Radboud Mens

Radboud Mens is a sound-artist, composer and sound designer who is working with sound since 1982. He started creating noise-machines in 1988. In the early 90’s he attached contact-microphones to dog’s brushes that he used to destroy vinyl records by scratch-playing them, boosting the signal through broken cassette-decks and recording the results. Since many years he builts his own acoustic instruments and sound-installations, like bass-recorder flutes, long string installations, dronemachines and guitars that are played by transducers. These instruments and installations are used in liveconcerts. The recordings are used in new compositions. Radboud Mens has worked with a broad variety of sound artists and composers, including Stephan Mathieu, Janek Schaefer, voice-artist Jaap Blonk, Michel Banabila, Craig Ward (ex-Deus). His music has been released by Staalplaat, Mutek_Rec, No Rent Records, ERS, Noise Museum, Tapu Records and Touch. In live situations he collaborated with video-artists such as Remco Schuurbiers, Marco Douma, Bas van Koolwijk and Jpech. Together with Geert-Jan Hobijn he forms the core of Staalplaat Soundsystem. They built site-specific sound-installations from all the tools, toys, contraptions, appliances, vehicles, buildings, trees, and environments that share our domestic chores, work days, daily lives and urban existence. (Douglas Kahn)