Every year thousands of gabbers make the pilgrimage from all over the world to a small town outside of Eindhoven for the largest hardcore gathering in the world. This year was no different. On 21 July my friends and I embarked on our epic journey to the festival. Of course being my group of friends there were several obstacles along the way: missing IDs; lost OV chip cards; almost missing both the bus and train; and a packed sauna-like shuttle ride. Nevertheless after the three-hour journey we made it there!
This was my third edition of Dominator and one important difference between this year and the previous years (I went in 2017 and 2015) was that this was one of the hottest days on record in the Netherlands (according to me having spent almost four summers/partial summers here now). Thankfully Dominator is located on a beautiful beach with plenty of room to swim. Despite the heat the organizers were prepared and preemptively cancelled the fireworks as a result of the dry terrain. Furthermore, a big shout out to the organizers for providing cups and free water stations and potable drinking water near the bathrooms; that was a lifesaver.
We started the day off with Fan4stik. It was my first time seeing them and as a new recent fan of Billx it was the perfect start to the day. If you like Hard Tek check these guys out. Next we made our way over to the main stage for Bodyshock. Even though it was early the main stage was packed and the crowd despite the heat was so energetic. So energetic that people kept trying to steal our inflatable pig totem (Wilbur)! Thankfully Anne is a marathon runner and hunted the perpetrators down and returned Wilbur safely to our crew.
After now slightly dying as result of the heat I hopped in the water for a little swim during Radium’s set. The highlight of the set for me was while I was swimming I heard Rob GEE’s new track “A DJ Saved My Life” (side note: I heard it again later during Mutante’s set, could this be the festival anthem of the summer?). Next was the QSA (American hard dance) meet up during Billx’s set and as per usual it consisted of a sloppy failed attempt at a group photo then half of the group disappeared.
After that I got separated from the group and because they closed the beach off for Sefa’s set, myself and the other festival-goers trying to get to the other side of the festival had to cross through the water. This was probably my favorite part of the day. An exodus of sweaty people carrying dirty socks, shoes, and all their belongings (somehow still all texting and taking selfies) through the water to the other side of the island from the Frenchcore tent to the Extreme Hardcore tent. It was a long trek but we made it!
Last but certainly not least, my friend Hellcreator closed the talent stage and he crushed it! This is now two years in a row that a friend of mine had the opportunity to play on the talent stage at Dominator, what a treat!
Exhausted, dirty, sweaty, and sore. These are some of the words to describe how we felt the end of Dominator. Dominator festival is a must visit for anyone who likes hardcore; every year it gets bigger and bigger. The festival overall no surprise was an absolute success. The music was amazing, the production level was high, and the crowd was energized. The only thing that would make it better is if the Rawstyle stage was the Speedcore stage, well I can only dream.
Happy Throwback Thursday everyone! I was asked by The Hard Data to post my review of Defqon 2017 which was originally posted on my personal blog, Adventures with MC Unicorn.
Thursday- QSA Pre-Defqon Meet Up
*QSA is a group of American hard dance fans that meet at hard dance raves and festivals in the USA and abroad. Before major events such as Defqon and Qlimax we always meet at Luminaa in Leidsplein, Amsterdam
‘Twas the night before Defqon and all through the ‘Dam not a hard dance fan was lonely not even on the tram. The drinks were flowing and fists were in the air in hopes that Frontliner would soon be there. Some ravers were hakking all over the bar, while others loaded camping supplies into the car. With Kardiak on the decks and I with my squad, we were all starting to get a little bit odd.
When out in the plein there arose such a clatter, I ran from the bar to see what was the matter. Away to the door I flew like a flash, through the sweaty ravers I hustled out the door, and to what to my wondering eyes did appear but it was Rob Gee dancing with cheer. With his purple mohawk and horde of fans, I knew in a moment he must be the leader of the hardcore clan. More rapid than eagles his fans they came, he whistled and shouted and called out our names “QSA ITS GROUP PHOTO TIME!” To the front of the bar, to the middle of the plein, take out your flags, for now is the time! And then it was time for us to leap, some to the Melkweg and others to sleep. For tomorrow was Defqon, the most wonderful time of the year, see you at the Yellow Stage tomorrow my dear.
Friday-Day 1
The day we had all been waiting for had finally arrived (note: the remainder of this review will not be written in poetic form, sorry!)! We all got up a little groggy from the night before (some of us more than others) and headed from my house in Voorburg to Den Haag Centraal to hop on the event travel bus. Unfortunately in order to get to the station we had to take the local bus where we got some interesting glances from my neighbors (six ravers with a ton of camping gear). After knocking into a few people with my 2015 Defqon tent and spilling all of the contents of my shopping bag down the aisle of the bus not once but twice, we finally made it to the station. The bus ride took about five hours since once we got right outside the festival we literally moved 50 meters in an hour but finally around 16:30 we were at our campsite and the party began. I got to reunite with my friends, some of which I hadn’t seen in over two years, and some for the first time in person! Fast-forward to the main event of the night- the Gathering!
