Underware is riding bikes instead of cars, preaching love, and yes, playing soccer, as well as publishing their own typefaces & publications. Three men, one mission: blow away the dust from type-design by throwing it on the street.

Typeradio is a paradox in terms. Type is printed and radio talks. Typeradio is naturally speech on type.
It is a MicroFM broadcast, a MP3 radio stream, a podcast station and a show! Initiated in 2004 by Underware (Akiem Helming, Bas Jacobs and Sami Kortemaki), a graphic design studio which specialises in designing and producing typefaces, in collaboration with DBXL – graphic and type designer Donald Beekman and LoveLiza – Liza Enebeis also a graphic designer.

Typeradio visits design events around the world, to meet designers and to talk.

But what’s the big deal? Radio is almost an extinct medium and yet the listeners multiply with every new broadcast session. Typo Berlin 2004 welcomed 1300 listeners, at TypeCon NY 2005 we had 3000 listeners, Atypi Finland 2005 was even bigger. Maybe it’s because the designers are not only talking about kerning, point sizes and glyphs, but they are also talking about their favorite recipes, their political views, cheating, their families, their strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes they even start singing, creating an intimacy with the listener. It’s the pause in the answer when the question is asked: ‘Do you cheat?’. The abruptness in answer when asked: ‘How many illegal fonts do you have?’. The tone of voice when answering ‘Are you famous?’. The listener is in control to judge his favorite designer. And if the listener wants to download Christian Schwartz’s talk about chicken stock for 12 hours or John Sherman talking about Eric Gill being a very very naughty man, be our guest.

Now stop reading and listen to www.typeradio.org !