More and more artists, labels, and projects are coming to their senses and are leaving the abonimations known as "social media" behind, and just quit.
Some set up their own website; others keep a low profile, or even focus more on real world art activities than the digital sphere.
Yet, as an artist, it remains useful to connect with other artists, like-minded people, even fans.
So why should we turn solitary or into art hermits, just because we said "no" to the horror of social media?
Let us have our own network where we can exchange ideas, joy, and collaborate on projects - while the rest rots away in their social media hell.
So the idea for the Anti Social Hardcore Techno Network was born.
In the first stage, we will do this:
Set up a web page where artists projects from the Hardcore and Techno realm, that are without social media, or decided to leave social media behind, can join, describe themselves and their projects, and list their web page or ways of contact.
We will also set up a newsletter for the network.
More features and functionality will be added later.
And from there? Let's see where this journey goes!
So this is the call for all anti social media folk to join us.
Eligble is every artist, group, label, project, identity that is devoid of social media.
Now, we understand that just like quitting drugs, alcohol, or bad TV, some people will find it difficult to make a "hard cut".
In order not to alienate you, we will be a bit more lenient at the beginning. So here are the rules.
You must not be active on the "big three": Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
If you still have some friends on their messengers, but do not post actively anymore, okay. But please migrate your friends eventually.
Sites that function more like a "file hoster" for uploaded music such as Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, are okay too... but we should try get away from there in the future, too.
If you still use smaller social media... well, alright. Yet try to reduce it.
So, if you want to join, and get listed on the network:
Send us your artist name or the name of your project, and your web page, or other ways to contact you, that you want to be included.
It would be cool if you could also send us a short description of your project, but it's not mandatory.
E-mail: tapeductseven@gmail.com
Or
low.entropy.80@gmail.com
That's it for now! We hope a lot of people will join us.
Friday, May 31, 2024
Hardcore Uprising: The expression of rebellion in Extreme Techno Music
Hardcore Techno is the music of the marginalized and disenchanted - the underdogs.
And Hardcore does carry the sentiment to not merely take all the nasty stuff society throws at you and swallow it - but to be angry about it, to stand up, fight for yourself, for your rights, for those of others. To not accept to be assigned as a "loser" and outcast by the majority of society.
To put your energy in the struggle for liberation, freedom, for your individuality and its unique expression.
With or without a political or intellectual analysis connected to it, there's the incitement to rise up and push through the walls that society put up around you, and everyone else.
And these are some tracks that can be seen as an expression of this beautiful rage.
1. Ec8or - We are pissed
Ec8or are pissed off, and this punk / hardcore / breakcore crossover really proves their anger.
"our last chance is to show that we do resist".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpxJVggNrYI
2. Metatron - Men who hate the law
Praxis records is a *very* political label run by Christoph Fringeli, who is also involved in the Datacide magazine, which offers great political and intellectual insights, while also being tied to the electronic music underground.
This track is from one of the label's first release, and the EP title, "Speed And Politics EP", says it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovjdn0At0sA
4. Atari Teenage Riot - Start The Riot
Probably one of the best known tracks from this list. 3 and a half minutes of pure insurgency, frustration, resistance, and energy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0u-OB7ztMg
6. Christoph Fringeli & DJ Pure - Ruled By The Mob
We already mentioned Christoph; here he forms a team with DJ Pure, who was part of Ilsa Gold.
The result is one of the earliest Breakcore tracks. "Chaos, mayhem, and anarchy", indeed, just as the vocal sample of the track announces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19btA3M23QU
7. S37 - Street Fight
From the "Riot - 37 - 19 - 96" EP; a collection of very angry tracks fueled by topics of riots and uprisings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGci06lj2g4
8. Low Entropy - Urban Uprising
Quote by the artist: "There was something that was very clear to many people in the last decades of the 20th century, which was that western society as we know it was heading for a complete breakdown over the next decades.
