Filippo Calgani, or DJ Mad Dog, started his hardcore music career at the age of 16 in his home town with a group called “Hardcore Terrorists”. In 2000, Filippo decided to start a new project with Traxtorm Records under the name DJ Mad Dog, churning out hundreds of hits including singles, Eps, and compilations with other hardcore artists such as Nosferatu, Noize Suppressor and Tommyknocker. Because of his versatility within the hardcore genre, Mad Dog has performed at multiple hardcore festivals including Thunderdome and Masters of hardcore.
5 Awesome tracks:
Disorder
Released in May 2006, “Disorder” is one of DJ Mad Dog’s most popular tracks to date. Anyone new to the genre will be drawn in by the track’s energy and DJ Mad Dog’s raw, hardcore talent.
So What About The…?
Released the same time as “Disorder”, the #2 track by Mad Dog “So What About The…?” will take what you may or may not know about DJ Mad Dog and multiply it times ten. This track takes you on an adrenaline roller coaster that you’ll want to ride over and over again.
357 Bitches
Track #3 takes us back a year for DJ Mad Dog, dropped in April 2005. His talent and versatility shines through and shows hardcore fans what he’s capable of. If this track doesn’t leave you wanting more, then listen to it again.
Welcome Down
Track #4 dropped at the end of 2006, wrapping up a solid year for DJ Mad Dog having three hard hitting tracks that are sure to get the dancefloor shaking and moving. “Welcome Down” has a ferocious double timing beat that will keep you coming back for more.
The Down
Track #5 is last on this list because there’s a chance it’ll raise your blood pressure to a dangerous level. “The Down” is an intense track that doesn’t quit and won’t let you break for a drink, so make sure you’re hydrated before hitting the floor when this track comes on!
DJ Mad Dog is a force to be reckoned with in the hardcore scene. His tracks don’t care how you’re feeling and he certainly doesn’t hold your hand when entering this world of energetic, pulse raising music. His ability to force your body to move using nothing but sounds and innovations is a testament to his talents. No one looking to get into the genre should overlook DJ Mad Dog, but he won’t let you because like his music, he won’t quit and there’s no way he can be ignored.
Straight out of Italy, Art of Fighters have been bringing their particular flavor of hardcore music for nearly 2 decades. The Art of Fighters history began in the year 1997 and their career took off as one of the fastest in the scene. It was the year 2000 and they were just 18 years old when they jumped onto the biggest European stages playing their first hit tracks ‘Artwork‘ and ‘Earthquake‘ while wearing their trademark: the terrifying hockey mask, similar to the one seen in the movie ‘Friday the 13th’.
Since then, they have been unstoppable: spreading throughout the entirety of Europe, USA, Japan, South America and Australia. They have continued to produce track after track, becoming one of the leading acts of todays Hardcore scene. Creators of anthems for the biggest events as Dominator, Thunderdome and Q-Base, their sound is constantly evolving. A sound which can be described as a unique mix of harmony and technicality, with the rawness and power that you expect to be found in a proper hardcore track.
Art of Fighters
It’s a pleasure to be interviewing you! Could you tell us a little but about yourselves? How do you know each other? Did you always know you wanted to be DJs?
Ciao America, we are Luca and Cristian and we are Art of Fighters! We are producers from Italy, land of good food, good people and good music (in my personal opinion). (Cristian) I have know Luca since I was a kid, we grew up together as neighbours and we spent all the childhood together. I know him since 30years, it’s my fourth brother, even if he is from another mother.
Can you tell me a little bit about the story behind you’re DJ name? How did you come up with the name ‘Art of Fighters’?
At the time we sent our first demo to The Stunned Guys our name was “Armageddon”. It was a cool one, around 15 demos, ranging from 200/400BPM, except a couple of them which were around 150bpm. Long story short, Maxx suggested us to put into the trashcan all the tracks except the slower ones, and to find a new name cause it was a bit overused. We already had our first logo, so we had to pick up something starting with an “A”. Our second choice was “Art of Warriors”, also taken so we went from ‘Warriors’ to ‘Fighters’ and voilà! Years later I realized how important that decision was. We became that name, and now more than ever we are fighting for our Art, which is the music and the message we are trying to spread around the world.
How did Art of Fighters get started? Did you ever expect to grow to the notoriety and recognition you have today?
