“Who are you?” Radius & Helena ask in solemn mockery. “Just who are you?” It rings out across the crowd in expectance but their call is as much a question as it is a cry of self-deprecation. Who are they? What drives the masochistic music of this burgeoning Toronto band? Glimpses reveal a golden hunter, bloody zombie make-up, an homage to Japanese toy commercials, Australian sci-fi theme songs, and a band with their pulse on something different. Like the guises they personify, their music has many layers.
Shape-shifting in kaleidoscopic fashion, RAH’s songs create an ever-changing atmosphere in which they themselves are ever-changing - in appearances, roles and instruments - as they storm through their mysterious odysseys, “epics that are bold, lush and thought provoking,” (Eye Weekly). The dark and sexy twin voices of Ryan Fairley and Christopher Felske, weave their insights and insults in crushing competition, while Denise Sumandl (bass) and Steve Kwok (drums) play with sickly sweet ferocity, keeping it all anchored among the rough seas ahead. Like when they tell you things that may be a little hard to take. Why the company of ugly people makes you feel pretty. How you’ve ruined your love affair without meaning to try. That the nakedness of being creatively exploited is addictive. Youth couture is gang apparel. Death is a sphere. They start out small, growing into fantastically grotesque voices demanding to be heard.
Committed to an engrossing live show, the band has worked tirelessly to refine its theatricality for audiences. No matter what shape they shift into, you’ll never forget their sound: “[RAH] maintain an inspiring level of intensity and dedication to keeping things interesting,” (Exclaim!). They are a band of attractive opposites. They like to read books.
Precious Metals, the first album from Toronto band Radius & Helena, was released at historic Massey Hall on October 3rd 2008. Recorded by Ian Sattler and mastered by Jon Drew, this psychedelic journey has been rocking audiences around Ontario since its release. Precious Metals has earned a place on college radio, with rotation on CIUT, CFBU, and CHUO, among others. The band spent most of 2009 promoting the record playing gigs in southern Ontario, and in the festival circuit, R&H garnered a fourth showcase at CMW, a second appearance as part of NXNE, and showcases at Toronto’s Pitter Patter Music Festival and the Wavelength series. They performed at the Reel Asian Film Festival, Trinity Square Video ‘Villains’ exhibition, and the Naked Frames Animation and Music Video series at the Revue cinema incorporating stunning living projections accompanying their music. "Don’t let this foursome too far out of your sight," (Now Magazine).
