In another time and place, pure pop puppeteer Richard X would have been ideal as a bright-eyed employee of Martin Ware's Sheffield based British Electric Foundation, a 'company' born from the ashes of League MRK 1. His approach (and love of) music bares all the hallmarks of Oakey, Ware & Marsh.

Back in 1982, the BEF released an album entitled 'Music of Quality & Distinction Vol 1' featuring a collection of unlikely artists such as Tina Turner, covering songs that were totally alien to them and their fanbase with a Northern electronic twist. Reaction was divided - some hated it and saw the album as a pointless exercise but for those who got 'it' - 'Music Of Quality & Distinction' remains a treasured slice of vinyl.
For a 7" limited of just 500 copies, the impact of RX's 'Being Scrubbed' track in the year 2001 was nothing short of breathtaking. Mixing the sassy RnB vocals of TLC to the music of the Human League's stark yet enchanting debut single 'Being Boiled', RX's new version would start a bootlegging craze that would delight and infuriate at the same time. The mixing of opposing tracks from two completely different genres caught many by surprise. It really shouldn't have worked but the real beauty of 'Being Scrubbed' is that it did work…perfectly. Copies of the single and the accompanying buzz factor would soon transport the record into the hands of pop's prime movers. A copy even found it's way to the Human League studios - and they loved it.

Former League label Virgin then snapped up this 'illegal' bootlegger, offering him an album deal - perhaps to keep tracks on him but it turned out to be a wise move.
The Sugababes had recently been dropped from their label after a few 'under-performing' singles despite a number one hit but their collaboration with RX took them back to the top (and a Q award for best single of 2002) with the Numanoid inspired 'Freak Like Me'.
Offers from other artists followed and RX teamed up with Pop Idol runners up Liberty X for 'Being Nobody' - mixing Chaka with League resulting in one of the best singles of 2003.
Still subverting Radio One with Human League samples, RX's latest top ten hit has a radiant Kelis singing SOS Band's 'Finest' to Dare's finest - 'The Things That Dreams Are Made Of'

21 years on from the BEF's 'Music of Quality & Distinction' RX has released his own homage to the pop genre featuring artists such as Jarvis Cocker, Javine and the in demand Canadian DJ Tiga as well as the previous three singles mentioned above.
'RX Presents His X-Factor Vol 1' is now in record stores across the land and to celebrate, Secrets Online has been given this exclusive interview by Kat Schwemmers that was recorded in July of this year.

Secrets Online presents in full, for the first time with X-Factor transcribing - Mr Richard (the) X (who refuses to get a Beckham style hair cut in order to get recognised). Trust him. He's an entertainer.

The interview kicks off with RX talking about a hectic promotional schedule and being under strict orders from Virgin to show his face. 'I'm now a fully fledged pop star' sighs RX (but deep down you know he's loving every minute of it).
'The only reason you see my face today is because Virgin say I have to, so there you go, if they feel ashamed for forcing me to do it then that's their problem,' jokes RX.
Kat, begins the interview by asking about RX's genesis project - the Girls On Top single 'Being Scrubbed'.

KS: How long was this idea in your head?

RX: It wasn't that long before I did the record to be honest, it was just what was happening at the time. I was listening to loads of RnB stuff or had been for a few years. The thing that triggered it probably more was thinking that my ideas would be kind of interesting. I mean I wasn't the first person to do a bootleg and bootlegs at the time were a bit more house, things like Stardust and all that sort of stuff. I met a few more people who were like-minded like the Chicks On Speed. I met them when they come over and I loved their records.
They stayed on my floor when they did 'Eurotrash Girl' it was around that time just a lot of meeting people like that, people who shared the same musical upbringing and loved new wave, punk and electro and all of a sudden they were making records so I thought I'd make a record as well.
So it's a human side to it as well...

KS: A big human side…

RX: A big Human League side…God bless them.

KS: Do you sometimes think that you are undervalued maybe?

RX: Undervalued?

KS: Maybe some people think 'he can just mix some records together…'

RX: I think that's a strength if people just think that. The difference between maybe me and some other people who do bootlegging things is that there is actually a lot of thought and there's supposed to be a lot of heavy statement. It is multiplex for me, it isn't just the two records together - I will say that factitiously.