We started in the basement of my parents house, using nothing else than a Pentium computer and Fast Tracker 2. Why?! I still have no idea, probably bored or just curious about how music was made. And no, never expected to make it a full time job, also because back then (first demos are dated around 1996/97) the dj wasn’t at all a recognized figure, it was more like an outcast. You had to do it just because you liked to. We are lucky that people like what we do and support us. We’ll try to not disappoint them and stay true to our Core.
Tell me a little bit about why you wear masks and their designs? Do they mean anything special?
The idea of the masks comes from the man that taught us how to mix, DJ Tetta. We had to play a b2b set in Switzerland in early 2001 and he came with the idea of jumping on stage with those white masks and white jumpsuits. We loved the idea and kept using them. After few months we decided to personalize the mask a little bit (here’s why the different design for each one of us) and somewhere around the 2006 we hired someone to make the ones we’re using right now, which (as what the creator said) are made using the mold from the original Jason 13th movie.
(Niko e Tetta, Art of Fighters circa 2001)
Here you can see the pictures of the first time we used those masks. The design is a bit different from what we use now:
Would you have ever seen yourselves coming to perform the USA? How do you think playing for a US crowd will be different from playing in Europe, what do you expect? Are there any new tracks you plan to drop, or any tracks you are particularly excited to play for the US crowd?
This year was full of unexpected gigs. We also did Colombia and Japan, and about to set foot in Canada aswell. And every one of those gigs is a blessing. We love to travel, see different cultures, people and situations. I belive we are all the same but still very different, the idea of party in Italy is different that the one in France or Japan, and I bet my ass that US is a different scenario aswell. As they taught us, you have to adapt in real time to the dancefloor, I’ll try to showcase all our music, which goes from 150bpm to over 200bpm!(I use the singular since it will be a solo dj performance in the US… Luca will be unable to join me due to technical reasons).
Do you think Traxtorm Ganstaz Allied could make a US performance in the future? (DJ team consisting of members Unexist, The Stunned Guys, Mad Dog and Art of Fighters)
I really hope so, and not just in the US!
Art of Fighters
Are there any upcoming releases or future collabs you can share with us? Anything you’re particularly excited about that we should be watching for?
We’re finishing as we speak two tracks, in collaboration with a really talented and underestimated friend and producer which is Dj Predator. A mix of Early rave, Drum and Bass, Mainstyle Uptempo with a touch of Neurofunk. We Love It. There’s also an Hardcore Italia compilation mixed by us and about to be released in Japan. Lot of fresh and cool music and idea over there from a lot of new producers and talents. Keep an eye on it. And also working on something different for 2017. If it will work I’ll talk about it in another edition of Hard Data.
Fantastic! Is there anything else you’d like to say to the readers on the Hard Data?
Yes. A scene without a crowd is not a scene, and a dj without a public is just an expensive cdplayer. So please, support the US scene and attend every party you can!
For me personally, listening to en episode of the Hardcore Italia podcast mixed by an Art of Fighters is what sparked my interest in hardcore music and I am very excited to see them perform here in Los Angeles! Catch them on the USA stops of the Industrial Strength Records 25yr Anniversary world tour, performing in Los Angeles, CA on November 18th, and in Brooklyn, NY on November 19th.
As my plane touched down on the sun-baked earth of Phoenix, Arizona, a sigh of relief and relaxation overcame my body and mind. Much like a sun-worshipping retiree, I was looking forward to a relaxing night of music and friendship in the warm cleave of the desert.
SRB and Meccano Twins at Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016, Mesa, AZ
The phone rang. It was Kari. “Hey man, can you rent a van for us? My flight got messed up.” In the world of hardcore EDM, at least in America, you have to wear lots of hats: DJ, publisher, producer, promoter… and so adding chauffeur to the list was now second nature, “Sure.”
Then, look what entered the modest suburban minivan I procured: MC Rtiser! ”How the heck did this guy get through TSA Screening?” I think to myself. I then spend the majority of the night transporting van-loads of ridiculously talented Dutch and Italians, to and from the event, running on stage to snap pictures and get a good listen so I could report to the THD faithful.