First off, when the gates opened I ran immediately to the Yellow Stage (duh) for the silent disco. If you want to laugh your @$$ off this is the place to be. Just picture 200 ravers going crazy to terrorcore but with no sound. Tharoza opened the Yellow stage, it was my first time seeing him live and he crushed it! The other highlight of the night was definitely Angernoizer who closed out the stage with some brutal beats. Following the performance there was a small firework end show on the “Around the World” ride (big swing), which was totally unexpected. Overall day one of Defqon was both fun and exhausting but everything was falling into place for an awesome weekend.
Saturday-Day 2
Despite not having slept at all we were all ready for day two! I had promised my friends that this weekend I would check out the other stages and not just spend all my time at Black, Yellow, and Gold like I did in 2015. That being said, walking by Chaotic Hostility at the Yellow Stage that morning was hard but I wanted to actually check out the entirety of the festival especially because since I live here now I have the opportunity to see all of these DJs often. First up for the day was Pyra at the White stage, I had never heard of her before but am always excited to see female hard dance DJs since there are so few of them and us female hard dance lovers have to stick together! Between Pyra and Power Hour we had a few hours to just wander around the festival and explore. In doing so, I noticed there was a station where people were giving people massages on red beanbag chairs. I made a mental note to come back to them later.
Now it was time for Power Hour! For those of you who have never been to Defqon or who are living under a rock, Power Hour is one hour of all different types of hard dance on the main stage (Red) and it is CRAZY. Basically everyone from the festival is there (probably around 50,000 people but who knows I’m bad at math), there are inflatables being thrown into the crowd, people throwing trash from the floor in the air (yes its as gross at it sounds), confetti, fire, mutli-colored smoke, marriage proposals, people crowd surfing, etc. This was my first Power Hour since in 2015 I went for about five minutes, decided that it was too crowded and went back to the Yellow Stage. This year I was determined to fully experience Power Hour and boy I did. Words cannot explain the insanity of this set. The highlight for me by far was the Thunderdome segment. As we all know, Thunderdome is returning this year and they did a special dedication to it during Power Hour and it was epic.
Feeling exhausted after Power Hour I determined that we should go find those red beanbag people and get massages. After wandering around the festival for an hour we found people in red shirts however we were informed that they were not giving massages they were helping people apply sunscreen- WHAT!?! NOOOOOOOOOOO. We decided with our spirits low to just sit down in the chill area for a bit. We found a nice swing and finally I thought I could relax and recharge before the next set. As I rested my weary head upon the swing, my friend yells “AMY WE HAVE TWENTY MINUTES TO GET TO DR PEACOCK IN CONCERT AND WE NEED TO GO TO THE CAMPSITE FIRST LETS GO NOW!” AH! Dr Peacock in Concert was one of my “cannot miss” sets! Basically, Dr Peacock, one of the kings of Frenchcore was doing a special set with live violinists, Sefa on the piano, my boy Mouth of Madness on the mic, and live singers. Thankfully my friend is a marathon runner and managed to drag me from the chill area, to campsite one, all the way to the Black stage and we made it just in time! Out of breath, panting, sweating, and exhausted, I mustered up the strength for Dr Peacock and it was incredible. I felt like I was watching the New York Philharmonic but better, because duh Frenchcore makes everything better.
Finally after Dr Peacock in Concert we went back to the chill area where we found this amazingly comfortable fishing net and got some rest. I then got my unicorn onesie and sprinted to Noisekick at the Yellow stage. Although exploring the other stages on Saturday was fun I needed my extreme fix. Noisekick as always did not disappoint. After, we headed to the Red stage to get a good spot for the end show. The end show was bittersweet because I knew that at this time tomorrow the festival would be over but nevertheless the fireworks, lasers, music, and energy were incredible.
Sunday-Day 3
Today was the day I was most excited for because it was the Final Terror Sitdown! We sprinted over to the Black stage right when it opened but all of the chairs were already taken! Basically, the terror sitdown is a “sit down set” so everyone grabs a chair or a spot on the floor and then Noisekick plays terrorcore. I got a great spot on the floor to the left of the middle aisle and it was epic. First of all, Noisekick came in on a unicorn, A UNICORN! Can I borrow that sometime? He rode down the middle aisle to the stage to “Final Countdown” then everyone went crazy. He played a mix of classic rock like Queen with straight up ruthless terrorcore. It was so funny to see everyone going crazy while sitting down. Unfortunately the set was only about thirty minutes but I could have totally stayed there all day, terrorcore and you get to sit? Sounds perfect!
The rest of the day was a whirlwind but my highlights were: Re-Style at the Gold stage, Braindrillerz and SRB at Yellow. I spent the day catching up with some friends, wandering around, watching my friend bungee jump (maybe one day when I have more extensive health insurance I’ll try it), and enjoying some delicious Dutch French fries with mayo. I cannot reiterate how fast that this day went by. I checked my phone and it was already 20:00, the end show was about to begin! SAY IT AINT SO WE JUST GOT HERE! I was nowhere near ready for this weekend to be over. With my head hung low we walked to the Red stage. The next three hours were filled with all different types of emotions. There was certainly a lot of nostalgia because the set was entitled Defqon 1 Legends: 15 Years of Defqon. Headhunterz made his official return to hardstyle, Showtek dropped a few classic tracks, and there were sets from Pysko Punkz, Dana, Wildstylez, and Noisecontrollers, among others. The festival then concluded with an incredible firework and laser show. It was the perfect cherry on top of an epic weekend.
Unfortunately there were a bunch of sets I missed. Sorry Partyraiser, Sickest Squad, F. Noize, and Bass-D! I will see you guys at Dominator!
Reflecting back on the weekend, even though the weather wasn’t the greatest, I would not have changed a thing. That being said I have a few friendly suggestions to make next year’s Defqon even better:
The Yellow stage should be bigger, hey just make it the main stage! 😉 [Note from 4 July 2018: This year the Yellow stage was bigger so thank you!]
Terror Sitdown should be at the Red stage. A ton of people couldn’t even get in it was so crowded!
The water refill stations should be able to fill up camelback backpacks and not just the water pouches.
Decade of Early Hardcore: A Trip to the 90’s (10 March 2018)
When I think about the 90s in Holland and the early days of hardcore I picture never ending underground illegal warehouse parties with no sound limits filled with baldheaded boys, girls with half shaved half ponytail hair, colorful tracksuits, and Nike Air Maxes. Even though in the 90s I was a small child growing up in the New York suburbs, today being an active part of the American underground hardcore scene, I can’t help feeling a sense of nostalgia when I think about what the hardcore parties were like back then. So in pursuit of this; the perfect and obvious place to go would be to a Decade party!
On March 10th I made the epic trek (bike, train, bus, and lots of walking) from my house in Voorburg to the legendary Hemkade in Zaandam. I’ve lost count how many Decade parties I’ve been to at this point. I think it’s safe to say I’ve been at every single one since I moved here in August 2016. By 23:00 the place was already packed and the energy was through the roof. The first set of the night for me was Juliëx. It was my first time seeing her live and it was the perfect start to the party. She dropped this brutal remix of “Lip Gloss” which was AMAZING; talk about nostalgia. For those of you who that were not teenage girls in the early 2000s, go look it up!
Next up my time was split between Frantic Freak and Buzz Fuzz. Both rooms were packed and had me singing (and screaming) along to classic early tracks. I especially enjoyed dancing on one of the stages in the main room to the track by DJ Weirdo & Dr. Phil Omanski- Young Birds! Being part of a hardcore chorus of 1700 wild gabbers is always something special.
One of my favorite aspects of a Decade party is seeing the same people every time; it gives you the sentiment that we are all one big family regardless of where you are from. Although I miss my rave family back in the US (shout out to the Hardcore Hooliganz) I am so grateful to be a part of the Decade Family and to be part of a community of passionate, kind, welcoming individuals.
Another cool thing is that it’s not just the Dutch; people come from all over France, Belgium, Spain, and even Chile for Decade parties! During the party I had the opportunity to ask one of my Spanish friends, Pol, why he flew all the way from Barcelona to the Netherlands for this party. He simply said that it’s because the music is the best. Short and simple, the overall consensus from the party was that if you’re looking for an Early Hardcore party Decade is the move. One major takeaway from this party is that the words Early Hardcore and Decade are essentially synonymous.
During Promo’s set, seeing every person in the room going crazy from start to finish, I thought to myself is this the start of a 90’s revival or did it never die in the first place? In search of this answer and continuing my trip down memory lane, I asked some of the artists what they had to say about the party and the Early Hardcore scene.
First question, what were your thoughts about the party?
Arjuna: Decade was a blast! Especially the 180 Boiler Room. Hardcore to the max! I really love the concept to put the DJ on the same level as the crowd. You really have contact with the audience and with this crowd at Decade I didn’t have to hold back. I can play as hard and fast as I want. For me it was a wonderful night with all those great people from all over Europe. I really love the culture from the early scene.
