The Hardcore Overdogs: Looking back at the 90s: Cross Fade Enter Tainment

"Looking back at the 90s" is a new series of features that we're doing.

Revisiting important, outstanding and possibly underrated Hardcore Techno related labels, artists and projects from the 90s era.

We're using information from the Hardcore Primer ( https://hardcoretechnoprimer.blogspot.com/ ) and our other publications, and we will provide listening examples for you as well.

These features will be more like short introductions / overviews, less like "in-depth reports". To give you a quick taste of the specific project and let you dive right in.

If you want to learn more and "dig deeper" - then the resources are out there!

Cross Fade Enter Tainment

DJ Raid, who was also involved in Fischkopf, set up this label with Paul Snowden and Christoph De Babalon. The word “hardcore” only vaguely fits here; this is just brilliant, brilliant subcultural music.

The first release was the premier release of Somatic Responses, who took the world by storm in the years (or rather, decades) that followed. This was still a lot different to their later style: heavy, heavy distorted drums (or noises) in a 4/4 style, with experimental sounds in a vein of early synth experimental music. As fierce as fierce gets.

The second release was done by Christoph De Babalon and Paul Snowden, aptly named “We Declare War”. Paul Snowden’s site has some of the most distorted acid, and CdB brings us assault troop breakbeat tracks here, going on from his Fischkopf release.

In a rare German TV interview, CDB stated CFET to him is “auteur music”, in the sense that the artist take their music in their own individualist direction, regardless of trends. And the releases give proof of that.

Later, we find some fine breakcore releases on CFET.

I can’t find much info on this, but according to defunct websites, the CFET personnel was once involved in the “Repulsion Parties”, taking place inside the “Rote Flora”, the most infamous squat in Hamburg. Line ups included artists like E-De Cologne, Alec Empire and Somatic Responses.

CFET left Hamburg with Jan (CDB) and Paul moving to Berlin.

Very influential, and pioneering, the label is well respected to this day.

Info: https://www.discogs.com/label/2038-Cross-Fade-Enter-Tainment-CFET

Listening examples: