Tag Archives: terrorcore

Articles, Interviews

Mutant Core Resistance interview

The Argentinian band Mutant Core Resistance and their label Mutant Core Records are breathing some fresh air both into their local as well as the wider global *core underground. They are fusing subgenres like psycore, breakcore, speedcore and extratone into new experimental soundscapes and something called “atmo tone”. In this interview we talked about their music and the scene in Argentina.

Who are the crew behind the Mutant Core Records and how did it start?

Mutant Core Resistance

We have different types of members in the crew. Some of them are more freelance like our brother from Poland, Si.rAk-Sa, or brothers from our country like Morphoaega, Chamal, Fuel & Fire and Charlie. They all contribute in their own way and support this music we promote on our label. Then there are the core members of MCR: Solarkae, Unfriendly bit and Beatcrusher. MCR started in 2015 as a group of 3 DJs: Trip Cris, Low Noise and Beatcrusher. They met at free parties that were organized in different parts of Buenos Aires in the years of 2010-2012. After some years of playing on their own they decided to unite and form a crew dedicated to genres like breakcore, terrorcore, speedcore and extratone.

Tell us more about the Mutant Core Resistance band..

The main concept of the band is to experiment and deconstruct. We try to merge our 3 energies into the tracks we do. The main intention is to create soundscapes that take the listeners to different places, sensations and feelings, sometimes in a good musical “trip” and sometimes we try to take them out of the comfort zone. All the songs are created with computer and synths. We like the analog sound, but we also like to do the sound designs, the mix and mastering in the DAW.

What are your musical influences?

There are a wide variety of musical influences: Pierre Schaeffer and the concrete music, John Cage and the aleatory music, Fluxus, John Coltrane and his album Om, Alice Coltrane, rock of the 60’s and 70’s like 5th dimention, Guru Guru, Jefferson Airplane, Iron Butterfly, Focus and Pink Floyd. Also electronic music like Kraftwerk, hardcore jungle from the 90s, Autechre, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, The Flashbulb and Richard Devine. We also like more traditional music like Chinese music, Indian Classical music, Tuvan singing and different mantras from Buddhism and Hinduism.

What is atmo tone?

We feel that atmo tone is somewhere in between soundscapes and extratone. Atmospheric extratone is a physical phenomena (the sum of the harmonics of deep kicks) it is also music that promotes introspection combined with altered states of consciousness induced by the music.

There seems to be lots of experimental psycore coming from South-America and you guys are also involved in events, such as La CAJA DEL ODIO, that combine experimental *core music and psytrance as well as other styles. Is there a lot of collaboration between experimental electronic music subcultures in your local scene?

There are just a few people dedicated to this particular spectrum of experimental music, so we are always in touch, we need to combine our forces in order to do events and gather some public. There are a few sporadic events like the one you mentioned, also we used to do one called Speedfest and raves with different names.

How are your local hardcore techno, breakcore and psycore party scenes in general?

The scene is very small and underground, the music you mentioned arrived in our country in the early 2000 and became more listened arround 2012. Nowadays the younger generations are paying more attention to this music and new dj’s and producers are starting to appear and we are glad for that.

What are the possibilities and challenges in organizing parties in Argentina?

Argentina is a big country, so it depends on where you are. Here in our province (Buenos Aires) there are a bunch of small places for this kind of events, but you have to take your soundsystem if you want to sound decent. The other option is to move away from the city and do the events outdoors if you know a place to occupy for the night or maybe if you know somebody who owns a place. The problem is the public transport, sometimes it’s not easy to reach certain places. The police is also a big problem, they are always trying to shut our raves, because we are “against the law”.

What are your plans for the future?

Mutant Core Resistance live session.

In terms of music, we are working on a couple of collaborations with different brothers from other countries and we are working on our second LP. There are a few EP’s from some artists from our country and from other countries that will be released soon. We are thinking about doing some gigs in a couple of places in Europe. Some crews are inviting us to play lately, but we have to raise the money for the plane tickets and they are pretty expensive!

 

 

Which core artists from Argentina would you recommend for the readers to check out?