Ruffneck: NOW, let me say this…DECADE…HOLY MOTHER OF whatever you can think of, fill in here. I don’t even know where to start here to be honest so let me just write down my thoughts as I type this. The doors of the room open….I was thinking…it will take half an hour or so for people to enter the room, see what’s going on and then decide to stay or move on…O….M…..G…I could NOT have been wrong more! It literally took 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 seconds…I look up. BOOOOOM! The room completely filled within a blink of an eye. Never seen this before. This was friggin’ insane!!! Then I dropped the first record, people go nuts and within 10 minutes the entire room was steaming hot. NOW…here comes the most insane part…This vibe STAYED from the first second right up until the last record I spun! I don’t even know what to say but this vibe is rarely found and I am so incredibly grateful for the amount of love showed by the crowd. I mean…I only saw smiling faces, and a room dancing like animals, screaming people and interaction between myself the crowd AND the two contest winners like there was no tomorrow. THIS IS WHAT HARDCORE LOVE TRULY EMBODIES!
In my experience it didn’t even feel like I was the main attraction to be honest. It felt like ONE big family coming together and creating a party with an enthusiasm that can only be achieved by family resonating at the same frequency at the same time. In other words, we were ONE! People could truly see what I was doing and so there was great interaction between me, the DJ contest winners and the crowd as the booth was open and at a certain moment it wasn’t even clear anymore who was where behind the booth, on the sides of the booth etc. We did this TOGETHER and I can’t be more proud than to see what can be achieved when the love for music and the respect shown by my soldiers come together as one.
Oh DECADE, this party will go down in my memories as one of the best experiences in my career. As for me it really doesn’t matter whether I spin in front of 50.000 people or in an area where there is but a hundred. What I search for is the love for hardcore music at its core…and that is EXACTLY what happened last night in my special room. TOGETHER we achieved what I could have only dreamt of and I wish to say to each and all of you who attended the room last night. THANK you sooooooo much from the bottom of my heart. You once again showed my WHY my love for (Early) Hardcore is still burning like a raging fire. Your energy completely refueled my engine and I look forward to the next time we meet.
Predator: I was there pretty late, because I played from 4-5 so I only saw the last bit of the party, but the main room was crowded and the vibes were great. I dropped some of my classic tracks like Predator- Turbulence and Bio-Forge-No 1 S-Capes Us, Paradox-Guillotine, but also some of my uplifting tracks like Vanugenth the 5th– Here We Go Again and Diss Reaction-Jiiieehaaa.
Bass-D: The party was great. The atmosphere was perfect, people really came to party, backstage we (the artists and their friends) had a lot of fun, so yeah, I thought it was a really great party!
Decade is famous for representing Early Hardcore. All throughout Europe, especially Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, France, the U.K. and even in The States where I come from. They know Decade as the organization where they really honor Early Hardcore.
How do you feel that Decade asked you to play at this party? Destroyer: First of all I’m really glad to be recognized as an Early Hardcore artist since I have made releases starting from 1995 and I always worked up to keep my style Early Hardcore/Terror that is the style I like the most. And of course I’m honored to play at Decade for the second time.
Arjuna: It’s always a blast to play at Decade, good atmosphere, the audience is great, and the organization is always good. I really like those guys; they’re down to earth.
Predator: With my style and all my releases I guess it’s the right place for me to drop my tracks. I’ve played there before, and it’s good to be back.
Promo: Well clearly it’s an honor every time you get asked to play somewhere, but Decade is kinda special since it’s held in the location where I basically grew up. The Hemkade (back in the days known as The Fun Factory) was a place where I went almost every week to get my weekly dose on new music. It’s also the place where the guys form Q-dance sort of started their career, so for sure that makes this a true house temple.
Ruffneck: Decade and me go back a long way actually. I know they have heart for Early (Original) Hardcore and so do I obviously. We both help each other out where possible and as we are planning something bigger, this party and its special setting was inevitable. But as always I am very grateful to have been asked by not only Decade but also every organization out there that chooses me to be at their event. No matter how big I may be or appear to be for the outside world, I never forget my roots and think of every invite of something special.
Bass-D: It’s always an honor to be asked at any party, but Decade is very special to me. I’ve known one of the organizers for a long time now and I’ve gotten to know the other people behind it very well during the years. They’ve become great friends of mine so I feel closer to this party than lots of other parties and I always love to play for Decade, so I think it’s great that I’m a part of it almost every edition.
How has the hardcore scene changed since you first got into it?
