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Home , Angerfist, Brennan Heart, Datsik (musician), Happy hardcore, Hardstyle, Hard (music festival)

FFREE.REE. TheHARD DATA Summer 2015 A.D. EEDCDC LLASAS VEGASVEGAS BASSCONBASSCON & AAMERICANMERICAN GABBERFESTGABBERFEST REPORTSREPORTS NNOIZEOIZE SUPPRESSORSUPPRESSOR INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

TTHEHE VISUALVISUAL ARTART OFOF TRAUMA!TRAUMA! DDARKMATTERARKMATTER 1414 YEARYEAR BASHBASH hhttp://theharddata.comttp://theharddata.com

HARDSTYLE & HARDCORE TRACK REVIEWS,

EVENT CALENDAR1 & MORE! EDITORIAL Contents Tales of Distro... page 3 Last issue’s feature on Hardcore American Gabberfest 2015 Report... page 4 stirred a lot of feelings, good and bad. Th ere were several reasons for hardcore’s comatose period Basscon Wasteland Report...page 5 which were out of the ’s control. But two DigiTrack Reviews... page 6 factors stood out to me that were in its control, Noize Suppressor Interview... page 8 “elitism” and “.” Th e Visual Art of Trauma... page 9 Some hardcore afi cionados in the 1990’s Q&A w/ CIK, CAP, YOKE1... page 10 would denounce things as “not hardcore enough,” Darkmatter 14 Years... page 12 “soft ,” etc. Th is sort of elitism was 100% anti- thetical to the idea that generated hardcore. Event Calendar... page 15 Hardcore and its sub- were born from the PHOTO CREDITS rave. Hardcore was made by combining several Cover, pages 5,8,11,12: Joel Bevacqua scenes and genres. Unfortunately, a few Pages 4, 14, 15: Austin Jimenez hardcore heads forgot (or didn’t know) they came Page 9: Sid Zuber from a tradition of acceptance and unity. Granted, other scenes disrespected hardcore, but two The THD DISTRO TEAM wrongs don’t make a right. It messes up the scene Distro Co-ordinator: D.Bene for everyone and creativity and fun are the fi rst Arcid - Archon - Brandon Adams - Cap - Colby X. casualties. Counter Terrorist - D.Bene - Daybreaker - Deadly Moshing… truthfully, I liked moshing when Buda - Diskore - Dr. Freecloud - - Flapjack it fi rst happened. It was another music and Gylend - Joel Huber - Meanstreak - Mindcontroller merged into the unity of rave. However, a few RPM - Seppuku - Shrill - Soundsquatch - Stickman knuckleheads took it too far. Respecting a person’s Sylent - Teddy Rabago - Tony Campagna physical should be our top priority. Not And maybe... everyone wants dragged into the pit. Even if they YOU! do, some people physically can’t do it for whatever reason. Respecting an event or a venue’s policy on If you would like to contribute writing, art, photos, the is important too. Th ere are places that run an advertisement, distribute THD, or have your are ok with moshing. Defi nitely support them! event listed, But remember, many places and people aren’t pre- Contact us at pared for it—or even like it. Th ere are many hi- energy one can do in the alternative, and theharddata.com the dance scene should always be innovating Th e Hard Data Volume 1, issue 2 new moves anyway. Publisher, Editor, Layout: Joel Bevacqua Copy Editing: Colby Newton Until next time, the rhythm is life and death! Writers: Joel Bevacqua, Austin Jiminez, DJ FlapJack, DJ Vigor, DJ Mindcontroller DJ Deadly Buda Event Calendar: DJ Arcid Distribution Points: You can get a hard copy of THD at many locations, but defi nitely at: Amoeba Music Dr. Freecloud’s Record Shoppe Newsboy Books 6400 Sunset Blvd. 18960 Brookhurst St. 215 N. Euclid Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028 Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Ontario, CA 91762 amoeba.com drfreeclouds.com (909) 984-0714 (323) 245-6400 (657) 888-4695 TTALESALES OFOF DISTRO:DISTRO: monster truck. But you’ll drive your Camry or Civic SSpacelandpaceland 22015015 there, oblivious to the danger. We rigorously test the car’s suspension, and... actually, maybe the directions are correct... we roll up to a bunch of hooligans in a tent. Th ey point us to an impromptu, surprisingly packed, parking lot. Angel’s at the gate, “You got four AM to fi ve AM.” He means when I play. Hardcore at four AM... By DJ Deadly Buda It’s a desert rave. Sometimes you just gotta roll like I’m booked to play a little in the South- that. ern desert, Spaceland 2015. Th e party looks Delta 9 Delta 9 good on paper. Four stages, it’s on an Indian reser- from is vation. It goes twenty-four hours straight. Angel is rocking the decks Spaceland’s main . His last party got busted. at the hardcore Don’t sweat it. If a promoter’s never had a party stage. We kick busted, they aren’t trying hard enough. up some dust “Hey man, can I get a ride?” dancing with our Th at skinny guy with the homies. We me- dreadlocks is my pal D. Bene, ander around the a.k.a. Pink Abduction Ray. He’s maze of cars and tents and check out the drum ‘n’ a squatter. His day-to-day life is and stages—the place is jumping! making crazy techno tracks on D. Bene grabs stacks of Th e Hard Data, “Let’s a laptop while siphoning power hit the cars!” from an abandoned building— I stick a copy on the windshield of every car which he usually sleeps in as well on the left side of the party. D. Bene takes care of the (until a construction crew kicks right. We make friends with people chilling at their him out). tents, pumped to get the new mag, then rendezvous at I point to stacks of Th e Hard the hardcore stage. Data, “No problem, man, just “I’m fi lming the whole thing!” help me with these.” D.Bene’s is frantically aiming his phone at a fracas be- Two hours through the trip and D. Bene’s hind the DJ decks, “the dude without a shirt is going dreadlocks