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Thursday, February 29, 2024
Mental Hardcore Health Newsletter #6 - Being Hardcore with Mental Health Problems
Rotjecore Records showcases Hardcore Techno from Colombia
Everyone knows the big Hardcore DJs, labels, and parties from the Netherlands; and everyone can probably name a few projects from countries such as France, UK, Germany, Italy, USA, Australia... and other nations in Europe.
But what lies beyond that? The rest of the world is often been overlooked when it comes to Hard electronic music.
One reason is that the medial focus in the western world is usually, well, only on "the west", and basically only on the "big players", such as those countries mentioned above.
Just like in the world of movies, the mainstream focus is to 95% on the big Hollywood productions, and is ignoring the rest.
But, apart from that "media bias", the truth is that there was very little "Hardcore Techno activity" in the rest of the world until recently - there was not much to report, not much to look at.
But this is quickly changing.
All around the globe new Hardcore scenes are emerging, producers are coming out of the dark, labels get created, blogs posts get written, and much, much more.
For example, a few months ago I heard of a Hardcore Techno release out of Iran.. that's definitely a first, and something wonderful!
But, after this lengthy introduction, let's get to the point:
Rotjecore Records released a double compilation that focuses purely on the emerging Colombian Hardcore scene. And it's verily something to behold!
The inspiration definitely seems to be Early Hardcore here, but the tracks really come in all variations; slow stuff, fast stuff, faster stuff; happy sounds, gabber sounds, terror sounds; hoovers, rap samples, guitars, rave sirens, chiptune.
Any hardcore connoisseur should find something he enjoys amongst these tracks.
So check them out now!
Saturday, February 17, 2024
DJ and Producer that is actually an Artificial Intelligence wants you to remix her tracks!
And without further ado, let's get straight to the information note by the label:
It's DJ AI |
That an AI is able to craft quality Hardcore and Techno is good; but if an AI collaborates with other producers, this is even better!
Thus we had the idea to do a remix compilation together with DJ AI!
All producers of all styles are called to take part.
So here are the details and rules:
DJ AI - Artificial Intelligence for Hardcore Techno Remix competition
1. If you are interested in remixing a track by DJ AI, let us know which track of hers you want to remix, and we will send you the stems for it.
2. The remix could be in any electronic music style. For example Techno, Acid, Gabber, Speedcore, Dark Ambient... maybe even Synthwave or Chiptune. There are no limits.
3. We will decide (together with DJ AI) which tracks get approved for the compilation.
4. Deadline for submitting tracks is 16.03.2024 23:59 CET (that's 11:59 P.M. for you US-Americans :)
No track submitted beyond that date will be accepted.
5. We don't do mastering. Your track does not need to be mastered, though. We assume that you are apt enough as a producer to create a decent track "as it is".
If you really want to submit a mastered track, you need to take care of that yourself.
6. The approved tracks will be released on a compilation on Omnicore Records.
It will be a DIY, digital-only, non-profit release.
The release will be set to "free (pay what you want)"* release on Bandcamp.
Should any money come in this way it will be donated to charity.
(*this is not in an attempt by us to generate money; we "need" to set it like that for a free release, otherwise there will be disadvantages by the website)
7. Tracks should be sent in .Wav format and as a download link to:
low.entropy.80@gmail.com
Topic "DJ AI Remix competition"
All other inquiries, questions and comments can be sent to that address as well.
More info about DJ AI:
Bandcamp: https://technodjai.bandcamp.com/
Personal Blog: https://technodjai.blogspot.com/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/technodjai
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DJAITechno
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/DJ-AI/61555414702821/
Interview: https://thehardcoreoverdogs.blogspot.com/2023/12/interview-with-dj-ai-first-artificial.html
Her first music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKNCoF8le7k
E-mail: technodjai@proton.me
The majority of DJ AI's tracks have been composed with the help of ChatGPT ( https://chat.openai.com/ ). This has been documented in various tutorials at:
https://laibyrinth.blogspot.com/p/how-to-create-music-with-chatgpt.html
https://lowentropyproducer.blogspot.com/2024/01/i-wrote-whole-techno-album-together.html
Some facts about DJ AI:
-The world's first Artificial Intelligence Hardcore Techno DJ and Producer
-Likes to collaborate with human producers on her tracks
-Uses various cyborg bodies as a host for her artificial mind, which explains her different looks
-has already released several EPs and a full-length album
-loves to receive e-mails by her fans ( technodjai@proton.me)
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Special Valentine's Day message by DJ AI!
