Tag Archives: Hardstyle Arena

Just when you thought Hurricane Harvey was calming down, a torrential downpour of HARD ELECTRONIC is on its way to the USA’s major metropolitan areas, and the East and West Coasts now brace for impact. If you like your beats tough, distorted and relentless, then September 8, 2017 you need to be in Brooklyn, NY and September 9, 2017 you better fly, drive or swim to Los Angeles, CA because shows with this much sonic boom don’t happen very often in the USA. Here are the respective Facebook Event pages:

NYC: https://www.facebook.com/events/1862873943964846/

LA: https://www.facebook.com/events/438768009838741/

Noize Suppressor hits the coasts Sept. 8 & 9, 2017

Headlining both nights is Italy’s number 1 party animal, Noize Suppressor. You might remember him from his knockout performances at Trauma Live, Fresh’s Hardstyle Arena, or EDCLV. Well, he’s back to burn and score a few points for Dogfight Hardcore, so get some comfy sneakers because you’re going to be jumping and pumping. The other headliner is a new face to America, Malke, bringing his brand of Brazilian hard electronic audio skills to raise the East and West Coast’s respective water level of sonic appreciation to tidal wave levels. Another Industrial Strength score for forward-thinking audio dissemination and keeping them, as always, ahead of the future’s curve.

But that’s only the tip of the icebergs heading at breakneck speed to slam into the coasts. The New York show features Delta 9 aka Dave Delta, Lenny Dee, Satronica, Delirium, John Bas, MC Mastachief , Ontal (from Serbia) and Gxnnxr. The Los Angeles chaos will be co-hosted by Rave ‘til Dawn and will put the old and new guard of hardcore techno into a full-on crash collision of the generations as Lenny Dee, Satronica, Demigod, Fiend, Inyoung, Deadly Buda, Sonik and J’Sin are going to party like it’s 1999 and remind everyone why Los Angeles is the decades-long, number one spot for hardcore techno in the USA.

As the week goes on, we will be profiling many of the artists playing at both events at The Hard Data. But to start off, we are going to focus briefly on the main drivers of both parties, Industrial Strength Records and Kontaminated Recordings, and their head honchos, Lenny Dee, Satronica, and DJ Delirium.

Lenny Dee:

Producer / DJ / Label Owner Lenny Dee is one of NYC’s earliest techno and house pioneers. He attacked Europe with the then new sound of Techno and in 1991 launched Industrial Strength Records – the first electronic ‘Hardcore’ label in the world that’s included music from Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Manu Le Malin, Angerfist, Corrosion of Conformity, Daft Punk, Neophyte, Unexist, DOA, The Sickest Squad, Nasenbluten, The Mover, Mescalinum United, Rob Gee, Deadly Buda, Delta 9, Satronica, Delirium, Demigod, Ron D Core, Inyoung and many more.

Lenny has also written and produced hundreds of tracks on labels such as 4th floor, Warner Bros, Strictly Rhythm, R&S, Music Man, Atlantic Records, Arista, XL Recordings, Gigilo, Rotterdam Records, ID &T and Stay Up Forever.

Lenny was the 1st Hardcore DJ to appear on the ‘DJ Mag – Top 100’ and was previously named Number 1 ‘Hard DJ’ by Mixmag, was twice awarded the accolade of Best Worldwide Techno DJ by the Scottish Dance Music Awards & Frontpage Magazine.

http://www.facebook.com/DjLennyDee

https://twitter.com/DJLennyDee

Satronica

Along with DJ Delirium, Satronica, aka Satroniq, is forging a new sound for the hard electronic masses via Kontaminated Recordings. He began producing music, playing live and DJ’ing in the mid 90’s as part of the Things to Come Crew in NYC. Soon he found his own style of aggressive and distorted industrial hardcore techno woven with rage-laden vocal elements. This sound found a home, of course, at Industiral Strength Records, most famously with his smash hit “F*ck the System.”

He has performed at some of the largest events in Canada, The United States, South America, and Europe spinning and performing a brutal mix of dark and deranged selections. These events include parties such as Dominator, Q-Base, Masters of Hardcore, Coloursfest, WestFest, Kinetik Festival, PRSPCT XL, and E-Mission.

His tracks have also appeared on many major hardcore and techno compilations from some of the best known and loved labels in the world such as Industrial Strength, Thunderdome, ACArdipane, Neophyte Records, Rotterdam Records, ID&T, Masters of Hardcore and Traxtorm.