Destroyer: I started to play around ’96/97 and at the time there were not all of the subgenres you have today, it was just all hardcore. Usually at the parties everything was played in one area, with a line-up ordered from slowest to the fastest. Later when the scene became bigger, in festivals and big events more areas with different styles became a part of the game. But actually I’m ok with this evolution, as long as I can find an Early Hardcore/Terror area at a party! 🙂
Arjuna: That’s a good question, I’ve been in the scene from the start when hardcore wasn’t even born yet, there was only this music we called house. One day a guy came to me at a party, and said: hey you’re also a gabber aren’t you? And I was like, what’s a gabber? You like the harder style of music? And I was like hell yeah! Well then you are a gabber! For me that was the day hardcore was born. And now 25 years later I’m still in to it, I always try to do the best I can, both producing and DJing
Predator: It moved from playing vinyl to mp3 when it comes to DJing, and from hardware to virtual instruments most when it comes to production. The hardcore/gabber crowd is more diverse now; it’s not only shaved heads and Australian training suites anymore.
Promo: I think the scene changed a lot, like all music genres have. Hardcore went through many developments and changed its sounds numerous times but in the end that is maybe why it is still here. Things like music technology and also the Internet had their influences on our music but every time it came back stronger or in a different form.
Bass-D: Yeah it has, it’s gotten a lot more professional and bigger. I’ve seen it grow from when it started in small clubs and big parties in warehouses with too much sound and not enough lights to one of the biggest house scenes around.
Ruffneck: First of let me correct the phrase, I did not “GET INTO IT”, as I CO-CREATED it, alongside a handful of people at that time. Most people know me as Ruffneck, but I started out as 80 AUM, dating way back to 1989. That’s right. Hardcore didn’t even exist at that time. I started with making house music somewhat rougher than it was made by the Chicago boys.
This was picked up again and made a bit rougher and so on and on. Hardcore was a progression of the house genre. People around that time who just like myself were busy with this evolution amongst others were: ME (as 80 Aum at that time), Marc Acardipane from Germany (PCP), Luca Pretolesi from Italy (Digital Boy), Patrick de Meyer & Olivier Abbeloos from Belgium, The Prodigy, Carl Cox etc from the UK, and Ritchie Hawtin & Lenny Dee from the USA. Lenny Dee however is ABSOLUTELY the oldest pioneer from this small selection (and there obviously where WAY more people starting around the same time) who, like myself, are still active IN THIS GENRE, as he WAS one of the guys who produced in the house sound of Chicago era dating way back to 1986. I know this as I was actually buying his music from that time BEFORE I started producing!
So with that fact set straight, lets move onto the question:
I can only speak from my point of view, as that is different for everyone else, so I don’t feel I can speak in absolutes here. It’s all perspective and my experience may be VASTLY different than someone else’s experience. SO MY PERSONAL view on this is this. In the beginning we just f**ked around having no clue or care what we where doing and therefore a LOT of variety was the outcome musically. There was NO social media and ghost producing was unheard of and even shunned. We had to have something special, skill wise. This meant a lot of different approaches to the genre resulting in a huge pallet of sounds and styles that actually blended in fine with each other because there was NO REAL STANDARD of how something should be made OR sound. The music and stage presence an artist showed WAS his only real way of showing the world what he or she was capable of. This meant that only people with a lot of heart and patience for the music truly went out of their way to bring their message to the masses. Nowadays, a lot of people that are on the top actually don’t produce their own music, have very little to nothing to contribute except a maybe a sexy picture (this can be either female AND male!) and/or poses while on stage playing music that caries their name, but is produced by someone else. They are worshipped for something they have never been or will be playing tunes they have no real connection with, (except for the cash and the fame they seek) by anaudience who isn’t even aware or doesn’t care about the mechanics of things. The music itself has production wise been “perfected” up until the point where it’s perfection to me is quite imperfect as the variety has been reduced to concepts that work because it’s been heard a million times and forced down peoples throat like an advertisement for some huge company. Most stuff that deviates from the proven path usually get blasted and seen as bad, until sometime in the future some big artist(s) does this and then everybody follows that one thing again. Now I know a lot of people will think that I do not like the hardcore from now when reading this, but that simply is not what I’m trying to say. It’s simply an observation from my side to create awareness. I wish to see hardcore become open to ALL sorts of styles in one set and party again. To show the beauty of variety that has somewhat lost along the way in order to attract more people to a music style that wasn’t really meant for a huge audience in the first place. (Which inevitably attracts people who are not really interested in the TRUE core of the art that is called Hardcore, but simply embrace what they see as a “thing of the moment” instead of a lifestyle )
With hardcore ever changing and a new generation of gabbers coming into the scene, how do Early Hardcore parties manage to hold on to that 90s feeling?
Destroyer: I think that the main part of the job is done by the crowd dancing. As soon as there is the passion for the music, the feeling will be automatically transferred from generation to generation.
