Another interview featuring long time member of AZ Hardcore Junkie and played AZHC XX – Arizona Hardcore’s 20 year celebration last weekend. Talking about the future of hardcore in America.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/282085574″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
We have an audio interview featuring Fight, all the way from France talking about AZ Hardcore Scene, Uptempo, and The Future of Hardcore.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/282085180″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Doubters, naysayers and skeptical sub-haters came outta the woodwork after my “Bulletproof at EDC/Gabberfest” article last June, basically accusing me of being a shill for Bulletproof. For the record, Bulletproof did not pay me for that article. The truth of the matter is that I was interested in their products and gave them a test under fire. They proved beneficial to me, and I thought to the rave scene young and old. It’s all part of my overall DJ strategy. I have to stay robust, and so do my fans. I need them more than they need me, and I gotta make sure they are kicking it live with yours truly well into the coming decades. Plus, I like introducing new things to the crowd and to my peers. It’s an honor to do so.
A big part of that article was a product called “Unfair Advantage” and its rejuvenating effect on my DJing at Gabberfest 2016.
But, what if the effects were just on me? Was there a placebo effect? We needed more data. I figured a way to quell the doubters (and my own doubts) would be to introduce Unfair Advantage to my DJ peers under harsher circumstances than even Las Vegas provided.
Before I describe the testing grounds, I should describe Unfair Advantage and why is it particularly good for the DJ and raver. It’s an ampule of liquid containing a combination of Active PQQ and Coq10 (pyrroloquinoline quinone and ubiquinone). Its goal is to regenerate and stimulate your body’s cell mitochondria, which power just about everything you do. In general, older people feel the effect more than young people, and that effect is an initial mental clarity, followed by a subtle but noticeable, more robust feeling in the body. In general, I take it before I DJ to help with song recollection, selection, performance and to dance my butt off as I play.
Many of my DJ peers are in their 40’s and thus it could be argued we would need an “Unfair Advantage” to deal with our situation: A 4-day camping rave in the muddy, rain-soaked woods of Highbridge, Wisconsin. A group called Drop Bass Network, famous in the nineteen-nineties for throwing roaring Midwest raves and essentially launching Daft Punk into the global consciousness, were returning to form. Over 2000 ravers of all ages were going to their event, Even Furthur. We are talking: limited sleep, harsh weather, and lots of dancing.
The Hard Data’s latest and greatest correspondent, Jim Welch, joined me on this journey. In the airport, I immediately got him turned on to Unfair Advantage. There were a number of reasons for this. First, we had to be a peak performance at all times. But also, I needed a corroborating opinion. Some of my old raver friends from back in the day might think twice before taking anything I handed to them! 😀
We endeavored to film most of the mission, here is how it began:
One of our biggest scores was hooking Frankie Bones and Tommie Sunshine up after their amazing back-to-back set. Both Jim and I think Sunshine & Bones is going to be a regular DJ tour someday soon.
If you know techno, then when Frankie says “Cybotron clear” well… you know that’s no joke. Doubters… take note! Now to Tommie Sunshine…
We met up with DJ Wade Hampton in the daytime. After playing a rousing set at Even Furthur the night before, and getting virtually no sleep, he took an ampule of Unfair Advantage and reported the results.
We stroll out on the porch of the Drop Bass Network compound and run into Dan Efex on the porch!
Brooklyn was in the house! Maria Nineonine, promoter of ISR 25 NYC was our next subject, witness!
One of Even Furthur’s main promoters, Woody McBride aka DJ ESP was next. This guy knows his natural products and coffee, so if he liked it, then I knew I was onto something…
Getting these proponents of extended adolescence fired up didn’t stop there. Next up was another mid-west DJ legend, Mystic Bill. After a brief moment of peer pressure, he takes the challenge.
Sometimes Unfair Advantage works more subtle. If things are really crappy, its not going to make you see pink elephants, but it should stimulate a slightly better feeling to help you make it through whatever is vexing you. Here’s Joel Huber after a 4 hour drive in the rain, about to drive another 5 hours to get us to the event.
