Tag Archives: happy hardcore

Articles, Events, Reviews

Blips and Chitz feat. Dougal 8/25/17

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Growing up to the sounds of hardcore and hearing that one of your hardcore super heroes is dropping by your home town city to spin a set is simply early Christmas. Earlier in the week Dougal posted on social media that he was treated for what I believe was a kidney stone and I thought I would experience my first time in my years of raving, a Dj playing from a wheelchair. I know that’s not how I would love to see Dougal again but knowing he was actually going to make it and not miss the gig made me so proud and excited.

Working late night Friday and having to be up at 5am Saturday didn’t stop me from dropping by to see Dj Dougal. I arrived to the event at 11:00 pm and couldn’t believe that the legend himself, Dougal, was going to be playing only minutes from my home. I walked into a music store/studio and immediately got the happy vibes. The walls were shaking, the 4/4 beats and piano riffs made my ears wiggle. All of a sudden I heard the unique and talented scrubbing (scratching) and without looking at the time slots I knew it had to be Flap Jack on the decks. I made my way to the main room and there he was, Flap Jack dropping Set you free by N-Trance. The room had pictures of portal dimensions and there was a projector spitting images of Rick and Morty. There was an actual stage surrounded by speakers. It was hot, it was steamy, it was old school. The vibes in that room were those of the early 2000’s where everyone was dancing and chanting the lyrics.

Dj Flap Jack dropping Set you free by N-Trance Photo by Kari Shirai
Dj Flap Jack dropping Set you free by N-Trance Photo by Kari Shirai

I made my way to the lounge area of the venue where there were sofas and resting areas with a couple of game counsels for the party goers to enjoy. As I made my way to the outside patio to cool down, I noticed goers coming out from a room deep in the patio with thumping music and lasers. I started walking towards the room and I could hear a deep and dark kick, snares and hi-hats. The beats were banging, the crowd was grooving and on the decks was one of LA’s old school underground techno Dj’s, Alexander. Felt as if I was at an early underground techno party.

I started to make my way back to the “sweatbox”, as some of us call it, to catch the last of Flap Jack’s set and prepared for Dougal. Dj Dougal walked into the room and made his way to the back room to prepare himself. The room started to get more crowded, the goers screamed with excitement, everyone was smiling and greeting each other. Dj Dougal comes on the stage, opens up with You and I by Darren Styles and Gammer. The crowd goes bonkers! Dougal was pumped and Dougal was standing, he delivered us one heck of a set. The crowd was chanting every song and all of a sudden I lost my mind when one of my favorite tunes was dropped, Luv u more by Paul Elstak.

Dj Dougal Playing Luv u more by Paul Elstak, Photo by Kari Shirai
Dj Dougal Playing Luv u more by Paul Elstak, Photo by Kari Shirai

I sang, I danced and I felt loved. Happy Hardcore will always hold a special place in my heart. The party was epic and I am so thankful with everyone at Project Phantasy and SCC for putting such hard work and dedication to this event. Thank you guys for keeping hardcore alive and always having such epic events in the surrounding cities where I grew up listening to happy hardcore, promoting and preaching the same message as you, HTID!

Articles, Events

Project Z Recap

This past Saturday night the much anticipated Project Z returned to the NOS Center for its second annual show. The Joint Basscon and Bassrush show gave bassheads and hardstyle fans an exciting lineup including headliners like Eptic, Borgore, Darren Styles, and a Dj Isaac classic set.

I started my Project Z expedition early to avoid the ridiculous traffic on the way to San Bernardino. I got to the venue with about 30 minutes till showtime. Perfect because I wanted to see the Los Angeles based hardstyle artists, NonToxic. They did not disappoint the couple hundred of people that decided to come in early. They even surprised the crowd with a couple of unreleased singles. Next up was another American Hardstyle act Mekanikal, who played some awesome hard trap. Followed by the always entertaining Crisis Era, who decided to jump into the crowd and start a mosh pit.