Arjuna: The music will give you that 90’s feeling and also the aussies I think. But to get that real 90’s feeling is gonna be difficult, back in the days there were no limits. Most of the parties were illegal, there was no sound limit, and budgets were small. The best parties for me in that time was when the music was so loud your eardrum was about to pop out, and there was only smoke and stroboscopic light. That was the best 90’s feeling.
Predator: It’s the music, as long as the DJs keep on playing the original versions and not some mashed up new edit it will keep this real cool early vibe. Some promoters just know what DJs to book, and make sure they stay true to that old vibe.
Promo: The major appeal of that 90’s feel is the atmosphere. Somehow every time you play those classics people feel united again which result in outstanding nights. So mainly the music binds people and booking the right DJ’s bringing that music is an important ingredient to hold on to that feeling.
Ruffneck: Well, exactly BECAUSE mostly ONLY people who like the variety in sound deliberately CHOOSE to go to parties that spin the old style. I was actually quite surprised to see AND learn from the people I have spoken at those parties that they actually like the old style better than the new simply because of the sound AND vibe that is to be found. I have seen a LOT of young people at these parties that were literally babies when it was created. They stand united next to the older generation at the parties and love it just as much and are even proud as f**k to wear the old colors. In the beginning I was really surprised by this but now I understand it and see it as something that simply IS. The vibe is basically almost ALWAYS great and that’s why I love to spin Early sets as well very much.
Bass-D: I think that the new early hardcore crowd wants to relive what happened in the 90’s with early hardcore music. The togetherness and that sense of family and brotherhood is really coming forward in the early hardcore scene, I like that a lot. The people really love the tracks + it was the genre that built hardcore and made it really big even before all the other genres came along.
If you could take one track from the early days and show it to introduce someone new to the hardcore scene which track would it be?
Destroyer: Surely one track from the early days that brings me on the hardcore feeling is a track from 1994, Darrien Kelly & Scott Brown: Geleihoofd. But that was just one, there are really a lot out there.
Arjuna: That’s a bit of a trick question, because there are many good songs and also many different styles, but I think Jappo vs Lancinhouse Exlaxl is the best song, multiple bass drums, good sample, good arrangement and a very good climax!
Predator: For an old track I think I would play them Predator – Turbulence and for a more recent track Predator & Angerfist – Legend.
Promo: I would always go for something dark and industrial I think. It probably has to be something by Marc Acardipane / PCP. What he did back in the day is just (still) next level. Bringing so many atmospheres is just incredible.
Ruffneck: That would not do any respect to the many brilliant tunes made by so many of my colleagues OR myself. Early hardcore as a genre IS the eternal tune that should be heard, not just a snippet of 1 second of an overall tune which lasts for 365 days so to speak…
Bass-D: Haha, I always mention my own track: Highlander – Hold Me Now to people who don’t know our scene because somehow everybody loves that track, it’s not too hard and still has a great vibe around it.
The relationship between the DJ and the audience is everything during a set. Having been in the scene for a long time, you obviously have a large repertoire of tracks. How do you find a balance between giving the crowd what they want and introducing them to something new?
Destroyer: Since most of the time I play live with the keyboard I have the possibility to choose to play the old and the new tracks, and that makes me experimenting new things every time.
Arjuna: When I play my set I always keep an eye on the audience; if the crowd is not moving or dancing I play another song. Sometimes it has to be louder or slower it depends of what people want at a party. I always play my set freestyle, not pre-arranged, so I can easily change to another style or tempo.
Predator: It’s always cool to play new stuff, but not just because it’s new, I only play tracks I like, and would never play anything I don’t like. Styles and taste can change. I made some dark tracks, some happy tracks some more experimental tracks so I guess I can go any direction.
Promo: For me that is pretty easy because I like both melodic hardcore and dark industrial tracks. So mixing them up is kind of what my sets have always been about. My productions reflect the same vibe as well, so I can even play just my own songs and still bring something the crowd knows and something I can surprise them with.
Ruffneck: I don’t. I spin what I feel I want to enrich them with. Not the other way around. If they enjoy it, great. If they don’t ..well so be it. As KRS -ONE once said “A DJ is not a jukebox – F**k your request” J
Bass-D: Just by doing it, there’s no specific way to do it. I just play what I know they want to hear and mix it up with stuff I think they would like.
What is the craziest thing you have ever seen at a party?
Destroyer: I believe that the craziest thing I’ve seen at a party was a guy drinking a grey liquid straight from a shoe!!! The cool thing was that this happened at “THE DESTROYER solo” party.
Arjuna: The craziest is also the scariest thing I have seen, and that was the girl that climbed on the stage of Harmony of Hardcore 2016. I really thought we all were gonna see that girl fall to her death. Not cool at all.
Ruffneck: People standing still, filming the entire set and later on posting how great of a time they had….
