Radio Massacre International

Radio Massacre International is a trio of British musicians, Steve Dinsdale (Keyboards and Drums), Duncan Goddard (Keyboards and Bass), and Gary Houghton (Guitar, Synth). They specialize in improvisational experimental electronic music, utilising vintage synthesizers and sampled sounds alongside electric guitar. They are also exponents of the mellotron keyboard. More recently, they have begun to incorporate Bass Guitar and Drums by varying degrees in an attempt to stretch musical boundaries within the confines of a three-piece. Their music has been described alternatively as ambient music, space rock, Krautrock, New Age, Berlin School, and various other terms, although the band itself prefers the label "organic music". Points of reference include bands ranging from Tangerine Dream to "Rabbit"-era Chas and Dave.

Name

The unusual name dates back to the early 1980s, and the trio's early experiments with primitive sounds. The name was coined by Steve to describe cathartic sessions by the band, working away from traditional write/arrange/rehearse methods. Lacking anything but the most basic equipment, the band plugged keyboards & guitars straight into a cassette deck for a more abrasive sound than that achieved with the (mostly borrowed) equipment used in the making of their early recordings as "DAS". Therefore, there is no deeper meaning in the name.
It was adopted as the main name for the band in 1990, as recording in the "DAS" style was wound up. There are 12 DAS "albums" although only the first was ever published (as a cassette album); some of the later titles feature other musicians and any plan to release these recordings would mean hunting down the participants to obtain clearance.

History

The history of the band dates back to the late 1970s when Steve and Duncan went to the same school. They formed the band "DAS" with Gary and recorded 12 albums between 1979 and 1987, most of which were never released.

Steve, who is originally a drummer, went on to play in a couple of 'scene' bands after moving to London in 1988, while Duncan started to amass synthesizers, and recorded the first solo projects. When he finally found a space for him and Steve - who got disillusioned with the music business at that time - to work in, they recorded a first session in 1993, which was later released as "Startide". Gary re-joined in 1994 with his guitar, and the band as we know it today was born.

Their first official release was the double CD "Frozen North" on Centaur in 1995. They also debuted Radio Massacre International as a live act at the Emma festival in Sheffield in the same year.

In 1996, they were invited to perform on MTVs "Party Zone", making them probably the only band to play a live piece on the dance-orientated show that did not contain a single discernible beat. The same month, they were the first electronic artists to play at the famous Jodrell Bank observatory, in the shadow of the radio dish. This was later released as the humorously titled live CD 'Knutsford in May'.

1997 saw them play at the famous (but now defunct) KLEMdag festival in Nijmegen, Netherlands, in front of the band's largest ever live audience. The year 2000 brought appearances at the Alfa Centauri festival in the Netherlands, and another visit to Jodrell Bank. The band's music was also featured in the BBC
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