Following Crisis Era, I needed to get out of the sauna that was the Basscon stage, so I wandered around the rest of the grounds and tried to find my friends.  I was really curious about the Area Z stage, I did not recognize anyone on that lineup so I want to see  the up and coming talent. I was kind of disappointed though, not in the music it was actually pretty good, but disappointed in the sound system. The sound was awful, my crappy Suburu factory radio had better bass than the Area Z stage, which is sad because when Ganja White Night went on later that night I could tell the set would have been 100 times better on a main stage sound system, but thats just my opinion.

After about an hour of meeting up with people and checking out some new music, I found myself at the Bassrush tent for Midnight Tyrannosaurus b2b Oolacile. The man famous for his Rick and Morty dubstep remixes was one of the highlights of the night for me, not only for the fantastic set, but because the Bassrush was just all around better than the Basscon stage. For one it was outside, so it was exponentially cooler, and  the stage production on the Bassrush stage was way better. Normally I would have made my way back to the Basscon stage because of that incredible lineup, but I decided to stay at the Bassrush stage because the Basscon stage was just way to hot. The Bassrush stage and Area Z had people I have yet to see so it worked out in my favor. I was able to see Gentleman’s Club, the UK Dub Trio whom my basshead friends have been telling me I have to see. They played Woo Boost as a tribute to Rusko, who is currently battling cancer, and hearing the whole crowd sing a long gave me chills.

The rest of my night was spent exploring  around the rest of the festival. Bouncing around stage to stage, meeting new people, trying some of the food truck food, and trading Kandi. Besides the sound at Area Z and the Basscon stage being worse then the steam room at la fitness, I would definitely say this years Project Z was one for the books (hopefully next year both stages will be outside). I’m excited excited for the future of Hardstyle in America, with Basscon’s following picking up some speed who knows what going to happen! Next up for me though is Frontliner, Lady Faith and NonToxic in Fresno followed by the Basscon takeover at Escape!!😈👊🏽

Articles, Events, Reviews

Project Z Report

My car hurtled to the Inland Empire Saturday night towards the much anticipated “Project Z”, which promised to be a grand marrying of two of Insomniac’s hardest brands, Basscon and Bassrush. These brands represent their hardstyle, hardcore, drum and bass, and “bass” music as it’s increasingly being called, I guess to obscure the fact what’s really being played is hyped up dubstep.

The techno rabbits invade Project Z! - photo by Mike Ortiz
The techno rabbits invade Project Z! – photo by Mike Ortiz

Parking was 15 bucks if you didn’t want to risk your car getting jacked in San Bernardino that night. I think $15 is actually a pretty fair price, considering most cars are filled with 4-5 people going to these shows. I had no problems getting in or out. Getting into and out of the party was pleasantly hassle free unlike some events I’ve been to over the last few years that seem more like a slog through airport security than a concert.

Upon entering the NOS Events center, I was surprised to feel that “old school rave” feeling amongst the crowd. I even, I swear to BASS, smelled Vic’s Vapo-Rub at one point. The party featured two arenas with amazing lights and sound, and a walkabout area that featured merchandise booths, food trucks, some spray paint graffiti murals, and a small sound system playing a lot of rawstyle. Plus, there were various places people just hung out at and chilled.

Project Z ravers! - Photo by Mike Ortiz
Project Z ravers! – Photo by Mike Ortiz

Musically, the high point of the night for me was SNAILS. This surprised even me, as I usually stick to the Basscon arena more than Bassrush. But, the production in the Bassrush arena had a bit of an unfair advantage. They got the fancy video screens and lighting rig from the old Circuit Ground arena from last year’s Nocturnal Wonderland. It’s an amazing set-up and it was nice to see it utilized for the harder styles.

The sold-out show was a testament to the marriage of the two brands that some might argue should have never been separated in the first place. America has always like breaks with their kick drums and it’s arguably the distinctive sound of the rave era. The 10,000 ravers that filled the NOS Events Center Saturday might be the vanguard of a new style of American rave music unencumbered by the prejudices of the European establishment. We shall see!

Announcements, Articles, Interviews

Raging Hard Brings Hardstyle to Baltimore

By Sean Hargrove

It’s no secret that the East Coast rave and warehouse scene has been lacking the harder styles lately. As club nights fill with bombastic trap and pretentious deep house, hardcore shows like this years TRAUMA  Tour have been far between and fans of hardcore have had fewer and fewer opportunities to throw on their UFOs and shuffle. Tim Shopp and Warsong Presents want to change this June 11 with Raging Hard  at Bambou in Baltimore, Maryland.

