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Interviews

Interview With Manic!

Where are you from? What is the music scene like, in the area where you are from?

I am from the east of the Netherlands. While the Dutch hardcore scene is very big, the area where I live is mostly rural. I like to live there, as I love nature and peace, but for my music the audience usually isn’t really big. Luckily, I get booked for gigs in the west of the Netherlands regularly

How did you come up with your DJ Name?

I wanted a name that kind of sounded like my real name, but not exactly. So that’s when I came up with Manic. It doesn’t really mean something, although in English I guess it means like you lose your mind or something, but this absolutely doesn’t have anything to do with me 😉 It just sounds nice I think.

What animal best personifies your music and why?

This is a hard question. It has to be some kind of mystical, obscure animal. I think a cobra would do the job. It is mystical and elegant, although deadly venomous. It can also dance hypnotically on the music.

What are you trying to convey with your music?  

-That is really different for each track. Usually I just like to try to create an atmosphere in a track that alters your mind, bringing you in some kind of hypnose. Like you get lost in the music, in the melody, the drums etc. Like you are traveling through another dimension and nothing around you is important anymore.

Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re on stage?

When there is a big crowd and everyone is dancing on a new track I just finished, I get goosebumps all over my body. I also get this feeling a lot when I am part of the crowd myself, but then it is purely induced by the music and the performance. When I perform myself, it is induced by the energy of the crowd. I love that feeling.

What moment do you cherish the most so far in your career as a DJ/artist or musician?

The moment I got contracted by my favorite record label: Cenobite Records.

What was the first song or album that you remember listening to?

– I think it was an Elvis record of the old vinyl collection of my mom. Can’t remember exactly which one it was, but I loved Elvis when I was about 7 years old.

What are your major influences?

When I started making hardcore techno, I listened a lot to trancecore/psycore/artcore style, like releases on Cenobite (obviously), Ruffneck, KNOR, H2OH, Mokum, etc. Later on I discovered goa/psytrance and acid techno and some harder derivatives. I think these are my major influences. I think my music is evolving all the time, and I think (and hope) it always will

Where do you see yourself a year from now?

I really have no idea. Things got a bit on the back burner for a while because I was busy with my study, but after releasing my second full album, this time together with my Slovakian partner in crime Csabi, I went full on producing again and bought a lot of new gear. I am also learning a lot of new sound design techniques, and I’m experimenting with performing live, also with various kinds of music styles, so I really don’t know where this all will bring me in a year. We will see I guess. One thing is for sure, I am not standing still 😉.

-Manic

 

Interviews

Interview with DJ DBA

Where are you from? What is the music scene like, in the area where you are from?

I am Duane Borra and i was born in Haarlem. Nowadays i live in Ijmuiden.
The music in my region is wide spread with all sorts of styles.

How did you come up with your DJ Name? 

Well my full name is Duane Borra, so DBA was not so hard to come up with. Originally it’s dB(A) but that’s hard to search or find around the web.

What animal best personifies your music and why?

A T-Rex? I don’t know.. Just think there funny haha

 What are you trying to convey with your music?

Just banging tracks🤘🏻

Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re on stage?

The feeling on stage i think is still one of the best there is!

What moment do you cherish the most so far in your career as a DJ/artist or musician?

The time i was on stage at the mainstage of Pandemonium and Decade.

What was the first song or album that you remember listening too?

That’s pretty far back in time, i think it was Juggernaut – Ruffneck rules on the television, and some of the Party Animals.

What are your major influences?

My friend Martijn was one of the influences of dj ing, together with him we also preform as Dj team The Greasemonkeys. The other one is the feeling from the music and mixing it all together.

 Where do you see yourself a year from now?

I will see what the future will bring!

 

 

Interviews

Leviathan Interview

1 Comment

 

Where are you from? What is the music scene like, in the area where you are from?

I’m from Amsterdam ,many concerts in all styles of music you can find here.
We have a few Hardcore events every month and we have quite a lot of Festivals in the neighborhood also Thunderdome has it’s headquarters in Amsterdam
Sometimes we have underground squat parties but also with Amsterdam Dance Event (HDE) Hardcore will be represented

How did you come up with your DJ Name?

I did use a lot of different project names
Tellurian i got out of the English dictionary and it means “Earthling” it just spoke to me
Leviathan i got from the movie Hellraiser , it fitted just perfect because we where official label partner with “ISP Hellraiser Ultimate Hardcore Dance Events ”

3.What animal best personifies your music and why?
Probably a black Dragon , our hardcore style is mostly dark & mystical, but i do like to make a pussy track some times in other genre’s

What are you trying to convey with your music?

I like all kinds of music and styles but the concept of Cenobite is dark hardcore / psycore, we do love to have a message in there some times and the goal is to make every song sounding original

Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re on stage?

Well , before the performance nervous most of the time , the experience of the whole night is also depending on how good the crowd reacted on my set , i love it when i reach that zone and everything comes together and seems to work

What moment do you cherish the most so far in your career as a DJ/artist or musician?

That’s a tough one, I had so many amazing experiences over the years ,made thousands of friends worldwide
Getting good reactions on my music inspires me a lot.
I still think it’s amazing what music can do with people and the connection to memories & feelings ,
Getting respect from the crowd is one thing but getting it from other music producers feels even better
I also love being in the crowd and to see the dance floor explode if the dj’s plays your tune it’s like priceless
It just feels like I’m blessed and i feel honored to be part of it .