haven’t gotten us pulled over or harassed off !” by natives. We’re just miles from Spaceland, but for Wait a second… that’s Angel! SoCal desert , certain things are always the same: Another desert rave 1.Forget Waze or any navigation system you staple: Th e DJ set-time fi ght. Deadly have. It won’t apply. Th e “roads” leading to the party Some DJ is gaming a time Buda are marked more likely with abandoned tires and slot. Angel ain’t having it. maybe a couch, Th e fallout moves Flapjack than street signs. the hardcore stage. I’m now 2.Your car will assigned to a remote sound get completely system with no lights which f’ed up. Most currently entertains two roads are pot- girls dancing to house mu- holed, with two sic. No one knows I’m going to play there, and three- foot drops, and quarters of the party is asleep in their cars or tents. should only be I play my fi rst track. Th e two dancers fl ee. driven on with a (Continued on page 10...) 3 as Th e Great American Gabberfest! AMERICAN For the second year in a row, the American Gabberfest, aside from being an all-out weekend rager GABBERFEST for fans of the harder genres of , has become a meeting ground for delegates all across 2015 REPORT the US to connect and discuss their native Hardcore By Austin Jimenez (DJ Daybreaker, Utah Hardcore scenes, to brainstorm new ideas, and to become more Syndicate) involved and aware in this ever-growing scene. Th is year showed a double-fold of capacity and delegates Cap from even more cities such as, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, , Chicago, and . Two days of madness and destruction was bestowed onto the most dedicated heads and Th e Hard Data has the in-your-face details of the entire show!

Day 1: 11am, Hard Hat Lounge—With tempera- tures already above 100, people have started arriving, drinks in hand, ready to go hard. We see breakfast sets from Las Vegas locals System Malfunction on the Outdoor Stage and the Kickoff Show featuring Tribal Grooves and Anonymous X. Next, we move onto the Los Angeles delegates, Symtek outdoors, and Delu- sion indoors, a ruthless blend of Raw and sounds. Later that aft ernoon, there’s more people, more sun, more BPM as Los Angeles keeps picking up the pace on the Outdoor Stage while Phoenix dele- gates are insidiously making their way onto the stages. DJ Phox is the fi rst we see on the inside, bringing the Hardstyle sounds, perfectly paving the way for the AZ heavyweights, DJ CIK, Cap, and K.O.R.E. of the Arizona Hardcore Junkies on the outdoor stage—the highlight of the day. My “Best Set of the Day” award (Continued on page 14...)

Deadly Buda It’s the fi nal weekend in June. Th e summer temperatures have reached their peak, and hundreds of thousands of people are traveling from all over the world to arrive in one of the hottest cities in the US—Las Vegas, Nevada; the infamous and notorious “City of Sin”—to indulge in their deepest-rooted vices and enjoy the summer spec- tacles. Th ere are a select few however that have arrived looking for their mecca, their celestial home away from home, the meeting ground for delegates from all over the nation, to come together to embrace and empower the US Hardcore scene. Th is mecca has become known 4 year, with artists like , Da Tweekaz, LAS VEGAS 2015, BASSCON TNT, and Ran-D (just to name a few). You almost couldn’t leave the area without missing something. WASTELAND REPORT Like the fact you literally were surrounded by the By DJ Deadly Buda biggest rave in America with seven other major dance areas, amusement rides, plays— you get the idea. As you might have guessed, two of my favorite sets over the weekend were by Noize Suppres- sor (fi lling in for Angerfi st who was a no-show because of an ear infection) and , rep- resenting the hardcore and genres respectively. Th at said, Carnage’s Hardstyle set was right up there with them. I wasn’t familiar with Carnage’s harder sound, but he made a believer out of me. It could be argued that Car- nage stole the show at the Basscon ’s Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas stage this year, and perhaps maybe of all EDC. 2015 gave the harder sounds a great looking and Although Noize Suppressor and Carnage sounding area this year, Basscon’s Wasteland. Th e dys- played Hardcore at of their sets, fortunately topic theme was done near perfect: abandoned cars there was no moshing. I’m not against moshing, but and storage containers spray painted by Los Angeles’ frankly some people get out-of-hand and it’s one of CBS graffi ti crew, wicked lasers, fi re, video screens, the reasons we don’t get a lot of Hardcore at the big- and a ruined Statue of Liberty that doubled as the DJ ger shows these days. Th is might be a good sign we’ll riser. Th e sound was kicking all three days. see more Hardcore on the Basscon line-ups over the One thing I really liked was the grass and dirt coming year. dance area. Jumping, , and shuffl ing to those All things considered, the Basscon Wasteland big, fast, distorted kick drums for hours can be hard stage delivered the goods this year, so much more on the knees and exhausting if you’re on a really hard than other big festivals that claim to represent EDM surface. And dance they did! I hung out at the Waste- or rave culture yet fail to program its most endemic land area more than any other. Every day, the crowd off spring, Hardcore and Drum & Bass. If you spent was going for it all the way to morning. If you like $300 on a ticket this year, you got your money’s Hardstyle, you got more than you could handle this worth, and then some.