Featuring hard dance legends like Darksiderz, Raging Hard boasts an eclectic lineup of hardcore favorites from all over the country. Across 3 different stages, ravers from all along the east coast will gather at Bambou in Baltimore to get down to a diverse mix of  Hardstyle, Hardcore and UK Hardcore.

The main stage will be dedicated to hardstyle and hosted by New York native MC MastaChief. Headlining the hardstyle stage, Darksiderz will be playing his signature dark style with new favorites like Mekanikal from Rochester, NY and Markove from Washington, D.C.  Joining them on the hardstyle stage are Dr Jer-Z bringing Jumpstyle from Monreale, Palermo, Italy and Virginia Beach favorite Zaki.

The Outdoor Hardcore stage will have a mix of Terror, Uptempo and pure old Hardcore, hosted by MC Mad Effort from New York City. Featuring uptempo sets from hardcore heros like Treachery and Warsong’s resident terror producer Tim Shopp. Alongside them will be New Jersey hardcore favorite Levenkahn and Dj Bizarre.

Warsong also added a third bonus stage devoted to UK Hardcore. Bringing you euphoric synths and hard kicks all night will be Arcada alongside master of melody and cheese Happy Daze. Philly’s own DSM resident Problem Unit will be opening the stage with a mix of UK Hardcore and breaks.

Tickets are on sale now starting at only $15 for presales or $20 at the door. The event is 18 and over, starting Saturday, June 11 at 8:00 PM at Bambou, 229 N. Franklintown Rd, Baltimore MD. Click Here to RSVP to the Facebook event or find out more details.

Articles, Interviews

Leo Corson Interview

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In my mind, Leo Corson is one of the main people responsible for the current popularity of the harder styles in North America. As a tireless advocate of hard dance music, he was once known as DJ Dutchboy and then as Used & Abused. Now, he’s a booking agent for Corson Agency and Circle Talent Agency. 

How did you get into the rave scene in the first place?

I went out to my first rave in 1994 or ’95. It was called Angies Urbal Jungle. From then, I kept going to raves. Insomniac was also throwing their first events around this time. I immediately fell in love with hardcore, the high energy 170-180 BPM stuff and some of the early rave sounds. I did a lot of things within the rave scene: I worked events, I did flyers, I worked in a booth selling necklaces and glow sticks, etc.

When did the music come in?

In 1997 or 1998, I happened to be working a show. Lenny Dee, DJ Isaac and G-Town Madness were booked for this. I met them, took them out the day after the show, and then I was invited to go to Holland. Holland is where I started really becoming a DJ because I was able to bring back all of this vinyl and white labels back to America. I started playing out as Dutchboy, my first show being in 1998, Neverland. Then around 2000, the music started to change: a big influence from Germany. People like Cosmic Gate started making 138 BPM music and then that morphed into what we know today as hardstyle, but it was a lot slower at first. A lot of the hardcore guys decided to switch to this sound. This started in about 1999, but it didn’t really become classified as hardstyle until about 2002 when it really started to take off. Then I switched as well and changed my name to ‘Used & Abused’, but I still played hardcore as Dutchboy. Then around 2003-2004, I opened up a record store on Melrose, Underground Culture. But at this time, vinyl was starting to die.

When did you establish Corson Agency?

2008. At the same time I set up the label Hard Dance Nation; that was the conduit that allowed us to do events and tours. We also release music for North American hard dance artists.

When was Hard Dance Nation’s first show?

In 2008 as well, when I became 30. It was “XXX,” Roman numerals for the age that I turned. That was the first show that was all hardstyle, hardcore, and hard dance, which took place on the ninth of August, 2008.

What was the biggest challenge to getting harder music more accepted in America?

