There are only a handful of female hardcore producers in the game, but none more vicious and underrated than Day-Mar. Her latest release showcases the most recent experimentation of her sound with both ‘Luxury’ and ‘Sometimes’ running at 196 BPM. Of course, each track has their own feminine touch: the vocals of ‘Luxury’ being the thuggish ruggish chick, and ‘Sometimes’ being the soulful and sexy icon, but both still remain harder and edgier which gives this bad ass beauty her advantage.
Tag Archives: Daybreaker
Techno Gets Belligerent at the Madhouse!
Upon arriving, I thought I was lost: that somewhere between the caged liquor store and the tagged up strip malls, there may have once been a building in between that stood as the ground zero for hardcore parties in San Bernardino, CA. After I pulled over to the side of the road and started observing the area, I had noticed that there were security personnel outside the door to some kind of establishment. Could this be it? It can’t be. It doesn’t look like it. After waiting a little while, attempting to figure out if this location was correct, a car had pulled up with a group of kids that were all glammed out in brightly colored bracelets and necklaces; I guess this IS it: the sign says Arrowhead Elk’s Lodge #896, but behind its decaying walls the silent screams of bass lines ensued which meant that I was about to enter the Madhouse. Welcome to the hardcore underground.
The place had been transformed into a fortress of sound both inside and out. DJNC Odie and the Desert Rats took control of the outside stage while the Techno Belligerent crew established rule inside. HellNegative opened the night with Drum & Bass. It was three years ago that he had to leave us, ever since then his return has been highly anticipated, and the fact that I happened to be in town at the same time is an amazing happenstance. The rest of the night I was in utter mystery and surprise with a stacked lineup filled with names that I was unfamiliar with. I’ll say ahead of time that California is riddled with pure talent regarding the hardcore scene.
The eerie productions of Invisible Robots followed by the ruthless, cut-up Breakcore lines of Producer Snafu generated so much creative response in me and certainly the rest of the room. BC Rydah took the stage at midnight and pushed that creative boundary even further. This man has a signature sound that needs to be heard! Unless my ears deceived me, I could’ve sworn that Chicago Footwork (a guilty pleasure of mine) made it into the mixture, which yields the utmost respect for THE best breaks DJ I’ve heard in my time. Blackened speedcore was also admitted inside the Madhouse as the night grewer darker: Acid Enema! Abhorrent (vocalist and one-half of the Las Vegas based duo) performed a DJ set and live vocal session (provided in part by AngelEnemy), which was a perfect lead in for Virtue, one half of the GabberTwinz, and the ringleader himself: ARCID who closed out the night just before the sun was set to rise.
For the first time, I had experienced the mad and the macabre that I’ve only heard about from states away. And to quote the movie “Demons” (as are the radical Techno Belligerent crew and all the talent who were behind the decks): “They will make cemeteries their cathedrals and the cities will be YOUR tombs!” – Thank you to Desert Rats and Techno Belligerent crew for the memories and I can’t wait until the next one. And thank you to the dedicated crowd that showed up and supported as well! Without you directly, parties like this can’t happen!
Utah Finally Gets Lucky: A Field Report from the Beehive State
When word started to spread over social media about Utah’s upcoming annual St. Patrick’s themed rave ‘Get Lucky’, the hype surrounding the event was insurmountable. Utah’s sole proprietor of electronic music, V2 Presents, had started to announce the lineup in phases. It wasn’t long after the announcement of the Disciple Tour members Barely Alive, Dodge & Fuski, and Astronaut did the company announce the arrival of Lady Faith and the Italian legend himself TECHNOBOY! At that moment, it was decided instantaneously that I would be attending this gold and green massive for the first time ever.
