RELEASE | Music for the Radical Xenomaniac compilation(s)
Following the in-depth discussion panel on ADE, it’s time to bring forth the 3-part compilation (re-)telling the story of mid 90s Netherlands & its specific mixture of rave culture and sounds pure, soulful and pretty much untamed. The early records by Steve, under various aliases, played pivotal role in shaping it & channel its spirit quite accurately. It’s hard to imagine a better occasion to understand (and feel) the wider context in which Steve grew up than Music for the Radical Xenomaniac, a monolithic yet frivolous endavour.
From unrestrained, most beautiful house experimentalism, through oddly mellow rave sounds to quirky interpretations of music from Detroit and Chicago, Dutch scene holds a very specific place in hearts of many who took part it in… yet for some reason its raw spirit remained somewhat elusive for modern diggers. Maybe because it’s just too honest to be simply commodified? To that extent, the titular “hedonism” can be a bit misleading, given that sounds that emerged from studios of the likes of Maarten van der Vleuten, Quazar, Orland Voorn, Stefan Robbers and, last not least, Steve himself, offer a glimpse into sustained self-propelling club momentum – where ravers took the matters (and sound systems) into their own hands.
Two of 3 parts of the compilation feature compositions by Steve – under guises of Rachmad Project and Tons of Tones.
Do yourself a favour and deeply inhale the melody of Oh Ah Oh Ah Oh. That’s right!
The compilation, available here, had been released by Amazing!, a new label by co-founder of Rush Hour Christiaan Macdonald and Arne Visser (Cinema Royale). You’re free to use it to challenge the dominant narratives that encourage sounds that are safe, clean & predictable.
Or you might as well simply enjoy the world full of unscripted emotion, where machines sing their part while dancefloors tremble with deep joy and subversive melancholy.