There are four favorite words of every DJ: I told you so. As in, “I told you so! I had that record last year and I told you to get it, but you wouldn’t listen to me, and nooooowwwwww… now you tell me how great it is like I never heard it before. Dude, I gave you that tape and I bet it’s still in your glove box!” So, it is with great self-congratulatory satisfaction that I can be one of the first people to tell you about the new Mover album, “Undetected Act From the Gloom Chamber.” Any old-school fan of The Mover and Planet Core Productions will have to admit his latest album is the most Mover-ish of any Mover release in his almost 30 years of techno-producing history.
That’s what makes this even better, because I can tell you “I told you so!” going back multiple decades. For you techno-hipsters that think you know some kinda stuff about morose knob-twiddling, guess what? I’ve been playing Mover records since freaking Nineteen Ninety-Two! Count ‘em jack. That’s 26 years ago… punks. Get your lame-o laptop digital filter facsimiles outta my freaking face.
Ok, so now that I got that out of my system, let me tell you what I like about The Mover’s new album. Right off the bat, Dark Comedown will stick in your head for the rest of your life. There is a little Mover trick in this one that he rarely pulls out but it is very effective when he does: It’s like a reverse engine-cycling sound that doesn’t seem to quite quantize 100% (though it probably does) running in the background of the track. It creates a riveting tension that is going to stick to dancefloors for years to come. Maybe until… the end? No wait, that already happened in 2017. The track’s got a cool video too that draws from some of the classic Planet Core Productions mythology.
“Stars Collapse” will sound pretty fresh to young bucks, but I know it’s an ode to an early period that pre-dates techno, kind of. Somewhere around 1987 there were all these techno-sounding records that weren’t really called techno yet. It was sort of an odd period for music though a great one. “Stealth” comes next. This is another track with a dope backwards synth-wave seemingly driving the track forward. It also showcases some of the things we like best about Mover techno: snappy snares and hi-hats that outclass anything that was ever on Chicago’s Traxx Record label. I could listen to this sound all day, and I have. “Shadow Deception” is another track that hearkens back to a time many forget but is still incredibly relevant. I will sum it up quickly and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, look it up. It’s like a cross between LFO and 808 State.
One of the great things about Mover techno is that he makes his own version of sounds that are kind of hip-hoppy, or sampley, and weaves them into an overall dramatic tapestry. So, you never leave the world The Mover’s created by a sample from the outside world. “Calculations” is a great example of this motif. “Lost” is a noticeable improvement on previous Mover attempts to maintain what can best be described as an upbeat melancholy vibe. Previous releases always had a track like Lost but didn’t quite maintain the feeling all the way through.
The Mover Logo
“Doom Computer” has a great name and has laser effect sounds. Those two things are a winner in my book. Besides Dark Comedown, Doom Computer is my favorite on the album. Last track up is “Fire Cloud” which is a perfect rendition of the “I’m in a spacesuit on the moon looking at an alien artifact right before a space octopus attacks me” feeling that we’ve come to know and love from older Mover releases.
The Mover, aka Marc Acardipane, always took techno one step further using his various pseudonyms (he has hundreds of releases under different names). Why do some of you not know him? It is because real creativity is a threat to the system. But, a good person can’t help but be creative. While the usual commercial junk clogs the arteries of society, eventually a real artist with passion and something valuable to give will surface. The Mover is a real artist and his work will not be denied. You can feel it, rather than count it. So now all of you reading, I’ve given you the head’s up, get ready to tell all your friends, “I told you so.”
You can check out The Mover’s “Undetected Act From the Gloom Chamber” here: https://themover.bandcamp.com/album/undetected-act-from-the-gloom-chamber
Bonus! Watch out for the exclusive Mover interview in the next print edition of The Hard Data!