KS: A lot of details I know…

RX: It is details in it but if some people just hear it as two records mixed together then there is nothing you can do about that especially now if you just hear it on the radio without me doing my manifesto before the record is played, you can't help but think it's just a pop record. People who like music will always look deeper for meaning and context. So you know, it will appeal to music fans I think my music, not the casualist.

KS: So do you develop the songs here?

RX: No, I used to live in North London. Now it's moved up a few levels because I'm making pop records I go to…not expensive studios but ones where they go make you a sandwich in the morning - where I can feel like a pop star.

KS: How long does it take when you have the idea?

RX: I don't know…its all about the inspiration. I don't just sit there mixing these things together, it's the last thing I do with these things. It's taken just over a year and three months to make that album so divide it by fifteen or whatever. So it takes a while. The album doesn't sound like there's been a year spent on it. It's still kinda raw which I like.

KS: But I heard you had an easy ride till now.

RX: Really?! Who told you that?

KS: I read that I think in this new magazine called Trash and I read this article in there or was it your biography?

RX: It might have been sarcastic that would be very likely. It's not been too bad I mean a lot of things got banned and a lot of things weren't available. It wasn't just about getting the certain things - there is a sort of story to the album, a sort of vibe and commentary about the album. I have had to grow up and not cry when things are refused me because that's the way of the world and really this album has given Virgin Records quite a big headache for the legal side because no one has really done it. It is not like the Soulwax album, it's not like a compilation there are lots of complex things in it to deal with legally so they are the ones who've been crying.

KS: But I thought compared to the Soulwax album, your album is totally different. Their album is more a punk record, only the tiniest bits of the songs, only the best bits and you always stick to one song and let it flow…

RX. Yeah…I'm making pop records though so I'm thinking more about…I'm not making a DJ mix thing. I kinda make the things that Soulwax might play.

KS: Do you like the record?

RX: Whose? Mine?

KS: Soulwax 2

RX: Oh I love yeah it cause I think in spirit it's the same thing I'm doing and I don't think it's about bootlegging, it's kind of how you can love a Stooges record and Dolly Parton record and a Vitalic or whatever, you can like all these things at the moment cause their all exciting. So mines as wide ranging as that but I do see it all as pop music. I see everything as a pop single but an album of pop singles.

KS: But did you have contacts to the artists who you bootlegged or was that a Virgin thing?

RX: No, no previously I had contact from TLC, I ended up doing a mix for them of 'Hands Up' and Daniel Miller was playing the record out and I got a signed copy of the Missy one with 'From Timbaland' but at the same time a few of them tried to sue me but not the artists. I mean the artist always appreciates these things, you know the artist if they're into the art of music can like a country band and a dance band. They are only human but it's the record companies who are a bit trickier to deal with.

KS: What did the Human League say?

RX: Well they loved…

KS: They are the band you most…

RX: Well I'm a massive Human League fan and that's kind of my thing I absolutely love it so they heard the original 'Being Scrubbed' and they loved that and I heard a rumour they were going to do a live version of it on one of their shows but I think people might have objected if they weren't getting the Being Boiled at the live show.





Since then, I've met them all and they've been fantastic and they've been really helpful and willing to help out giving their permission but also just speaking to them has been really interesting because they still love pop music.

That's were they came from and even though they are viewed as just an electronic band, they are into soul, they are into disco, they are into everything just as I am and just as most other people are.

But I think with history, history paints them to be just a kind of one dimensional synth band. But it was never like that, Martin and Ian went on to produce things for Tina Turner and I put a record out with them actually called 'The Golden Hour of The Future' which is on my label (Black Melody). Having met them and being round their houses hearing all these mad things that they did in 77… so I'm a big fan anyway.

KS: So why don't you help them make a new record?

RX: I constantly ask them what they're doing. Martin is producing and Ian is doing a few little projects and Phil and the band they're pretty much touring all the time. Phil has done something recently with Kings With Long Arms…

KS: It's a really good track…

RX: but Human League albums take a while to get going I think.

KS: You should help them…

RX: I wouldn't be so presumptuous…but he knows where I am.

KS: Ok I will tell him - I sometimes have contact with them.

RX: Ok…he knows, he's cool.

KS: On this album I would say there are mainstream singers but also very underground singers.