5 DigiTrack Reviews pattern which is reminiscent of 90’s hardcore. “Ears by Mindcontroller Bleed” will get you moving! facebook.com/djmindcontroller Th a Playah, Neo- soundcloud.com/mindcontroller2011 phyte, and Th e Viper—“Rebel Dizz” Re-Style—“Vicious” (Masters of Hardcore) (Neophyte Records) Awesome track. I’ve worked this track into all my What else can you recent sets, and it has gotten a good response on the expect when you dance fl oor. In typical Re-Style format you get a great combine three of melody, nice distorted kicks, and some great Hip Hop the most infl uential vocal samples. Th is 175 bpm track will not disap- Hardcore producers point!! THAT’S HOW IT’S GOING DOWN, FU, FU, of all time? FU, FUCK THAT!! A massive track that really goes off on Elliphant ft . —“Only Getting Younger the dance fl oor! Th is track clocks in at 160 BPM and (Mindcontroller )” (Hardsource LA) features old school Hip Hop samples from Public It’s easy to hate on Skrillex, but I personally think he’s Enemy’s “Rebel without a Pause”. I can go on and on a great producer. Th is collaboration with Elliphant about how great this track is, but do yourself a favor is no exception. What better than to hardcore-ize an and just purchase a copy. already awesome track? Th e remix manipulates the original samples. Th e melody is modifi ed and de- Advanced Dealer—“Hellscream” tuned, plenty of distorted kicks, and even a small D&B (Traxtorm Records) breakdown. Make sure to check this one out. It’s avail- Nothing but greatness. Advanced Dealer has re- able as a free download on my Soundcloud page. ally established himself in the Traxtorm family with previous releases including “Army of Me”, “We are Javi Boss—“I’m Here” EP (Masters of Hardcore) the Freaks”, and my personal favorite “Showtime.” Th is is a great EP from fellow Spaniard Javi Boss. Th is “Hellscream” adds to his credibility and is an energetic EP covers all the current spectrums of Hardcore. You track you must add to your collection. get the hard fast- paced craziness from DJ Mad Dog ft . MC Jeff —“A Real Voice” the title track. “Let’s (Traxtorm Records) Go Crazy” covers the DJ Mad Dog is back, teaming up once again with MC slower side of Hard- Jeff . “A Real Voice” is hard hitting and fi lled with what core with plenty of you expect from a Mad Dog track—hard screeches, screetches and dis- solid kicks, and melodic riff s during the breakdown. torted chaos. Last but Add in MC Jeff , and this is a winning formula. Make not least, “Don’t You sure to also check out “Namaste Motherfuckers” fea- Fall In Love” is more turing Rob Gee… You will not be disappointed. of an anthem with vo- cals, epic piano/synth Th e Viper & Nosferatu—“Kingdom Come” melodies, and hard distorted kicks. I highly recom- (Neophyte Records) mend this EP. Th is track is sure to be one of this summer’s top festi- val anthems. “Kingdom Come” features a sample from Noize Suppressor—“Ears Bleed” (Noize Records) Linkin Park’s “Until It Breaks” along with Hip Hop Th e Hardcore Italian Noize Suppressor is back with samples from Lil Jon. Hard-hitting kicks and rough a menacing single. Th is 180 BPM monster features a screeches throughout the entire track. Take a listen recognizable Michael Jackson Th riller sample at the and don’t forget to REPRESENT YOUR CLIQUE!! breakdown. Th e buildup is great and leads into a synth 6 Reviews by Vigor Reviews by Flapjack facebook.com/VigorHardstyle facebook.com/fl apjackdj soundcloud.com/dj-vigor-music soundcloud.com/fl apjackthekandikid

Transuterz—“So Far” Defekt, Skeets & Ian K Feat. Lee Johnstone—“Be Th is song is defi nitely on the melodic side. Th e break- With Me (Joey Riot vs. Starkiss Remix)” down has a good summer feel. Th e intro is full of Well-known hardcore hero Joey Riot and Lethal energy. Th e song has been chosen as the “track of the Th eory’s recently signed DJ Starkiss team up to show month” in the new XXlerator podcast by MC Villain. their take on this three-way uk-hardcore collabora- A great produc- tion by Ian K, Defekt, and Skeets from two years back. tion. facebook. Th e result of the two’s styles coming together defi nitely com/transeuterz complement each other in a fantastic and unique way, resulting in a remix that defi nitely does the original FMNT—“Elite” track justice. Th e addition of the punchy powerstomp- An amazing, reminiscent beat, along with the melody of the track’s uplift ing groovy chorus make for a classic UK Hardcore tune. Th is is production, with one of my favorite tunes involving the Pennsylvania- a warm Austra- native DJ Starkiss. Defi nitely keep an eye on him in lian reverse bass the near future—he is not one to fuck around. sound- line with a touch cloud.com/djstarkiss of melodic feel. soundcloud.com/joeyriot Defi nitely a fl oor banger. It has a great breakdown with an amazing Ian K—“You Make Me” unique twist to keep you going. Th e siren side chain Long-time American happy hardcore DJ, producer sounds very nice with the reverse bass on the outro. and resident Ian K has made many great tunes