BKJN vs. Partyraiser was my first rave of 2018 and now the bar is set so high for the remainder of the year and it’s not even festival season yet! But let’s start at the beginning, for those of you who don’t know, BKJN stands for Beter Kom Je Niet which is Dutch for “better you don’t come” (lol). BKJN, as one of the leaders in the scene, organizes some of the biggest highest production hardcore/uptempo raves in the Netherlands. Their parties are always massive with stacked diverse lineups and this one was no exception.
I arrived at the venue with my fellow American friend and contributor to this article, Isaiah around eleven, just enough time to explore before the opening show. This was my first time at the Silverdome in Zoetermeer and the place is massive. Thankfully for the first time ever I didn’t have to take three forms of transportation to get there, so ten points for that.
We started off the night with some good ole’ Nosferatu at the main stage. Looking out into the crowd it was barely midnight but the place was packed, sold out, wall to wall of sweaty gabbers. Next up was split time between the opening show (which was the perfect start to Partyraiser’s seven hours of madness) and Repix. Despite the fact the opening show was happening at the mainstage, Repix had the room extremely full and bumping, a well-deserved birthday present (Happy Birthday Repix!). Then we hopped over to see Para Italia, I was repping his “Allemaal de Moeder” shirt that he graciously gave me at Hardcore at Sea (yes I know what it means and I’ve seen the video!).
Following Para Italia it was time to take a dance break and conduct some interviews back stage and well let’s just say things got out of hand but what do you expect when it’s 2:00am during an epic party and you have the Sickest Squad, Andy the Core, Angernoizer, Rooler, me (MC Unicorn), and DJ Levenkhan (Isaiah) in a small space.
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Here are some of the conversations we had:
Amy: With the Dutch hardcore market being so saturated, with multiple parties to choose from every weekend, what sets this party (and BKJN parties in general) apart from all the other parties that occur every weekend?
Para Italia: I think this is the hardest indoor party and very good for BKJN and of course the main man Paryraiser. I am very proud that I am a part of this extraordinary party and a proud member of BKJN. I had a very good time and I think it showed people how hard Frenchcore can be.
Aggressive: This party is awesome, I opened the main stage and within fifteen minutes it was crowded with people going crazy. Great atmosphere. I am honored to be a part of the BKJN family and Partyraiser crew.
Andy The Core: This party is absolutely awesome and every year it gets better and better and it’s something different because you have this main stage like this that’s usually a main stage for mainstream but it’s now full of underground artists and I love it.
Amy: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one record/album with you, what would you bring?
Da Mouth of Madness: Can I not bring a USB stick? (Amy: No…) Well I definitely would do like the Hardcore 100 CD from ID&T back in the early 90’s the gold one with the two snakes on it because it has 100 of the best tracks ever but also would bring some Bob Marley too.
Amy: If you could collaborate with one artist dead or alive who would it be?
Da Mouth of Madness: I definitely need to say Three Steps Ahead because he was gone, he passed away before we could do this S#*T, but I definitely wanted to do something with him, because of the friendship we had back in the days. We were both breaking through in 1996 with the whole Thunderdome thing, we did a lot of tours together but actually we never came so far, and afterwards of course we all know the story, he passed away. It would definitely be great to have the opportunity to collaborate with him.
Repix: I have one big dream and that’s Angerfist, he’s been there since the beginning and all of his productions sound amazing. It’s really a good reference point for me to listen to and that’s one of my biggest dreams.
Isaiah: What advice do you have for up and coming producers/DJs?
Rob GEE: Definitely get your ass in the studio and perfect your craft and don’t listen to haters. And also don’t get an ego at the same time, keep yourself grounded, and reach for the stars you know.
Sickest Squad: Struggle a lot first and study. The way we came up in the scene was by being told repeatedly our stuff was not good, and it helped us out. If we were told it was good we would simply stop. Getting told it was bad made us invest our time fully in the studio to perfect the craft.