RX: It's not like a trendy collaborators album you know just me and me trendy friends. I did consciously not want to do that but I also wanted to use people who had kind of made weird pop music or what had ended up being weird pop music. Kelis isn't a pop singer but she's from the world of RnB but you know she's had hits that have become crazy pop records because of that's the way the world works. So that's what I look for in most of the artists and some you know from my childhood memories like Deborah from the Flying Lizards, others are artists I've loved in the last few years like Kelis and other people from just last year like Javine. She lost one of these pop (Idol) like Liberty X and she is like just a young up and coming who entered one of these fame programmes, lost, she should have been in Girls Aloud. That has a lot of appeal to me. I love that kind of underdog sort of thing.

So yes, it's a massive weird broad range of people. It doesn't make any sense apart from in my head so there you go, that's the trouble.

KS: But no one can really blame you for anything…

RX: (Laughs manically) I must admit I'm quite surprised it's coming out because it is a weird record to be released today in the pop world. It's not an underground album and its not like Atomic Kitten's album but its sort of being presented as a pop album. I say it's a pop album and when you say something is something people have to try and get their heads around why isn't it not an underground album? So it's a bit like a bit of a grotesque. I am kind of making a statement about unfinished objects whatever so…




KS: One of my favourite tracks on the album is the one with Tiga…woah! I love that one. How did he get on board?

RX: Well he had been emailing me since the first Girls on Top record I think. He got that and we had a bit of correspondence and I met him when he came over to do some promo for Sunglasses at Night and we had a laff and I think we're on the same wavelength and he's coming back next week. We are doing some new tracks.

KS: The lyrics to the songs, who writes them?

RX: A lot of them are nicked from other places. Some aren't but the best thing is if you don't know where these things are from that's my perfect thing for listening to this album even though it is a bootleggy thing, even though it's sampling as with all these things if you don't know where it's from you have a lot more fun and you actually kind of can kind of see them as pieces rather than jigsaws because I think the best ones are the ones where you can't see the join. You don't know…

KS: I sometimes don't know…

RX: If you read the credits when it comes out its sort of self explained but a lot of the sources…it has all ended up being pretty much a similar sort of era you know…my childhood in the early eighties or late seventies but more early eighties so that's why there is probably a unity of sound. It's not an eighties album but it draws a lot from that period.

KS: I like the Jarvis Cocker track too but it's very Pulpy. I would say it is the track which is very close to the artist.

RX: Yeah I think he can't help but he is so Pulp. A few people don't like that one because it's not electronic enough but (for) some people it's their favourite one. This is the weird thing about the album, some of the things people hate other people love. There is something for everyone but it was just supposed to be for me and that's the weird thing…

KS: And for me!

RX: And for you yeah.

KS: Where there some artists who did not want to take part?

RX: I can't name them for political reasons, I think it was more ….you know if people don't understand, they don't want to be involved because they might look a bit foolish maybe…

KS: With vocals or samples?

RX: Pretty much vocals to be honest. Some of it was samples but that wasn't important. I think a few people might have been a bit scared that they might have come across looking a bit weird and of course we like weird but other people don't so you know some people might have been a bit too straight - that I thought might have understood but they didn't.

KS: You should have asked Duran Duran as well

RX: The thing about it is when you say Duran Duran, I never loved Duran Duran…

KS: Really?

RX: Oh I liked the songs but I never loved Duran Duran. I never had this thing going 'that is so fantastic' and so when I come to make this I'm not just sticking things from an era together, its stuff I've actually liked. When it's stuff you actually like, it works but if I'd have done say someone singing over Girls on Film it wouldn't really have been me. So that's what I'm trying to differentiate from other people who may have gone down the bootlegging way, its not just the act of putting two things together, it's what it becomes so hence why if it doesn't really work for me then I can't really do it.
But that kind of illustrates my point…sorry.

KS: Are the some other records that you want to bring to a second fame?

RX: I'm getting to this point now where I'm thinking where is it going to go from here? You know I've got some ideas which don't necessarily involve sampling loads of other people's records again, maybe I'll change my mind in a week or so but I've kind of done…its more the spirit of the times and what I wanted to do with this album. My mission is kind of complete at this point, it's a commentary about modern day pop music made by some sort of pop romantic like myself who pines for an older era and I'm one of millions of people who think things were better in the golden era of our youth but of course it isn't. The modern age is exciting and this is the kind of double bluff of it all, its modern pop music but made by somebody who appears to be a nostalgic fool so you can't keep making this kind of record over and over again.