facebook.com/djfmnt over the course of his career, and this is no exception. Sampling “Teenage Dream” (as sang by the cast of CGK—“Th e Gift ” TV’s Glee), this upfront UK Hardcore track will get A pumping fl oor stomper with screaming eff ects and the crowd jumping instantly. Th e stabs throughout the hard gated, reverse kick drums. Th e breakdown is track that make up the melody compliment the vocal super dope. Th e outro has a very awesome unique samples perfectly. Th e melodic breakdown is evoca- changeover into hardcore high-speed BPM. Th e sound tive of the piano chorus from “Hardcore Vibes.” Th e design is dark and very cutting edge. Th is song makes breakdown is stellar. Ian K is an incredibly me want to get up and rage. Chugukom is defi nitely talented artist and you can see him at various events pushing the Rawstyle barrier, representing Nutty all over the world. He is not one to be missed! sound- Traxx record label. nuttytraxx.co.uk cloud.com/iank facebook.com/CHIGUKOM Rize/Maromi/Sparrow—“Tiny in Tokyo” Mrotek & MC Heretik—“Th e Reaping” Th ese three Arizona native DJs team up to create a When two talented artists team up, a masterpiece is refreshingly bouncy Happy Hardcore classic. With born. Th e intro is dark and straight to the point—no a very unique sound slightly similar to Luna C’s messing around. Aft er the breakdown there’s a screech “Crash”—a take on pop/indie-rock—yet very, VERY that sounds like someone screaming in terror, like diff erent. Sampling Martin Solveig & Dragonette’s “Big something out of a horror movie. It gave me goose- in Japan”, this smash hit never fails to energize a crowd bumps. Th ese Arizona natives are making their way and get the party started! Th e unique guitar stabs in straight to the top, setting the standards for the Amer- the chorus and upbeat melody throughout the track ican revolution of Rawstyle. facebook.com/MrotekDJ, defi nitely makes it a must-have for any Happy Hard- facebook.com/MCHeretik 7 (Continued on page 11...) NOIZE SUPPRESSOR that’s what I fell in love with, this 909 distorted kick drum. It was huge amount of energy. It was totally ROCKS EDC! new. Interview by DJ Deadly Buda I already had my studio—more like a room in a basement. I had the 808, 909, the 303. I tried to un- derstand how to distort a kick drum. I didn’t have any idea, so I went to a bunch of music stores. As soon I mentioned, “Okay, I’m looking for a distortion” they said, “What guitar you got?” “No, I don’t have any gui- tar. I got a .” “Get the fuck out of here.” Th at’s exactly how they’d answer. Not one, a bunch of stores. Th en fi nally someone listened. I made a deal with this guy. I came back the day aft er with my 909, headphones, and a turntable. I started testing the Buda: Noize Suppressor, who are you and distortion pedals. Th ere was one from Roland called what are you about? “Noise Suppressor.” I linked it to another distortion NS: I’m from . I was at EDC Las Vegas last pedal which was extremely aggressive but couldn’t be year as a spectator. Th is year I get a chance to play. used without a noise gate—and that’s what the Noise I wouldn’t say I’m nervous… but I’m very curious. I Suppressor did. I bought them both. I went back haven’t performed in the US in a while, and I’m not home, boom, boom, boom. Within one or two days, familiar currently with the US scene. Th at’s why I can’t I made this huge kick. It was like a new world for me. wait to get on stage. I liked it so much, I called myself Noize Suppressor Buda: You’ve been doing this for 20 years. with a Z instead of the S. NS: I was born in Rome. I started DJing when I started playing mostly in Italy, where I I was 13 years old, spinning records at school. thankfully met Buda: What were you listening to and playing MC Rage and at that time? Digital Boy. I sent NS: A mix between techno and the very begin- them my fi rst ning of Gabber. Th at period included Drum & Bass. demo on a TDK I used to play everything hard. Th en Gabber got well 60 cassette. Four defi ned—when the distorted kick got quite fast. Th en tracks. I didn’t the sound became Hardcore and Noize Suppressor hear anything. I came about that time, ‘94 to ‘95. I released my fi rst re- was very disap- cord as Noize Suppressor in 1996 on D-Boy Records. pointed, but I Buda: What led you to Hardcore? knew I had some- NS: My fi rst rave party was 1988. I was the thing. youngest at the . I used to walk around the One day, I was party for the fi rst fi ve minutes, then would just stand at a friend’s house. His mom picked up the phone in front of the DJ booth, studying what the DJ was do- and yelled to me, “It’s your mom. It’s urgent.” “What’s ing. Th ey were my idols. I spent most of my weekends going on?” “Somebody from Milan called. It’s a record at the rave parties. label.” I was shaking—like, “Oh my God. Are you kid- Sometimes you fall in love with somebody. ding me? Okay, Mom, be serious and tell me straight You can’t explain why. It’s a bunch of things combined away what’s going on.” She says, “You got an