Repix: So f***ing much to do. Hours in it hours in it. Keep on learning, keep on learning. Everything you learn keep it close to you. If you don’t know something, figure it out. Compare to the greatest; compare it to Angerfist or Nosferatu. Listen to what they do with the sounds and if you get it it’s just a matter of time. Just practice and go for it. …Collabs with the big guys helped a lot. If you have trouble with something they explain it to you. … It’s like the beginning of an adventure just try to figure it all out.
Isaiah: What’s up next for you?
Rob GEE: Rob GEE You Got What I Need: 25 Years of Harder Styles. We are doing multiple cities around the world. This week we just booked Moscow, Sydney, Milan, and BKJN will be doing the one in Holland, I’m looking for a good New York promoter so I can play in my own home little area. LA already reached out to me so it would be sad if New York didn’t. What I would like to do is represent a little of everything I do. Meaning, I would like to tag team with an early guy then go into hardstyle then rawstyle then of course into some mainstream, uptempo, frenchcore, maybe a little bit of terror … So basically, I would like to have a little bit of the old, a little bit of the new. Just give a big hardcore enchilada of all the harder styles. A hardcore cornucopia.
Isaiah: What do you think of the current state of hardcore, uptempo, mainstream?
Rob GEE: To me it’s all hardcore … I work with this one, I work with that one, it’s not because I’m trying to whore myself out; it’s because I have an open mind. If I’m going to do something at 150 with Adaro and with Partyraiser at 200; for me its just music. I’ve done some metal and melded it with some hardcore with members of Slipknot and System Of A Down. Again for me it’s just music. I’m not about building walls; I’m about breaking them down. There are no boundaries in music.
Crypton: (On Frenchcore) At this state I think Frenchcore is evolving in a way and becoming more diverse. One is focused more on the harder side and the other is the more melodic/euphoric side of Frenchcore but with both different fanbases it will make the scene much bigger than what it is already.
Amy: Where do you see the American scene going?
Sickest Squad: America has the potential to be a huge scene for hardcore. I think it’s just a matter of time, I see that slowly some European DJs are getting their chance to play there. We played in Brooklyn and it was “BANGING.” Even if the scene isn’t massive yet, I think next year hardcore will grow. The important thing is to not just bring the commercial stuff, listen to the music and don’t follow the trendy sound, it’s not about DJ Mag, create your own personal taste about the music and not be heavily influenced by mainstream S#*T. This is the most dedicated crowd. People who listen to minimal techno or house they only listen to the music. People who listen to hardcore they live and breathe hardcore, wake up listening to hardcore, they dress hardcore, they are very dedicated and devoted. And that’s truly a beauty and the best thing in the scene.
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Now back to the music, after wrapping up the interviews we ran over to see Sjammienators vs Cryogenic who played a brutal set. This was one of the highlights of the night for me, the beats were so fast and bass so loud people literally could not keep up so the only logical thing to do was to have everyone stand on top of the barricade (sorry Bassnectar fans we do it better and sorry to the barricade). Then, Sefa as always brought a ruthless Frenchcore set way beyond his years.
As the night came to a close, we next went to Partyraiser vs. System Overload vs. Rob GEE, there were so many amazing moments in this set, where to begin. First, getting to see one of my close friends and fellow Americans play never gets old. Second, Rob GEE dropped his new track “IAMME” which was so amazing, the lyrics are incredibly inspiring, and are a good reminder that no matter what life throws our way we always get back up. Rob has an incredible story one of bravery, recovery, and perseverance and his ability to put that energy into his music to inspire his fans is something so beautiful. And third, System Overload dropped Tim Shopp’s track ON THE MAIN STAGE! Nothing makes me happier than watching my friend’s dreams coming true and being right there front and center for all of it.
Squished like a sardine on the barricade raising my fists in the air next to my closest ten thousand friends was one of those coming home moments for me, those moments where you realize why this is so important to you, so special, so sacred. It’s the ability to be able to completely let loose, to find the truest form of yourself that ordinarily is not socially acceptable according to society’s standards and to do it next to your friends (or strangers who are not yet friends).