Meccano Twins and Ruffian at Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016
As Kari languished in LAX stand-by, Brandon SDK made sure the party went off without a hitch. Which is good, as fans were driving from all over the Southwest, particularly SoCal, to see the leg 2 version of the Trauma line-up. It was another sure-fire killer this time with Ruffian as Master of Ceremonies: Rotterdam Terror Corps, Digital Punk, Buzz Fuzz, Partyraiser, SRB, Tommyknocker, Mrotek, Arktus, CIK, Dr. Peacock, Rob Gee and Meccano Twins lit the place on fire, as if the desert needed to get any hotter than it already was.
Tommyknocker drops the bomb on Arizona on the Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016.
Posted by Joel Bevacqua on Saturday, February 20, 2016
Mrotek and Arktus turned on the rawstyle to get the surprisingly large crowd for the first set pumped up. CIK laid down the Arizona law, showcasing that state’s great hardcore producers. They have a tough, complex sound that we have written of before in The HARD DATA (check out our interview in issue 2). Next Buzz Fuzz delivered the classic Rotterdam gabber sound to the growing crowd. SRB went off with a heavy speedcore set, explaining to me that he figured he could get away with playing it at the beginning or at the end of the night, so he ramped up the beats-per-minute to 300 and asked the terror-loving crowd if they “Had a Friend in Jesus” with his last track of the night.
Then came the first ever USA appearance of Meccano Twins. It was incredible! Tough brutal hardcore rocked the crowd and led up to Tommyknocker who fittingly “knocked it out of the park” as he laid down one Traxtorm hit after the next. Luckily, I even got a chance to interview Tommy later in show (stay tuned for that in the next issue).
Dr. Peacock in Arizona, ruffling some feathers on Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016.
Posted by Joel Bevacqua on Saturday, February 20, 2016
The most popular set of the night was Digital Punk, laying down the thick Unleashed rawstyle sound to the new breed of ravers. Then came Dr. Peacock.
Digital Punk in his first ever USA appearance on the Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016 in Arizona.
Posted by Joel Bevacqua on Saturday, February 20, 2016
I must say you should treat yourself and hear this guy live if you can. He played a wonderful, innovative hardcore live-PA that incorporates musical influences from all over the globe. Just in case you weren’t tired enough, Partyraiser stepped to the decks and resumed the all-out kick-drum assault, paving the way for Rotterdam Terror Corps.
Rotterdam Terror Corps says hello to Arizona.
Posted by Joel Bevacqua on Saturday, February 20, 2016
Honestly, I only caught the beginning of their set because I then had to go on an extended hotel run with the previously playing artists. So, I can only say the crowd seemed into it at the beginning and RTC honestly did sound scary as hell. It was one of those moments where you think, “modern existence is so completely messed up, that Rotterdam Terror Corps makes 100% logical sense.” I mean, think about it, that is kinda scary. Hopefully tonight in Denver I can give a more thorough review of RTC. Last but certainly not least was Rob Gee, the only artist on every stop of the tour. Of course he was great, and the crowd loved him. Read the past couple reviews for a more thorough description and video if you aren’t familiar with the Gee Man yet.
Partyrasier at Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016
The only downer of the night was Alien T didn’t play. I was looking forward to hearing him play “Hammer of the Devil.” Apparently there was some screw up or miscommunication, and he didn’t come to the states. Hopefully that isn’t a permanent problem because I think the American audience would love his sound. I guess we should stay tuned for more info on that. All in all though as you can see, hear and read, it was a great night for hardcore and hardstyle in Arizona.
I just touched down in Denver where I am finishing this piece. As word gets out about the tour, each stop seems to get bigger and bigger. Apparently there is a lot of buzz in Denver for tonight so we shall see! Until the next time…
The Meccano Twins project started out in 2003 from the idea of the two Art of Fighters members (Luca & Cristian), driven by the need to create a new breed of music: a blend of mainstream Hardcore together with Darkcore. Once Jose became the new producer and front man for the act, his arrival immediately opened up a new plane for all kinds of experimental Hardcore music. And now finally, America is about to witness the dark and twisted underworld of Hardcore and what a better tour guide to have than Mr. Jose Sendra: the Meccano Twins! You can see Meccano Twins on February 19th in Mesa, Arizona. February 20th in Denver, Colorado. February 26th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and February 27th in Brooklyn, New York.
