Welcome to the first edition of the written interview portion of the podcast. I wanted to start off the new year with something a little different for the show. I like the idea of having something to read while you listen to the show. Plus you get the chance to learn more about the artists themselves, whose songs I have featured on this show at one time or another.

I was first introduced to Radius when I was assigned to write a review for his 2008 debut, "Neighborhood Suicide", for Stereo Subversion Magazine, which you can read at http://www.stereosubversion.com/reviews/album-reviews/radius-06-16-2008/. I had been gathering songs for a planned best of 2008 show this month and Radius's "Hyde Park (I Miss You)" was one that I wanted to include. I reached out to Radius himself and he was more than happy to take some time out to talk to me for this interview.

Schroeder: How about an introduction?

Radius: I started creating tracks in 2001, messing with loops and looking for samples. I grew up in the South Chicago area, near Chatham and Avalon Park, Stoney Island etc. I wanted to work with rappers originally but decided that I didn’t like the exchange of waiting to get things done on their terms and their time. I was getting more exposed to artists in the electronic and downtempo realms and I decided to shift things more towards instrumentals for the most part. I felt more comfortable with what I was doing and I felt it was a purpose of mine around 2005.

Schroeder: Is that when you started participating in the local beat battles?

Radius: Yeah 2004/2005. I stopped after 2006 and focused more on rocking beat showcases and now to more of being a live performance artist, sharing a more semi-improv part of the set in 2008. But yeah the goal now is any and everything. I feel and am thankful that hip hop is my core but I don’t want to be boxed in.

Schroeder: How do you think those beat battles benefited you in your growth as a producer?

Radius: A lot. Just on taking tracks further and understanding that people vibe off certain elements in the music that I had never thought of. How can I take it further and channel that more in them and more importantly within myself. It’s all about networking/communicating. I don’t want to prove my beats are better than this dude’s all day. I’d rather learn and grow with people. Got to take it all further

Schroeder: What kind of equipment are you currently using?

Radius: Mainly the MPC 1000 for the majority of my work. I use a Numark portable turntable, an Alesis Micron and a Macbook. I just got a bass, which I’m trying to learn, as well as the keys.

Schroeder: You cite Jay Dee as your biggest influence. What is it about him that makes him/his production have such an impact on you?

Radius: Well it’s not just his production. It’s his overall musical ability. The way he heard, or I can even say "saw" music, was pure genius. He was very in tune to his craft - a whole other level. There haven’t been too many in my eyes on a hip-hop scale, production wise that brought it like that. Of course I have a top five and a top 10, but with Jay Dee it’s beyond all that.

The elements that you see in Stevie Wonder, Prince, James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis etc. are all the same thing. His ear and overall sound range and ability to match the sounds/tones were it. A lot of times, until I and others I have known, who have hipped me to various aspects of his sound/production, I thought Dilla was playing more, but it turns out a lot of things were samples. That wowed me.

Schroeder: What are some of your favorite Jay Dee beats?

Radius: I don’t have a top list really but what comes off the dome right away are “She Said” (Remix), “Purple Crustation” (Remix), “Nag Champa”, “Fall In Love”, “2u4u”, “Waves” on Donuts, “Friends” beat that Madlib and also De la Soul used, “Keep It Movin” on The Coming album, “Show Me What You Got” on Anarchy.

Schroeder: Last year you released the remix project "Radiushead". Are there any plans to do anymore remix projects?

Radius: Nah at this moment no remixes yet. I have some ideas but haven’t started yet. No real shit set in stone yet. I am focused more on getting other ideas out and working with as many as possible this year.

Schroeder: You also released Neighborhood Suicide last year, which was your first official release. How has the response been to the project?

Radius: Positive most of the time. It has been well received by a lot of blog sites and just people out and about. Even some that weren’t all the way "We love it. Good work." had some constructive criticism that I really honor and gain from. But as an overall package, it has been well received.