Promo: I have seen some crazy things but often they are not the most positive things. To mention a positive moment I will never forget are the human pyramids they used to do in a club called Number One in Italy. When you played certain tracks there back in the days the crowd would form a pile of people with the goal to reach the roof of the club. Sometimes they succeeded, sometimes they miserably failed. But that determination to make it time after time was always really impressive.
Bass-D: There are so many hahahaha, from people having sex to artists doing stage dives where everybody steps aside or where they return without their t-shirt or even their shoes, hahaha. I remember one time in Moscow though where Angerfist did a stage dive and the crowd tried to rip his mask off his face. He climbed back on stage holding is mask in front of his face while the mask was ripped in two by the crowd. Crazy shit!!!
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Well there you have it! In conclusion, the lesson from my story is go to a Decade party! A huge thank you to Decade Events especially Tommy, Robin, and all of the artists who contributed to this article.
BKJN vs. Partyraiser was my first rave of 2018 and now the bar is set so high for the remainder of the year and it’s not even festival season yet! But let’s start at the beginning, for those of you who don’t know, BKJN stands for Beter Kom Je Niet which is Dutch for “better you don’t come” (lol). BKJN, as one of the leaders in the scene, organizes some of the biggest highest production hardcore/uptempo raves in the Netherlands. Their parties are always massive with stacked diverse lineups and this one was no exception.
I arrived at the venue with my fellow American friend and contributor to this article, Isaiah around eleven, just enough time to explore before the opening show. This was my first time at the Silverdome in Zoetermeer and the place is massive. Thankfully for the first time ever I didn’t have to take three forms of transportation to get there, so ten points for that.
We started off the night with some good ole’ Nosferatu at the main stage. Looking out into the crowd it was barely midnight but the place was packed, sold out, wall to wall of sweaty gabbers. Next up was split time between the opening show (which was the perfect start to Partyraiser’s seven hours of madness) and Repix. Despite the fact the opening show was happening at the mainstage, Repix had the room extremely full and bumping, a well-deserved birthday present (Happy Birthday Repix!). Then we hopped over to see Para Italia, I was repping his “Allemaal de Moeder” shirt that he graciously gave me at Hardcore at Sea (yes I know what it means and I’ve seen the video!).
Following Para Italia it was time to take a dance break and conduct some interviews back stage and well let’s just say things got out of hand but what do you expect when it’s 2:00am during an epic party and you have the Sickest Squad, Andy the Core, Angernoizer, Rooler, me (MC Unicorn), and DJ Levenkhan (Isaiah) in a small space.
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Here are some of the conversations we had:
Amy: With the Dutch hardcore market being so saturated, with multiple parties to choose from every weekend, what sets this party (and BKJN parties in general) apart from all the other parties that occur every weekend?
Para Italia: I think this is the hardest indoor party and very good for BKJN and of course the main man Paryraiser. I am very proud that I am a part of this extraordinary party and a proud member of BKJN. I had a very good time and I think it showed people how hard Frenchcore can be.
Aggressive: This party is awesome, I opened the main stage and within fifteen minutes it was crowded with people going crazy. Great atmosphere. I am honored to be a part of the BKJN family and Partyraiser crew.
Andy The Core: This party is absolutely awesome and every year it gets better and better and it’s something different because you have this main stage like this that’s usually a main stage for mainstream but it’s now full of underground artists and I love it.
Amy: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one record/album with you, what would you bring?
Da Mouth of Madness: Can I not bring a USB stick? (Amy: No…) Well I definitely would do like the Hardcore 100 CD from ID&T back in the early 90’s the gold one with the two snakes on it because it has 100 of the best tracks ever but also would bring some Bob Marley too.
Amy: If you could collaborate with one artist dead or alive who would it be?
Da Mouth of Madness: I definitely need to say Three Steps Ahead because he was gone, he passed away before we could do this S#*T, but I definitely wanted to do something with him, because of the friendship we had back in the days. We were both breaking through in 1996 with the whole Thunderdome thing, we did a lot of tours together but actually we never came so far, and afterwards of course we all know the story, he passed away. It would definitely be great to have the opportunity to collaborate with him.
Repix: I have one big dream and that’s Angerfist, he’s been there since the beginning and all of his productions sound amazing. It’s really a good reference point for me to listen to and that’s one of my biggest dreams.
Isaiah: What advice do you have for up and coming producers/DJs?
Rob GEE: Definitely get your ass in the studio and perfect your craft and don’t listen to haters. And also don’t get an ego at the same time, keep yourself grounded, and reach for the stars you know.
Sickest Squad: Struggle a lot first and study. The way we came up in the scene was by being told repeatedly our stuff was not good, and it helped us out. If we were told it was good we would simply stop. Getting told it was bad made us invest our time fully in the studio to perfect the craft.