Were you a DJ first, or a producer? My career started as a DJ, under the name ‘Hardrebel’. It was when the ‘Art of Fighters’ became ‘Meccano Twins’ that I started producing tracks with the guidance of Cristian (one half of the Art of Fighters).
How did you get into the Hardcore scene? I was already a big fan of Hardcore music. Later on, it wasn’t enough to just listen to it so I began my career as a DJ.
What was the first record you ever purchased? It’s so hard to answer this question, but I think it was in the early 2000s. I’m sure it was an Enzyme EP because I was and still am a big Enzyme Records fan. And I still could never find the Enzyme K7-2 record!
Click HERE to purchase your tickets to the Trauma Tour and receive a FREE subscription to the HARD DATA!
Who was your biggest inspiration in the early part of your career? Easy, just read my response above! For me a lot of Enzyme artists in the early 2000s, such as Ophidian, Nosferatu, and Endymion.
Would you describe your very first DJ gig? I remember that day very well because my first gig was under ‘Meccano Twins’ at the Dominator Festival! I was so scared and excited because it was my first time playing in front of thousands of people. That was one of THE best days of my life!
What was your favorite party you’ve ever played? Why? Difficult question because there are many factors to consider; a lot of big festivals are fun because of the scenery and the amount of people that attend, but for me the small parties leave something more because you have more contact with the public. For me that’s much more important.
Did you ever think you would be touring the United States? What do you think the Trauma Tour will be like? Honestly, no! I’ve always hoped but I did not believe it would happen. When they informed me of the tour, I was very happy to know that I finally get to visit and play in the U.S.. I’m very curious to see the American [Hardcore] scene.
What is your favorite track that you have produced? All of them! (Laughs) But really, each track is very important to me. Maybe ‘Combustion’ because it was produced during a very important period of my life.
What advice would you give to up-and-coming Hardcore producers? Always be yourself! Of course, listening to advice, but never let them change your ideas.
Record label founded in 2014 by Meccano Twins and The Sickest Squad.
What are your top 3 favorite tracks of all time? Why? My most favorite track ever is So Many Sacrifices by Ophidian!
What was your favorite track of 2015 (that wasn’t your own)? In 2015, for me, wasn’t a great year for Hardcore; there weren’t a lot of beautiful tracks. But excluding my own tracks, my favorites were ‘Underground Existence’ by Unexist and ‘Crispy Bassdrum’ by N-Vitral.
Are there any exciting projects or gigs coming up you want our readers to know about? Yes! This year I’m working hard with a lot of collaborations and a new Brutale EP!! This will be a year with many surprises so make sure that you stay tuned to my social media!
What artists would you like to collaborate with that you haven’t already? I’m a big fan of Ophidian; it would be a dream come true to do a collaboration with him. And I would be curious to do some work with N-Vitral.
If there’s anything we haven’t asked, what else would you like to say to the readers of The Hard Data? What can they expect from you on this tour? I hope to meet all the American fans! I want to see the same passion and love from them that I give for this music! See you soon USA and remember be “Brutale”!
Jose Sendra: The mind behind Meccano Twins and founder of the record label ‘Brutale’.
Marco Collini has shown an utmost amount of dedication and passion for Hardcore in the Italian scene. He had to jump through a lot of hoops and took a lot of risks in order to become one of the most prominent upcoming Hardcore artists to date. His presence on the tour will easily show the U.S. what can happen if you stay passionate and true to yourself, your sound and your scene. Please welcome: ALIEN T! You can witness this man in Mesa, Arizona on February, 19th. In Denver, Colorado – February 20th. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania – February 26th, and finally: Brooklyn, New York on February 27th.
What inspired your stage name? I prefer to call it an ‘artist’ name because it wasn’t created by thinking about my performances on stage, but thinking about the feelings that I wanted to spread with my music. Indeed, Alien T is short for “Alien Terror”; it’s a feeling that people experience when they discover something for the very first time. It is a sort of fear but then, when you’re used to it, it changes into an enjoyable feeling! I chose this name because Hardcore music is unknown in my hometown, so people always seem “scared” about it, but they ignore the fact that they could love it if they would give it a chance.
