Tag Archives: Art of Fighters

Articles, Events, Reviews

Hard Electronic: 25 Year of Industrial Strength Records, Los Angeles Event Review

Anyone trying to coordinate going to a show with friends knows it isn’t always easy, and this night was no exception. After much anticipation, my friends and I were finally on our way after quite a bit of drama- One friend of mine, Matt, had just spent the last 6hrs in traffic driving to my house all the way from San Diego, while my other friend, Tyler, had a mini-emergency losing his wallet (with his ID) earlier in the day, only to find it again about 20mins before coming to my house, and lastly, my friend Angel wanted us to pick him up on the way to the venue. But at last, the emotional rollercoaster of just wanting to get to the show so we could go party was over, and it was time to go! I had been looking forward to this show for months and my anticipation had built to the point where I was bursting with excitement! The night ahead promised some of the leading names in hardcore, and was to celebrate 25 Years of the Industrial Strength Records label.

Hard Electronic: 25 Year of Industrial Strength Records lineup featured artists Deadly Buda, Cik, Fiend, Rob Gee, Lenny Dee, Tymon, Unexist, The Sickest Squad and Art of Fighters. After passing through security and catching up with some friends, I walked onto the dance floor and prepared myself for the acts I had been looking forward to for months now. I was especially was excited that night to see Art of Fighters, Unexist, The Sickest Squad, Rob Gee and Lenny Dee… it was shortly after seeing the timeslots that I discovered Lenny Dee was not on the lineup. I later found out that Lenny had injured himself and his doctor did not recommend him to fly and risk further injury.

Lenny made the following statement on Facebook to his fans:

“My love goes out to the LA crew for making it happen. Respect. West Coast Kicking Ass!!! Get ready for Hard Electronic 2.0 coming in 2017. There is no stopping what can’t be stopped…”

We wish for your speedy recovery Lenny, but once I learned of your injury I knew that the night must go on as you had intended it to!

At this point, the much-awaited US appearance of Art of Fighters took to the stage. Throughout the crowded room you could see fans waving Art of Fighters and Hardcore Italia flags, and the signature Art of Fighters hardcore sound filled the room with catchy melodies and defiant lyrics. Art of Fighters set included classic tracks including ‘Nirvana of Noise’, and eventually ended with ‘Oh My Sun.’

Art of Fighters at Hard Electronic: 25 Year of Industrial Strength Records, Los Angeles
Art of Fighters at Hard Electronic: 25 Year of Industrial Strength Records, Los Angeles

Following Art of Fighters was Unexist, who changed the atmosphere in the room from the melodies of Art of Fighters, to a much more brutal sound. If Art of Fighters set could be described as ‘energizing’, then Unexist’s set would be described as ‘aggressive.’ One such track that he played that exemplifies this aggressiveness was ‘Devil’s Son”.

As Unexist’s set ended The Sickest Squad took to the stage to bring their own unique brand of Frenchcore (they aptly nicknamed Sickcore) to the party. For me personally, I was just as excited for The Sickest Squad as much as I was for a Frenchcore act to perform, as US doesn’t get much Frenchcore. For those unfamiliar with Frenchcore, the sound is an entirely unique variation of the hardcore sound. Tracks often feature samples of odd instruments not normally heard in electronic music playing symphonic melodies, as well as chanting or rambling of lyrics, and the bass vibrates similar to how reverse bass is for Hardstyle. The Sickest Squad’s set included their classic ‘Boomshakalaka’, as well as their new track with Dr. Peacock ‘Frenchcore Family’ (Vive La Frenchcore 2016 Anthem).

Appropriately slated to close out the night with a dose of Gabber was American legend Rob Gee. Rob started his set by recognizing the Industrial Strength Label for achieving the 25-year milestone, and we all took a moment to pay respect to Lenny Dee who, even though he couldn’t be there with us in person, was certainly there in spirit. Rob opened with one of his classic gabber tracks, ‘Pollywaggachuggabonka’ and ‘Coming At You Strong’, before working in some of his newer tracks ‘Dark Universe’ and ‘Caramba!’ into his set, all while entertaining the crowd with his animated, high energy personality.

Industrial Strength RecordsThroughout the night I was excited to see so many familiar faces, but one thing that I noticed was a definite, mature presence in the crowd as well. 25 Years of Industrial Strength Records meant that some of these people had been listing to hardcore more years than others at the party had been alive! That night I spoke to several who recounted their memories of their first shows in the 90’s held in warehouses, about their early Industrial Strength and Thunderdome vinyls, and it was interesting to hear their perspective of how the scene had grown and changed over the years. Trauma has a great ability to blend the past and the present in their shows in a really enjoyable way, and I have always respected and appreciated the origins of this scene. Ultimately, I would say the 25 years of the Industrial Strength Records was a massive success entertaining both new and old alike, and I look forward to more hardcore in the future!

Articles, RANKED!

ART OF FIGHTERS: RANKED! 5 Arty Tracks!

