With his debut studio album, DasRADIAL creates a sonic manifesto against the dark sides of modern society. Between gliding synths and driving beats, it tackles the burning issues of our time: digital mass surveillance, climate change, the rise of the far right, fast fashion, and drug culture — relentless, multi-layered, and direct.
Musician and actor Max Thommes, who spent ten years as the drummer of the band INBORN!, produced by the renowned Ross Robinson, has been forging his own path since 2019, building a dystopian cosmos under the moniker DasRADIAL. After numerous collaborations with German state theaters, he also produced the title track for the ARTE documentary UNTERM_RADAR. With his electronic beats and sharp-tongued lyrics, DasRADIAL seeks the symbiosis of art persona and musical live performance.
Musically, DasRADIAL fuses Dark Wave, Neue Deutsche Welle, Techno, and Pop into a sound that feels both retro and radically modern. The album’s production was handled by Aaron Ahrends (Say Yes Dog). The lyrics — at times razor-sharp, at times poetic — weave keywords into complex associative chains that challenge listeners and leave space for interpretation.
Max Thommes now shares the stage with Wouter Rentema, drummer of Bonaparte, and has performed at festivals such as SWN in Cardiff and the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. To celebrate the album release, a show is planned for June 13 at Fête de la Musique in Luxembourg City.
