With the imminent launch of Radio Soulwax: David and Stephan Dewaele AKA 2ManyDJs/Soulwax have announced details of a pioneering new way to experience their unique record collections and musical exploration in theprivacy of your own home, head or iPad.
Radio Soulwax has been over two-and-a-half years in development and will launch on July 4, 2011 with six separate themed hours of audio and accompanying visual animation. It has evolved and morphed from a simple original idea to a full multi-sensory media experience. Do not be confused or put off by the use of the term “radio” here as music is but one side to this experience. Together with the project’s artistic director Fergus Purcell they have also created a unique accompanying visual channel to boot, which would be just as much music TV as it is radio – if such a thing still existed in 2011.
The visuals you will see here are crafted, inspired and lovingly animated using the imagery from the sleeves of the very records that shape each and every thematic hour in the 24-hour mix. At times the visuals themselves have even driven, informed and helped re-imagine the audio parts you’ll hear simultaneously. It is an integral part of the unique charm of Radio Soulwax and one which is often the hardest to get across – this isn’t just nostalgia for music boffins! Here, fans of animation, comedy, art or even god forbid, 70’s sleeve nudity may well be tickled too. Musical train-spotters will also be in heaven! But here, each and every one of these painstakingly produced hours is fun, different and geared to trigger individual reactions unique to the viewer and listener.
Radio Soulwax is described as fun, chaotic and best of all – it is free. Due to copyright and publishing legalities – the content of the mixes broadcast cannot and will never be sold, which considering the time, money and love spent personally developing this project is utterly unique in itself, especially during this new age of the music industry. Together this team have curated from the depths of their own tastes and imagination, explored sonically and visually to willingly bring an experience to anyone and everyone with an open mind. Not every hour will necessarily be to your tastes but that is also part of its beauty.
In addition to the live online feed – Radio Soulwax will be available to stream and download via a fully interactive iPhone/iPad/Android application. This can be downloaded from the Apple App store for iPad abd iPhone plus Google App store for Android from Monday onwards and will allow users greater freedom to listen away from the broadcast schedule online.
As a teaser for what is to come, from today (June 30) onwards you can immerse yourself in ‘Introversy’ a special mix on www.radiosoulwax.com. “This is a mix we did for BBC Radio 1 a while ago, and it is actually quite a good introduction to Radio Soulwax as quite lot of tracks that are featured in the mix will come back in later hours to follow. The animated sleeves give the mix a whole new dimension!”
For lovers of fun, music, art, technology, film, chaos or curiosity, Radio Soulwax goes fully online on July 4 at: www.radiosoulwax.com.