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Under the masks, Art of Fighters, or AoF, is a musical trio of Italian hardcore and gabber DJs and producers Cristian Nardelli, Luca Lorini and Matteo Pitossi. The three artists’ musical journey started in 1997, back when they were teenagers and still rookies in the hardcore world. They produced their first E.P.”The Beat Can’t Change” in 2000, at the age of 18. They then went out to make their biggest hit yet, “Artwork”. This track is definitely what turned them into big players in the international hardcore scene.

Art of Fighters make a reputation for themselves by performing in different clubs in all of the European continent, mostly in Italy, The Netherlands, Germany and Spain. They are also famous for their unique live-sets: They always perform wearing scary hockey masks, like the one seen in the movie “Friday 13th”.

From 1997 to now, Art of Fighters have been playing in several parties and festivals and their rise to fame have been basically unstoppable since then. They are now a reference in the hardcore international scene, not only in Europe, but in other countries where the hardcore genre is still considered very underground such as Japan, Australia, the US or even some South American countries.

Their sounds are known to be raw, powerful and hard, as you can see it (well, hear it actually) in the 5 tracks bellow. Enjoy it!

  1. Artwork:

This track defines perfectly the nature of Art of Fighters’ style. Quick, rough and energetic, you will probably start dancing to it without realizing it.

  1. Nirvana of Noise:

The sounds are dark, mysterious and powerful. I can already imagine this track in an action movie scene or some dark British TV show (the British really know how to make dark TV shows, let’s give them that).

  1. Goodbye (See you next time):

The sounds in this track are a little bit more soft and rhythmic. You’ll listen to it, dance to it, and appreciate it in all its genius.

  1. A New Today:

A collaboration that is definitely worth the detour! This mix of deeply hard sounds, energetic rhythm and Lily Julian’s voice will leave you panting.

  1. Words of War:

This is where you discover that, more than just producers, Art of Fighters are storytellers. You will enjoy the scenario of this track as much as the sounds.

Art of Fighters are now a force to reckon with in the hardcore industry. Their unique, special sounds turned them into one of the biggest names on the scene and they’re not slowing down.

Follow them on their Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/artoffighters/

 

Articles, RANKED!

THE MELODYST: 5 Rippin’ Tracks Ranked!

Before meeting each other, Matt Muscarella and Simone Paradiso were just two young men living in Milan, sharing the same passion for producing music, more specifically, the hardcore genre. Then they met, and instantly hit it off, musically speaking. So they decided to start a producing duo named The Melodyst, which later would become one of the most unique hardcore duos out there.

They made their first steps in 2008, mostly just making music for their own pleasure, until 2011, when they went professional and signed their first contract with Rotterdam Records. In 2014, they realized their dream of signing with what they call their “reference for hardcore music”, Traxtorm Records.

The Melodyst have many influences, but they stated the CEO of the second label they signed in, Next Cyclone, as their biggest one. They stated in an interview that their music will always have a bit of Cristian: Art of Fighter in it, because he has taught them most of what they know about creating and producing music.

Despite being newcomers in the musical world, they have been getting a lot of attention and praise from many other professionals in their field. This makes them one of the most promising groups on the hardcore scene.

So, without further ado, here are The Melodyst’s 5 sickest tracks ever. Enjoy them!

  1. Partycrasher:

Starting with a melody known to most people’s ears, this track quickly dives into the hardcore techno side. The beats will most definitely please the party animal hiding in each one of us!

  1. Hardcore Domination:

This track is a little bit on the softer side compared the first one. It is, nonetheless, extremely catchy and will make you dance without realizing it. It’s only when you’ll notice people looking weirdly at you in the subway that you’ll know that you have been head banging in silent like a lunatic (not that it wouldn’t be worth it).

  1. Personal Demon:

This one is a little bit different, with darker sounds to it in the middle. Still, it’s the perfect party song for people who don’t mind celebrating their personal demons.

  1. Raveolusion:

As we can see it, hardcore is alive and well! The voice singing the revolution in this track adds a little bit of rage, indignation and life to it.

  1. Flame of life:

Darker and more mysterious, this track would perfectly fit in some alternative heavy metal album.

The Melodyst’s first E.P. on Traxtorm is different from what they have done before. It is very melodic, with a particular ambiance to it. It’s not just plain hardcore, but a mix of different musical genres like pop, rock and funk. This decision didn’t come as a surprise to their fans, since it perfectly represents the duo’s young and innovative state of mind.

Wicked, eclectic and melodic, that is The Melodyst’s emblem, and they sure are faithful to it!

For more on The Melodyst, look up their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/TheMelodyst/

Articles, Interviews

Art of Fighters – The Interview

Straight out of Italy, Art of Fighters have been bringing their particular flavor of hardcore music for nearly 2 decades. The Art of Fighters history began in the year 1997 and their career took off as one of the fastest in the scene. It was the year 2000 and they were just 18 years old when they jumped onto the biggest European stages playing their first hit tracks ‘Artwork‘ and ‘Earthquake‘ while wearing their trademark: the terrifying hockey mask, similar to the one seen in the movie ‘Friday the 13th’.

