Random XS

Dutch underground acid-techno band Random XS released its first 12” single early 1992 on the famous Djax-Up-Beats label, not long after their first live gig. It launched an international career, lasting over 20 years now. Random XS members DJ Zero One (Sander Friedeman) and Frank de Groodt were clearly influenced by the early Chicago acid house and Detroit techno pioneers. But they developed their own unique style: dark and deep, yet very intense and in-your-face. The vintage Roland x0x series of drum machines and analogue synthesizers plays a key role in their live sets, but these are spiced up with various effect processors. Unlike many ’live’ dance acts who use backing tracks, Random XS performs 100% live. Thus providing a completely random factor. Rhythms are programmed on the fly, ingredients are replaced all the time. No two Random XS gigs are alike. The live atmosphere adds a new and unpredictable dimension: a random excess! After 20 years they still perform, when they feel the time is right. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ‘Give your body’ release they play a small series of gigs in 2012 Random XS was founded in 1991, when DJ Zero One (Sander Friedeman) joined forces with school-mate Arno Peeters (a.k.a. TapeTV) to perform live on an underground party in their hometown Utrecht. A tape with tracks from that gig was send to the then new Djax-Up-Beats label. Their first 12" ’Give your body’, with the 12 minutes long title track, was released. This marked the start of a long international career. The track ’Fading Away’ from their second 12" was picked up by the legendary DJ Sven Väth, who invited them to perform in his legendary Omen club in Frankfurt. In 1994, Arno Peeters left Random XS to make place for Frank de Groodt. More 12" releases followed, and in 1997 the full-length album ’Braincloud’ was released, also on Djax-Up-beats. Random XS performed in clubs in cities like Paris, Cologne, Basel, Glasgow, Brussels, Munich, Vienna & Chicago. They featured on major raves and festivals like the Berlin Love Parade, Mayday, Nature One & Mystery Land. However, they always tried to remain ’underground’ and didn’t sell out. Despite their commercial success, they kept playing on illegal parties and squatter raves, too. In the late nineties, Zero One decided to focus more on his DJ career. He played on the major Dutch techno raves like ’Awakenings’ and ’5 Days Off’ and did his own techno parties in Utrecht with guests DJs like Richie Hawtin, Robert Hood, Jeff Mills, Suburban Knight and James Ruskin. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.