Our scene is small, but it has a very colorful variety of artists. Here are some:

Trip’s Cris
https://soundcloud.com/dj-trips-cris

Fuel & Fire
https://soundcloud.com/naftafuel

Dj Dmøncøre
https://www.facebook.com/DjDmoncore
https://diegoseta.wixsite.com/dmoncore

Charlie
https://www.facebook.com/CharlieDMB

M0710n
https://www.facebook.com/k33p1nm0710n

Nymh4l
https://www.facebook.com/Nymh4ldj

Killer drumz
https://www.facebook.com/killerdrumz

KRAKTAX
https://soundcloud.com/kraktaxxxcore

SpeedB
https://soundcloud.com/augustin-kutralrecords

Rrayen
https://soundcloud.com/rrayen

Round Wave Crusher
https://www.facebook.com/roundwavecrusher

Thanks for the interview!

Thank you, thanks to The Hard Data and the readers!

Check out MCR here:

Bandcamp – https://mutantcorerecords.bandcamp.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mutantcoreargentina

Articles, Interviews

Eni – Interviewed

Eni is a Freestyle DJ from Los Angeles, CA and has played at parties such as Arizr, KTRA LA and Hardstyle Arena, and will be playing at Winterfresh Music Festival on December 3rd. Freestyle is one of the fastest growing genres and is relatively new to the American scene. With Hardstyle and Hardcore getting much of the spotlight nowadays, Eni’s Freestyle sound brings much needed fun and freedom to the party. Freestyle by definition means ‘playing without restrictions’, and Eni regularly combines Subground, Jungle Terror, Tekstyle, Jumpstyle, Hardstyle, and any other variations of the hard dance styles, mixed with classic breaks and hard trap.

I know a lot of people ask, so let’s set the record straight- is Eni your real name or is it an alias? How long have you been a DJ?

Eni is actually my real name; it’s a family name from my dad’s side. I’m actually the third- it’s on my birth certificate! I started DJing under the alias Audiofallout back in 2012-2013, but when I started a sound company under the same name people were getting confused. I also had changed my style from strictly Hardstyle to Freestyle so I decided to change my alias to fit my new style and create some separation between my company and myself. I started practicing and learning in 2009 when I bought a pair of belt drive Numark TT1700.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into Freestyle and about what your biggest inspirations in this style are?

I got into Freestyle basically by getting bored of just DJ’ing Hardstyle, hahahaha! For a long time I had been a die-hard fan of Hardstyle and could not get enough, but as time went on I felt things get a bit stagnant and needed some variety. I had always loved the dub-style tracks and cross genre stuff so I started to look for that kind of music more and more. I stated finding really cool crossbreed, some sweet trap influenced stuff, and things that broke down to funky house drops for a bit and I fell in love. I wanted to find the coolest most unknown hard dance and bring that up to all the people here in the states.

Eni at KTRA, LA
Eni performing at KTRA, LA

How does Freestyle tie together with your slogan “Eni Kind of Music”?

Well with Freestyle I like to play the spectrum from hard house and Jungle Terror, to Terrorcore and Speedcore… thus my slogan- playing Eni Kind of Music- nothing is off limits. I’ll mix in a lot of random hip-hop and trap influenced stuff, some Cumbia (dance music popular in Latin America), and other genres just to keep it fun and interesting.

You recently played in San Francisco, how did that go? Is the American crowd receptive to the Freestyle sound?

San Francisco was absolutely incredible!!! I had an amazing time out there. It was my first time playing in San Fran and I couldn’t have asked for a better first show. I had a great set and lots of fun. I really love the energy that the Northern California Scene has, it is very reminiscent of the feeling I used to get when I first started going to raves when I was 16. It’s very vibrant, colorful, and youthful. I also got a chance to work with J-Rod, Kriss, Keiji, Kreation, and Hauyon while I was up there. Leading to some really interesting new projects.

As you mentioned, you have a few projects going right now- you been starting to produce, collabs with other American artists, and you’ve been involved with the Hardroadz Media podcast- what can you tell us about those and what can we expect in the future? Anything else we should be watching for?

