RA.831 Madam X

  • Published
    May 8, 2022
  • Filesize
    336 MB
  • Length
    02:26:36
  • Two and half hours with the Kaizen boss.
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  • Some DJs can carve out a whole new sound all to themselves with the music they pick and how they play it. Madam X is one of these. Her music is identifiably UK, sure, but there aren't a lot of other people in the UK who play like she does, creating the illusion of all kinds of genres and tempos in the in-between spaces she thrives in. Her label KAIZEN operates in the same realm: broken, experimental and usually fast techno that carries traces of dubstep, jungle and drum & bass in its DNA, without ever actually touching on those genres. Her RA Podcast is a tribute to her past, present and future, folding in the kind of post-dubstep she came up on with the artists and producers breaking new ground these days—from Pearson Sound to Two Shell, Olson to Piezo. It's fast, fun and full of character, appropriate for someone so precocious that they started a wildly successful exercise program in the depths of the pandemic when so many people were too depressed or bored to do anything at all. It's a long one, stretching over two hours, but the energetic pace and brilliant mixing make it feel like barely any time has passed at all. What are you grateful for these days? Sounds cliché, but just super grateful to be back in the clubs to be honest! The last two years were very strange. I'm literally having the best time being back on the DJ circuit and not taking any of it for granted! How and where was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it? Ok, so I'm not even gonna lie. This mix was HELL to put together. The RA Podcast is like a badge of honour and I felt the pressure on this one! It was really important for me to deliver something creative and authentic to what I do. I had so many ideas and directions I wanted to go down and was literally racking my brain for weeks about how I was going to piece it all together. I've been living in Berlin for the last two months, away from my home setup, so the good people at OXI Club and Refuge Radio kindly allowed me to use their equipment to practise and record in. Special shouts to my housemate Kerstin for supporting me through the process and for putting up with my late night crate digging. I wanted to pay homage to the music that got me into raving and DJing, and showcase what I'm backing and playing currently. There's a few throwbacks from the magical post-dubstep glory years of Hessle and FWD which really shaped my sound and style, as well as forthcoming KAIZEN material from Cimm, Cartridge and Hugo Massien and some unreleased club-weapons from Pariah, Two Shell, Akiko Haruna and Hodge. I sprinkled a little Eartha Kitt magic, for an empowering, feminist introduction. Her response to being asked if she'd ever "compromise within a relationship" is timeless, and I just love how she unashamedly embraces her independence, laughing in the interviewer's face at the prospect of compromising. It's a conversation I find myself increasingly having with my ambitious female peers: to compromise, or not to compromise? And who better than Eartha Kitt, to instill some "boss bitch" energy? My sound has evolved so much over the years and I wanted the mix to flow seamlessly through the different genres and eras, taking listeners on a percussion-fueled journey that tells my story, and celebrates UK soundsystem culture. It's hard, heavy, dark, bass-driven techno and was worth the mental ordeal! Can you tell us about MDMXERCISE—how did it come about? Has fitness always been important to you? And how does your new clothing line tie into the concept? I've always been pretty active and into sports, but I really threw myself into my fitness during the pandemic. With no clubs or gigs to look forward to, exercise became my outlet and saving grace at a time when morale was at an all time low. The MDMXERCISE classes were born out of sheer boredom and the want to connect with people whilst my sister and I were in Greece. I had loads of people asking me how I was staying so active in lockdown and what my workout routines were, so I put a poll out on Instagram to see who'd be keen to workout with us on Zoom, and the rest was history! I wouldn't have thought to marry fitness and music before, but getting custom-made mixes from all my DJ mates to soundtrack, finessed the classes and gave people a workout with a bit of extra oomph. The community spirit was huge, and it was so heartwarming to see how many people from all corners