Everyday life is tough, so much stress, so many responsibilities we all need to find a way to escape, a way to set everything aside for even just a moment. For some people that’s through exercise, others through video games, but for us it’s raving, it’s this music that keeps us going. BKJN parties are always the perfect cocktail of great music, amazing vibes, incredible production, and an insane sound system (need to get new ear plugs remind me later). I highly recommend to my American friends when you’re thinking of coming over for the usual big Q Dance parties this year add a few BKJN ones on your list, you will not regret it. Thank you again to BKJN, Partyraiser, Rob GEE, and everyone who contributed to this article. Until next time!
When you hear the words “Raw Hardstyle”, E-Forceis a name that certainly comes to mind. This legendary Dutch Hardstyle producer has taken his career past many milestones, including a solo album, bookings on some of the biggest festivals in Europe, and en extensive personalized merchandise line. E-Force is one of the true pioneers of Raw Hardstyle, even landing the prestigious award of having the top Hardstyle track in the Q-dance Hardstyle Top 100 in 2014. We spoke with him about his plans for 2018 and beyond!
E-Force: That’s a good first question, haha! I think there has been a big growth in music quality the last years. I’m always trying to keep the “E-Force roots” in my music, but always trying to evolve that. I also moved my studio to the Scantraxx office, into Wildstylez’ old studio. It has amazing acoustics. Before that, I just had a studio in one of the rooms in my house – my productions definitely improved in the new one . My management and the people working at Scantraxx are of course also there, so the whole vibe in the studio and the office is good inspiration for me.
E-Force: I expected that it would be bigger now than it actually is. In 2012 everyone expected that I think. Unfortunately it didn’t work out the way everyone hoped for, but I hope I can contribute in it. I think it’s important that all artists apply for a VISA, although it’s really difficult to get one. I hope all artists who have the option to go there also go for it, so we can build the scene bigger together!
E-Force: Like I said, I’m always trying to evolve my sound with my roots sounds combines. Especially on my album I had the chance to do everything I like, a bit more euphoric, but also things like Schranz and Hardcore indeed. When you’re just doing single releases it’s a bit difficult to do this, but on an album you can go for “the edge”.
E-Force: My merchandise was a part of the album campaign, and it turned out amazing. It’s really nice to have a new branding style, and to translate that in an album artwork, but also in merchandise. As you all know we’ve launched the new icon logo about one year ago, and this icon was the main focus on the merchandise. All merchandise was sold out very fast, and on events I see people walking around with a lot and that’s really cool to see!
E-Force: This is just an edit I made for fun. I still love to play Seven every time, because the response on the track always stays very good. I made this edit to play at Rebirth festival for the first time, where I was doing a special live set. The response on the edit was crazy. I prefer to play this new 2017 edit now instead of the original mix.
E-Force: You heard that correctly ☺ Cloud 9 Music is my music publisher, and they have a very cool studio inside their office. You really don’t expect that when you see the office from outside haha. It’s a very small club for like 150 people, and Cloud 9 offered me the opportunity to use this club for a small, invite only, party. It was such a cool night, because all my dedicated fans were there and it’s nice to be in a small area, so you also have the chance to speak with the fans one on one.
E-Force: Expect a lot of new stuff coming your way! Working my ass off in the studio now, and really trying to my music to a new level again, and experimenting / searching for new cool elements. Thanks for your time, and see you in 2018 during my first USA gigs!
The original release came out in July 2014 and was created to show how hardcore music is bigger than borders. German producers Braincrushers and E-RAYzor joined forces with US producer How Hard. An accompanying music video further showed the unified hardcore vibe with clips of hardcore events in Germany, Ukraine, Netherlands, United States, UK, and more!
I virtually sat with duo Braincrushers, which consists of brothers Oliver and David, and Ralf aka E-RAYzor after the dust settled on this explosive release to learn about them, their thoughts, on the project, and more!
