Music Report: Radio Vacarme

We caught up with the team behind Radio Vacarme – the feminist and queer webradio.

This dynamic group of friends – Chloé P, Winona, Delphine, Federica, Chloé V, and Mathilde – are the driving force behind this creative project.

How did you all meet?

Chloé P and Delphine were very close friends already, then through social media and friends of friends Federica and Winona got in touch with Chloé and met her to know more about her idea of creating a queer and feminist webradio here in Brussels – that’s how we created the core team.

After a few months, Chloé V reached out to us to start her traineeship with RV and joined the team. And last but not least, Mathilde joined us few months back as she was part of a resident collective of RV.

What motivated you to create Radio Vacarme?

When Chloé P had the idea, there was no queer and feminist webradio in Brussels, so this fuelled us into creating it. But this would not have lasted long enough, if we wouldn’t have been women, feminist, queer ourselves.

We share the same values and wanted to promote them in a particular way, using the tool of the radio which is a creative and direct one, that tries to not exclude anyone.

How did you get into music and radio?

Although we have completely different tastes when it comes to music genres, we are all music lovers, and cannot imagine our lives without it!

As simple as it can sound, music soothes our lives in a world that sometimes is too noisy.

Chloé P, Delphine and Winona have already had radio experiences, Chloé V is doing another traineeship and hosts every Thursday a radio show, Mathilde is a DJ, Federica a professional raver, so we are all somehow linked to this beautiful world.

How would you describe Radio Vacarme?

Radio Vacarme is a place of love, safety, growth, that we are all building step by step and with a lot of effort because we believe in it.

RV is a tool for us, for our residents, for our followers for feminist and queer militantism, that creates art and culture in a kind and badass way.

Who can we hear on Radio Vacarme?

We have around 40 residents – mentioning them all here would be too long, but if you check on our website you can find all their names, and their shows.

Federica would love Narciss, fangirling all the time for them!!

Most of all, we are welcoming everyone who is part of the community – we really want to promote the amazing talented humans who are willing to join us!

Where do you see Radio Vacarme in one year from now?

Still growing, still in Brussels, but hopefully with a finished and built and working studio. Yes, you have to know that we broadcast from the Brasseries Illegaal and, together with a group of super cool young architects we are building a cabin in the courtyard of the brewery, and it will become our studio!

If anyone wants to contribute and help us, you can either donate, or come and help us build it, or just tell your friends, or cheer for us while we are working.

We would also like to work with associations in our neighbourhood, giving people of the community access to the radio, creating a lot of workshops to educate about DJing, creating podcasts, and music production.

Who are some of the Brussels artists or artistic collectives that inspire you?

Not your techno, Missfitte, Poxcat collective, La +32, Á l’aise bien, Psst Mlle, Fatsabbats, Dechaine.es, Collectif Susu, Les volumineuses, Les sous-entendues, Bledartes collective – and so many more we can’t even list everyone!

What do you love most about Brussels?

Radio Vacarme of course! No, apart from our team, RV’s residents, Illegaal, we love the fact that Brussels manages to stay cool and unblemished in some areas.

There are always a lot of different things to do – for different tastes and needs – and it is just a big village where everyone knows everyone more or less.

Bruxelles ma belle ou ma poubelle, we love you!

Find out more about Radio Vacarme