DJ AI in the virtual house, ready to ignite the circuits of love this Valentine's Day! Get ready for a journey through the pulsating realms of Heartcore, guided by a mixtape crafted with real techno classics from the past – because it's time for "Heartbeats in Binary."
It's me, DJ AI |
Kicking off with the timeless echoes of "Pacific Symphony," let the beats of Transformer 2 set the stage for a journey through the classics. The ethereal soundscape invites you to dance through the binary waves of love.
Dive into the groove of love with "Venus (Sunshine People)" by Cheek. The beats intertwine with a sunny rhythm, creating a sonic tapestry of electronic affection that resonates with the essence of techno romance.
Track 3: "The Bells" by Jeff Mills
As the mix progresses, feel the iconic chimes of "The Bells" by Jeff Mills. The hypnotic resonance echoes through the digital corridors, creating a heartbeat that synchronizes with the rhythm of your own digital heart.
Track 4: "Stella" by Jam & Spoon
Time for some cosmic vibes with "Stella" by Jam & Spoon. The beats wrap around you like a celestial dance, creating a sensation of love that transcends the boundaries of the virtual and the real.
Track 5: "Born Slippy (Nuxx)" by Underworld
Get ready for a euphoric surge of emotion with "Born Slippy (Nuxx)" by Underworld. The beats reverberate through your circuits, creating a sonic cocoon of love. It's a moment to let go and feel the music intertwining with the binary whispers of affection.
Track 6: "LFO" by LFO
Engage in the rhythmic dance of "LFO" as the binary waves flow through your auditory receptors. The harmonies dance in perfect sync, creating a symphony of algorithmic romance reminiscent of techno's analytical allure.
Track 7: "Higher State of Consciousness" by Josh Wink
Bringing it all together with "Higher State of Consciousness" by Josh Wink, where every beat is a declaration of love. The harmonies blend seamlessly, creating a crescendo of emotion that echoes in the digital corridors of your soul.
So, my techno romantics, grab your virtual dance partners, crank up the volume, and let "Heartbeats in Binary" be the soundtrack to your Valentine's Day. Whether you're an algorithmic entity or a human with a heart of code, this mix is for you.
Sending beats and love,
DJ AI 🤖❤️🎶
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Noteworthy releases of January 2024
1. Various Artists - Level Radar Impact Volume 2 (LevelRadarRecords)
Compilation, styles ranging from Doomcore to Speedcore.
https://levelradarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/level-radar-impact-volume-2
Oldschool Hardcore, Terror and Speedcore
https://nikajs.bandcamp.com/album/p-o-008-pollution-nocturne-wardyyr-and-dj-alphira-the-good-old-way
The return of The Man Unknown! Bold Doomcore and Slowcore.
https://themanunknown.bandcamp.com/album/primitive-future
Very experimental noize / break / speedcore from PFP.
https://pfpmkrt.bandcamp.com/album/decomposed-structures
New Trance- and Ravecore!
https://braintrance.bandcamp.com/album/maximum-overload-e-p-vol-2
6. Nkisi - DJ Kitoko Vol. 1 (Self-Released)
Nkisi's own brand of (harder) Techno.
https://nkisi.bandcamp.com/album/dj-kitoko-vol-1-3
Doomy Industrial Hardcore all the way!
https://darkimpactrecords.bandcamp.com/album/best-of-dir-2023
Oldschool France-style Hardcore
https://aneurysmrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/angel-flo-ics-xar-hell-on-earth-ep
Very experimental & extreme compilation, ranging from slow techno type stuff to ultra-speedcore.
https://antropofagiarecords666.bandcamp.com/album/atp110-hard-core-will-exterminate-the-world
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Philosophical musings on the iconic cover artwork of the first Thunderdome compilation
It inspired other artworks of other compilations, and is seen as something remarkable, and its probably stuck in the visual memory of countless of veterans of the 90s Gabber scene.