One guy we definitely wanted to turn on was Rob Gee! He’s a hardcore techno legend and I know personally loves his Red Bulls. He would be the perfect candidate. After a brief moment of doubt, he asks the all important question…
It was a lot of fun turning friends on to Unfair Advantage over the Even Furthur weekend, and it saved my butt a time or two as well.
One interesting thing I have noticed about the supplement is it has a subtle effect on my emotional state. If I’m a little bummed or feeling negative, the supplement seems to stimulate my intelligence and creativity so that my brain formulates solutions to problems. This part is interesting to me. Depression drugs or opioids seem to attack the depressive feeling itself, but there’s a reason you are depressed—it’s your body telling you to make some changes!
Instead of masking the “Debbie Downer” moods, Unfair Advantage seems to help the problem solving aspect of our brain. So that you feel better because your mind is aided in formulating solutions to solve problems. I haven’t seen this written about much, though. Maybe it’s just me? If others find the same phenomena, I think it’s a great aid to parties and get-togethers. As much as we love our fellows, who doesn’t feel jealous, jilted or insecure at various times? Its natural and should be expected. But, and this is important… so is our higher brain functions that kick in and tell us to push through these feelings and take a higher road! When we do, it’s generally better for us and the group. It’s nice to have some support for the higher functions, finally! And these days we all need all the help we can get! Ultimately, our parties are very important for our relationships and what we eventually manifest in the physical realm, whether it’s houses, magazines, art, or babies! So do yourself a favor and give Unfair Advantage a try, it just might help you out.
You can still be anything this time around.
Dica and I hit the road on Friday morning. Our journey began in the place that had spawned the Drop Bass Network some two decades earlier; Milwaukee. A city first made famous by beer, then by Jeffrey Dahmer, until it finally became known worldwide as a source of uncompromising acid techno. We took a meandering path that saw us pass by Plainfield, home of Ed Gein – the notorious rural Wisconsin figure that served as the inspiration for Psycho (1960), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). We were en route to the long awaited rebirth of DBN’s most heralded series of techno pagan rituals: Even Furthur.
Some incarnation of Furthur had been a yearly event until the ‘last’ one took place mere days before the events of 9/11. That party had been a sprawling, quasi-apocalyptic happening. It felt like an ending, and when a year passed by with no word of three more days of peace, love, and unity… and then another… and still another. Hopes began to fade and, despite rumors and rumblings that it wasn’t really over, it began to seem like EF 2001 had actually been the grand finale. Until, that is, the radio silence was broken earlier this year. After an incubation period of fifteen years there would be a 2016 edition Even Furthur, and it was faced with the seemingly impossible task of living up to the myths and legends that had sprung up around it in its absence.
As I was saying, Dica and I rolled into Furthur on Friday evening. We spotted the Speaker Kreatures sign hoisted above their stage and made the decision to set up camp not far from there. We quickly realized that we’d placed ourselves in the midst of a den of unparalleled iniquity that had us positioned mid way between the Network 10 – Venus tent hosted by Electrified Entertainment & A Long Nite Productions and the White Trash Wrestling (WTW) DIY sound system that Speaker Kreatures had curated with help from two notorious mainstays of Milwaukee deviance: Addict Records and Massive.
These were just two of the side stages that were spread across the terrain of Even Furthur. They numbered ten in total and all of them were named for signature events in the history of the Midwest techno scene. This kept in line with DBN’s tradition of paying tribute to the past, not in a way that sets us up to repeat it, but in a manner that acknowledges the foundation that the present has been built upon. It evoked some degree of nostalgia for veterans of the parties of yore, but also helped to expose a younger crowd to the rich history of the region.
We wandered over to the WTW set up and found that we’d just missed out on the destructive fury of Chicago’s Sir.Vixx. It looked like a bomb had gone off. Smashed electronic equipment was strewn across the area set aside for dancing and the smell of ruptured capacitors lingered in the air. It felt like we’d deprived ourselves of precisely the sort of unbridled chaos that would have been right at home within the confines of the rickety barn that had housed the original WTW events all those years ago.
T-Dawg, one of the barn party regulars, had the foresight to prepare and share a spreadsheet that showed the schedules for all ten of the DIY sound systems. After a bit of exploring, which afforded us the opportunity to discover how delightfully close we were to both Camp Blood and the full service ‘Tiki Bar’ assembled by John Erwood, we consulted T-Dawg’s list and quickly realized that the nomadic Bombardier was about to perform on the Network 10 stage. We made haste getting over there to catch him in action, and it was well worth the effort.
