microcastle‘s second offering of 2021 welcomes Radeckt to the label for his debut EP. Based in Copenhagen, the Danish producer and DJ has carved out a unique place in the electronic underground. His colorfully catchy synth leads, exotic percussive arrangements, and tough, dancefloor-minded grooves have made for a sound that is all his own. Adopting the moniker just over a half-decade ago, Radeckt has enjoyed a five-year creative swell, earning the praise of electronic music tastemakers such as Ame, Adana Twins, Echonomist, Innellea, and more; while AEON, MoBlack and TAU have served as landing spots for his transcendent sound. Having gotten the year underway with his latest TAU vehicle ‘Corroded Mind’, Radeckt now makes his microcastle debut with ‘Illusions of a Romantic’.

WWD: Hi Thomas, thanks for joining us. What is your current mood and what was the last piece of music you listened to?

My mood is good. Enjoying the summer and focussing on having a good time, with the occasional studio sessions of course, which neither lacks inspiration these days! I just listened to a French artist named, Myd, on recommendation from a friend. Lovely moods and vibes.

WWD: What are your plans for the coming week?

I’m just in the end of my vacation in Greece, pulling the plug for 11 days = a lot of sunscreen, grilled calamari and white wine by the seaside. When I’m back in a few days I need to get back to remix projects and originals.

WWD: Can you name five tracks that were important in your musical development and why they are so significant for you?

1. Dennis Ferrer – Sinfonia della notte had a big impact in the period where I was moving to a more evolved melodic universe from simple deep house and my own restrictions theoretically. The track has a great development in the arrangement and the melody is hypnotizing to me.

2. D’angelo with Spanish Joint was a gateway for me into neo soul and the whole funk viby genre with a lot of twisted grooves which can lead to a lot of inspiration for me. The track has such an energy and live played feel. I LOVE IT. A lot of artist of that genre has since then been added to spotify!

3. Guti together with Luca Bacchetti on Loneliness. Here its specially Guti I’m referring to. I always had a big love for percussion based grooves and he always delivered this specific interest, which made me dissect his tracks and sometimes almost try to replicate his elements to learn more about working with percussion elements in my early years of producing.

4. Osunlade – Envision (Âme remix) is a track where vocal and great melodic elements goes into to a higher state. A true inspiration to working with vocals and a freaking classic. Damn.

5. Martin Dawson – Lonely is a track I remember from my early days when producing deep house. The energy, chords and simplicity had the impact of carefully choosing the elements in the production. You don’t need 40 tracks if 20 can do it. Quality over quantity, play with the individual tracks instead of putting layer on layer.

WWD: How has growing up and living in Denmark affected the music you make? Or has it at all?

I quite quickly got the taste for electronic music in general. But in my younger days before I was 20, I’ve been through the genres as hardstyle, dance, trance and EDM before falling in love with deep house, because a Copenhagen DJ came to my city and played. I think the fact that I was living in a provincial town until I was 20, moved to Copenhagen 2010, had the impact that I didn’t get into the scene I’m on now earlier. But after that I wouldn’t say it has had any influence. Its easy to interact and get inspiration outside of borders with the internet nowadays.

WWD: How would you describe the music you make?

That’s always a funny question to get and a hard one to answer as well. My music is mainly energetic club music, with strong synth leads and recorded percussion elements/grooves as important factors in my productions. It has to be music that’s makes you wanna dance with some great drops.

WWD: You have a new EP ‘Illusions of a Romantic’ out this week on microcastle, tell us a bit about the release and how it showcases your individualities.

Its an EP put together of 4 tracks made over a span of a year in different periods and incoherent of each other. It showcases 4 different but also kind of similar tracks, with more or less the recipe of “my music” I described just before, but with different moods and arrangement forms.

All of the tracks have been productions I have been working on for a while, I thought a lot about the importance of the arrangement and I didn’t want to feel bored while listening. The EP has been put together like this, because I like the, in my opinion, 4 different types of club tracks they are. All driven, but they have different stories, themes and moods.

WWD: microcastle is home to artists like Ivory, Mulya, Yubik, Upercent, Echonomist and more, what made the label the right home for your EP?

I’ve been following the label for some time and finally had the right tracks and opportunity to try and send my music to microcastle. I’m very happy to be a part of this label and to be among such talented artists as well!

WWD: I think for a lot of artists music allows you to write a sketch of your own personal universe in a way; your travels, life experiences etc. Is that true of yourself? Was there anything that inspired these tracks? And where does your inspiration come from generally?

I get a lot of inspiration listening to other artist through podcasts/mixes, going out or just on spotify, soundcloud or whatever. Most of the inspiration, which actually isn’t coming when I’m sitting in the studio, is in everyday situations. I might be walking around humming and is coming up with a lead idea or an atmosphere pad. Then I record it on my phone. Sometimes I add elements to this new melody idea in mind and picture the track. Then I write it down on my phone which element with what groove etc. I think I need, for when I begin to produce around this melody or what the first inspiration was.