appoint- at the same time. You get this strong inside ment, but I don’t know what to say.” I say, “Tell them of you that you can’t describe just with words. Th at’s I’m coming over. I’m coming over.” I got in touch with what happened to me in this period of my life. When these guys and boom—I took the train. I crossed the I heard this, this distorted music, this sort of kick— 8 (Continued on page 14...) The Visual Art of Raves : go and trip out on molding Play-doh. People still talk about it. An Interview with Buda: What inspired you to create environ- Trauma’s Sid Z. ments for rave parties? by DJ Deadly Buda Sid: I liked that I could go to raves and escape. Th e fi rst event I got involved with, I was actually sell- ing some t-shirts at a show at Hollywood Park in Inglewood. I saw the load-in and analyzed and as- sessed everything that was going on. I peeked around and asked people if I could help. Th e next thing I know, I’m involved with something called CPU 101 and their event called Circa. Buda: What advice would you give people that are throwing smaller parties? Sid: Everyone likes surprises. If you give them something as simple as a free CD, or a t-shirt, they’re going to take that home and remember that you per- sonally gave them something to take home from this Sid Z. is doing the visuals at Trauma: Oldschool experience. for the Headstrong on August 15, 2015. SoCal’s rave Ultimately, all we have at the end of the day intelligentsia knows what this means—it’s going to be are memories. If you give somebody a memory, I dope. I caught up with Sid while he was chowing some think that’s a win. Th ere isn’t a price value on creativ- pizza with Kari Lambau, Trauma’s promoter, and DJ ity. If you can’t do a massive, there’s always alterna- Demigod. Here’s what I got outta him. tives. If you asked me fi ve or ten years ago how much Buda: Sid, for the fans unfamiliar, give us money is available for visuals… there never was. It some of your history in the rave scene. was always a second thought to promoters. Sid: Th e fi rst event I did was in November Buda: What’s on the horizon technologically? 1994, inspired by Mr. Kool-Aid’s events. He was doing Sid: Several years ago, we (I was part of the these Double-Hit Mickey parties where he rented wa- Coachella staff for twelve years) did a 2-Pac hologram ter parks, theme parks…obscure locations for parties. at Coachella. Everybody thought it was new high tech I noticed then, and still appreciate, his event’s technology, but it goes back to the 1930’s. People used production values. Th ey were diff erent and unique mirrors then to create these holograms. It’s about cre- experiences. I wanted to do that too, and that’s exactly ating a story with your visuals by incorporating some what we’re doing for Trauma—creating environments of the old technology with the new. At Trauma, we where people can escape from their realities. want to give people that high quality experience on a Buda: What were some of your best installa- smaller more intimate level. tions? Buda: Can you divulge anything you have Sid: One I really liked putting together was planned for Trauma? ’s closing set at Coachella. Giant 12-foot robots Sid: I can tell you that because this is an “old in LED suits came out and fl oated over the crowd. school” event, we’ll have some video game visu- Visuals made it look like the entire stage and the audi- als. Like, people playing a giant Pac-Man board that ence were shaking using strobe eff ects, lasers, lights, might be 16 feet by 20 feet. Th ere will be live painting and custom made graphics. Th en we shot confetti using black light refl ective paints, but in a way a lot cannons over the crowd. It was an epic way to end the of people haven’t seen before. Th e visuals outside the night. party will be custom created. Th ere will be some live On a smaller scale, at an early event I created video feeds. Th at’s what I’m allowed to tell you. Th e a Play-doh action table. I set up black lights on it, and rest you’ll have to see yourself. eventually it became a 20x20 foot area for people to 9 (Continued on page 14...) Q&A with CIK & Cap of the Arizona where Hardcore does Hardcore Junkies & Yoke1 of the not exist. I feel like the Blunt Bros. & Utah Hardcore Utah Hardcore Syndi- Syndicate cate as a whole coming By: Austin Jimenez out to a festival like Blunt Bros. this is helping us leave Austin: Aft er taking part in the American our mark in the US Gabberfest, how do you feel personally about the state Hardcore scene in gen- of the US Hardcore scene and where do you see it go- eral and we love that ing? thought of being able CIK: “I think the US Hardcore scene is in a to be known and sup- rebuilding phase; a lot of Americans have done a lot ported on our diffi cult for the overall scene, and think that everyone dropped journey here in UT.” their egos and actually tried to work together, instead Austin: How of against each other. I think with this transition, we do you feel about the current state of the Hardcore could make leaps and