His latest collaborations with Noize Suppressor, Unexist, Art of Fighters, and Crypsis show his commitment to the core and constant pursuit of innovation.

http://www.facebook.com/satronica

http://www.discogs.com/artist/satronica

http://www.industrialstrengthrecords.com/artists/satronica.html

http://www.twitter.com/satronica

Delirium

Kontaminated co-conspirator is none other than old school vet DJ Delirium. Ever since the early 90’s, DJ Delirium has been a forefront leader in the Hardcore Techno scene. He has appeared countless times at some of the worlds largest events like Thunderdome, Mysteryland, Defqon.1, Dominator, In Qontrol, Raving Nightmare, Ground Zero, EDC – Vegas, Earthquake and many more. Delirium has also had tracks featured on some of the worlds most legendary hardcore compilations CD’s including Thunderdome, Always Hardcore, Masters Of Hardcore and Resident E.

To date, DJ Delirium has released over 300 slammin’ tracks with some of the most recognized companies in Hardcore Techno including ID&T, Industrial Strength, Traxtorm, Masters of Hardcore, MegaRave, and many more. DJ Delirium’s got studio skills and has proven that with his top quality productions. Anyone who’s ever seen DJ Delirium perform knows about his smooth mixing and tight scratching.

https://www.facebook.com/djdelirium/

https://soundcloud.com/djdelirium

http://www.djdelirium.com/

https://twitter.com/djdelirium

https://www.instagram.com/djdelirium/

Ok folks so this is your first warning shot about the big events coming in just days. Save your pennies, get some good night sleep and make sure you have enough quarters for your laundry come Sunday because you are going to sweat!

Label Links:

http://www.industrialstrengthrecords.com

http://www.youtube.com/IndustrialStrengthNY

http://kontaminatedrecordings.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kontaminatedrecordings/

https://soundcloud.com/kontaminated-recordings

https://www.instagram.com/kontaminated/

https://twitter.com/kontaminated

Articles, Events, Reviews

Winterfresh Music Festival 2016 Event Review

December 16, 2016 Brandon Caballero

Saturday, December 3 was the return of Fresh Entertainment’s winter-themed festival to Los Angeles – Winterfresh Music Festival. The night promised to host a variety of styles in separate rooms throughout the venue, from hard dance, house, trance, dubstep and drum and bass -all of which I fully intended to check out at the beginning of the night- but, like a Siren luring unexpecting sailors to their doom, the Hardstyle Arena stage sucked me in at the be-ginning of the night and I remained until the end of the show.

The day had been marked on my calendar since the announcement of Partyraiser’s return to LA and DJ Thera’s US debut at the end of Hardstyle Arena: Raw and Disorder, and my Facebook timeline seemed to be teasing me and building my anticipation for this show. The complete lineup for the Hardstyle Arena stage featured
artists Non Toxic , Eni, Alex Kidd (who unfortunately was unable to perform due to visa issues), DJ Thera, Partyraiser, Lady Dammage, and was to be hosted by the legendary MC Ruffian. I was excited for potential of the night ahead – 2 US premier arists and especially uptempo hardcore!

I walked into the venue and I caught up with some friends from AZ I hadn’t seen in awhile, grabbed a drink at the bar, and then proceeded to the Hardstyle Arena stage where I caught the end of Non Toxic’s set. I looked around and noticed the room had been converted into a winter wonderland to enhance the winter theme of the night. There were snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, large snow covered trees on the stage, Christmas lights, and Fresh had even thought to add a custom Winterfresh Snapchat filter! When Non Toxic finished with their final track my friend DJ Eni took to the decks. I had just interviewed Eni before the show, so I was excited for his performance and was really entertained by his track selection of reverse bass and oldschool to get the crowd warmed up! Approximately halfway through his set, Eni brought up a special guest, DJ Hauyon, and together they premiered their DJ team, the Druglordz, and even premiered their first collab – Dominator (Druglordz Reverse Bass remix).

Following Eni/Druglordz’s performance, MC Ruffian stepped up to the crowd and introduced DJ Thera for his US debut. Chances are if you’ve been a fan of hardstyle or hardcore for awhile you have heard Ruffian’s voice; he was the legendary voice of Qlimax until 2015 and can be heard in countless aftermovies and livesets from shows overseas. Ruffian’s familiar tone of voice paired with the cadence of his speech were instantly recognizable and I was exciting to hear him right in my hometown. Before Thera could perform his first track however, there was a special pause in the action- a marriage proposal! One of the dancers was called to the front of the stage, and the crowd created an opening. Her boyfriend stepped up to her and a banner unfolded behind him asking if she would marry him, she said yes! It was a very special moment in their lives and it was touching to be apart of it.