Worldwide Movement: Remix Project (HKD078)
When did each of you start to create/produce music? Was hardcore the genre you start with?
BC: We started in 1995 with an old mixer and two turntable with no pitch. The mixer was Oliver’s birthday present, our dad came up with it. He played music as a young man and made his money with it. I think he wanted us to do something and tried to give an initial start. It worked just fine. The electronic music wave just came up here, it was new, cool, but not for everybody. We went crazy on hardcore music from the first second! In 1996, we played our first DJ set on a hardcore party. In the early 2000s we started to make our own music on Fruity Loops, and then Reason. Our first release came out ´07 “Little Asses” on G-Net Records.
E: I started producing hardcore with some friends using Fast Tracker in the middle of the nineties. We first only made fun tracks for ourselves, but one time we invited DJ friend of mine, and we made our first serious track. He pressed that one as a test pressing and played it in Bochum Germany at a big hardcore party. The reaction was positive, and that kept me going!
Were there any early influences on your music in the beginning? What about today?
E: My first CD was The Prodigy’s Experience, and the second was Thunderdome II, so you can say I am hardcore since the beginning! I also listened to all the 90s dancefloor stuff, hip hop like 2 Live Crew and DMX. Also, some rock and metal stuff like Linkin Park. All in all, I have a really wide taste of music. I don`t think in genres. There is good music everywhere, it just needs a drive for me, something special, recognizable.
Braincrushers
How would you each describe your styles of hardcore?
BC: We like hardcore music that goes with the times. The better the hardware and software gets, the better the tunes. We listen to and love the old classics, but when we play parties and work on our music, we want to go with times in our own way.
E: As a DJ, my style in hardcore is very diverse. I play everything from the early rave to happy hardcore, early mainstyle from the 2000s, and all the to the new stuff. Depending on the party, I can play everything from slow to fast, from old to new. As long it gets me and in a good mood I like it. I play a lot of tracks with nice melodies, but also “in ya face” tracks. For me, the mixture makes the party.
E-RAYzor
What are you using in the studio these days? Any stand-out piece of gear or instrument?
BC: Nothing special. A keyboard, Cubase, KRK Rockets and a lot of enthusiasm.
E: I don’t have my own studio today. I prefer more visiting my friends’ studios instead, like the Braincrushers’. We can have fun together, and I’m way more creative there versus working alone.
BC: Special to us is the long history of this project. The first release came out in 2014. We started working on this track months before with Ray when he visited us. We couldn’t find suitable vocals, so we asked Howard if he could record something for us. Bit by bit, session after session, element after element, countless nights with less sleep, hurting necks, and a lot of fun, we finally completed the track. Then came the video that Howard did with all the screaming people with different origins and now, all the remixes from artists around the world. “Worldwide” is not just a cool word for the title, the release was actually made worldwide!
E: In the beginning it was just a fun idea, but then we received Trinitite’s first remix from Sweden and said, “Hey, that is just too good to be not released, so what can we do?” As the title of the EP was Worldwide Movement, we thought about who we can also ask for a remix. The Darkheadz from Switzerland are good friends of mine for over 15 years. They were totally into the project, and sent their remix very quickly. Re-Style I knew from many bookings and parties where we met and I love his style since his first record so it was no question to ask him, too. In the end, I think we really have many different remixes with different styles but all of them have to touch and vibe of the original. For me it is always hard to decide which one I play the next!
BC: Actually, every talented artist with the same enthusiasm is welcome! Main thing is to have fun and at the end of the day: good music!
Who else would you love to see remix one of your tracks?
E: For me one of the best remixers is The Viper, so that would be cool!
BC: Noize Suppressor! He is one of greatest interpreters of hardcore. He is a real artist.
Oliver/Braincrushers
From your work on Hard Kryptic, what would each be your stand out track or release?
BC: “Worldwide Movement”, “STOMP!” and “Crush on You“. Honestly, we can’t make a decision!