bounds.” scene in Utah? Any future plans for it? CAP: “Th e US Hardcore scene is small but Yoke1: “Right now, there is not much of a dedicated. I see it getting better slowly over time, but Hardcore scene, but we do have a small cult follow- the biggest leaps will be when Hardcore somehow ing; however, harder music is getting more attention makes the leap to “mainstream EDM” or when US art- in Utah. Th e Blunt Bros. are defi nitely going to be ists are supported by local fans.” busy this year. We will be playing WTF! July 18th in Austin: In what way do you feel that Arizona Salt Lake City Utah, as well as “Journey Beyond the is responsible for furthering the Hardcore scene? Darkness” which will have a Utah Hardcore Syndicate CAP: “From what I see of Arizona, we seem stage! to be mostly producers lately as opposed to just DJs Distro (...Continued from page 3) and we’re trying to develop other producers around Fortunately I brought a new Finnish sound called the country as well as here. We are focusing on getting “Shamancore” and it’s practically made for outdoor releases and trying to make a mark on the whole scene raves involving tents and generators. I mix it with the in that regard. Party-wise, we seem to have more par- hardcore. It sounds right at home here in the desert ties dedicated solely to Hardcore than in the past, so night and some people fi nally show up. Th ings are hopefully we can build that dedicated fan base here.” turning out nicely and the sun rises as my set ends. CIK: “I’m obviously going to be biased here so I crawl back to the car, adjust the seat down, I hope this won’t be taken too heavily, but Arizona ba- and drape my hoody over my face— I’m too tired to sically stepped in on the world-wide HC scene when pull out the blanket and pillow I brought. I munch a other cities that used to be meccas of Hardcore had few grapes. Th e sugar rush jolts my memory. We have gone back underground. We booked a lot of artists to get home! and stayed true to our sound. A lot of big artists had Angel is at the gate, exhausted. Some raves, their fi rst USA appearances in AZ. We stepped in, and everyone has a good time except the promoter. It’s were recognized by people, artists, and agencies alike. like he gave his energy to everyone else at the party. I We have defi nitely put in work for the overall promo- try to remind him,“You made a great party man.” He tion of hard music.” mumbles something and we bump fi sts. Austin: What was it like for the Blunt Bros. to Back on the road, D. Bene and I refl ect on the be playing out of state for the fi rst time? What kind of party—realizing and establishing profound lessons impact do you feel you left behind at the festival with about life, music, the universe… everything. such a diff erent sound? I drop him off and continue home; it seems Yoke1: “Playing out of state was a breath of our revelations escape like pixies from my mind. fresh air for us; to have people support, and embrace Do these revelations exist only in the midst of the hardcore was empowering because we are from a state 10rave? Is that why we keep going back? (...Continued from page 7) hardcore ‘Club Twilight’ in Barendrecht/Th e Neth- core DJ of today. Defi nitely check out all three of these erlands that was (reportedly) destroyed by fi re some DJs, they are absolutely fantastic! soundcloud.com/ years ago. Th e label had only one release which was a djmaromi , soundcloud.com/thesuperscience , sound- hit in the club itself. It is a 90s happy Gabber take on cloud.com/jamesrize the Happy Hardcore song ‘Blue Sky Day’ remixed by DDZion (DJs Daminion, Damage, and Zion.) Th is Jakazid—“Have 2 Survive” dance fl oor slammer is a bouncy upfront party-gabber Jakazid is an absolutely brilliant Hardcore producer tune like no other. It samples a clip from the movie and DJ, constantly releasing countless upfront Hard- Class of 1999 at the beginning of the track, then core jams on various labels. He most oft en contributes jumps into a heart-pounding drum beat. A guaran- original tracks for various compilations both in the teed party-slammin’ jam that gets kids up off the fl oor United Kingdom and Japan and has been featured and keeps them up for the duration. A true classic. in Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution X2. Th is new discogs.com/artist/108182-DD-Zion tune, recently released on Aural Adrenaline, is a great example of what you can expect from Jakazid. Melodic oldskool piano riff s alongside classic breakbeat loops, complimented by nu-school punch beats, and 90’s Gabberesque stabs mixed in with creative sampling. Th is song will defi - nitely get anyone dancing, no matter what type of Hardcore you’re interested in. Defi nitely check out more of his work, he is always churning out new bouncy tunes to dance to. soundcloud.com/jakazid