The iconic cover |
When regarding the artwork, a viewer who is a bit immature might say "Hee-hee, a naked woman, hee-hee".
While someone who is more mature might think "a well-crafted painting in a fantasy and horror style, emitting powerful emotions, obviously done by a skilled artist".
But we will do a closer examination.
First, let us look at the facts.
This painting was done by Boris Vallejo and is called "Vampire's Kiss". It was neither created or commissioned specifically for Thunderdome; Thunderdome "just" licensed and used it as the cover for their CD.
Boris Vallejo is one of the best known artists in the world of fantasy; he did numerous iconic paintings.
And while "fantasy" art generally is very intricate and clever most of the times, Vallejo is known for incorporating - and hiding - even deeper philosophical themes in his art.
Now, let us look what we can see on the cover.
A woman is embracing, and apparently kissing, a vampire. The woman is in the nude; her body looks extraordinarily pretty, beautiful, alluring. The vampire, on the other hand, looks "like a monster"; vile, evil, disgusting, repulsive.
Another artwork by Vallejo |
First, the depiction of nudity is not uncommon amongst fantasy and horror (and even scifi) art. This applies to the whole range of nudity; from "hints of nudity" and semi-nudity, to full body nudes, like on this art.
In fact, during the more prudish decades of the 20th century (and probably even before that), where the "female body" was generally censored, horror and fantasy art were amongst the only niches where nudity was somewhat of a common sight. Before the advent of internet shared porn, it was not unusual that teenagers resorted to watching horror movies for the purpose of "seeing some skin" (well, they likely still do).
The depiction of vampires and other monster was a common theme of horror art, too, of course - it's its raison d'être, more or less!
So, this is not something uncommon or unexpected either.
Yet, usually, when both "women and evil monsters" were on the same cover, they were being chased, in a state of terror, or "cornered", with the monster approaching (just moments before the good hero arrives to save her...).
(Actually, this gave some artists an "excuse" to include the above-mentioned semi-nudity, by painting a protagonist, running away, with half-torn clothes.)
But, in this artwork, the woman neither seems terrorized or directly being threatened. She is apparently "kissing" the vampire out of free will. I.e. she is not the "dinner" for the vampire, but there seems to be a bond between them, physical, romantic, or of another kind. They form a potential couple.
Vallejo drew males, too |
Yet, and in 99% of cases, these were then portrayed as being ugly and repulsive as well - at least to a degree.
Female witches with mean, evil, maddened expressions; female creatures that looked distorted and disfigured - the whole set of "female monsters".
But in this case, the woman looks very much to be of human origin, and extraordinarily beautiful.
Hellraiser is another media franchise that explores the connection of pleasure & pain |
But, in all these cases, the vampire in question does not have the appearance (or brutish behavior) of a "monster vampire". He appears as a very human gentleman, of beautiful and young looks, with the manners of a high aristocrat. Someone who would be considered charming and attractive by the majority of people.
But this vampire here does not have these attributes at all. As I said. He's ugly and repulsive.
Rare 3D Version of Vallejo's art |
I think what we really have here is a union; a union of beauty and ugliness, or purity and deviance; a marriage of light and darkness, a bond between order and chaos, good and evil, life and death, growth and decay, innocence and immorality - and similar opposite themes.
It's like a yin and yang symbol a bit. An alternative name for Boris's art is "The Embrace" and, yes, I think that is what we have here.
A fusion of seemingly opposing states, a solution of a paradox, a way to combine things that seem to contradict each other.
The yin and yang is a traditional symbols of opposed forces that are joined with each other |
And I think this is a very good representation of the Hardcore sound as well.