Schroeder: Can you get into the creative process for that album?

Radius: It didn’t start off as an album. It was mostly me just brainstorming beats. I was in a particular zone at the time. Things in my life were unbalanced and confusing and I was just trying to express that, but I was also trying to do more with my beats in general. I started boxing that together that way. I felt these particular songs related on different levels. Its cold here and I felt that a lot of what I was making had a relation to the weather/season here. That’s all. No other real process than that. Same basic approach - find samples and drums and see how they could work together and also help me get that sound I was feeling to work with them.

Schroeder: Would it be fair to say you have a love/hate relationship with Chicago? What is it you like/dislike most about Chicago?

Radius: Yeah I have more love all day for my city, but yeah I have a hate with it too. I love Chicago. I hate it when it’s really cold, but at the same time, I’m grateful for it. It has made me and many of us stronger and able to express ourselves differently than many. It has kept me in my room to work on things because I don’t want to deal with the extremes. I like that we work and grind hard because we play harder when it comes down to business. Plus the food is good. Chicago has been an underdog city for way too long. I try and do all I can to change that, no matter what.

Schroeder: What are you currently working on? What can we look forward to?

Radius: I’m mainly in school mode at the moment, trying to understand why and how music relates, notes etc. So I’m learning instruments. I have an EP that I’m working on that is mainly more on the uptempo side. Minimal tech/house I guess. I know I dig some minimal techno, old school Chicago house, acid, deep house and broken beat a lot. So I have been trying to figure that out. So I’m working on that. I also have a beat tape in the works - an actual tape that I won’t mention at all because it isn’t turned in. Neighborhood Suicide will be pressed this year also. Possibly a 7” too, which is what I/we were talking about. That’s what’s up for now.

Schroeder: What's the status of your project, PI (3.14)?

Radius: Not coming out. I was building with consumers research and development label here. The 12inch promo was in the works but long story short, with the economy and other factors, the label shut down. It exists but it’s just not pressed. It will come out someday though. We shall see.

Schroeder: Top 5 favorite producers of all time?

Radius: All time is so hard for me. I can’t really answer that. I’m really feeling so much right now. My favorite producers of all time exist beyond hip-hop now. I would say, of course Jay Dee, for opening the door to so many elements and dimensions in music. I’m feeling work by Patrick Adams. I’m feeling what Madlib is doing a lot too, as well as Dimlite and Sa-Ra Creative Partners.

Schroeder: Top 5 Places to eat in Chicago?

Radius: In no particular order.

- Flo (West Town)
- Noodles etc. (Hyde Park) (http://www.noodlesetc.com/)
- Aladdin’s Eatery (Lincoln Park/Lakeview)
- Ethiopian Diamond (Rogers Park)
- Irazu in (Bucktown)

Schroeder: Top 5 albums you’ve been listening to?

Radius:

- At The Drive-In - Vaya
- Lukid - Foma
- Vangelis - Blade Runner Original Soundtrack
- Esperanza Spalding - Junjo
- Clara Hill - All I Can Provide

Schroeder: Any parting words?

Radius: Nah, basically it’s a good time to be alive. A lot is going on all over. All of it is connected. I hope that more people continue to connect themselves with what’s real and pure in life, find what they are looking for and make it work. I look forward to what’s to come and I appreciate those that feel what I’m doing. I’m going to do what I can to rep right. Shout out to Tall Black Guy, Kenny Keys, Semantic Noise in New York by way of Dallas, TX, Kylebeats in Dallas, TX, The Primeridian, Dj MTM/Murry The Magnificent, J Slikk, Hondolo, Cykey of Masfina(Masfina.wordpress.com), Dj Kollage, The Opus, Il Subliminal, Momentsound Crew (Garo, Lokua, Slava), Dj Sean Doe, Peterparkerlewis.com, etc etc etc.......

Check out Radius at www.myspace.com/radius