I wouldn’t say I write a sketch of my personal life. My melodies and atmosphere is not driven by how my mental state is or what I experience, more by what sounds which intrigue and a sort of guide me. Often leading me to what I can imagine drop very loud on a club and feel awesome about haha.

Personal universe might be more a thing when I start writing texts and incorporate my own vocals which is the plan to play more with now.

WWD: What does your set-up look like? Do you favor physical gear over digital? And what studio tools featured heavily in the writing of this EP? What’s a piece of gear that always gets used when you’re writing a track?

I like both and use both options. Producing this EP has elements from both worlds, heavily featured is the arturia V-collection package (often my lead sanctuary) for digital and Vermona drm1 MK3 and a little casio toy synth for physical gear. All my physical gear is running through my mixer with send to my pedals which makes it very fun to play with and fuck up.

I always use my Vermona because it’s my kick machine, always record a new kick from there and then put on layer kick or EQ it until it fits how I want to sound in the track and to never have the exact same kick – I really appreciate to feel diversion in every track.

WWD: Walk us through the production process on one of the tracks from your ‘Illusions of a Romantic’ release, whichever you like.

Let’s go with the title track IoaR. That was actually a track I had the melody for as the first thing. For me it’s a little more 80’s viby than my normal leads, so I tried to fit my drums and groove a bit to that feeling. Normally I begin with recording the kick, add a few elements for a groove and some atmosphere as well. Just enough to be able to begin arranging. That makes it easier for me to feel what’s missing and what need to happen next. I did the same with IoaR but just around the lead melody, then I put it aside (lead melody) and whenever I added a new element I dragged the lead melody in again to check how they worked together. I always try to finish up the track and bounce out a V1 version to listen to. That gives a good break from the track and that way its easier for me to be constructively critical to my own productions. Then I might get feedback from a few others and/or just write down what needs some detail work, mixing or where its too boring or stressful. That can go on for a few bounces before I decide its ready for getting tested for real or sent as demo.

WWD: How much road testing or friend feedback is done before you’re ready to say a track is finished? And who is someone you share your new music with first for feedback?

That’s very different from track to track. Sometimes its ready to get tested first time I have a finished version, others need several versions. Usually I share my first versions with close fellow Danish producer friends Denis Horvat, Nandu and my Belgian sweetheart, Nico Morano. I really respect those guys and they have a different perspective from each other which I like to think in my process when I get back to the track.

WWD: What’s a book you’ve read or film you watched that has left an impact on you, and why?

Like most people say, “I don’t get to read enough” I join that kliché. I love to read but don’t take my time to do it unless I’m on vacation more or less. To be honest I’m a sucker for the crime genre, so not many deep classics in my luggage. But I always think back on Dan Browns, Deception Point. Twisted politics have never locked me like this.
Oh well you asked about impact, there’s a lot to choose from with different impacts, but, the Danish movie ‘The Hunt’ with Mads Mikkelsen reeeeealy left me with this feeling of injustice when I walked from the cinema. Really shows how rumours can ruin the best of us if the majority is against you (It’s about a guy who gets accused of being a pedophile, because a little girl claims he has touched her – which he hasn’t).

WWD: What has the last year and a half been like for you? Have you focused more time on making music? And has the pandemic affected your creative spirit in any way?

I have definitely taken more time to sit in the studio and has also been more productive in my output. The fact that it was sad to not have the possibility to play gave me in some way inspiration and drive to make more music for when we all could play again. I tried to see it as a positive opportunity and get the best out of the present rather than getting depressed about everything had to pause and do nothing.

WWD: Is there a movie you would have loved to have produced the soundtrack for? And if so why?

Any Quentin Tarantino movie. Love how he wants this diverse and weird soundscape in his movies, that would be a very interesting and challenging job!

WWD: Iphone or Android?
Android, never owned an Iphone, mainly because of the prices. Would never choose other laptops than Apple though, Haha.

WWD: Apart from music, what makes you happiest?

Spending time with my girlfriend and friends in all sorts of social constellations. A little kliché, but travelling for sure, a great way to reboot the system by getting away from everything ordinary in the everyday life. I enjoy my fitness a lot as well, helps me keeping my energy level high.

WD: What does the remainder of 2021 hold for you? Anything you can share with us?

Scheduled at the moment is one track for a VA coming in the end of the year. I have a remix project – can’t say anything about release dates yet and I’m working hard on several original productions which are meant for very specific labels. I will of course be travelling to play a bit in the remainder of the year, check my facebook or Instagram for updates on where!

Thank you guys!