E: That`s easy! The original “Worldwide Movement” is the best track I ever made! It still gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it, and even play it at all parties!
Any stand out tracks from HKR besides your own tracks?
E: I love all the Braincrushers releases and the Triax vinyl release, but the most outstanding track for me is the Amnesys Remix of DJ Delirium’s “Blazin’ Out Your Speaker”. This one is an absolute masterpiece in my opinion! It also was the first Hard Kryptic release I heard, so it got me into contact with the label. I pushed my favorite record store in that time to order that record because I heard it and totally fell in love.
Triax – Stronger Than Ever (HKR004)
Besides being producers, you’re also established DJs who have played in many festivals and in different countries, including the United States. What different do you see between playing in the U.S. versus in Europe?
E: I first came to New York in 2010 for Speakerfreakz. I thought I stepped out of a time machine! So many different people with wild costumes, much dedication to the music. I felt like back in the nineties in Europe when the whole rave scene began, and everything seemed to be possible. At all the parties I played in the U.S., there where all different styles of electronic music: house, drum n’ bass, hardstyle, hardcore, and even dubstep. The people were so open-minded to everything I played. I started my set with hardstyle and slowly took them to hardcore, and they loved it! It was unbelievable! I will never forget when I ended my set with the Pussyvibes mash-up of the Braincrushers at over 200 BPM, and the DJ after me started a house set at 130 BPM. In Europe that would be impossible!
Do you have any advice would you give a new DJ or producer?
E: Do it for the love of the music, not because you think it`s cool.
BC: Stick to it, don’t give up. Make it with passion.
What is upcoming for you? Any new releases or remixes in the works?
BC: We always are working on something. Stay anxious! Tracks are in the works. Hopefully another banging release on HKR!
E: Not yet, but hopefully I will find the time to get back in the studio soon to make some serious noise!
3MiloE: Okay so, where are you guys from and what’s the music scene like there?
Andrew: L.A. area born and raised. I’m from around this area, grew up in Laverne. I live near Long Beach now. What about you, Scott?
Scotty: I’m from Florida originally, and I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the past two and half, three years. The scene in both Florida and Los Angeles couldn’t be any different. But they’re definitely both a great ode to electronic dance music. Florida, for example, has Ultra Music Festival in Miami and then, you know, Los Angeles has…where we’re at right now… Escape. So yeah, the scene in Los Angeles is way more underground. It’s thriving right now.
Andrew: I think it’s the best for new artists because many can’t go play shows in other states cause they aren’t getting paid enough to travel. But over here…
Scotty: You can play shows here and build your entire fan base out of Los Angeles. I’ve seen it happen.
3MiloE: So how did you guys come up with your DJ names?
Both: (Laughs)
Andrew: Well, we used to tour and make music as Night Owls together, then we went through a re-brand process from April 1st?
Scotty: Yeah, and we’ve always had this concept of… duality within our brand.
Andrew: And in the fascination with owls and nocturnal life and the occult things. I’ve always been infatuated with those kind of interests. But yeah, a mix between duality and like… our love for owls.
3MiloE: So, obviously the animal that best personifies your music is the owl.
Scotty: Yes.
3MiloE: Why?
Scotty: Essentially, it really comes down to, Free Masonic imagery, as well as the Illuminati symbolism. In the middle of the Redwood Forest is Bohemian Grove, there’s a forty-foot stone owl that they call Malik. (Editor’s note: Moloch.) Malik, as we know, has been around for whatever, so um…
Andrew: From the mythology, Malik isn’t supposed to be an owl, it’s supposed to be a bull.
Scotty: They’re both, so, Malik is an owl but it also, the same… force…has been represented as a bull. So it’s like, the same thing. So I say it’s like a bull, the symbolism is really interesting. And someone snuck into the Bohemian Grove and took hidden camera footage of people sacrificing what seemed to be like a human, or maybe they, if maybe it was, just some sort of a whatever…
Andrew: A mock sacrifice.