Repix: So f***ing much to do. Hours in it hours in it. Keep on learning, keep on learning. Everything you learn keep it close to you. If you don’t know something, figure it out. Compare to the greatest; compare it to Angerfist or Nosferatu. Listen to what they do with the sounds and if you get it it’s just a matter of time. Just practice and go for it. …Collabs with the big guys helped a lot. If you have trouble with something they explain it to you. … It’s like the beginning of an adventure just try to figure it all out.
Isaiah: What’s up next for you?
Rob GEE: Rob GEE You Got What I Need: 25 Years of Harder Styles. We are doing multiple cities around the world. This week we just booked Moscow, Sydney, Milan, and BKJN will be doing the one in Holland, I’m looking for a good New York promoter so I can play in my own home little area. LA already reached out to me so it would be sad if New York didn’t. What I would like to do is represent a little of everything I do. Meaning, I would like to tag team with an early guy then go into hardstyle then rawstyle then of course into some mainstream, uptempo, frenchcore, maybe a little bit of terror … So basically, I would like to have a little bit of the old, a little bit of the new. Just give a big hardcore enchilada of all the harder styles. A hardcore cornucopia.
Isaiah: What do you think of the current state of hardcore, uptempo, mainstream?
Rob GEE: To me it’s all hardcore … I work with this one, I work with that one, it’s not because I’m trying to whore myself out; it’s because I have an open mind. If I’m going to do something at 150 with Adaro and with Partyraiser at 200; for me its just music. I’ve done some metal and melded it with some hardcore with members of Slipknot and System Of A Down. Again for me it’s just music. I’m not about building walls; I’m about breaking them down. There are no boundaries in music.
Crypton: (On Frenchcore) At this state I think Frenchcore is evolving in a way and becoming more diverse. One is focused more on the harder side and the other is the more melodic/euphoric side of Frenchcore but with both different fanbases it will make the scene much bigger than what it is already.
Amy: Where do you see the American scene going?
Sickest Squad: America has the potential to be a huge scene for hardcore. I think it’s just a matter of time, I see that slowly some European DJs are getting their chance to play there. We played in Brooklyn and it was “BANGING.” Even if the scene isn’t massive yet, I think next year hardcore will grow. The important thing is to not just bring the commercial stuff, listen to the music and don’t follow the trendy sound, it’s not about DJ Mag, create your own personal taste about the music and not be heavily influenced by mainstream S#*T. This is the most dedicated crowd. People who listen to minimal techno or house they only listen to the music. People who listen to hardcore they live and breathe hardcore, wake up listening to hardcore, they dress hardcore, they are very dedicated and devoted. And that’s truly a beauty and the best thing in the scene.
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Now back to the music, after wrapping up the interviews we ran over to see Sjammienators vs Cryogenic who played a brutal set. This was one of the highlights of the night for me, the beats were so fast and bass so loud people literally could not keep up so the only logical thing to do was to have everyone stand on top of the barricade (sorry Bassnectar fans we do it better and sorry to the barricade). Then, Sefa as always brought a ruthless Frenchcore set way beyond his years.
As the night came to a close, we next went to Partyraiser vs. System Overload vs. Rob GEE, there were so many amazing moments in this set, where to begin. First, getting to see one of my close friends and fellow Americans play never gets old. Second, Rob GEE dropped his new track “IAMME” which was so amazing, the lyrics are incredibly inspiring, and are a good reminder that no matter what life throws our way we always get back up. Rob has an incredible story one of bravery, recovery, and perseverance and his ability to put that energy into his music to inspire his fans is something so beautiful. And third, System Overload dropped Tim Shopp’s track ON THE MAIN STAGE! Nothing makes me happier than watching my friend’s dreams coming true and being right there front and center for all of it.
Squished like a sardine on the barricade raising my fists in the air next to my closest ten thousand friends was one of those coming home moments for me, those moments where you realize why this is so important to you, so special, so sacred. It’s the ability to be able to completely let loose, to find the truest form of yourself that ordinarily is not socially acceptable according to society’s standards and to do it next to your friends (or strangers who are not yet friends).
Everyday life is tough, so much stress, so many responsibilities we all need to find a way to escape, a way to set everything aside for even just a moment. For some people that’s through exercise, others through video games, but for us it’s raving, it’s this music that keeps us going. BKJN parties are always the perfect cocktail of great music, amazing vibes, incredible production, and an insane sound system (need to get new ear plugs remind me later). I highly recommend to my American friends when you’re thinking of coming over for the usual big Q Dance parties this year add a few BKJN ones on your list, you will not regret it. Thank you again to BKJN, Partyraiser, Rob GEE, and everyone who contributed to this article. Until next time!
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!
Dedicated to the harder sound of electronic dance music.