My trip up to San Francisco inspired me with quite a bit and I have recently started working on a new collab alias with a good buddy who just moved to California from Chile. We have 2 tracks just about finished and I will be dropping the first one at Winterfresh tonight. I haven’t had enough time to really work on many solo projects but I do have a bootleg in the works. Besides that I have been working with another friend of mine as the new host and engineer for the Hardroadz Media podcast. With the podcast we try to focus mostly on American based DJs and producers. It comes down to the fact that Europe and all of their DJs are already established and set, and for the American scene to grow we need to start supporting and showing up for our homegrown talent. For this reason my friend started this podcast. Each month we feature 30 minutes of hand picked tracks and then a 30-minute guest mix. Recently we got lucky and now the show is streamed live on the Department of Hard Dance every third Wednesday of the month, as well as putting it out on SoundCloud.

Anything else you would like to tell the readers of The Hard Data?

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has given me support over these past couple of years. I have been so lucky and blessed to be surrounded by these amazing support structures. I’m very excited with my Dabscouts sponsorship and collaboration. Their designs are pretty awesome and I have been blessed to have their graphic designer and photographer at my disposal. I’m hoping to do some really cool merchandising with them coming out eventually with a fully Eni Kind Of Music clothing line.

Catch Eni at Winterfresh on December 3rd at Union Nightclub in Los Angeles- get your tickets here

Articles, Interviews, Uncategorized

Fight Interview: AZHC XX

We have an audio interview featuring Fight, all the way from France talking about AZ Hardcore Scene, Uptempo, and The Future of Hardcore.

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Articles, Interviews

The Raging Hard Roundtable

By Sean Hargrove & Tim Shopp

We’re here with the entire Warsong Presents: Raging Hard lineup, and we’re going to dig a little more into these guys minds to see what they’re really about!

HD: Zaki! Great to have you here man!  We’re wondering how did you get your DJ/Performance name, what does it mean?

Zaki: Well, funny question. The name actually means “Pure” in Arabic, but I found that out after I decided to use this name. Zaki was my nickname, so I just decided to use it as my artist name. It has kind of just stuck to me.

Zaki hails from Virginia Beach and will be playing the Hardstyle stage.
Zaki hails from Virginia Beach and will be playing the Hardstyle stage.

HD: Next up, mister Treachery!  How long have you been mixing/producing and how did you get started?

Treachery: I’ve been mixing Hardcore since 2007, though only seriously producing since 2011. Per my bio, I got started because I needed a music style loud and annoying enough to mask the screams of the victims tied up in my basement…

Treachery is signed to Industrial Strength and will be playing the Hardcore stage.
Treachery is signed to Industrial Strength and will be playing the Hardcore stage.

HD: Mekanikal in the house! Have you noticed changes in the scene since you started in your area or nationwide?

Mekanikal: Well certainly! The scene has grown a lot over the years since the beginning of my journey as a DJ. I actually didn’t come into the “local” scene until 2015, my first hardstyle show was DefQon.1 2013 in the Netherlands (I did the reverse of what DJs normally do haha). That being said, from what I’ve experienced, seeing local companies like Audio Havok, East Coast Hard Dance (ECHD), Fresh Entertainment, SDK, Denver Hard Dance, and countless more springing up across the country and getting into the hard dance market is really encouraging for the scene as a whole.

Two years ago, the United States wasn’t really seen as a strong player in the hard dance scene, but now we have become a force to be reckoned with!

There is a lot of positive things happening here in the states, and there are many negative things happening too. Like fans who shout out “defend the raw bruh!!” and others doing the same with euphoric hardstyle… Guys, grow up!

It’s all hardstyle and if someone doesn’t like the style you do, that’s okay! No one has to like what you do. Also, this is something I’m glad Warsong is doing…

The Hardstyle fans need to invest their support in the US hardstyle DJs. One of the reasons we don’t have a Defqon or a Qlimax in the states is mainly because you’re not investing enough in your local talent that’s getting signed to the same labels! Stop whining that “so-and-so shouldn’t be on this festival’s lineup because it’s taking the place of foreign DJs.”

