RADIANCE ELECTRONICS

Quotable

"A lot of people say 'Kraftwerk, they created techno'? Kraftwerk made music with electronic tools... Juan [Atkins] was inspired by the fact one man could make his own music with this equipment. He took it to a different level, we added our inspirations, that's really what the techno poured out of. Kraftwerk, they didn't name they stuff techno. Eventually they came out with a record called 'Techno Pop', that was after Juan had released his first album and was onto Model 500 'No UFO's' and shit. I think that's important for people to be clear on." (Kevin Saunderson, 2025)


"The vibrations filling the space around us, the act of sound waves hitting the body, the spatial perceptions they indicate, the internal physical reactions they stimulate - this is all part of listening. Certain bass sounds can be felt only in the body, they can't be perceived by the ears. The difference can be noticed when listening to music through headphones instead of speakers. Headphones create an illusion, tricking your senses into believing you are hearing everything the music is offering. Many artists refuse to use headphones in the studio as it is a poor replica of the real-world listening experience. With speakers, we are closer to the sound of instruments in the room - immersed physically in a full sonic spectrum of vibration. Many of us experience life as if we're taking it in through a pair of headphones. We strip away the full register. We hear information, but don't detect the subtler vibrations of feeling in the body. When you practice listening with the whole self, you expand the scope of your consciousness to include vast amounts of information otherwise missed, and discover more material to feed your art habit. If it's music you're listening to, consider closing your eyes. You may find yourself getting lost in the experience. When the piece ends, you might be surprised by where you find yourself. You've been transported to another place. The place where the music lives." (Rick Rubin, 2023)


"I think something happens when you listen to music either with your eyes closed or in the dark. The music reaches further into you. We often find ourselves listening to tracks back on headphones with our eyes closed, and every event and moment might be more or less poignant than you imagined. I think everyone feels similar when their computer is turned off. Your eyes are no longer distracted. I'm not a neuroscientist, but all I know is something happens in the dark that I'm desperately trying to explain" (Autechre, 2018)


"I learned quite a bit from making the earlier electroacoustic stuff. I learned to listen well. This is very important. So much music seems rushed. I like music that unfolds in slow motion, so the listener doesn't miss anything. I like to show my listeners a frame-by-frame scan. Time-stretched to see the details. Pull apart the fabric of sound so you can see what's in between the grains, and zoom into (normally) unheard realms. Musicians like to play it safe and stay in familiar waters. I've spent many nights sitting outside with my eyes closed, DAT machine running, dummy head mic off in the distance. Sitting and listening to the air moving. Feeling the pressure zones shift. When you listen deeply, you can start to comprehend a world of sound beyond typical reality." (Rod Modell, 2007)


"I love how a well made DJ set can combine all kinds of genres and open spaces. It can set you into a imaginary place. For example, the imagination of taking part in one of the first abandoned warehouse raves in '89 somewhere in England or conincidentially for the first time stumbling into a dark basement rave party in East Berlin in the early 90ies, just after the wall came down, makes my fantasy glow on how things could have been." (Prince of Denmark, 2013)


"One great use of a synthesizer is to hold down a note, turn some knobs, and listen to it sparkle - to examine the big swells of harmonics created when a bundle of circuits try to sound like violins or trumpets. Lots of great music, ambient and otherwise, has been made by folks holding down keys on synthesizers." (Andrew Gaerig)


"If it's not on vinyl, it's not final, that's the bottom line, because you need that warm sound, that analog sound - not the robotic mouse clicking sound. From 2000 it's all been Einstein, twinky-twinky electronic computer-mouse-clicking music. A lot of people produce by putting things in blocks on a screen. Some people make good music doing that, but for me that's not producing - you're playing a computer game." (Kelli Hand, 2021)


"Clubs were always a place we went to escape reality. The better the club did separating you from what you were thinking or feeling before you walked in was a direct measure of how successful the club was going to be." (Kerry Jaggers, 2016)


"At the end of the day, it's all about frequencies and what they do to you. That's the real core. Forget all the equipment, forget the music, at the end of the day it's just literally frequencies and their effects on your brain. That's what's everyone's essentially after." (Richard D. James aka Aphex Twin, 2014)


"I do think in the domestic environment, the people that have sufficient equipment don't pay enough attention to room acoustics. The pro audio guy will prioritize room acoustics and do the necessary treatments to make the room sound right. The hi-fi world attaches less importance to room acoustics, and prioritizes equipment." (Alan Parsons, 2012)