Scotty: …to a forty foot stone owl. So this has actually been going on for thousands of years. (Editor’s note: Thousands, eh?)
Andrew: What does that have to do with our music, dude? (Laughs)
Scotty: And, this is where, I think that’s where a lot of power of the brand comes from. Because, that has existed throughout human history for thousands of years. So I think it could thrive in a brand and use it.
Andrew: I like owl’s personifications. They’re really swift creatures that are able to see through the bullshit.
Scotty: And they’re nocturnal.
Andrew: And nocturnal. I’m a nocturnal person. I kind of see our music as swift and sleek. But owls are also very dangerous things. Like, kind of like our drops.
Scotty: Yeah, my bedroom is also full of owls too. I have all these different owls.
3MiloE: That’s great. So what are you trying to convey with your music?
Scotty: Emotion. The goal, yeah? To be able to convey emotion through music. That was a good concise answer.
3MiloE: Alright, next question okay? Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re on stage?
Andrew: Not really, I mean, it’s almost like…
Scotty: …Transferring energy.
Andrew: It’s almost like, when I was playing baseball as a little kid, and I was like, batting. Like, I almost like, blacked out. I don’t know how to explain it, it’s like you black out and you go in…
Andrew: Yeah, blackout…
Andrew: If you’re prepared, you just go. That’s how, that’s how it is for me. I don’t know, I mean, we work well together. We can read each other, off of our energy. We can do things with each other and we’ll do things vise-versa, and I don’t know, it just flows. Like, I just almost blackout. It’s weird. I don’t remember what I do during my set, or after my set (Laughs). I don’t know. And also, every single one of our sets is prepped different. We couldn’t go and do the same set twice. A lot of artists do the same set forever, but we never do that.
Scotty: Yeah that’s very true. Yeah I definitely agree the whole blackout thing definitely does happen. As soon as we go on stage and we press play, everything else is just a blur until we’re off that stage. It’s really… it’s a really interesting feeling. I think as far as being on stage, I feel like there’s this transfer of energy between the person on stage performing and the crowd. So it’s like, the person hypes it up, and their crowd looks at that and is like, “Okay, this person is hyping up. I’m gonna hype! And that’s like this transfer of energies for the crowd’s hyping and, the performer is hyping, so it’s this cycle that goes on and the bigger the crowd the more you can feel it. You can actually feel this.” (Editor’s note: HEADY!)
Andrew: That’s true though, the better response I get from a crowd, usually, the more confident I am with my DJing, too.
Scotty: Yeah, it’s so surprising. The bigger the crowd, the more confident we are because we know that they’ll fucking like what we do. So the more people there, the more heads we can turn.
3MiloE: What moment do you cherish the most so far in your career?
Scotty: Moments like these, when we’re with our friends at these festivals, and able to, you know, run around the entire place like a playground… it’s like a theme park.
Andrew: I think the one I cherish the most was probably our Global Dance set. Because that was our first time playing to a real festival crowd, and I was really nervous before like, “Fuck. It’s my first time having fucking, 5,000 people watching me do what I do.” But I really cherished it. After I got off stage. I was like, “Damn. I really just did that.” That was probably the one I cherish the most. It was the first time, it’s like losing your virginity, you know what I mean?
Scotty: (laughs) Very true.
Andrew: Yeah, that was the one for me.
3MiloE: So what are your major influences?
Scotty: As far as music or as far as…?
3MiloE: Anything.
Andrew: Major influences…
Scotty: His is baseball. If the Dodgers lose, then he can’t make music. If they win, he’s grinding.
All: (Laughs.)
