Tag Archives: hardcore techno

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ART OF FIGHTERS: RANKED! 5 Arty Tracks!

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Under the masks, Art of Fighters, or AoF, is a musical trio of Italian hardcore and gabber DJs and producers Cristian Nardelli, Luca Lorini and Matteo Pitossi. The three artists’ musical journey started in 1997, back when they were teenagers and still rookies in the hardcore world. They produced their first E.P.”The Beat Can’t Change” in 2000, at the age of 18. They then went out to make their biggest hit yet, “Artwork”. This track is definitely what turned them into big players in the international hardcore scene.

Art of Fighters make a reputation for themselves by performing in different clubs in all of the European continent, mostly in Italy, The Netherlands, Germany and Spain. They are also famous for their unique live-sets: They always perform wearing scary hockey masks, like the one seen in the movie “Friday 13th”.

From 1997 to now, Art of Fighters have been playing in several parties and festivals and their rise to fame have been basically unstoppable since then. They are now a reference in the hardcore international scene, not only in Europe, but in other countries where the hardcore genre is still considered very underground such as Japan, Australia, the US or even some South American countries.

Their sounds are known to be raw, powerful and hard, as you can see it (well, hear it actually) in the 5 tracks bellow. Enjoy it!

  1. Artwork:

This track defines perfectly the nature of Art of Fighters’ style. Quick, rough and energetic, you will probably start dancing to it without realizing it.

  1. Nirvana of Noise:

The sounds are dark, mysterious and powerful. I can already imagine this track in an action movie scene or some dark British TV show (the British really know how to make dark TV shows, let’s give them that).

  1. Goodbye (See you next time):

The sounds in this track are a little bit more soft and rhythmic. You’ll listen to it, dance to it, and appreciate it in all its genius.

  1. A New Today:

A collaboration that is definitely worth the detour! This mix of deeply hard sounds, energetic rhythm and Lily Julian’s voice will leave you panting.

  1. Words of War:

This is where you discover that, more than just producers, Art of Fighters are storytellers. You will enjoy the scenario of this track as much as the sounds.

Art of Fighters are now a force to reckon with in the hardcore industry. Their unique, special sounds turned them into one of the biggest names on the scene and they’re not slowing down.

Follow them on their Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/artoffighters/

 

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Minnesota Hard Dance says This is Halloween

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Last night, Minnesota Hard Dance lit up the Twin Cities with ripping, cutting edge electronic music stuffed into an old school format. Ostensibly, the excuse was Halloween, though  half these partyers looked liked they dressed in costume almost every weekend anyway. A wide assortment of rave flavors could be sampled last night, hardcore (by yours truly), drum and bass, Psytrance, sub-ground, techno, happy hardcore, hardstyle… I’m missing a few here, but trust me, between the two rooms you had ear candy waiting for you at anytime.

Though taking place on a Saturday, “This is Halloween” was the name of the party, just to help attendees plan their circadian rhythms accordingly. This was important because magnetic musical artists would be making marks on memories until 5:00 am. As I had a flight the next day, all logical sense of responsibility told me that I should leave shortly after I played. I made the critical, we can’t really call it an “error” because I was the better for it, but I stepped into the middle of DJ Darkmatter’s (not to be confused with L.A.’s Darkmatter Soundsystem) psy-trance set and it was off-the-hook! I cancelled my ride to the hotel and proceeded to bug out to the early morning, sleep-be-damned!

It occurred to me that for the underground to thrive, a wide mixtures of styles is not only more interesting, but necessary. It was a well-attended event, but with all the parties going on the Halloween weekend, its in everyone’s interest in the rave scene to merge the styles because in the current commercial climate only the really big more commercial parties can specialize on a consistent basis. The great thing about this party is that the crowd seemed to appreciate all the styles, too. There was rarely any drop off at either of the sound stages.

So if you were at “This is Halloween” last night, I congratulate you! I bet there was no place in the Twin Cities last night that was as supportive of good music, on shredding sound systems, and with an embrace of the creativity we need to thrive. Big ups to Minnesota Hard Dance for another great party!