KS: But some people would say that bootlegging is over?

RX: But that's it and if people just see me as doing that…it doesn't really bother me because everyone's got their cross to bare you know, mine's not necessarily a bad one to bare. But the people who like it will look at this album and go you know there is something else, there was some more thinking behind it.

KS: The people you invited for your record, were they all in the studio with you or did they just send tapes?

RX: Yeah …..I had to touch them (laughs)

KS: How was it to touch Tiga? How was it to touch Jarvis? Tell me come on…

RX: No I…

KS: Was he sweaty?

RX: Stop it! (Kat burst into laughter). No…they were all very well turned out and very neat and tidy. They only one who…was Annie. It was a phone call thing anyway so I rang her up in Norway. Annie is actually the only person I erm…didn't have physical…that sounds really bad. Annie was the only person who wasn't in the studio with us, the rest I had to explain myself to these people.

KS: You had to explain how you wanted it to be…

RX: Yeah. It's not just a case of just sending someone a tape and making do with whatever they've got because you know…I had to have control.

KS: But also Jarvis you had met before.

RX: I met Jarvis cause he was doing…I dunno if you ever saw the Desperate Sound System which was his party DJ-ing night and I played at the first one which was at Homelands and I played to three people because a famous artist was on but it was good you know at that time it might have been a bit weirder and then a year later it was happening. I met him just through the circles I moved in because I did a bit of djing around Old Street and I would bump into him. He liked the first two Girls on Top records so it was kind of…

KS: Do you DJ a lot?

RX: No. I have to do some from now on though.

KS: You have to?

RX: Yeah…

KS: Virgin tells you to promote your album?

RX: Well yeah I have to-to promote the album. When I DJ I will just pull whatever records I have here and one will be a rock one and one will be a house one and one will be a punk one and one will be a dancehall one and some people will like it but more often than not it kinda clears house clubs. I'm going to play Fabric at the end of August so that'll be interesting.

KS: The electroclash thing wasn't really a commercial success!

RX: Hmm, I'm not so sure actually. I don't know about electroclash 'cause I suppose I was on the corner of it as was people like Ladytron but people like Ladytron had been going for years before. I think there's probably only a few records that were particularly electroclash even things like Tiga's thing were more kind of technoey records. The stuff Tiga doing now is kind of unique, it survives outside…

KS: New Romantic…

RX: New Romantic? Its not about synth pop I don't think. There's a label in the States which is something to do with Larry T, that's electroclash for me where its quite style over substance really buttheres a lot of people who have loved and made electronic music for years, its kind of given everyone a bit of a leg up I think. Its weird that people view things like Fischerspooner as a failure 'cause I don't see where it's a failure…

KS: Commercial?

RX: Yeah…commercial failure but they had some good records.

KS: But bands like Client, I don't know if you know them?

RX: No…I've heard of them discussed on message boards and things.

KS: You like Human League so you might like them, they are so equal it's amazing.

RX: My personal thing is the progression of electronic music its like all the bands I used to love when I was a kid were modern. They weren't retro…

KS: And now it's retro…

RX: And now it's retro and we're no better than those indie kids in the 80s who used to like The Byrds and that was like twenty years before. Whether their making rock records now and they made synth records back then like Numan, all of us have to progress and the danger of it becoming a retro scene is it's kind of dead in the water if it becomes a retro scene. I think my records are more RnB orientated than synthpop but you know its kind of that's where I think I'm doing something different because I've got the beats that are a bit more blues rather than (hums a typical early 80s octave bassline and four to the floor drum pattern).

KS: If you would focus only on electronics, you wouldn't maybe get airplay because I think bands like Ladytron, Client don't have lots of airplays…

RX: That's a shame, I'm a big fan of Ladytron…

KS: Me too.

RX: It's difficult to break things in the UK especially…

KS: Especially when it's electronic.

RX: Yeah…it's difficult. To be honest, there's a lot of lazy electronic stuff - it's a pastiche, such a killer trying to recreate some bad records from 81.
It's not something that's particularly well received, you know this is the thing, embracing other modern forms of music is how its going to progress. Its like when Heaven 17 and BEF embraced soul and even doing stuff with Gary Glitter and doing that weird collaborations project.