of the world kept checking in for their weekly fix of MDMXERCISE. Every idea I've had, takes its own natural trajectory and I've always enjoyed not thinking too much about the end goal and just going along with the ride. One thing I really pride myself on is the quality of clothes and merchandise I've developed over the years with my right-hand-man Luke Menikmati. We've made deconstructed tie-dye KAIZEN Dungarees, hoodies, sweatshirts and now a full-on fitness-meets-raving range. The MDMXERCISE 0-1 collection is a high-fashion power suit designed to make you feel like an absolute badass. It's multi- functional, with the black, rubberised latex textures fit for raving, fitness and movement. Blending Menikmati's "Gothic Futurism" aesthetic with my "Matrix-meets-Athena" brief, we were able to create four unique pieces that I'm really proud to see come to life, and can't wait to see on others. How do you stay healthy—physically, mentally, however—on tour? It's hard to get into a routine and rhythm when you're travelling and jumping through time zones, but there's little tour hacks I swear by that really help take the pressure off. It's really important to fuel your body correctly, so packing healthy foods and restricting alcohol intake really helps keep my body sustained, well- nourished and active. I barely drink on tour, and little things like packing tupperware makes all the difference, so I can meal-prep on the road, and avoid those dodgy airport choices. Sleep is essential, but quite difficult. I find melatonin pills help me nod off when I need to. Baths in the hotel. Taking home comforts like English teabags, Marmite goodies, face masks, books and my fav Pip-N-Nut nutbutter sachets are a given. For exercise, I pack my resistance bands which are so light and easy to travel with, and you can get a great workout in with these bad boys. Yoga and stretching is a given. Meditation, breathing exercises, journalling and FaceTiming my friends, therapist and cats is all part of maintaining a happy and well-balanced Madam X. Your sets (and Kaizen label) blend different genres, styles and tempos. Is there something that ties together all the music you love/play? Dark rooms, big fat speakers, sweaty bods and lots of wobble. What's one social or political cause you want the world to pay more attention to? Having been in Berlin, I've seen firsthand the overwhelming amount of support and kindness towards helping individuals fleeing from Ukraine. There's a brilliant initiative called Bridges Over Borders Berlin which is a community-based collective of artists and volunteers who are helping to support BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and other marginalised refugees seek housing, essential items, medical care, integration support and immigration advice. They've done some amazing work. You can also show your support by purchasing the Hope In Unity compilation, 27 tracks compiled by HÖR with music from the likes of IMOGEN, Cromby, Asquith and all proceeds going towards Bridges Over Borders. What are you looking forward to in the near future? Touring and traveling! Being able to move freely around the world again and connect with new communities and music scenes. I've missed this part of the job so much!
  • Tracklist
      Eartha Kitt on Compromising Walton - Wings Akiko Haruna - Raw Piezo - ? (unreleased) Two Shell - Don’t Give Up (unreleased) Wen - Backdraft Circuit 900 - ? (unreleased) Rhyw - Happening RN Blawan - Lit Up Communicat Peder Mannerfelt - Black Alert Cliques - Dotted SCALPING (Hodge Remix) - Monolithium Lurka - Machine (Unreleased) Two Shell - Memory (Unreleased) Pluralist - Vases Surusinghe - Bad Girls Avernian - She Dances In The Rain Rhyval - Down Alarm Pearson Sound - Stifle Velvit - Scarlett ? - ? (Unreleased) Olson - Anicca Piezo - Unto Pariah - Caterpillar Biome - Stagger (Kaizen) Cartridge - Banada (Forthcoming Kaizen) Magugu, Stagga - Bullet In Da Pen Four Tet - Parallel Jalebi (Hudson Mohawke Remix) Cimm - Street Kings (Forthcoming Kaizen) Pangaea - Midnight Plane Bruce - I’m Alright Mate Kowton - TFB Walton - Submerged (Kaizen) Ploy - Stinky (Unreleased) Farr - Wide Eye Hugo Massien - Outer Reach (Forthcoming Kaizen) Sputnik One - Grafters (Unreleased) Hodge - Sub 100 (Unreleased) Rhyw - Bee Stings Cameo Blush - §§§§§ Doubt - Soilse Surusinghe - Good Girls Two Shell - Round (Unreleased) Stenny - Adequate Force Phil Kieran - Skyhook (Scuba Remix) Egoless - Empire of Dirt Headhunter - Prototype VIP Akiko Haruna - ? Unreleased Batu - Spectral Hearts
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