Photo by Rad Timmah

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Partyraiser: The Best 5 Tracks RANKED!

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Partyraiser is definitely one of the oldest players in the hardcore scene. In 1995, Wesley van Swol, who would soon be known under the stage name Partyraiser, started DJ-ing in parties in his hometown, encouraged by his family and one of his best friends, who helped him learn the initial tricks of working the turntables. Even back then, Wesley van Swol impressed others by his skills. It’s in one of those numerous parties that Partyraiser met Bart Revier AKA Distroyer. They produced their first tracks together and went on playing in small events together.

Luckily enough, the pair ended up meeting Dutch Gabber Network Records’ Vincent Heijnen in one of their many parties, and he was very interested in their music. This impromptu meeting resulted in a vinyl called “A New World Order” that has been critically-acclaimed by none other than Lady Dana and DJ Paul.

Soon after, Wesley van Swol and Bart Revier split up, each starting his own solo career. And it’s not until 2001 that Partyraiser truly finds his voice, creating his own concept called “Doomsday”. This step is what really brought him out to the hardcore world. He started working outside of his province and gaining recognition outside of The Netherlands.

After his breakthrough, everything changed for Partyraiser. He became a phenomenon that every hardcore fan talked about. Partyraiser describes his style as “hardest hardcore”, the fruit of many influences ranging from house to terrorcore and even old rock, as one of his favorite artists is Elvis Presley.

So, in the light of all this, let’s discover together Partyraiser’s 5 best tracks.

  1. Sound Becomes One:

No needs to wait for the beat to go from slow to quick with this one. It starts off hard and softens in the middle, which brings a very welcome change. Truly listen to this song, and you will find yourself flying. Aaaaand, in the third minute, the track returns to that crazy quick vibe it had in the beginning, which might confuse some people who aren’t used to Partyraiser’s very eclectic style.

  1. Time To Raise The Party:

This is definitely the party track. Just imagine yourself in a rave, somewhere in Amsterdam, drink in hand and neon lights surrounding you, just feeling the music in your bones and being part of a crowd that moves like a monster with one thousand heads. So, listen to the man and raise that party!

  1. Our Power:

This is a truly powerful track, and not just because of its name. The sounds are hard, dark and more on the terrorcore side.

  1. From The Westcoast:

With some rap in the middle and a quick beat, this is the perfect west coast sound. Just forget yourself for a few minutes and feel the music, you’ll find yourself dancing without realizing it!

  1. Like An Animal:

Wow, this starts strong! This track doesn’t give you time to acclimate to the music, you just head bang like crazy from the beginning, because there’s no other alternative!

Partyraiser is an artist who knows how to use all of his imagination and inventiveness to create music that transcends space and time. His way of looking at the hardcore style is open minded and original, which explains the use of many musical styles in the same track. It’s pleasing to the ears, as his ever growing fan-base proves.

To know more about Partyraiser, check out his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PartyraiserOfficial/

Or… go to his upcoming show Dec. 3, 2016 in Los Angeles, WINTERFRESH MUSIC FESTIVAL!

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UNEXIST: 5 Killer Tracks RANKED!

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If I said “Fransesco Lapicca”, would you recognize the man? Most of you wouldn’t, since you probably know him as Unexist or Jappo. This Italian artist, known as “The most terrifying Italian killer” (a metaphor, of course), is a DJ and producer of hardcore techno music and gabber. In 1995, he released his first track, and from then on, he has been performing in big clubs, private parties and festivals, not only in his home country, Italy, but all over the world. After moving to New York for a year, Unexist discovered that he had a talent for scratching and became one of the hardcore scene’s best.

Fransesco has often talked about the anger and rage inside him, and how producing hardcore techno music was the only way to release all of these feelings. In one of his interviews, he stated “Music has always been an output to me. So I can unleash my anger through my music.” As a Heavy Metal lover, hard music has always been his favorite genre.

