Rad Orchestra - Rad Orchestra

  by Nicky Crewe

published: 22 / 2 / 2019

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Max Andre Rademacher, vocalist, guitarist, gimbri and ngoni player with Rad Orchestra, was part of the 70's New Wave scene in New York and Paris. He has worked with Allen Toussaint in New Orleans, and other collaborations include Robert Palmer and Sly and Robbie. He recently contributed to the score of an award winning feature film ‘Still’, starring Aidan Gillen. He’s gathered together a wonderful group of musicians for this album and they have written and arranged a fantastic collection of songs. They include Amy Jane Hosken on viola and violin, Louise Gibbens on violin and vocals, James Patrick Gavin on violin, guitar and mandolin and Duncan Noble on bass. The use of traditional instruments associated with Morocco and Mali give this music its desert blues quality. These instruments are the ancestors of the guitar and the banjo, and to hear Rad Orchestra use them in their compositions closes a circle that connects the deserts of Africa, America’s deep south and Europe’s love and appreciation of rhythm and blues. There’s something strangely familiar about this unusual music. It’s dance music, it’s trance music, the rhythms move your feet and the string arrangements have a Celtic feel. Jigs and reels meet gnawa music. Listen to 'Shoot (Me Like You Should)'. It’s a fusion and a synthesis of styles of music that have intrigued and delighted me over many years. It truly sits at the crossroads of the traditional and the contemporary and it is very exciting. I was puzzled by the familiarity of music that I knew I was hearing for the first time when I recently saw Rad Orchestra play live. Now I’ve listened to the album, I realise that it’s familiar because they bring together music I know and love. As a live band they have an exciting and dynamic stage presence too. Max Rademacher is the man behind the lyrics of most of the songs and his voice is a treat to listen to. I’m reluctant to pick out any particular track, but the first one 'Ayonda' demands attention and draws you into the world of Rad Orchestra. 'Putting It Off' will have you dancing, and 'Let’s Sing' will make you do just that. The last track on the album, 'Bells', encourages you to get involved before it all comes to an end,"Everybody jump out of your seat/Shake the dust from below your feet/Kick and tremble howl and yell/ Every man every woman start ringing the bells." This band are a real discovery for me and a great start to 2019’s reviews. I recently saw Rad Orchestra play a double bill with Frogbelly and Symphony to promote this new album release on Labelship. Thomas Lebioda of Labelship is a record producer and also guitarist with Frogbelly and Symphony. Based in Sheffield the label has links to studios and producers in Brooklyn and Hamburg. The music released on Labelship is a reflection of the diversity and independence of the musicians who work with the label and this release is no exception.

Track Listing:-

1 Ayonda
2 Excuse Me While I Grin
3 No Matter Where You Are
4 Gallon
5 Meanwhile and Always
6 Putting It Off
7 Bramble
8 Let's Sing
9 Shoot (Me Like You Should)
10 Sleep of Faith
11 Summer Heroine
12 Spinweed
13 Bells

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