People who loved the stuff before were confused and maybe got upset but they moved on so it's the same for everyone. It will be the same for me when I become a singer/songwriter.

KS: You plan this? That would be my next question if you really want to write original songs.

RX: I hoped on this album I wouldn't write one original note. At one point I thought it would be a really good thing to do in the modern age to be an artist who doesn't do anything because this is how people view it. People say where is his input? He makes records out of other peoples, he's not even a DJ so what does he do? Its almost like I have servants but of course its all about the imaginary side of it and that's what brings this thing together. I do do all the work, I do put all these records together. I do spend years trying to make them but that's what I thought would look really good. Its like somebody who has absolutely no discernable input of theirs on this record but I let myself down because there are a couple of things I wrote on it so I've spoiled it.

KS: A voice as well of you?

RX: I sing on one of the tracks yeah…

KS: Which one?

RX: I sing on Rock Jacket and there's some other bits hidden in the background.

KS: I thought so. You couldn't resist.

RX: I think I'm actually on the Liberty X thing on one bit I think I'm doing a few Omphs. It's good though.

KS: 'Omph!' oh that's the best part. How did you get into the mood to do the 'Omph'?

RX: It just came out, just came out (Kat laughs).

KS: So there are plans to do a totally different album?

RX: Well I've been thinking, it constantly develops for me and at the moment my heads just in promotion. So when this is done and I get a few weeks off to think and sit down to do some new stuff it'll be what excites me.

KS: A concept album about cheeps? (RX mentioned this as a plan in another magazine).

RX: It could be anything. It could be a concept album about…cheep?

KS: Cheeps,

RX: Chips?

KS: Chips?


RX: Chips as in…food?? What's cheeps?

KS: Sheep?

RX: What's sheep?

KS: Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba!

RX: Oh sheep!

KS: (Kat claps her hands and laughs). Sorry!

RX: Fookin' hell. But this is the joy of it. It's like I could do anything. I loose in a way both ways. If I do the same thing I lose, If I do something different I lose but I see it as winning. It's kinda like I could do anything. I could become David Gray…

KS: Could you imagine producing other people because you have the technical skills?

RX: Hmm yeah I'm getting loads of offers in fact one just appeared just before you did. I got offered to do the new Siobhan - the old Sugababe so I don't know.

KS: Do they post it to you in person?

RX: Yes.

KS: That's nice isn't it?

RX: I don't know. That's just an example of what I would do. I would need to have some sort of input into it. I've always thought of myself more of an artist than just a producer.

KS: Has Madonna asked you?

RX: No…no.

KS: I wonder why she didn't. Next time maybe?

RX: Maybe it's because I'm soiled with all these other pop groups, she didn't get me first. That'll teach her…

KS: That could be the reason. What are you five favourite records? You must have answered this question so many times (a typical Smash Hits-like question from orac circa 1984 along with 'what's your favourite colour?').

RX: No I haven't actually….they do change - I mean I love…

KS: The first one of course must be Human League Dare.


RX: No it's not Dare. I was never a great fan of Dare, I mean I loved it later on but I loved the two that are indistinguishable are probably Travelogue/Reproduction together cause I just love those records when I was growing up. Even stuff like Portishead, anything that was really listenable. I even like Boards of Canada stuff, it changes all the time. I don't have anything's that I love and never changes.

KS: Any artists you want to work with in the future? As producer or perhaps for your own records? Because you always have to look for the voices don't you?

RX: I don't know. Well this is it, its not always about the voices, it's about where they stand. An artist has got to have some attitude, they've got to have some baggage, some history as well. So when you work with someone like Kelis, its not just the voice…

KS: It's the hair.

RX: But your taking someone from a world and puting them in a different world. It's like if you work with a new artist, its difficult but if I work with someone like Billie Piper who I really like. That'll be great because your taking someone whose known doing one thing and getting them to do another.

KS: Is this this little child?

RX: She's not a little child. She's the one married to Chris Evans
(light entertainment producer in the UK).

KS: How old is she?

RX: 20 something. Early 20s…

KS: I think she's not very famous in Germany.

RX: Yeah Billie Piper. I wouldn't mind Billie Piper. I don't know, I'll wait to see who comes to me.