Since then, they have been unstoppable: spreading throughout the entirety of Europe, USA, Japan, South America and Australia. They have continued to produce track after track, becoming one of the leading acts of todays Hardcore scene. Creators of anthems for the biggest events as Dominator, Thunderdome and Q-Base, their sound is constantly evolving. A sound which can be described as a unique mix of harmony and technicality, with the rawness and power that you expect to be found in a proper hardcore track.

Art of Fighters
Art of Fighters

It’s a pleasure to be interviewing you! Could you tell us a little but about yourselves? How do you know each other? Did you always know you wanted to be DJs?

Ciao America, we are Luca and  Cristian and we are Art of Fighters! We are producers from Italy, land of good food, good people and good music (in my personal opinion).
(Cristian) I have know Luca since I was a kid, we grew up together as neighbours and we spent all the childhood together. I know him since 30years, it’s my fourth brother, even if he is from another mother.

Can you tell me a little bit about the story behind you’re DJ name? How did you come up with the name ‘Art of Fighters’?

At the time we sent our first demo to The Stunned Guys our name was “Armageddon”. It was a cool one, around 15 demos, ranging from 200/400BPM, except a couple of them which were around 150bpm.
Long story short, Maxx suggested us to put into the trashcan all the tracks except the slower ones, and to find a new name cause it was a bit overused. We already had our first logo, so we had to pick up something starting with an “A”.
Our second choice was “Art of Warriors”, also taken so we went from ‘Warriors’ to ‘Fighters’ and voilà! Years later I realized how important that decision was. We became that name, and now more than ever we are fighting for our Art, which is the music and the message we are trying to spread around the world.

How did Art of Fighters get started? Did you ever expect to grow to the notoriety and recognition you have today?

We started in the basement of my parents house, using nothing else than a Pentium computer and Fast Tracker 2. Why?! I still have no idea, probably bored or just curious about how music was made.
And no, never expected to make it a full time job, also because back then (first demos are dated around 1996/97) the dj wasn’t at all a recognized figure, it was more like an outcast. You had to do it just because you liked to. We are lucky that people like what we do and support us. We’ll try to not disappoint them and stay true to our Core.

Tell me a little bit about why you wear masks and their designs? Do they mean anything special?

The idea of the masks comes from the man that taught us how to mix, DJ Tetta. We had to play a b2b set in Switzerland in early 2001 and he came with the idea of jumping on stage with those white masks and white jumpsuits. We loved the idea and kept using them. After few months we decided to personalize the mask a little bit (here’s why the different design for each one of us) and somewhere around the 2006 we hired someone to make the ones we’re using right now, which (as what the creator said) are made using the mold from the original Jason 13th movie.

(Niko e Tetta, Art of Fighters circa 2001)
(Niko e Tetta, Art of Fighters circa 2001)

Here you can see the pictures of the first time we used those masks. The design is a bit different from what we use now:

Would you have ever seen yourselves coming to perform the USA? How do you think playing for a US crowd will be different from playing in Europe, what do you expect? Are there any new tracks you plan to drop, or any tracks you are particularly excited to play for the US crowd?

This year was full of unexpected gigs. We also did Colombia and Japan, and about to set foot in Canada aswell. And every one of those gigs is a blessing.
We love to travel, see different cultures, people and situations. I belive we are all the same but still very different, the idea of party in Italy is different that the one in France or Japan, and I bet my ass that US is a different scenario aswell.
As they taught us, you have to adapt in real time to the dancefloor, I’ll try to showcase all our music, which goes from 150bpm to over 200bpm!(I use the singular since it will be a solo dj performance in the US… Luca will be unable to join me due to technical reasons).

Do you think Traxtorm Ganstaz Allied could make a US performance in the future? (DJ team consisting of members Unexist, The Stunned Guys, Mad Dog and Art of Fighters)

I really hope so, and not just in the US!

Art of Fighters
Art of Fighters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are there any upcoming releases or future collabs you can share with us? Anything you’re particularly excited about that we should be watching for?

We’re finishing as we speak two tracks, in collaboration with a really talented and underestimated friend and producer which is Dj Predator. A mix of Early rave, Drum and Bass, Mainstyle Uptempo with a touch of Neurofunk. We Love It.
There’s also an Hardcore Italia compilation mixed by us and about to be released in Japan. Lot of fresh and cool music and idea over there from a lot of new producers and talents. Keep an eye on it.
And also working on something different for 2017. If it will work I’ll talk about it in another edition of Hard Data.

Fantastic! Is there anything else you’d like to say to the readers on the Hard Data?

Yes. A scene without a crowd is not a scene, and a dj without a public is just an expensive cdplayer. So please, support the US scene and attend every party you can!

For me personally, listening to en episode of the Hardcore Italia podcast mixed by an Art of Fighters is what sparked my interest in hardcore music and I am very excited to see them perform here in Los Angeles! Catch them on the USA stops of the Industrial Strength Records 25yr Anniversary world tour, performing in Los Angeles, CA on November 18th, and in Brooklyn, NY on November 19th.