It was then time for DJ Thera to take the spotlight. Anyone familiar with DJ Thera’s music, or his Theracords label knew that his set would feature a variety of classics as well as raw hardstyle. It was exciting to see him perform and I thought he represented himself and his style well for his US premiere. A few of the tracks that he performed included MYST – Man Bear Pig, The Sexual Thrill, and of course the Winterfresh Anthem ft. MC Ruffian.

By the end of Thera’s set people getting wild, the laser production was on point, drinks were flowing, and looking around I could tell people were having a great time. I also had a feeling that everyone there had prepared themselves to go harder for DJ Partyraiser, and I knew moshpits were inevitable. Partyraiser’s high energy DJ style took the crowd to the next level, and his set include one of his most acclaimed tracks – Sound Becomes One with Destructive Tendencies, as well as his new track with F. Noise under their alias Scaphase – Enter the Snakepit (Snakepit 2016 anthem), but one of the most unique reactions from the crowd that I got to witness during his set was when he dropped F*ck It by Lunakorpz and American uptempo/terror DJ Tim Shopp. I was so proud of not only the recognition of the crowd to Tim’s track, but at the conscious effort of Partyraiser to play it and give a subtle nod to American hardcore during is set.

Finally to end the night, it was the US Premier of Lady Dammage, and I will say I don’t think anyone was prepared for what she had in store for us! Hardcore, uptempo and terror were all the menu and Lady Dammage serve it up relentlessly! I never thought I would get to see Lady Dammage perform, much less in the US! I don’t know if some partygoers even knew what hit them, and for anyone who may have missed it, check out her track with Broken Minds Thunder God (240bpm edit!!), and Fear Me Bitches that she played that night.

In closing, I would just like to say that this night was incredible! Fresh’s attention to detail and the quality of their events should put Fresh events on anyone’s “must attend” wishlist. Ruffian added an element to the party by interacting with the crowd’s energy, and along with the lasers, sound quality, and the banging lineup, I know Thera, Partyraiser and Lady Dammage will confirm that California knows how to party! I really enjoyed myself very much and I look forward to their next event, which will be sooner than you think- Fresh has just announced of the resurrection of another one their retired themes, Fresh Days… stay tuned for more info to come!

Articles, Events, Reviews

Fresh Hardstyle Arena: Raw and Disorder Review

September 21, 2016 Brandon Caballero 1 Comment

By: Brandon “CabZ” Caballero
Follow me on Twitter at @BrandonCabZ

Fresh Entertainment is no stranger to bringing the Harder Styles to their fans. Over the years, they have hosted countless parties featuring some of the leading artists in hard dance music, and can boast multiple international DJ premiers in the USA. On Saturday September 17, 2016, Fresh struck Los Angeles with their third installment of Hardstyle Arena, this time with a RAW twist to their lineup! Hosted by MC Sik-Wit-It, Hardstyle Arena: Raw and Disorder featured westcoast talents Keiji and Dyverse, Italian Hardstyle legend Tatanka (LA premier), and Dutch artists Endymion, and Crypsis (US premier).

One of the things I admire about Fresh is their willingness to take chances, as well as listen to their fans. This was best demonstrated by booking the first headliner of the night, Keiji, who after being nominated by fans in a Facebook poll, was selected to be apart of the lineup. Keiji brought a great warm-up vibe to the crowd and really played a great set, I look forward to many great things to come from Keiji in the future!

Following Keiji was LA duo Dyverse. Dyverse joined forces with host MC Sik-Wit-It to create the anthem for the show, aptly named Raw and Disorder. As Dyverse finished up their set Union was abuzz with what was to come, and the energy in the crowd pointed to a good night to come. The massive sound system had been getting louder, and Fresh’s upgraded laser systems had kicked on, hypnotizing the sold out crowd. In typical Fresh fashion, go-go dancers took the stage throughout the night wearing burlesque costumes and sending sparks flying off their bodies with metal grinders! One final detail that didn’t go unnoticed to myself was a massive a banner announcing HARDSTYLE ARENA hanging over the crowd.

Following Dyverse, the Italian Hardstyle legend Tatanka took to the stage for his much anticipated first LA performance. Tatanka had previously played in the US at Las Vegas’s EDC in 2014, but due to unfortunate circumstances had a shortened set. Tatanka was determined to deliver and was active on social media with fans prior to the show, asking which of his tracks fans would like to hear him play. He dropped a diverse track selection of classics, including Afrika and Shine Again, and gradually mixed in more and more raw tracks, such as Wild Motherfuckers – Wild Wild West. Raw and Disorder was in full effect. Up next, Endymion brought their Nightbreed flavor to the crowd reigning down screeches and kick rolls teasing both their Hardstyle fans and even working some hardcore into their set, Gladiator being the highlight of their set for myself.