Technoboy appeared at midnight to a tightly packed and maniac crowd (who surprisingly remained throughout the entire two hours of Hardstyle)! As he played through all the popular main stage bangers, he also played some more aggressive tracks at the end of his set (however there was no appearance of his Qlimax 2008 anthem ‘Next Dimensional World’, but that was only a minor disappointment) and that aggression was absorbed and distributed outward by the crowd as some mosh pits were opened and people were being launched into the air. But now, it was time to make way for the “Queen Bitch of the Universe”, LADY FAITH! This stunning woman kept that same amount of energy and aggression going throughout the last hour ending on a Rawstyle note; if only I was able to remember her last track! Unfortunately, due to the time change at the 2:00 am hour, the venue had to quickly close up as it was now in violation of our local laws (shows/events may not continue past two in the morning) and due to the force out by venue security, I was unable to get an interview with either one of the stars shortly after Lady Faith’s set.
At the end of the night, however, it was empowering and reassuring to see the impact of Hardstyle on the local crowd. Utah clearly has the intense desire and passion for the harder styles and by some stroke of luck (or the right people in the right ears) V2 managed to pull through for all us (finally!). We can only hope that they were there to witness the certain impact of their workings and that this event will prompt them to bring out even more Hard acts to the Great Salt Lake.
All photos courtesy of: @ballenmedia
Meccano Twins Interview from the Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016
Name: Jose Sendra
Age: 30
City: Milan, Italy
The Meccano Twins project started out in 2003 from the idea of the two Art of Fighters members (Luca & Cristian), driven by the need to create a new breed of music: a blend of mainstream Hardcore together with Darkcore. Once Jose became the new producer and front man for the act, his arrival immediately opened up a new plane for all kinds of experimental Hardcore music. And now finally, America is about to witness the dark and twisted underworld of Hardcore and what a better tour guide to have than Mr. Jose Sendra: the Meccano Twins! You can see Meccano Twins on February 19th in Mesa, Arizona. February 20th in Denver, Colorado. February 26th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and February 27th in Brooklyn, New York.
Were you a DJ first, or a producer?
My career started as a DJ, under the name ‘Hardrebel’. It was when the ‘Art of Fighters’ became ‘Meccano Twins’ that I started producing tracks with the guidance of Cristian (one half of the Art of Fighters).
How did you get into the Hardcore scene?
I was already a big fan of Hardcore music. Later on, it wasn’t enough to just listen to it so I began my career as a DJ.
What was the first record you ever purchased?
It’s so hard to answer this question, but I think it was in the early 2000s. I’m sure it was an Enzyme EP because I was and still am a big Enzyme Records fan. And I still could never find the Enzyme K7-2 record!
Who was your biggest inspiration in the early part of your career?
Easy, just read my response above! For me a lot of Enzyme artists in the early 2000s, such as Ophidian, Nosferatu, and Endymion.
Would you describe your very first DJ gig?
I remember that day very well because my first gig was under ‘Meccano Twins’ at the Dominator Festival! I was so scared and excited because it was my first time playing in front of thousands of people. That was one of THE best days of my life!
What was your favorite party you’ve ever played? Why?
Difficult question because there are many factors to consider; a lot of big festivals are fun because of the scenery and the amount of people that attend, but for me the small parties leave something more because you have more contact with the public. For me that’s much more important.
Did you ever think you would be touring the United States? What do you think the Trauma Tour will be like?
Honestly, no! I’ve always hoped but I did not believe it would happen. When they informed me of the tour, I was very happy to know that I finally get to visit and play in the U.S.. I’m very curious to see the American [Hardcore] scene.
What is your favorite track that you have produced?
All of them! (Laughs) But really, each track is very important to me. Maybe ‘Combustion’ because it was produced during a very important period of my life.
What advice would you give to up-and-coming Hardcore producers?
Always be yourself! Of course, listening to advice, but never let them change your ideas.
What are your top 3 favorite tracks of all time? Why?
My most favorite track ever is So Many Sacrifices by Ophidian!
What was your favorite track of 2015 (that wasn’t your own)?