DJ Ron—“Gabber Barbie” Th is oldskool party-Gabber tune released in the year 2000 is an absolute favorite of mine. It had a limited release on PTP Records and is a rare record to get a hold of. If you DO get a copy, hang on to it and treat it proper. It is an absolute SMASHING tune that very obviously samples Aqua’s “Barbie Girl”. Th e Gabber stabs, 90s booming bass kicks, and echoing piano melodies ride over the original sampled song—an instant crowd favorite. Ravers always go bonkers to this hit. DJ Ron still spins hardcore music and has posted some of his unreleased tunes from this era on- line. soundcloud. com/dj-ron-ptp

DDZion—“Blue Sky (Th ere Is No Law Mix)” Th is record is a rare one to get your hands on. It was released by Twilight Records in 1996, the label of the 11 Darkmatter 14-Year aforementioned Gameboy and some Korg gear, and Pink Abduction Ray abused his laptop once again to Anniversary the crowd’s delight. Diskore and Dynasty spun an old By Deadly Buda (with help from the Fiend) school Techno set on vinyl. Nemeton and Shrill also rocked the decks, but with slower, . Monotek’s set went in all sorts of crazy directions, ba- sically encapsulating the entire show’s randomness in one hour. WMX from East LA was a whirling dervish behind his controller. I’m not sure what he was us- ing, but it was cranking mad sounds. Electric Kettle wowed the crowd with a multi-layered live mix down of his tracks and Xanopticon set was like an out-of-control Velociraptor attacking the crowd with sonic mayhem. Th e spirit of Darkmatter shows are reminis- cent of the seminal parties that foretold the rave era. Th e emphasis is on creativity, and the crowd is com- It’s rare that any party crew lasts more than prised of folks from various diff erent underground a couple years. Considering Darkmatter has consis- scenes that dare to abandon their usual clique for the tently held events showcasing hard, experimental, and night. creative electronic music, their longevity is nothing Th e art- short of amazing. For fans that have followed DM ists are over the years, their anniversary was extra special gener- because it brought together all the folks over the 14 ally very years that made it happen, along with the obligatory accessi- special guests of course. For this party, these special ble—one guests were Xanopticon from (original- can have ly from !), Electric Kettle from Germany. a con- Th e show showcased the Darkmatter ethos. versation Th ere was music made played on controllers, turn- with the tables, synths, laptops, drum machines, Gameboys, person and Traktor. Th e styles were varied but cohesively who just arranged throughout the night. I was most looking played— forward to DM’s own, and there is a genuine feeling of acceptance in the air. Minion. In DM’s early Everyone is certainly accepting of all kinds of wild days he cranked out noise on the sound system. It’s a great place to meet crazy digital madness cool people. during his live PAs “We feel there is more talent in the bedroom and it seemed like than in the million dollar studio,” says DJ Fiend, a an eternity since his longtime Darkmatter member. “Essentially we throw last show. His return the parties so we can hear stuff we never hear any- was noisy as ever where else. We really want people to check out these and did not disap- sounds and expand their minds through the music.” point! Baseck did Darkmatter accomplished this goal once again at their an improvised live 14-year anniversary. And if the fi rst 14 years are any PA with a variety of indication, the next 14 are going to be even better! patched synths. Wet Top Left : Dynasty spins. Diskore and Fiend in back- Mango utilized the 12 ground. Bottom left : Nemeton. Right: Xanopticon 13 Gabberfest 2015 a mixing style that was unique and had very attention (...Continued from page 14) grabbing variations, of which I feel like you don’t see goes to Cap, no contest. Th e majority of his set was very much from DJs anymore. Th e entire festival was primarily his own tracks. His precise, deep mixing closed out by the live act, Acid Enema—a two-piece and gradual build up to harder, fi lthier tracks made / band from Las Vegas, who him stand out the most. I honestly feel this man is the played their fi rst show in ten years to a very positive most underrated DJ in Arizona. response. It was the cherry on top of a perfect week- end. Day 2: Even aft er the events of day one and the All in all, this festival has been a very positive second night of Insomniac’s Electric Daisy Carnival experience for all involved. Th e US Hardcore scene (EDC), it’s amazing to see how many people are dedi- is defi nitely in its rebuilding stages. So it’s great to have such a valuable forum where the entire nation Daybreaker can come together and keep each other up-to-date and celebrate. Th is is that lifeline, the foundation this scene will be able to build and thrive on. We can’t wait for next year! Noize Suppressor (...Continued from page 14) country, and we met. Th at’s how it all started. Buda: What inspires your music? NS: I listen to everything except Hardcore be- cause I get inspiration from everything else. I listen to a lot of radio. I’m not looking for something specifi c. cated enough