cabin Fever. Oh. And that's all on top of running one of the UK's most successful underground dance music imprints, Rekids.
That's why we were excited to have Edwards do something extra special for the RA podcast this week: Our first-ever double podcast. In the tradition of similar efforts from Tobias Freund, The Orb, Pivot and others, both are more geared for home-listening, with the first coming from his Rekid moniker. It's called Found Sounds, Part One. The second, which Edwards has put together under his own name, is a special mix of records taken from the legendary ambient imprint Innovative Communication called The World of Innovative Communication, Part One.
What have you been working on recently?
I've actually just had my first weekend off in a long time, and apart from doing these two mixes I've been trying to put my apartment back together after having the builders in for four months! It's actually been good for me, as I've been sorting through my records and finding some real gems from my travels.
How and where was the mix recorded?
I recorded the mix at home using a UREI 1620 mixer, two turntables and a CDJ-1000 Mk1. The mix was then recorded into Soundforge to check the levels, and I was going to use the E&S DJR-400 as the sound is amazing, but it's hiding somewhere!
Can you tell us a little about the idea behind the two mixes, and your interest in Innovative Communication?
I started going through my records for the mix and realised that I was pulling out a lot of Innovative Communication tracks and thought it might be good just to do a mix using music from this label. I did the mix and I think it works. Innovative Communication is probably my favourite label. I'm a huge Klaus Schulze fan and his work has had a massive influence on all aspects of my production, although I don't think I'll ever be at the same level of musicianship as Mr. Schulze. After doing the first mix I still thought about doing an inspirations-style mix, which is Found Sounds, Part One. It's a collection and mix of music I've found while travelling. A lot of the tracks are pretty obscure, and have luckily not yet been bootlegged!
Do you plan on using your Radio Slave moniker for a full-length release, or do you think that the music is best suited to the 12-inch single format?
I don't plan on doing a Radio Slave LP, but Rekids will release my best of remix LP entitled Works in the spring of 2010. I think as far as that moniker goes, I'd rather stick to doing 12-inches and EPs, and save the LPs for something more experimental.
What is the idea behind your new The Machine project?
This is something I've been working on over 2009 and it's a much broader, almost world music project that will be released in early 2010. It's also not purely music-based as I've been working with a film maker in London and also an artist from Melbourne. So, it will be a real mixed media affair. I guess it takes in a lot of the musical influences you'll hear on both these mixes. You know I love "house music" all night long but I feel it's time to explore my other real passion which is art!
It's now been over three years since your debut album as Rekid. When can we expect your second full-length offering under the name?
I've been trying to record the next Rekid LP for the last two years, but the whole Radio Slave thing has been keeping me busy and Joel and I also were also doing the Quiet Village LP, but I think I'm ready to sit down and record a new album!
What are you up to next?
Getting ready for the Rekids presents Sex Mania party at the Berghain on the 28th November with DJ Duke, Mr G (live) and Boris! I'm a huge fan of Duke so it's gonna be amazing to have him DJ in that space, and I'm also looking forward to all the new shit we've got coming out on Rekids like Nina Kraviz's Pain in the Ass 12-inch.
トラックリストRekid - Found Sounds, Part One
Tracklist withheld
Matt Edwards - The World of Innovative Communication, Part One
01. Mind Over Matter - Ganga (The River of Life) - Innovative Communication
02. Robert Schröder - Time Machine - Innovative Communication
03. Klaus Kruger - Deutcheland - Innovative Communication
04. Klaus Schulze - Opheylissem - Innovative Communication
05. Din A Testbild - Programm 3 - Innovative Communication
06. Seigen Ono - Mallets - Innovative Communication
07. Robert Schröder - Timeless - Innovative Communication
08. Din A Testbild - Programm 3 - Innovative Communication
09. Dieter Schultz - Moonlights - Innovative Communication
10. Mind Over Matter - One Being (Water) - Innovative Communication