In 2015, for me, wasn’t a great year for Hardcore; there weren’t a lot of beautiful tracks. But excluding my own tracks, my favorites were ‘Underground Existence’ by Unexist and ‘Crispy Bassdrum’ by N-Vitral.
Are there any exciting projects or gigs coming up you want our readers to know about?
Yes! This year I’m working hard with a lot of collaborations and a new Brutale EP!! This will be a year with many surprises so make sure that you stay tuned to my social media!
What artists would you like to collaborate with that you haven’t already?
I’m a big fan of Ophidian; it would be a dream come true to do a collaboration with him. And I would be curious to do some work with N-Vitral.
If there’s anything we haven’t asked, what else would you like to say to the readers of The Hard Data? What can they expect from you on this tour?
I hope to meet all the American fans! I want to see the same passion and love from them that I give for this music! See you soon USA and remember be “Brutale”!
Digital Punk Interview from the Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016
Digital Punk is the prophet of Raw Hardstyle that the U.S. has been waiting for. Though he has been in the game for quite a long time, it was with his ‘Unleashed’ series of podcasts and events that skyrocketed his name to the top of the list of “must know Rawstyle artists”. This man is a “Firestorm” of aggression and his dedication to his music and his fans are what makes his appearance on this tour vital to the progression of hard bass music in our scene. Digital Punk will be appearing in Mesa, Arizona on February 19th, Denver, Colorado on February 20th, and will playing at Basscon’s Wasteland on March 5th in Los Angeles, California!
What inspired your stage name?
There was a local DJ contest that I won! The only thing I didn’t have yet was a DJ name. I was a big fan of the track ‘Punk’ from Ferry Corsten. So ‘Digital Punk’ was born.
Were you a DJ first, or a producer?
Both to be honest.
How did you get into the scene?
A friend of mine was already a DJ. I already liked Hardstyle because every weekend I was going out to different clubs that played harder house music. So, naturally, I bought my first computer to produce music and bought my first DJ set. The first track I produced got me a contract at Seismic records back in 2005!
What was the first record you ever purchased?
Geal – Losin’ my Feeling (The Beholder & Ballistic Remix)
Who was your biggest inspiration in the early part of your career?
The Beholder & Max Enforcer!
Describe your first DJ gig ever?
It was terrible (laughs). I practiced a lot at home, but I had no experience whatsoever; so I didn’t know what to do with the delay in the monitors for instance. My second gig went a lot better!
What was your favorite party you’ve ever played? Why?
Hard to tell actually… I have so many amazing memories. I guess my #1 is ‘Supremacy 2015’. I made the anthem for the party and got to fly over the crowd in a DJ booth when I was playing!
What was the funniest moment during any of your performances?
So many funny moments! But one of them was stage diving for the first time! MC Da Syndrome put me on the spot. I was jumping on a set of speakers in front of the crowd when he yelled ‘Catch Digital Punk! He is going to stage dive right now!’. I had no choice and jumped right in! Luckily they catched me, haha!
What important changes have you witnessed from the time you got into the scene, until now?
Music evolves constantly; It’s a natural process. Over time, music became more professional. Besides that, it has become very big worldwide.
Did you ever think you would be touring the United States? What do you think the Trauma Tour will be like?
I can’t wait to play in America. It will be my first time and I’m excited to meet my fans here. There are more shows planned so I can’t wait to Unleash the States!
What made you want to start producing Hardstyle music?
I was born to make music. When I was 4 I played guitar. When I was 10 I played drums. By the time I was 17 I produced all kinds of music. Hardstyle was becoming my biggest interest, because I wanted to make hits like The Beholder & Max Enforcer did! When I heard a new track from those guys I was like “Wow, I want to make music like this!”
What is your favorite track that you have produced?
Hmmm, I have a lot of favorite tracks. I guess ‘Firestorm’ is one of my favorites.
What advice would you give to up and coming Hardcore/Hardstyle producers?
Let yourself be inspired by other producers, but don’t be a copycat; do your own thing!