Andrew: Nah, but major influences. Let’s see. Music wise, a lot of the guys doing melodic shit right now, like Illenium, Seven Lions, Zed’s Dead, Nghtmre. People like that. As far as direct music, but I draw a lot of inspiration from like, I used to listen to a lot of heavy metal shit, like screamo post-hardcore shit. I grew up listening to that. I still draw inspiration from that going into, creating chord progressions or something like that, you know what I mean? But yeah, I also draw inspiration from just everyday life, you know what I mean? Like, some days I’ll be in a rut like, I’ll open Ableton and I’ll just stare at it. And I’ll go do something, I’ll go get lunch or something and just get inspired, come back, and get ready to work. I don’t know, but yeah that’s it for me.
Scotty: I think there is a really fine line between what your influences are, and what you’re actually a fan of. I think there’s a lot of artists and music that I’m a fan of, but don’t think actually influence me. And I think at the end of the day we most influence ourselves. We become some sort of anti-influence because we’re our biggest critics you know? We have the most to lose. So in a sense our criticism of ourselves is what really influences us.
3MiloE: That is profound. Yeah, that made my head spin. I like that.
Scotty: So I didn’t get you at the forty foot stone owl that they sacrifice people, to but I got you at influences. (Laughs.)
3MiloE: Yeah, well I mean. I take my influences, and they’re not necessarily the people I listen to.
Scotty: Well, I get influences from movies, I get influences from books, I get influences from stuff that has nothing to do with music. That still influences me. I see comedians, the way comedians come up is so similar to the way DJs come up. A comedian for example starts off at a small club, doesn’t have any pull, is probably performing for free. They have to develop an entire set, test it out with the crowd to see if the set works, like, “Oh, these jokes don’t work, let me scrap it.” DJs are kind of like the same thing. It’s like, “These songs don’t work, let me scrap it.” They develop a set, they start off at this shitty club. They’re not even getting paid, and they end up, you know, being able to pull their own crowd, being able to, go on their own tour with their own headlining tour. So I think kind of stand up comedy and DJing, are both thriving in Los Angeles. I think both of those scenes kind of are so similar. So that influences me too, I could see the way this dude came up, how can I superimpose that to our shit.
3MiloE: Awesome. Where do you see yourselves a year from now?
Andrew: Hopefully doing more of these at a later time (Laughs) But really…
Andrew: We opened the main stage today. We’re kind of getting on the stages where we see ourselves being. But we want to make it more frequent. Maybe outside of California like, other east coast festivals, blah blah blah. Try to get some of these later time slots, bigger crowds, you know what I mean? But we got to start somewhere, definitely blessed to be doing what we’re doing right now, even opening, that was so awesome.
Scotty: Exactly like, I love DJing. It’s so fun to DJ. In a year I would hope to be at a placee where we would be able to make something that we wouldn’t be able to make right now. I would like to be at a place where we’re able to make something we couldn’t make a year ago. Whether its goals or achievements or whether, it’s music. As long as we’re always improving. One year ago we were not able to fucking make this song, or one year ago we weren’t able to fucking pull out, or sell out this venue or something like that. So whatever it is, I hope we’re always progressing, whatever it is, it better be something we weren’t able to do right now, you know what I’m saying?
Mike: When you guys said you opened up the main stage, what was the moment you realized, “‘Wow this is actually happening?”
Scotty: Well, we kind of got booked for these shows months in advance, so we were kind of able to somehow envision and strategize everything out, you know? For example, we’re playing at Countdown, Insomniac’s New Year’s Eve event, and it’s October. So we have three months to prepare for that.
Andrew: Also to answer the question… I don’t even think I’m personally at that point yet, you know what I mean? I’m still struggling every day man. We can be on the stage right now and not there tomorrow. But take everything with a grain of salt. Appreciate everything.
Mike: Whose the brains behind this operation? Like, do you guys have equal parts?
Yeah, it’s equal, definitely like, we’re partners. Business partners, music partners…and I mean it, fucking basic brothers. But there’s no brains. I mean, sometimes he’ll take the head on something, sometimes I will. It’s just how we trust each other. That’s just how it works.
Dedicated to the harder sound of electronic dance music.