I’ve seen Bombardier in action a number of times over the years and it’s always somewhat staggering to witness. Jason Snell is a veteran producer, with an imposing catalog of pseudonyms in a diverse array of musical styles. Under names like The Space Where She Was, The 13th Hour, and Kamphetamine his work has graced releases on Hangars Liquides, Addict Records, Low Res, Vinyl Communications and his own Division 13 imprint. In a live environment he is capable of effortlessly transitioning between any of the genres he works with and adapting his sound to virtually any situation without sacrificing his vision in the slightest. Inside the Network 10 – Venus tent Bombardier discharged a dynamic set that had enough heaviness and distortion to satisfy his hardcore followers, but never drifted too far beyond the techno that was expected on that stage. It was a dark, raw, and masterful spectacle for the senses that was a clear highlight of Friday evening, and ultimately led to him getting promoted to a main stage performance at the peak of Saturday night’s festivities.
The hills are alive with the pound of hardcore music
It wouldn’t be Furthur unless it rained, and it poured down for much of Friday night. By Saturday morning much of the terrain had been transformed into a treacherous mud pit. As the crew at Camp Blood started the process of roasting a whole pig over their bonfire there was a steady stream of jokes about the region being renamed Camp Flood in honor of utterly soaked surroundings.
The DIY sound systems started to fire up in the early afternoon, and WTW was soon blasting a bouncy set by Turtle Matt. This offering steered away from the darker fare that burst from their speakers for much to the weekend, but also seemed to bring out a welcome burst of sunshine. Later in the afternoon Decontrol upped the tempo and brought back the evil with a vengeance, before handing over the decks to a solid block of Massive Posse members and familiar faces from the barn party era.
Thanks to a devoted crew that managed to track down a set of needles for the decks, Dica and I were able strut our stuff. We opened things up with a genre defying set that was so no holds barred that we had to wear luchador masks for the performance. Drum’n’bass, vintage PCP tracks, hard acid, cock rock, hip hop, blue-eyed soul, breakcore and booty house all slammed into the 90 minutes of high flying turntable acrobatics that left a mess for ALAN! and his special guest Neehigh to clean up. They tagged in and jumped into the ring blending idm weirdness with the sort of hard acid sounds that one can always depend on Wisconsin to deliver.
Henry Vengeance, one of Massive Magazine’s techno stalwarts, fired an opening salvo of beats accompanied by the rallying cries bellowed by Cyrus in the opening moments of The Warriors (1979). The intro repeatedly demanded to know if the masses could dig it, and as Henry Vengeance blasted his way through a pounding live set of punishing rhythms it became clear that the answer was resoundingly affirmative. Throughout his set he managed to ramp up the intensity even as he brought down the tempo. It was sensational work that also showcased the brilliant programming by Joel Huber and the Speaker Kreatures crew. It proved to be the ideal way to set the early evening mood for the highly anticipated appearance by the multi-talented Addict Records and Drop Bass Network recording artist & graphic designer; Stunt Rock.
During a regretfully brief thirty minute set Stunt Rock unleashed a torrent of beats so broken they were on the verge of disintegration. Held together with little more than obscure samples and an absurd sense of humor, it was exactly the sort of fantastic collision between genius and dementia that had established his reputation in the first place. When it was over Deadly Buda, the WTW sound system’s main attraction, picked up the pieces and proceeded to throw down a volatile blend of morphing beats in his inimitably systematic and deadly style. Milwaukee mainstay The Hermit rounded out the night.
Of course, Electrified Entertainment & A Long Nite Productions had their own potent bill of headliners to close out Saturday night on their own Network 10 – Venus stage. It began with a blistering live set by Bobaflux himself, that Tonewreck extraordinaire; Paul Birken. Huddled behind a mass of gear and relentlessly working the groove, Birken amazed with an acid-drenched set that led the crowd on a journey and marched them straight into the welcoming arms of Tommie Sunshine.
