While we at RaverRafting love to dance our asses off to fat beats and loud bass, it is hard to refute that sometimes the best songs simply tell a story. Such is the case with the new single from downtempo veterans Radioactive Sandwich, which is the spiritual sequal to their previous track “Ex Nihilo”.
Like many Radioactive Sandwich tracks “Out of Nothing” is a nine minute journey through a variety of sounds, emotions, and textures. While “Ex Nihilo” explored a more dub/reggae feel, “Out of Nothing” is more focused on creating a spaced out atmosphere, which as member Slice One says, stems from the inability to make the same thing twice.
“We’ve always tried to make different music, not just for different’s sake, or to stand out, but more that both [Slice Two] and I are real music fans and passionate about so many types of music; what comes out of our heads is different on any different day. Mostly, we’ve never tried to force music or say “I really want to write a (Genre) type of track”, and I think that served us well. This song is an example of how we initially tried to force a style (dub/reggae) influence at first to try and make it a true sequel to “Ex Nihilo”, but found that we’d be better served just making it a spiritual successor and letting [Slice Two] bring that out in the lyrics.”
Slice Two’s vocals in the track, much smoother and calming than those in “Ex Nihilo”, are one of the song’s strongest elements, combining with the tribal drums and huge sub-bass to further drive home the feelings of bliss while taking in the wonders of space.
“When I write lyrics (and not the ridiculous noises that normally come out of my mouth) my mind plays out a visual to go along with the words. In the case of “Ex Nihilo”, I saw a man in one of those retro-futuristic space suits in a barren desert looking up to the stars with contemplation and awe. He’s kind of this guy that feels lost but knows the answer is out there somewhere and he can feel it through the “interplanetary vibrations”. Once we hit “Out of Nothing”, this man has finally reached space and is flying through the vast emptiness that is scattered with amazing wonders. So both of these songs are almost our astronaut’s personal narrative of what he’s seeing and experiencing while he travels through the universe.”
As with all great journeys, “Out of Nothing” goes through a massive change midway, transforming its relaxed nature into one that is much darker. Ominous horns play over top of echoey drums and sound effects, reflecting the feelings of fear that often follow those of wonder when exploring a brand new place. But before too long the song breaks through those feelings and returns to its original themes, once again playing out the image pictured in its creators minds.
“The search for something far away usually, in some odd way, brings you back around to something you already had within you. Think of the movie “Interstellar” where he literally traveled through space to realize what we was he looking for was right in the room of his house the whole time. You could say that movie was a big influence on the music behind the song.”
Currently Radioactive Sandwich is planning to follow up the single with a handful of remixes due for release this year, and with their 7th studio album, which is now in the early stages of conception.
If you purchase the whole EP you will get a remix by dub producer Subcreature, as well as instrumentals for both the original and the remix. You can support “Out of Nothing” here
Connect With Radioactive Sandwich
https://www.facebook.com/RadioactiveSandwich
https://twitter.com/Radiactivsndwch
https://soundcloud.com/radioactivesandwich
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