Were you a DJ first, or a producer? I was a DJ first. I always had a passion for it. In 2002, I finally had the chance to buy my first set of DJ equipment. I practiced every day and after a couple of years my skills were already so great that I started to play some moderate/huge events in Switzerland. I was also one of the winners of Megarave’s ‘New Talent DJ Contest’ in 2004. Meanwhile, I had started to try to produce my own Hardcore tracks. In that same year, I finally bought a new computer and started to seriously produce. Three years later (2007), I was able to release my first record on G-Net Records (a sub label of Traxtorm Records).
How did you get into the scene? I got into the scene first as a follower when I discovered Hardcore in the year 2000. I was immediately addicted to it. I started searching for music and parties even if I didn’t have them close to my hometown. I had to travel at least three hours to find the closest city that had Hardcore music shops (Rome) and about six hours for the closest place that had Hardcore parties (Rimini). All these obstacles proved to me that my passion for this music was really big and motivated me to go on.
What was the first record you ever purchased? Neophyte vs. The Stunned Guys – Nation of Domination on Rotterdam Records.
Who was your biggest inspiration in the early part of your career? Amnesys, without any doubts!
Catch Alien T on these Trauma Tour Dates!
Would you describe your first DJ gig? My first DJ gig was in the summer of 2004 in Switzerland at the official Hardcore after party for the famous ‘Street Parade’ in Zurich; it was at the Club Niaxa in Bulach. I remember being uneasy about it but my set went great! After that performance, the promoter booked me again for even more parties!
What was your favorite party you’ve ever played? Why? I can’t really choose just one because I’ve had so many awesome experiences; but definitely some of the big parties that I played at ‘Club Florida’ in Italy are totally unforgettable, and surely parties such as Dominator, Masters of Hardcore, and Defqon.1 were unforgettable as well!
What was the funniest moment during any of your performances? There have been so many of those moments, but when the Hardcore Italia crew gets together, we are definitely funny!
What important changes have you witnessed from the time you got into the scene, until now? I’ve witnessed a lot of changes; they were always caused by how the music trend was changing. I’ve noticed that the faster the music, the smaller the scene becomes. The most recent, and best period of time for the Hardcore scene was between 2005-2010 when a lot of great hits were released and there were a lot more Hardcore parties. Nowadays, the Hardcore scene doesn’t seem as big because there are very few clubs that book Hardcore events. For me, it’s all about the summer festival season and the few big indoor events during the winter, at least here in the Netherlands.
Did you ever think you would be touring the United States? What do you think the Trauma Tour will be like? I’ve always hoped about getting a gig in the States because I’m very curious to see how American people act towards the Hardcore scene and its music; so this is a dream come true and I’m very excited about it. I’ve heard it’s pretty unusual to have that big of a lineup in your country for the harder styles so this should be lots of fun!
What is your favorite track that you have produced? ‘The Hammer of the Devil’, because it was a big risk to produce a track like that; with a totally different sound design and very slow BPM, but I did it anyway and it gave me (and is still giving me) a lot of satisfaction!
What advice would you give to up and coming Hardcore producers? Don’t try to find the fastest/easiest way to success; the best way to improve your skill is to work very hard and try to be original because we don’t need copies!
Have any of the other artists on the Trauma tour ever inspired your work? If so, how? Amnesys. He was a mentor for me (and still is). He opened up my mind a lot and gave me the chance to have a more complete vision about music overall.
What are your top 3 favorite tracks of all time? Why? Turbulence ‘N’ Terrorists – Six Million Ways to Die. Simple, straight to the point, and I still can’t believe that kick drum was made in 1994!
Project Omeaga – Prednison Attack. A clear example of originality; when someone uses a sound in a different way and is able to create something that will always sound fresh and cool.
Amnesys – Refly. When this was released it was very unique track. The atmosphere of the breakdown is unbelievable, every element in it works perfectly together. A clear example that complex tracks can also be party tracks if they’re made in the right way!
What was your favorite track of 2015 (that wasn’t your own)? Amnesys feat. MC Axys – Shockwave
Alien T! Click HERE to purchase your tickets to the Trauma Tour and receive a FREE subscription to the HARD DATA!
Are there any exciting projects or gigs coming up you want our readers to know about? I’m working on new solo tracks and collaborations. I’m still working on ‘Vanguard’; the concept and radio show that I manage with Amnesys where we always try to spread top notch Hardcore and more! Keep an eye on my social media if you want to be updated!
Dedicated to the harder sound of electronic dance music.