There are really only a small handful of DJs that have been as continuously relevant as Tommie Sunshine. He’s a singular figure who played a role in the birth of the Midwest rave scene and has evolved into one of the most knowledgeable elder statesmen in the scene. It became clear that something special was in the works from the moment that he opened his set with Cajmere’s Percolator, and he chased it with anthem after anthem after banging anthem.
When it was over a gobsmacked crowd, completely unaware that Tommie Sunshine had more surprises up his sleeve, picked up their jaws and made their way to the Main Stage for Drop Bass Network’s Saturday night headliners.
Sunday mornin’ never comin’ down
On Sunday I decided it was time to wander a bit and find out what was going on in the less debaucherous regions of the campground. Much of the day was spent engaged in actively seeking out people I hadn’t crossed paths with since the previous Furthur, some fifteen years earlier. Over at Rave ‘Em & Bail-E’s circus sideshow I was able to locate Dan Efex, the Chicago legend responsible for unleashing the Disco Inferno cassette upon the world, and somehow lured him back to the dark side of the hill to grab a drink at the Tiki Bar. By mid-afternoon a few of us had headed back to our campsite where we had a few drinks with old friends in full earshot of the mind bending sounds of Michael Wenz ripping their way out of the Network 10 tent. All across the camping areas it seemed like similar reunion projects were afoot, and when the sun set and the last night of Furthur began there was a special sort of magic infusing everything.
The lucky few who were fortunate enough to get to the WTW system at the right time were treated to a spontaneous live collaboration between Addict Records artist Pressboard and Baseck, the West Coast wild man who had laid waste to the Main Stage on Friday night.
Not far away, Network 10 – Venus DIY was graced with an epic, spur-of-the-moment tag team set that saw another of Friday’s headliners – Frankie Bones, matching Tommie Sunshine track for track, anthem for anthem in a contest that ended, not with one arm raised, but with the hands of the entire audience in the air.
On it’s own that set would have been a fitting way to close out an overwhelming weekend of deviance, insanity, and amazement, but there was still a whole evening of programming to come on the Main Stage. For those who doubted the ability of Even Furthur 2016 to live up to fifteen full years of hype, never question the ability of Kurt Eckes and the Drop Bass Network to deliver… and never doubt the ability of seasoned ravers to seize the day.
Let’s do it again next year?
It didn’t feel like it we attended Trauma Oldschool for the Headstrong just this time in August 2015. However just this past Saturday marked the one year anniversary for Trauma’s return (formally TR-99) and saying we celebrated accordingly would be an understatement. I started my night off early already knowing what to expect, well at least I thought I did….
The night began with a unique set from LA’s own Deadly Buda,whom played a hard electronic set for his first hour. This would be my first time hearing it live, but when guy’s like Lenny Dee are pushing this style, I guess I couldn’t ignore it. The best way I could explain it would be “Subground style with an industrial soul”. It wasn’t easy to get into at first, but the industrial heaviness paired with the clashing effects of modern electro is definitely up and coming. The doors opened and kids dressed in their handmade fur and kandi attire, to throw back T-shirts started to fill all the rooms at Union gradually. It seemed like the music only got louder as more people filled the floors. Deadly Buda had the chance to fill the second slot after him, in which he transitioned into a classic/mainstream hardcore set which set the pace for the whole night. (Well at least till Tim Shopp hit the decks but we’ll get to that later)
By the time he was done I had already been freely moving between the venue, sometimes getting lost, but it wasn’t hard to pick out who was playing in the different rooms. I found myself gravitating towards definitely the main stage and the smaller downstairs for separate reasons. The main stage was pumping out the best production and sound with the largest crowd, but there was something special to be attributed to the smaller room. I caught a good portion of Demigod early in the night. I was surprised when I was outside and I saw someone bust out “United States of Hardcore” cassette tape for him to sign. After that I knew it was going to be sweet classic satisfaction every time I curved that corner to hear the sound that caught me in the first place. It wasn’t long till almost all rooms were packed, bars were busy and there wasn’t a time when people weren’t busting out a fat hakkuh. (Including myself)
Although I live for hardcore, I would occasionally have to side step to the sounds of Drum n Bass & Jungle as I moved between downstairs and main stage. I can’t recall a time where I would walk by and not have the urge to stop. Not being an expert on the subject matter, it didn’t take a jungulist to look to the small side stage to see the same dedicated fans dancing their hearts out.
