Exclusive Interview: Sam Machin from Arcaeon on Radar Festival and their NEW album!

London & Reading based Arcaeon have been on our *ahem* Radar for a while now. Having first witnessed their impressive live show in 2017 when they joined the recently retired and much loved Carcer City and Perception (now known as Keepsake) in an impressive line-up for the return of The Arusha Accord prior to the release of their debut EP “Balance” – which is a perfectly balanced piece of fine work that bridges sub-genres in single bounds, they took the stage at Tech-Fest 2018. It was the first time we’d seen them fronted by new vocalist Stuart Sarre and despite the heat and a few technical issues, they smashed a set with flare. They’ve been writing and recording their debut full length, so we figured after their appearance at Radar Festival, it would be the perfect time for an exclusive interview with Guitarist Sam Machin…

How have you found the first incarnation of Radar Festival? How did your participation on the bill come around?

Its crazy to think that this is year one, the first, the origin of RADAR! Many friends we spoke to mentioned it feeling like another version of Euroblast Festival in Cologne, so to have our own version of that in the UK is astounding. Huge admiration for everybody involved. We were asked seemingly out of the blue to participate which we were all ready to commit too amidst a busy schedule of creating. To be asked to play main stage was a first for us so it really made us feel as if hard work had been paying off.

Having hung out for the full weekend, which other bands did you enjoy seeing sets from?

No Consequence felt like one of those rare, exclusive treats and did not disappoint at all. (I mean come on, its No Consequence) Other top mentions would be Valis Ablaze, Shattered Skies, Harbinger and Sithu Aye, all awesome bands that we enjoy the music of – off and on record.

How does it feel to dust off a few cobwebs and get back into the live arena after being in writing and recording mode for a while?

Scary! We had such little time to prepare, being caught up in the madness of DIY, to the roots self production of the record, we found ourselves a week or so before the show and having to fit the rehearsal time in, so we were apprehensive, but still excited. It was such an honour to have been part of the festivals history so early and to play to so many people even after being under the radar (ahem, pun intended) for so long.

How have you found the transition to the new vocalist Stuart Sarre? Does the new material feel like a new chapter as it comes together after having him sing the older stuff?

Stuart drove us to go for a full release shortly after joining as opposed to another safer, smaller EP and for no other single reason that it was his own wish to make a full length collection of songs on a vinyl. Its that kind of detail in a musician, where the idea of keeping the artform close to oneself and being part of pushing collectively to be the masters of our own destiny that shines most brightly with Stuart. He has a pretty good range too and is strikingly bald.

On the subject of new material, what has the reaction been like to “Dataism”?

So if you have listened to that track on YouTube, its a demo. even the title is a demo. Its programmed drums, edited guitars, programmed bass, literally a computer version of the song before it is finalised and released properly. It isn’t even going to be a single. That track was released on a promotional basis on YouTube as part of a fun – “Countdown to Tech Fest” campaign along with some other stuff. So the version you here now is special, but in honesty very artificial and as close to a pre-alpha demo that you will find. Not alot of people have listened to it, which in some ways we are glad about as we havent 100% signed it off as being “done” yet.

Aside from that debut full length currently in the works and some shows around the launch of that, what does the future hold for Arcaeon?

We haven’t even got any shows or a release date set in stone so we can give ourselves room to be as intimate and careful with the process as possible. There is one show coming up with our mates in Transients, from Reading who are extremely savvy and well worth checking out. That’s gonna be on the 20th of October, at Reading Face Bar which is also going to be my 30th birthday, so we are all looking forward to that.

Beyond that, its honestly not worth quantifying time and what will come of it in my opinion! Especially when it comes to the music we make. Anything could happen in the next few years and to put even a thought to what might be isn’t anywhere near as important as to what is happening in the now, right in this moment. Once I’m done with this interview I’m going to be working on what I want to work on next for music, I have some projects going on as well as finishing the album off for Arcaeon, so thats what I’ll focus on. One day at a time eh?

You can catch Arcaeon next at Reading Facebar on 20th October for Sam’s Birthday Show, a co-headliner with Transients! Foreign Pact and Flight of Eden are also on the bill with tickets available here.

Photo credit – Kade Keep Photography

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