Radio Citizen Turns Cityscape Photography Into Jazz Electronica

Blending cinematic jazz with funk, soul, and dub, multi-instrumentalist Niko Schabel, aka Radio Citizen, has been musically inclined for as long as he can remember. "I first got into music by taking lessons on different instruments. I played the recorder, clarinet, and saxophone. As a gift from my uncle, I received a microphone and recorded sounds together with a cheap Casiotone synthesizer. I made mixtapes myself, mostly cut up out of radio shows. Later, I started a band with my best friends. Our goal was to be the next Beastie Boys on acid."

Radio Citizen's The Night & The City is due out on September 18 on Sonar Kollektiv, an independent imprint representative of Schabel's organic, well-rounded sound. The release is a mélange of genres which uses multiple artists, live instruments, and samples. It's undoubtedly a progression from Schabel's last two LPs. "Berlin Sergenti was simpler and Hope & Despair was more layered, but both previous albums were rather heavy. While the manner of working and producing has been very similar on all three, The Night & The City is more light-footed and clear," say Schabel.

While producing The Night & The City, Schabel was inspired by his surroundings as well as by other musicians. "When I lived in Berlin, I used to take thousands of photos of the cityscape while cycling at night. I also collected urban sound atmospheres, some of which can be found on the new album. Additional inspirations include Burial's 'Moth,' lots of strange records from jumble sales, and going out."

Schabel's exceptional grasp of diverse styles is evident throughout The Night & The City. He offers a logical explanation for his ability to amalgamate so many genres. "I think the most important thing is to follow a 'Roter Faden,' meaning a general guiding idea. In the beginning, I had more of a feeling about this album, but once I decided on a title, it defined the entire release. Working with samples and recurring instruments such as the acoustic drum and the flute also helped to build the project. I don't care too much for genres, so there are dub echoes, jazz phrasings, straight kick drums, and strange electronica elements everywhere. In the end, I'm more interested in mixing to get somewhere else," he says.

Though Schabel finds collaborating with artists of different backgrounds incredibly inspiring, his greatest artistic challenge is multi-tasking. "The hardest thing as an artist is the distraction of working on many different projects at once. More specifically, finishing The Night & The City," he says. "Finding [jazz singer] Natalie Greffel was also difficult. I tried to work with a lot of vocalists before Klaus Janek found her performing at a club in Kreuzberg."

Schabel's future plans include touring with his full band, writing music for a Japanese documentary film, and releasing the next four records on his own digital imprint, Rauschen. Unsurprisingly, he will continue to broaden his musical horizons. "I'm working on a project called Sound Voyage that merges music from Thailand with modern club music, so that's covered," he says. "I would love to work with real strings, drum machines, brass ensembles, live played synthesizers, and steel drums. Natalie will be living for the next year and a half in Brazil, so we'll see what happens there."

Boasting an extraordinary collective of musicians, Radio Citizen has our undivided attention.

The Night & The City is available September 18 on Sonar Kollektiv.

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