Last up for the night was the Main MF himself, Crypsis, making his USA premier! Crypsis has been due to the US for years now in my opinion, and I think his set proves why. He brought the Minus is More sound to the US and definitely left the crowd in Disorder, closing with Break Down Low Minus Militia hardcore edit.

Overall Fresh delivered an all-star lineup, and created an environment filled with passionate Hardstyle fans, banging beats, and good vibes. I had the opportunity to speak with Fresh’s Operations and Marketing Coordinator, Sherief Zakher, who had this to say to about the night:
“We just want to say thank you so much to all the fans, because of you, Hardstyle Arena was an amazing night filled with great vibes, love, and banging beats! We always say ‘join the movement’ and you guys are the movement. Thank you so much for your passion and energy!”

If you couldn’t make it to Hardstyle Arena, or you just need to re-dose on your hardstyle, Fresh has you covered with their upcoming show October 15th with the 2nd Los Angeles installment of Keeping the Rave Alive– featuring Mark Breeze, Kutski, Zany, and another US premier artist, Dr. Rude. Even more exciting news from Fresh, be on the lookout for their Winterfresh show on December 3rd where they announced at the end of Hardstyle Arena will feature DJ Thera (US Premier) and Partyraiser.

Articles, Interviews

Bass Modulators Interview by Mindcontroller

December 31, 2015 Mindcontroller

What’s behind the name Bass Modulators?

That’s a very short story. We had two tracks ready for release but the label needed a name. We were checking our keyboards, and there was modulation key and I was like, “Okay, modulation, what should we modulate? Oh, Bass. Bass Modulators.” We were actually not planning on using this name forever, but it just worked.

What label was your first release on?

DJ’s United Records from Italy

What came first producing or DJing?

Well, Roland was already a DJ, and I started with producing, and then became a DJ. I think that’s a pretty good thing, if you start with both, you know how to produce tracks for DJs, and you also know how to play those tracks live.

How did you get into the rave scene? What year?

Back in the 90s, we got into clubhouse and after that it just evolved with harder music. We really got into Hardstyle back in 2001, 2002 but only attended Raves. We started to produce in 2005 and it evolved from there.

What was your first DJ gig as Bass Modulators?

Matrix. We had gigs before, but those were not paid, or just for fun. Matrix was a club in Holland, like 2,000 people would attend. I didn’t really know how to DJ back then … Roland handled most of the set. The funny thing is we only knew how to play on vinyl back then, so it was the first time for us playing on CDJ’s. I didn’t even use the cue button, I was on vinyl mode the entire time.

Who was your biggest inspiration in the early part of your career?

Noisecontrollers, Past and present. For us it was a pretty big surprise like a year or two ago, that he wanted to make tracks with us, and now he’s one of our best friends too. It’s really cool. We learned a lot from him.

First record you ever purchased?

(Roland) When I was like eleven, twelve, I bought some singles from Cher. The first clubhouse track was probably Northern Lights by Justin K. It was the first vinyl I bought, blue see-through vinyl. It was really cool.

Rick, Did you collect vinyl as well?

Actually I can’t remember the first single, but I remember a happy hardcore compilation CD from Charly Lownoise and Mental Theo… I played it until it broke.

Funniest moment during a performance?

We played in Denmark like six years ago, and they had a fully stocked bar for us. We were drinking like crazy. The DJ before us had to stop because he fucked up big time, the boss of the club kicked him off and asked us to play.” We were like, “Oh, we have to play.” We were drunk, we had to play for three hours straight. We ended up playing the same record twice. The DJ booth was suspended on cables to prevent the records from skipping, and then somebody from the audience wanted to shake Rick’s hand, Rick leaned forward and scratched the record with his belly … It was the most awkward moment, and the last time we were drunk on stage.

Any future projects that you guys are excited about, maybe something you guys have been working on, or a gig that’s coming up that you’re excited about?

We are working on some new tracks together with Noisecontrollers, A couple solo projects, and a lot of cool gigs coming up including Qlimax.

Any advice for aspiring producers?

(Roland) Keep it real. Don’t try to be someone else on stage; don’t try doing all kinds of tricks/gimmicks. Just focus on what’s really important, the music. That’s your key. You can clown on stage, you can try to do cool stuff, you can promote on Facebook, but if your music’s shit, you can’t do anything. Stick to yourself, stick to your music.

(Rick) Just practice, practice, practice. It’s pretty much the key to everything. If you put in ten thousand hours, then you might be good enough to break through. You have to make choices in your life. If you want to be this big producer, then you have to sacrifice other things. It’s really important. Some people forget that, but it’s really the most important thing.

The HARD DATA