It was easier in the early 2000’s because the different styles were all around the same BPM, the general speed being around 135 BPM. Trance, techno, and club house was 135, hardstyle was 138. You could mix it all together. Then in the mid 2000’s, everything kind of splintered off and it got even more splintered as we go into the teens. Now we have 128 on one side, and 150 on the other. That’s a broad spectrum. You can’t pitch the music up or down too much. I think that’s the biggest challenge. For a lot of people, 150 is a bit much. But luckily, we have a lot of fans in LA especially that like it.

What’s been the most gratifying thing that’s happened over these last years as an agent?

Putting on Basscon in association with Insomniac… when you see the show practically sell out the Hollywood Palladium! Starting from really small raves and struggling to get the music recognized, then seeing promoters like Insomniac push it further, that’s a great feeling.

What would you like to see more of in the Hard Dance community?

I would like to see less bullshit and less fighting, because I think that’s going to ruin the scene faster than anything. The flaming online and the shit talking and this whole rawstyle versus this whole … you know what? It’s fucking music. We’re all on the same boat. It doesn’t matter what sound it is, who this guy is, who that guy is. I think that we need to let go and support each other. It’s the same thing that I faced back in the 2000’s. You had the people who like gabber and they would punch these happy hardcore kids in the face because they’re wearing furries and beads. That’s not PLUR. It’s not positive and it’s not a very good representation when you do those types of things. I even heard that there was a fight at Nocturnal between two hardstyle crews. I heard, I’m not going to call you people out, but I heard that there was an actual fight?! I mean, there’s a fight between two people who like the same thing! But you guys think you’re better than the other? I think that is something I would like to see stop, because I’m not doing this so guys can have a place to fight each other and measure their dicks.

You mentioned to me in an email that you  teach a course in music business.

Unbeknownst to most, I have a Master’s degree.

An MBA?

It’s an MBA, but it’s called Music Industry Administration. It a 60-40 split of the MBA program and music. It focuses on publishing, licensing, copyrights, mechanical licensing, contracting, entertainment law, and stuff like that. I spoke twice at Icon Collective, a school in Burbank. They were looking to expand their music business department. It’s actually very important when these kids grow up and want to make music and want to DJ, to understand that there is a business side of it. So they gave me a job opportunity, and I took it. It’s a good way to give back to the community.

What’s on the horizon for Hard Dance in 2016?

We are already starting to book things in advance. I can’t really divulge one-hundred percent, but I can tell you that you’ll see more Basscon stages at more Insomniac events. I know Insomniac is the only major US promoter that is really putting an effort into pushing this sound so far. As long as the fans come out and support the harder artists, even if there is only one act per show, that will really help push things forward. We are a small group of dedicated people right now and the only way that we are going to help expand is by supporting the best we can and in any way we can. Go out and support the music you love for god sake!  Another thing I want to address: the fans. I know you are so die hard but you can’t be so angry when we can’t get someone booked. Visas are very difficult to get these days. There’s a finite amount of visas that customs and immigration services can give out. It’s expensive. We have to prove that we’re not stealing an American job.  It’s very highly protected. This law was enacted in the 70’s to protect American workers and musicians. Realize it’s not that we don’t want to bring them, it’s that they might not be able to get the visa that is required or can make the payments. There is a business side of things. The government does hold a lot of sway that we can’t circumvent. Keep that in mind.

Do you have any advice for those wanting to get involved with music?

If you’re an aspiring DJ, you should focus on producing instead. You can’t just go out and get the cool vinyl, white labels, and promos. Producing is what’s important. If you’re an aspiring hardstyle or hardcore producer, just get your music out there. It’s so easy these days. The more Americans and Canadians that actually step up and produce seriously, I think the rest of the world will take our hard dance community more serious. Stay professional and clean on social media. The more professional we look, the more the international community will look at us with that same seriousness. This music does come from the Netherlands. They have high standards, REALLY high. They will look down on all of us if you don’t hold yourself similar. Collaborate more. I think that’s really, really, really important.

Any last words before we depart?

I want to thank all the fans because a lot of them know me personally. I go out and they always thank me for what I do. I appreciate them as well. I don’t need the recognition. I do it, partly and sadly, because no one else has stepped up to do it. You guys show a lot of respect and in return I want to do that for you. Thank you.

Editing on this article was also done by DJ Daybreaker.