Now, let’s discover together Unexist’s 5 most popular tracks. Get ready to be slayed by real hardcore music!

  1. Fuck The System:

As we said, Unexist’s music is anything but soft, and this track is the perfect proof. We can feel the artist’s rage in those beats, which are at the same time very techno and extremely heavy metal-y. We can definitely imagine metal heads listening to this and enjoying it!

  1. Questa È Hardcore :

This one is a little less hardcore than the first track, but it is just as good. More techno than heavy, it makes you long for your clubbing nights when you’re spending a calm one at home (if by calm you mean chilling in your pajamas with a pack of beer and Unexist’s music blasting from your laptop).

  1. Burn It All Down:

The title says it all, no need for more description. Just do it, and burn it all down! If you’re wearing glasses, be careful, you’ll have to take them off before listening to this track because you will head bang like crazy!

  1. Rockus:

Rage, anger and even more rage. This track is sick and you will find yourself dancing to it without realizing it.

  1. Anarchy in the UK:

Yes, this is The Sex Pistols song, but with the unique Unexist sauce added to it, which makes it one hundred times better (no offense to the fans of The Sex Pistols or punk music). A little bit of punk rock mixed with industrial hardcore never hurt anyone.

Unexist, as a big fan of Slipknot and metal music, is now collaborating with various metal artists on a new project called “Fail 2 Comply”. His newest album is also fully covering the spectrums of the hardcore genre, from fast and heavy tones to more soft and melodic ones. Fransesco says that this is “hardcore seen through Unexist’s eyes”.

Discover more about Unexist by visiting his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/DjUnexist/

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5 Kickin’ Lenny Dee Tracks!

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A native New Yorker, Lenny Dee is an American DJ and producer who first specialized in rave music but went on to become one of the hardcore techno scene’s biggest names.  Starting his career in 1984, at the young age of 17, Lenny Dee was DJing at a local Brooklyn disco and went on to become one of New York’s most important musical pioneers.

It’s when he meets legendary Tommy Musto that his career takes a dramatic leap. He and Tommy make more than 20 records under Tommy’s label Fourth Floor and become famous in the British underground scene. After that, Lenny Dee storms through the UK’s underground scene and becomes one of the few artists who truly bring a change to Techno music. That’s when the style Hardcore Techno sees the light for the first time.

In 1989, thanks to his unique sounds, Lenny Dee becomes the best international DJ in many European countries, such as Germany, Scotland, France and Switzerland. After that, he starts performing all over the world, from his home country, the US, to farther countries like Australia and even Japan.

In 1991, Denny Lee launches Industrial Strength Records, the first Hardcore Techno label in the world and goes on to work with many world-acclaimed artists, like Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin and the French band Daft Punk.

Here are 5 kickin’ Lenny Dee tracks, enjoy them!

  1. As Long As I Got You:

We’re starting strong with this one. This collaboration between Lenny Dee and Frankie Bones has the perfect New Yorkish vibes to it. Very techno, very smooth, but also extremely dance-y, this song will make you move!

  1. Fucking Hostile:

This track is different from the first one. More on the hardcore side, it starts quick and turns dark in the middle. The beat is what we can call sick, and we can all imagine this being played in some dark thriller.

  1. Everything Bamboo:

Be ready to dance with this one! The track gives of an extremely Blackstreet vibe and you will definitely move while listening to it. The beat is soft and enjoyable, even for people who normally don’t listen to this type of music. This shows how versatile Lenny Dee can be as an artist and producer.

  1. Gonne Take You Higher:

If you listen to this and don’t even move your head with the music, we’re afraid there’s something wrong with you. Your body instinctively follows the music, and for a good reason: it’s just that catchy!

  1. Microtronic:

Strong sounds for a strong ending. This track is pure Lenny Dee, techno with a pinch of that original Lenny magic to it.

From 1984 to these days, Lenny Dee has been gifting us with unique sounds, both as a DJ and as a producer. Having worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, he is a force to reckon with in the hardcore and gabber scene.

To know more about him, check out his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/DjLennyDee/