We should be celebrating the USA DJs that get that opportunity, not saying they should be relegated to “local shows” to make room for the international DJs. We work just as hard and put together sets that don’t just highlight the “in” tracks. We make live edits, mashups, really try to make each set exclusive to the show. TL;DR, support your local DJs and get over the Raw vs. Euphoric debate.

Mekanikal is a Producer & DJ based in Washington, D.C. and will be playing the Hardstyle stage.
Mekanikal is a Producer & DJ based in Washington, D.C. and will be playing the Hardstyle stage.

HD: Levenkhan! What do you think about the current state of harder styles in America? (Both Hardstyle and or Hardcore)

Levenkhan: First and foremost thank you guys of the Hard Data for having us and spreading our sounds across the U.S. The current scene of the harder styles   has definitely grown a lot the past couple of years. From a very personal and underground rave scene it has evolved to a  bigger crowd and infected the masses. The hardstyle scene is at a steady climb, with a high end of quality producers and DJs from all over the U.S. I have faith it will grow to something much bigger.

As far as hardcore its been and will aways be a  bumpy ride. With a more dedicated underground fanbase hardcore is finally starting to get more attention with a much higher demand at most hard dance events. Its a complex  forgein sound for the average american mainstream ear but perhaps will reach a much bigger mainstream fanbase one day.

Overall in order for a successful growth of the harder styles in america we must set our differences (if any) aside and  all come in UNITY and a support  all national talent whether its an upcoming  local name or a bigger national name, GO SUPPORT  and watch the scene grow.

Levenkhan is a Hardcore DJ and Producer from New Jersey, playing the outdoor Hardcore stage.
Levenkhan is a Hardcore DJ and Producer from New Jersey, playing the outdoor Hardcore stage.

HD: Greetings Markove! What are you trying to convey through your music? Are there any themes or ideas that are important to you? Is there anything in particular you find yourself wanting to communicate to the audience?

Markove:   My personal experiences and how I’ve endured form the basic message behind my music.  In the past two years I’ve gone through a lot of firsts.  Many I hope won’t be repeated.  All things considered, however, I’m only one person in a world of many.  Everyone lives through events they don’t want to intentionally experience.  My message is a simple one – you’re not alone.

Inspiration.  Motivation.  Renewal.  I want the crowd to feel these emotions every time I perform.  For me, the medium doesn’t matter.  Whether it’s through my online podcast or a live set, I want every person to experience the same realization:  your potential is unlimited.

Markove is a Washington, D.C. based Producer and DJ playing the Hardstyle stage
Markove is a Washington, D.C. based Producer and DJ playing the Hardstyle stage

HD: Hello Problem-Unit! Have you played Baltimore or the East Coast before? How did it go?

Problem Unit: I mostly play the east coast area, NYC to DC, as far west as Pittsburgh. Probably the best time I had playing Baltimore was at a warehouse near the stadium / Paradox. It was a mult – gig night for myself and a friend of mine, and by the time I got to the venue it was time to play, I was wired, and threw down hard. It was a blast to say the least.

Problem Unit is based in Perkasie, PA and will be spinning on the UK Hardcore stage.
Problem Unit is based in Perkasie, PA and will be spinning on the UK Hardcore stage.

HD: How are you doing Dr Jer-Z? Do you have anything special planned for the party (btb set, all vinyl, live PA, guest performers/dancers etc)? Do you plan to play a specific genre? Oldschool throwbacks? Original productions? Rawstyle or euphoric?

Dr Jer-Z: What’s up Hard Data! Im really excited about this event. Definitely do have something prepared. I’m a reverse bass guy so there will definitely be that hard pounding bass involved in my set. Some Rawstyle and Euphoric will be present but I’m all about energy when it comes to my sets. I do have some new original tracks/remixes that I’m going finish for this event. Can’t wait to be a part of this event and to play with some of the best local artists.

Dr Jer-Z is a Hardstyle DJ from Palermo, Italy, playing the Hardstyle stage.
Dr Jer-Z is a Hardstyle DJ from Palermo, Italy, playing the Hardstyle stage.

HD: Mad Effort and Cheif! You both will be hosts of stages on this night! How does it feel and are you guys looking forward to specific acts?