I returned upstairs to prepare for the last half of The Pitcher but over the years my ear for Hardstyle has been getting worse. That didn’t stop myself from jumping to the absolute Rawstyle and Old-school he was throwing down. I’m even sure the crowd never missed a beat as he slipped in a couple Hard House hits from the origin days. I’ll have to admit I was itching for some faster pace at that point but I may have tried my luck a shuffling again, poorly.
I migrated downstairs for a while because I kept hearing rumors that Ron D Core and DJ Dan we’re still playing a tag vinyl set together. I did some quick thinking and realized that they were already almost playing for 2 hours, some say 3 but regardless I showed up that weekend to hear some classic Hardcore and I left only wanting to hear more. I simply couldn’t get over the attachment everyone had in that room to the music. Even to some of these native west coast hard heads, this music is blood to them. The sweat and tears was only reinforced my thoughts. I hope to experience that again soon.
Between the familiar faces from people traveling all around for different acts, and the nice weather, it was hard to prevent myself from going outside. Not once did I hear a shred complaints (Except the unplanned absence of Kevin Kaos, sorry Lisa). I wasn’t really sure why I didn’t buy a taco once while I was out there but, who knows? I got into a couple conversations and I was surprised that to some this was their first Hard Dance event. I assumed the line-up and anniversary title would bring out a specific older crowd. I guess the theme of the night was how much I could be proved wrong. Anyhow, the newcomers were stoked to say the least and in their reaction I only knew that wouldn’t be the first time I’d see them
Oh man, I haven’t even got to good part yet. I returned to my rightful place at upstairs main stage, some would call it entitlement but if you’re not causing damage, well you might be in the wrong place. Decipher took the decks and I could’ve swore the floor almost went down under. The tall shadowy Ozzy stepped up for his first time in LA and makes you wonder why only the first time? The ground was shaking, fists were pumping, and you would be wrong if you thought there wouldn’t be a pit for the angriest. It was a mix mash of some of the best hardcore mixing I’ve heard in awhile and I hope that people will notice what kind of unique talent he brings to the decks.
As Decipher ended his set you could already tell by looking around the room who was next to take the stage. The room went black, the strobe hit and before you knew it you we’re in Noize Suppressor’s world. The look on people’s face went from cheery to hard frowns and ugly grins. The madness had arrived. Being a fuge fan of Noize Suppressor for a long time I was more than excited to hear my favorite tracks and from the way the crowd was screaming the lyrics without a care for having a voice the next morning, I wasn’t the only one. For a good while there the solo strobe combined with a violent mosh made for a experience I thought only existed at concerts but the music had people feeling a certain way, and not in the typical loving way at most events. The highlight was easily the successful crowd surf which apparently is a once in while opportunity. He smashed out the ending with well preparation for was about to be in store…
Everything went silent, the room filled, and all you could hear people screaming for and calling one name, america’s own Tim Shopp. An abnormal BPM took over if you aren’t too familiar with the name but that was a good night to learn, and easily one of the best sets from the man in my opinion. Although we didn’t see him in his usual bomb vest, that had nothing to do with how he had the crowd to their knees. Well at least most of them, it almost as he felt he was challenging the crowd. How fast and hard could he go? Turns out this is the future and no one was missing a beat. Being the number one talked about hard dance upcoming producer in the US since his release of “Terror Squad” hitting top charts on Hardtunes it wasn’t difficult to see why. The ante kept climbing with the murderous kicks and faster tempo, the weak one’s feet began to slow down but not a soul went anywhere till the sound shut off. The party continued downstairs but by that time I had barely enough in me to go on but also wanted more at the same time.
The next morning the posts keep flooding my newsfeed and from everything I saw and heard the following night it was the first I actually got what I expected during that weekend. Ever since my interaction with Trauma Live and their staff it’s been nothing but good intentions and even sicker parties that aren’t just catered to the usual hard head, and for that reason I will always respect what’s to come next from the Trauma crew. The inside jokes and mixed memories will live on in the legacy of Trauma events. The mayor of Hardcore has my vote.
-Jarred M
