We are nearly two weeks away from one of THE biggest hardcore parties of the year! Next up on our #RoadtoGabbermania series of interviews is, in this writer’s opinion, the single most incredible spectacle (and very good friend) that American hardcore has ever been graced with. Providing us with one of the breakfast sets (potentially) at GABBERFEST this year is none other than Las Vegas native, and he hardly needs an introduction (we all know who this man is), SYSTEM MALFUNCTION!
How did you decide on your stage name?
Made it up one day.
How did you start producing/DJ’ing?
Experienced hard dance music for the first time in 2012 and I wanted to share the incredible feeling with others!
And how did that all come about?
Q-Dance had a stage at EDC 2012, I had never heard hardstyle (or hardcore) before that, and that was the best electronic music I had ever heard. I started in hardstyle, because what it offered (a harder, more abrasive sound) was enticing to me… then I found hardcore and it was game over.
What changes have you noticed in your local rave/hard dance scene since you started?
A lot more people, and in my scene, not many ass-hats to deal with. The mainstream stuff has been overwhelmed with the exact people I, and others like me, absolutely despise.
What do you think about the current state of harder styles in America?
Still too small, and no growth currently. Basscon has sold 5k tickets to the same venue, across multiple instances, for the last 18 months, very little improvement/increase (maybe 200-300 more tickets sold year over year). Apocalypto, same amount of tickets sold year after year… There’s just no growth. Something big has to happen, or it will stay about as big as it is, which is a shame, because these parties should be larger. My preference of course is hardcore, and for that, there is even a smaller target audience.
What is your goal with your music overall?
My goal is to entertain the audience while still playing music I enjoy. To be fully honest, my main goal in DJing, besides reaching people with music that can change their lives, is to build a scene large enough where I don’t have to be the one playing hardcore on the stage, but instead can be in the crowd enjoying myself.
What can we expect from you at Gabberfest this year?
I’m usually asked to open Gabberfest, and that time slot fits well for modern mainstream hardcore. I have a fetish for the Italian stuff, so expect a lot of Brutale, Hardcore Italia, and Next Cyclone.
Anything else you would like to say? Do you have any upcoming projects or tours to promote, or anything special or shout outs you want to say?
Shout out to everyone working in the hard dance scene. You could throw house/trap/generic parties and make a lot more money, but you do this for the love. Mad respect to that.
Stay up to date with System Malfunction as he is literally EVERYWHERE hard dance music is throughout America on his Facebook page!