Chief: It feels awesome to be witnessing the birth of yet another team on the east coast that has genuine passion and desire for the growth of our Hard Dance scene. I’m excited to be included in this event because as the culture spreads, it’s an honor to be able to say I was there with Warsong from the beginning. Being a part of something already established is fantastic but when you play a part in something from its birth, it’s special and the potential is endless. Truth be told, I’m not looking forward to any act in particular because every artist on here is known for throwing down well, so I expect nothing but the best from everyone as they always deliver. Looking forward to going back to back with Mad Effort because it’s a rare opportunity that there’s another individual rocking the mic alongside me with an equal amount of passion. It creates an atmosphere that isn’t mine and isn’t his but can be stronger than both. Not to mention, this is my first time officially hosting in Baltimore so that alone is keeping me amped up for this. I’m very proud to be a part of this culture.

MastaChief is a hardcore and hardstyle MC from New York, NY, hosting the Hardstyle stage.
MastaChief is a hardcore and hardstyle MC from New York, NY, hosting the Hardstyle stage.

Mad Effort: Im really looking forward to my first time hosting on my own  for a big event , and at an all hardcore stage no less! With three stages of pure hard dance, this show really will be something unique.

As far as the artists go, I can’t think of a better lineup as powerful as what we’ve got packed for June 11th. I’ve got something special in store for the show, but I’ll let you guys see for yourself when the time comes!

MCMADEFFORT
MC Mad Effort is a Hard Dance MC from New York, NY, hosting the outdoor Hardcore stage.

HD: Tim Shopp! Happy to have you here once again with Hard Data! Is there anything you want to say that we haven’t asked about yet? Do you have any upcoming projects or tours to promote, or anything special or shout outs you want to say?

Tim Shopp: Its always an honor to chat with you guys and catch up! I just have to first off thank Warsong for hosting this event. For anyone who knows me on a bit of a personal level will know my true feelings about how much i believe these American talent based shows are the key to the growth of everything here in the states! Its shows/lineups like these that people need to support most in order to gain for the future music/talent and big things! I will save that rant for another day haha!

Projects, I’ve lost count on! Im working with so many artists and close friends that i think i start a new project just about everyday! Plus i have huge things coming with labels and just recently got to announce ill be making an official anthem for my friends at SDK Events for their show this summer Phobia. Not to mention the amount of tracks I’m also working on as my trio Extreme Team (with Levenkhan and Mad Effort)! Still blown away on how amazing this year is for me!

As for tours, I have what I believe to be a mini world tour this summer! Warsong will be the kick-off, then ill be in Vegas for Gabberfest (both days). Taking some lovely time off in Holland for some studio dates with people and to experience Defqon once more. Then back to Holland in July for a show that is TBA, and finally Phobia in August! Thats all i can say…for now.

Tim Shopp is an Uptempo Hardcore & Terror DJ/Producer from Middletown, NJ, Playing the Hardcore Stage
Tim Shopp is an Uptempo Hardcore & Terror DJ/Producer from Middletown, NJ, Playing the Hardcore Stage

HD: Last but certainly not least the man behind it all! Patrick aka Warsong! First of all, what a lineup! How did this all come about, what does Warsong mean to you, and why an all American talent lineup?

Warsong:

Because this is America after all. The hardest nation on Earth. Seriously though, people tend to underestimate the American scene, and I feel like oftentimes due credit isn’t awarded to our DJs and producers when it otherwise would be.

We’re excited as anyone to go to Defqon1 this summer, and we felt like it would be cool to bring all the Americans together to get pumped before crossing the Atlantic.

As far as our name goes, we see Warsong representing music that’s fundamentally aggressive and energetic; it’s evocative of a battlefield. I like to think of a mosh pit as a war zone — except we’re all on the same side

Well thank you all for taking the time (and patience) for all of this! It’s our honor to have spent this time with you all, and hope to see you all very soon!