What was the first song or album that you remember listening too?

Kurtis Blow – The Breaks ,    and A lot of funk tapes from my brothers in laws
Hardcore-wise Thunderdome 1 , it’s still my favorite from the series , and the Multi Groove raves in the early 90’ties were inspiring

What are your major influences?

I was always loved disco, funk & soul
Computer game music had big influence and that’s how i discovered kraftwork
Hip Hop Funk , R&B and later Hip-House ,Chicago House  & Acid House , I love Drum Breaks and almost anything with a funky beat
I think everything you listen to can be a an influence conscious or unconscious.
Where do you see yourself a year from now?

Time flies a year is nothing , i got a growing to do list from here till Tokio with stuff i need to do , plus all new ideas like setting up a new label and working on other genre’s video projects and this is besides my work as a graphic & web-designer so i hope to get as much done as possible and i hope that appreciation and support from the scene will continue .
Your likes & shares, comments, support on the dance-floor , promoting the music , the artists & events
that’s what it’s all about , that’s what keeping the scene motivated and expand
And for that i like to thank you !

PEACE

X
X
X

Michel

Leviathan
Leviathan

http://cenobiterecords.com/cenobite-dj-artist/leviathan/
https://www.mixcloud.com/CENOBITE_RECORDS/
https://www.youtube.com/user/cenobitexxx
https://soundcloud.com/dj_leviathan
https://www.facebook.com/leviathan.tellurian/
https://twitter.com/DJ_LEVIATHAN

Interviews

Tim Shopp Interview

 

Where are you from? What is the music scene like there?

I live here in Middletown, New Jersey and have lived here my entire life along with most of my family. As for music scene, there is a lot of pop punk, alternativ,e and other music but absolutely no hard dance scene. It’s very slim pickings in this state!

How did you come up with your DJ name?

My DJ name is my own name. When I first began, I realized the obsession artists seem to have with the letter “Z” and random adjectives, so I strayed far from that! I realized I wanted to just make music under my own name because simply it’s just who I am… literally.

What animal best personifies your music and why?

Hmmm, that’s a hard one! Maybe a grizzly bear? They’re aggressive and from what I hear on documentaries, they hit hard!

What are you trying to convey with your music?

Nothing. I know it sounds crazy, but quite honestly I just enjoy making hard music. Each track is usually a different vibe from the last, and I just try to make stuff I think sounds cool and aggressive, or even different that typical stuff.

Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re on stage?

Even still I get butterflies before some shows, especially when I have a load of new music to play. Testing new tracks always gets me a bit jittery. On stage I usually get a huge rush the second I hit play for the first time, and then from there on out it’s all about going crazy and enjoying myself.

 

What moment do you cherish the most so far in your career as a DJ/artist or musician?

It’s hard to pick one specific moment to be honest, because it feels every single moment in my career so far has brought me great happiness and pride. I always tell people of course this is what I love to do, but I never imagined I would be doing/accomplishing some of the stuff I have already in my career.

What are your major influences?

There are so many, but here are three that come to mind immediately…

F. Noize—Been a fan for as long as I could remember, as well as a friend. He’s supported me and my music a ton, and is one of my favorite producers in the game.

Furyan—Probably my favorite producer on the Masters of Hardcore label. Blows me away with every track, and inspires many of my new tracks I’m working on.

Partyraiser—Do I even need to explain why? Absolute legend.

And without question the two legends of American hardcore: Rob GEE and Lenny Dee!

Where do you see yourself a year from now?

This is an interesting question, because where I saw myself a year from now is happening sooner than you realize…so I’ll wait for you guys to see.

Otherwise I just see myself making more music and continuing to push the limits of myself and my tracks and bringing fresh ideas and sounds along the way!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimShoppOfficial
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/timshopp
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tim_Shopp
Instagram: http://instagram.com/timshopp

Interviews

Cik Interview

Where are you from?

Have been living in Phoenix, Arizona for the last 25 years.  These days, the music scene is either super-big EDM festivals or club shows, with the occasional rave.

Cik at Ground Zero 2010How did you come up with your DJ Name?

I used to have a big habit of describing something cool as “sick. There was already a company called Sik Graphics, so I changed the spelling.

What animal best personifies your music and why?

A Liger. Because you’re just jealous I sit at home and talk to babes on the Internet all day.

What are you trying to convey with your music?  

About nine out of 10 times, it’s a reaction to life or situations in life.  Could be a message I’m trying to get across, could be a straight-up obscure jab at someone.  I am trying to communicate my feelings without being verbal.

Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re on stage?

I zone out and get lost in the music.

What moment do you cherish the most so far in your career as a DJ/artist or musician?

Cik

Playing Ground Zero 2010 after Ruffneck and Enzyme X, and before Delta-9. I was this kid from AZ that most haven’t heard of, but I rose to the occasion and played one of the best sets in my career. I was even paid an extra bonus in payment because I did so well.

What was the first song or album that you remember listening too?

Industrial Strength — “Industrial Strength”

What are your major influences?

Leloo Dallas , Hugh Hefner (RIP), stroopwafels, coffee, food, and Redtube.

www.djcik.com

www.facebook.com/djcik

www.soundcloud.com/cik-2

https://www.mixcloud.com/Cik_Dave/

Affiliations: Industrial Strength/AZHC/Insane/SFU