KS: I heard in the UK that singles are not profitable anymore?

RX: Singers?

KS: Singles.

RX: Singles? No it's not. I think Virgin pretty much view them as an album promotion tool but as an art form that's what I live for.

It's the single. One piece of work, that's it. It's either a good single or a bad single so a lot of the stuff I approach on the album has been from the single mentality. So it's about making one complete thing.

KS: How many do you want to put out. Maybe you put out something more underground?

RX: It's not up to me.

KS: Really?

RX: Yeah.

KS: Ok and the last question would be about the title?

RX: Do you know what X-Factor means because I realised this recently when I was in France. This is where it all falls down because X-Factor doesn't have a literal translation outside the UK, it's an expression of speech which over here means a certain something. It means charisma. It's like an invisible thing for why you like something or an invisible thing for why you appreciate something. You would say something like 'I don't know why I like that guy but he has the X-Factor….' And it's a really cheesy expression, so it was the worst title I had and also it kind of suggests a compilation you know what I mean? It suggests like a DJ with his 20-track DJ mix VOL 1 Ex-Factor so that's a bit tongue in cheek. I don't know, I'll probably come to regret it in years to come...

KS: So you only really do things you love and like...

RX: I try to otherwise if you're not honest about things in your love for stuff than you'll just come a cropper. There would be nothing to talk about, nothing to say about an album if it wasn't personal.

KS: Can you predict what the next big thing will be in pop/dance/electronic music?

RX: Not really. You have to look in diffrent areas. If you wanna hear modern electronic music you should be listening to Garage. You should be listening to some of the more underground R&B things. Thats were you got all the electronics we used to like and it's modern. But people don't look for records anymore they just wait to read about it and they're given things on a plate. None of these people are looking for themselves finding new things. The other thing is so many artist are under pressure to be immediately commercially succesful. Even on an underground level. If a band doesn't have a deal after a year they are considered stale and they are going nowhere in the London electronic band scene. There are a lot of bands who haven't got deals who doing stuff for a couple of years. People view it as a kind of failure but they are not of course.

KS: Do you follow this scene? Do you go out and see these bands?

RX: I have done. I must admit, I haven't seen many I really enjoyed. I used to go out a lot with the Rough Trade people and they had a lot of good bands playing.

KS: So you are also into rock'n'roll bands?

RX: There is nothing wrong with a little bit of rock'n'roll. But everything is so retro at the moment. And even I love retro and my album is retro but my album is more modern thinking. It is about the future. It's not about a future that already past. I think too many just doing pastiche which is a killer. The biggist killer of musicians. Especially in rock.

KS: Are you familar with the german electronic or dance scene? You mentioned Chicks on Speed earlier...

RX: I like the Gigolo acts, I like a lot of that stuff. My friends of the Fat Truckers just signed to Gigolo Records. I did a mix for Louie Austen and Peaches for the song "grab my shaft". For me it was two years ago when it was really exciting. Peaches and Cobra Killer came over here and played some gigs. But now there doesn't seem to be a next generation. I can't believe that Chicks on Speed are around for 4 or 5 years already. And Peaches for 3 years...

KS: Perhaps Berlin is a bit passé...

RX: But it shouldn't be like this. So much attention is on France at the moment. It's all about fashion. At the moment Chicks on Speed probably have a hard time because 3 years ago they were ultra trendy and now as you say Berlin is a bit passé. But people shouldn't have this problem. It's all that quality that work. It's not good to link to anything. It's the same with bootlegging. Now some people can see I moved a bit from my origin which is cool. But it doesn't really matter even if it's the most unfashionable thing of all times. Now in London it is a killer! But I survive. And if I can survive others can survive.

KS: And you make the big money...

RX: Who?

KS: You!

RX: When?

KS: With this record?

RX: But there is nothing I own on it! If you wanna get rich you should own a record company. (speaks with an ironic tone in his voice and giggles) The money is not important to me anyway...

Richard X official website / Black Melody

'RX Presents His X-Factor Vol 1' is released on Virgin Records and can be ordered here.

Interview © Kat Schwemmers 2003 - transcribed & edited by orac. Additional MD editing: Kat

All images © of their respective owners - Liberty X/Maxim - no infringement of © is intended - please contact the site if there is a problem : webmaster@leagueonline.f2s.com

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