Articles, Daybreaker, Interviews

Tim Shopp Interview: Gabberfest 2016

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Here we go guys! The countdown to Gabberfest 2016 (June 18th-19th, EDC Weekend) has officially commenced! Hardcore delegates from all over the country will converge on the Hard Hat Lounge in Las Vegas, Nevada to witness the grand spectral display of the American hard dance scene and the Hard Data will be bringing you face to face with the artists chosen to represent their home state(s) because you “can’t know your friends from your enemies until the ice breaks”!

Tim Shopp, Middletown, New Jersey, will be playing at Gabberfest 2016, EDC Weekend, June 18th-19th, Las Vegas Nevada!
Tim Shopp, representing New Jersey at Gabberfest 2016!

First up, is 21 year old uptempo hardcore producer TIM SHOPP from Middletown, New Jersey.

How did you decide on your stage name?

When I first began I honestly had no idea what I was going to do for a name; the usual thing was to use some type of cool word or make something up, but I didn’t want that. I always wanted to be known for me, so I then decided (after a couple goofy names) that I was just going to be me (Tim Shopp)!

How did you start producing/DJ’ing?

When I was little for Christmas one year I actually got a cool little toy that you could hook your iPod to and scratch songs you played. Then eventually I turned to computer software, and continued the “upgrading” to where I am now. The learning is still not over, because recently I’ve decided CDJs can only allow so much so I’m actually learning “live performance” so I can do that in the future! As for producing: there was a point where I knew playing other people’s music was fun, but I knew I wanted to play MY own music. So I eventually picked up Ableton, and with some devoted time and effort, here I am!

How did you get interested in the harder styles?

It all started with listening to happy hardcore actually! My first obsession was DJ S3RL and from there I just kept digging deeper and deeper into the music until I found my true love for “Uptempo” hardcore and terror! Of course there is always my other obsession as well known as speedcore/extratone.

What changes have you noticed in your local rave/hard dance scene since you started?

Well as for my home state (New Jersey) we truly don’t have any music scene left from what I see. My second home (New York City) will always have my heart, but recently not much has been going on. We went from constant shows every weekend to hardly ever anything going on. When we do have shows, the crowds are always promising and dedicated so the wait is well worth it. No place like home!

What do you think about the current state of harder styles in America?

My bias opinion: Needs more hardcore! (laughs) As for the scene itself: it is truly amazing to see it evolving more and over the last couple of years! One thing I do have to say is I’ve noticed less support for the locals and more focus mainly on what European act is coming. A good headliner is always promising don’t get me wrong, but I believe that if we want to evolve the scene to what we all want, we need more support for the locals who have the ability to lead the next level of everything! I feel as if we just expect to get our own Defqon, Qlimax, MOH etc., but most won’t even go out on the weekend to see a show unless there’s some huge European name on the lineup. I just want to see more people invested because of the music, not just because there’s a Dutch act in town.

Tim Shopp, Middletown, New Jersey, playing at Gabberfest 2016, EDC Weekend, June 18th-19th, Las Vegas Nevada!
Tim Shopp artist logo.

What are you trying to convey through your music? Are there any themes or ideas that are important to you? Is there anything in particular you find yourself wanting to communicate to the audience?

Chaos. Chaos, chaos and more chaos! Being a metal head and beat down fan, I try to bring those elements into my sets and music. There’s something about chaos and insanity I find very interesting.

Do you have anything special planned for the event (b2b set, all vinyl, live PA, guest performers/dancers etc)? Original productions?

Well me and the Gabberfest crew have been waiting for this day to come! I always said I would do something special my first time, and sure enough Gabberfest will have the first world premiere of “Extreme Team!” that I can guarantee will blow minds. For my solo set of course plenty of new music from me! B2b sets, well anything can happen at Gabberfest…

Is there anything you want to say that we haven’t asked you about yet? Do you have any upcoming projects or tours to promote, or anything special or shout outs you want to say?

2016 has already been a huge for me. So first and foremost I just have to thank everyone who’s been behind me since the start and especially recently! I will be playing all over the USA this summer on my mini tour, and I even have a show in The Netherlands! On top of all that, huge collaborations with some major artists as well. I will let that be a surprise for you all!

Be sure to follow TIM SHOPP on his social media and be up front and center to catch his solo set along with the debut of “Extreme Team!” in six weeks time at GABBERFEST 2016!