to sleep minimally and arrive on time Totally random stuff —usually when I’m in the car. for day two! Th is day presented much more experi- Buda: What message are you trying to con- mental sounds alongside the very best of Los Angeles! vey? Nightstalker is the fi rst to introduce the Hardcore NS: It’s not up to me to fi nd the message, it’s more up Drum & Bass sound (AKA Crossbreed) to the festival to the audience. My signature is the energy, to trigger with Arcid right behind him—really roughing up the a reaction. It’s mostly instinct. I just do what I feel. My crowd with a Terror/Speedcore arsenal. Both stages message is the kick drum. Th at is the base, the foun- are seeing a California fl ood (ironic, isn’t it), as Ar- dation of the whole track. chon & Nutype lock down the outdoor stage. Buda: Hey, you better get to the stage. Is there Th e inside stage remains the most popular anything you want to tell the American audience? throughout the day (mainly due to the crazy heat) NS: I wish they all were here, if not, it’s a until a new force arrives on the Outdoor stage from shame. I love you all, and I hope to see you soon, a very unlikely place: Salt Lake City. It’s a Utah Hard- starting in, let’s see… in 40 minutes. Here we go! core Syndicate takeover! It was DJ Daybreaker, the founder of UTHCS helping the Blunt Bros. (DJ Menic Sid Z. & Yoke1) make their fi rst out-of-state appearance. (...Continued from page 14) Switching up the vibe to an almost early/happy Hard- For me, it’s really exciting because it’s one of the best core sound, Blunt Bros. took to the stage fi rst, and hardcore lineups I’ve ever seen. It’s going to be a great showed Gabberfest that they aren’t to be taken lightly. experience. I hope a lot of the newer cats can under- Daybreaker followed with a damaging Crossbreed stand and appreciate it. It’s not always about 100,000 set which left a very diffi cult-to-top emotion for the people. Let’s have a nice crowd of 2,000 people and closing acts. Aft er this point, it was inside that I found we’ll know each other at the end of the night. We’ll day two’s “Best Set of the Day” with LA’s Deadly Buda! come back again for the next Trauma party and keep

Not only was his sound experimental, but he also had 14 this thing rolling. facebook.com/events/ September 4-6 Hardcore, Gabber EVENT 384657265052592 facebook.com/events/ CALENDAR by Insomniac 100732333596395 September 5 Darksiderz, Lady Faith, ARIZONA Earthquake by Hardstyle Demigod, Sid Z., Deadly NEVADA August 8 Till I Die Buda, and more, hardstyle July 30 Phobia by SDK Events DJ Stephanie, Moxie, and other rave genres. Apocalypto II by Nobody, Hardphonix, Kreation, and more facebook.com/events/ Ravealation Cap, and more. Hardcore, Hardstyle, Rawstyle 1445324599096559/ Tuneboy, Adrenalize, Skel- Hardstyle, and more facebook.com/events/ lism, Hardstyle, Rawstyle facebook.com/events/ 1585238551728851 September 26 facebook.com/events/ 1443876729245043 Raveamaniacs by 840 Pro 899342496827118 CALIFORNIA Lineup TBA. Hardcore, Hardstyle, and more October 9 -October 10 (Southern) TEXAS HTID USA by Hardcore facebook.com/events/ August 1-2 August 15 Til I Die 388007978065776 Hard Summer Guilty By Association by Hixxy, Dune, Ophidian, Chemical Brothers, Ratatat Briokids and many more. Happy- Hardstyle event TBA by and more, Hard Dance facebook.com/events/ core, Hardcore, Hardstyle Fresh Entertainment hardfest.com/ 356198531250219 facebook.com/events/ Lineup TBA. Hardstyle, 1592048391034334 Rawstyle UTAH August 7 facebook.com/events/ August 22 Summertime Hardness 1612215472364570 December 19 Nick Justice, En3rgy, Ryan Journey Beyond the Hard Holiday by SDK Darkness Kore, and more. Happy- October 24 Events Daybreaker, Blunt Bros., core, Freeform, Gabber Terror Train by Techno Lineup TBA, Hardcore, facebook.com/ facebook.com/events/ Belligerent Hardstyle, and more 79162807429147 events/635490316579787 facebook.com/events/ Deadly Buda, Fiend 1391359024500785 (LIVE), RPM, and more. Saturday, August 15 Hardcore, Gabber, Speed- WISCONSIN Trauma: Old School For core August 14 CALIFORNIA Th e Headstrong by T99 facebook.com/events/ Speaker Kreatures (Northern) Events 1609176509337508 presents Deadly Buda July 31 - August 2 Rotterdam Terror Corps Jedediah, Th e Hermit, and Northkore by Northkore Live, Chosen Few, Buzz December 12 more. Hardcore. Collective Fuzz, Gizmo, Human Together by Dream facebook.com/events/ Nobody, Lostboy, Simon Resource, Altern-8, Hard- Catchers 386666834873892/ Apex, and more Hardcore, core, Early Rave Th e Cyber Demon (LIVE), Happycore, Gabber facebook.com/events/ Fiend (LIVE), Mindcon- facebook.com/events/ 647060622061978 troller B2B Lostboy, and 761457007282752 more. Hardcore, Happy- August 29 core, Gabber August 22 Summer of Hell by facebook.com/events/ Hard Attack by Soundsquatch Tampax 980290668689819 Witz Militia & CCHD Delta 9, Fiend, Hardcore Witz, Greenehart, Snor- facebook.com/events/ Return of Harmony by lax, and more. Hardstyle, 351457438383635/ KOTC Hardcore Lineup TBA, Happycore, 15 16