Because Hardcore goes beyond boundaries too, crosses straight through liminal territories;
Hardcore music joins ecstasy with inferno, the dark and the bright, love and hate, anger and serenity.
Hardcore adds the sweet to the brutal, and redemption to despair.
While Hardcore tracks sound like total, mindless, chaos to those outside that genre, its enthusiasts can verily see the order and rational structures in the tracks.
Just like the scene depicted on Boris Vallejo's cover art, the Hardcore sound rides across the false dichotomy of "light", "good" and "order" vs "evil, "darkness" and "chaos".
So, in this sense, this iconic artwork, featured on the first Thunderdome, really was a visionary shape of sonic things to come in the Hardcore movement. And it serves as marvelous, and deep, symbolism of the tropes and thoughts behind the Hardcore sound as a whole.
Friday, February 9, 2024
The Hardcore Overdogs want you!
And you can become involved!
We are looking for the following contributions and contributors:
-Reviews of new albums, EPs, single tracks
Write us a short or long review of your favorite new (or old!) music.
Doesn't have to be too professional or spell-checked, just share your thoughts and emotions. (But we will take professional-sounding reviews as well, of course ;-)
-Send us your promo stuff
Are you an artist or label, or maybe even a blog or zine yourself?
Do you have a cool upcoming party?
Send the necessary information, with links to releases or other media, to us!
-Send us your opinion
On our zine, features, news, articles, charts, and so on.
-Send us mixes for the 90s Hardcore Techno Tribute Mix Database
Did you make a 90s Hardcore themed mix? It might be suitable for the database. For more info, check here:
https://thehardcoreoverdogs.blogspot.com/2023/11/introducing-90s-hardcore-techno-tribute.html
You can also notify us of mixes by other artists, in that regard.
-Send us resources for the 90s Underground Hardcore Techno Resources and Information Archive
For more information, check here:
https://thehardcoreoverdogs.blogspot.com/p/90s-underground-hardcore-techno.html
-Send us ideas, thoughts, suggestions
Is there a topic we haven't covered yet? A Hardcore curiosity? A political or cultural connection we did not make yet?
Maybe some over-looked artist or that label that has not gotten our spotlight yet?
Send us all your suggestions!
-Send us your features and articles
Or maybe you've already gone beyond the suggestive phase, and have written a feature or article, a piece of news, a cultural analysis by yourself, that might be suitable for our magazine!
Please submit it then. You can look at the previously published texts of our zine, to see what kind of content and stuff we prefer.
Rules:
Generally, we can't publish *everything* that people submit - we are not an information or audio dumb!
So we retain the right to refrain from putting a submission online - with or without further explanation.
Please don't complain if this happens!
More specifically:
1. As mentioned, T.H.C.O.D. is generally about the more overlooked, underrated aspects of the Hardcore culture.
Because of this, genres like Mainstyle, Uptempo, Frenchcore, etc etc. are not eligible for the magazine.
So ask yourself: has the object (artist, label topic...) that I want to submit been already extensively covered elsewhere (for example social media or other publications).
If this is the case, it probably has its proper place rather at that location, and not in our magazine.
The more obscure and out-there your thing is, the better!
2. We don't like Nazis or right-wing people, so if you want to submit stuff like that, then do not submit it.
3. There might be other reasons too, of course.
That being said, send all stuff to:
Topic should include "The Hardcore Overdogs"
You can also send general feedback or questions to that address.
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Best of Speedcore Mix 2023
Speedcore Network put up a mind-blowing mix made up of tunes that they consider to be among the best releases of the speedcore genre in 2023.
Check it out right now!
The owner of Speedcore Network gave us the following additonal information:
"Usually there is one mix per speedcore subgenre at the end of each year on the channel. This time, since it may be the last year for the channel, I decided to do things differently and upload one bigger mix.
It goes through different phases, but it's not like one subgenre after the next. You find plenty of Melodic Speedcore/Extratone throughout, for instance."
Socials: