Chosen Few is best known for his key role in the creation of Mokum Records. Ever since 1993 this man has been at the forefront of the origins of Hardcore playing every major event such as Thunderdome, May Day, Nightmare in Rotterdam etc. This interview will help you understand the importance of this man and the importance that the Early Hardcore sound still has on the scene today.

What were your thoughts on last night? How did it go for you?

CF:     Last night was pure energy. Most of it came straight from the crowd… it was epic.

Are you familiar with the American Hardcore scene? Do you think that we have potential?

CF:    Yeah, of course.  I don’t know how it works to hire a venue out here, but I think that’s your big problem at the moment- the ages, if it [the venue] has a bar or not, if it’s 21+ or 16+, since the drinking age is higher.  Because [in Holland] we have everything, we don’t have many rules. They say it’s zero tolerance, no drugs, but there are so many drugs in the parties. I think people are more responsible in Holland because you can get it everywhere. People know how to use it. There are always people around saying, “Hey, you’ve had enough now.”

What do you think we can do to make our scene better?

CF:    Keep doing parties. In the end it will be bigger, bigger, bigger.  People going to the venues hear it and they tell their friends. It’s fucking great-the atmosphere, everything.  The music is something else. They hated all others, you know, but, like yesterday, the vibe was so great. The people were so friendly and hyped. In Holland you have big parties and people fly from across the whole world for them. I think if they go on and it grows bigger, eventually the people are going to say, “Oh! I’m saving money to go to America for a party.”

Maybe one day we’ll have festival season out here, and people will start coming here for shows!

CF:     Yeah and you take a holiday and the parties with it. I hope that will be happening out here. Go [to America] for holiday, go to the parties.  Why not?!

Talk again about your origins when you first started playing.

CF:    I started when I was about 14. I was in a small club for after school stuff; you could play pool or play darts or whatever, and there were turntables. I saw DJs playing records and then press stop to play the next record. I was like, “Okay, if I play this record, why not play another record in the one that is already playing… maybe if you play it together it sounds better.”, without even knowing there were real DJs mixing from the USA- that’s where the DJs started.

How did you get your start in Hardcore?

CF:    This guy from Mokum records called me.  I sent him a demo tape and it’s not working- I never get any record out.  Then I get a call asking me to make a record that had to beat Rotterdam.  I was like, “Wow, this guy’s asking ME to make a harder record”!  Rotterdam Records was already big at the time.  “Let’s start a new label called Mokum Records”, he said.  Mokum is a Yiddish word for Amsterdam.  I said, “Yeah, of course.” I made a record and it was harder than Rotterdam records. I got my first record deal on my birthday in 1993. That was funny; I was so proud.  I showed it to my parents. “It’s a record deal!”, then I kept making music.  Then I got a copy of a mix of Holland’s top 40 and I was number 23. I was like, “What?!  With a gabber record?!” Then Rotterdam Records was like, “What the fuck?” They responded, making harder records, because it’s Neophyte you know. Then fuck it, I couldn’t make a harder record, it was too fast.  But I think I’ve done some contribution for the layering for Hardcore to get over the Neophyte sound. Rotterdam and Amsterdam; it was like a big fight. I think this battle was good to get the Hardcore where it is now- the speed, the hardness, the layers…

How does it feel to know that the early sounds are still alive and well?

CF:    I think it’s good, because it’s still the best time in Hardcore; it’s the best period. The sounds are original and for the young kids they are going to listen and hear a lot of the first sounds and how it’s built. It’s really difficult music to make; if you listen to it you’ll hear how difficult it is.  The new stuff is a completely different story. The quality is so high on the sequencers.  In the early days it was just one channel and you put everything up- the gain, the distortion, and you had a kick. But with the sound quality now you have to build your kick with eight, nine layers, all effects on every layer.

With these early stages showing up at Dominator, and Decibel, the early styles have their own stage; do you think it’s important for the new kids to learn about this sound?

CF:    Yes, of course. If they don’t know the sounds then they get to know them. They love it anyway.  You had the early hardcore but later on it was getting a little bit slower. From that came these crazy guys making a track that people called Hardstyle.

But it leads in the same direction.

CF:    Yeah. Hardstyle is all the styles, it’s slower, it’s made with the same intention, but for a different crowd, maybe older people [laughs]. And now it’s young and old people, they love Hardstyle. I know I like my Early Hardcore. I like newer mainstream. I like all artists’ styles. It’s very difficult. If I make a record now it’s still influenced from the 90s. It becomes your signature.

It’s cool to actually have that. To see how you guys haven’t forgotten about the early ages. You guys don’t let that go away.

CF:    It’s what makes Holland; it’s what put us on the map.