This knowledge was spread in the hard electronics scene I was involved in."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwREsyPEK2s
9. pHönki - Angry
A project out of UK, made up of Simon Sanders and Anita Hurst, with her providing the vocalization for this track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9rfcmGgMVU
10. A.C.A.B. - Kick It Till It Breaks
From the "Fuck Hierarchy" EP. A clear political statement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCWL7hVuPeI
There are also some tracks where the artists might have not been "hardened political warriors", but the main motivation was to use a cool sample and create an energetic track. We do not want to imply or suggest anything here.
Regardless, by their themes and the use of vocals, these tracks carry the spirit of revolution.
Bardot - Viva La Revolution
MC R.A.W. - We Who Are Oppressed
Another Blunted Vision - Might Cause A Riot
Ingler - Riot
Delta 9 - Never Stop
Rage Reset - Resistance
Genlog - Revolution
And Hardcore does carry the sentiment to not merely take all the nasty stuff society throws at you and swallow it - but to be angry about it, to stand up, fight for yourself, for your rights, for those of others. To not accept to be assigned as a "loser" and outcast by the majority of society.
To put your energy in the struggle for liberation, freedom, for your individuality and its unique expression.
With or without a political or intellectual analysis connected to it, there's the incitement to rise up and push through the walls that society put up around you, and everyone else.
And these are some tracks that can be seen as an expression of this beautiful rage.
1. Ec8or - We are pissed
Ec8or are pissed off, and this punk / hardcore / breakcore crossover really proves their anger.
"our last chance is to show that we do resist".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpxJVggNrYI
2. Metatron - Men who hate the law
Praxis records is a *very* political label run by Christoph Fringeli, who is also involved in the Datacide magazine, which offers great political and intellectual insights, while also being tied to the electronic music underground.
This track is from one of the label's first release, and the EP title, "Speed And Politics EP", says it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovjdn0At0sA
3. Agro - Bullen Raus
Brandon Spivey is a well-known and very outspoken activist who poured his political anger in his often very extreme Hardcore and Acid tracks. We love him for this.
This is a track by a project he was involved in; "Bullen Raus!" is a well known chant at German riots and rallies, it's meaning is somewhat equivalent to the english language statement "all cops are bastards".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PbliuMl1Xc
Brandon Spivey is a well-known and very outspoken activist who poured his political anger in his often very extreme Hardcore and Acid tracks. We love him for this.
This is a track by a project he was involved in; "Bullen Raus!" is a well known chant at German riots and rallies, it's meaning is somewhat equivalent to the english language statement "all cops are bastards".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PbliuMl1Xc
4. Atari Teenage Riot - Start The Riot
Probably one of the best known tracks from this list. 3 and a half minutes of pure insurgency, frustration, resistance, and energy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0u-OB7ztMg
5. Eradicator - Impulse To Destroy
From the "Agit Prop" LP, which means "agitation and propaganda", a term used for the spread of revolutionary art.
And this is exactly what we got here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Qsdg2sH5E
From the "Agit Prop" LP, which means "agitation and propaganda", a term used for the spread of revolutionary art.
And this is exactly what we got here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Qsdg2sH5E
6. Christoph Fringeli & DJ Pure - Ruled By The Mob
We already mentioned Christoph; here he forms a team with DJ Pure, who was part of Ilsa Gold.
The result is one of the earliest Breakcore tracks. "Chaos, mayhem, and anarchy", indeed, just as the vocal sample of the track announces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19btA3M23QU
7. S37 - Street Fight
From the "Riot - 37 - 19 - 96" EP; a collection of very angry tracks fueled by topics of riots and uprisings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGci06lj2g4
8. Low Entropy - Urban Uprising
Quote by the artist: "There was something that was very clear to many people in the last decades of the 20th century, which was that western society as we know it was heading for a complete breakdown over the next decades.
This knowledge was spread in the hard electronics scene I was involved in."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwREsyPEK2s
9. pHönki - Angry
A project out of UK, made up of Simon Sanders and Anita Hurst, with her providing the vocalization for this track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9rfcmGgMVU
10. A.C.A.B. - Kick It Till It Breaks
From the "Fuck Hierarchy" EP. A clear political statement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCWL7hVuPeI
There are also some tracks where the artists might have not been "hardened political warriors", but the main motivation was to use a cool sample and create an energetic track. We do not want to imply or suggest anything here.
Regardless, by their themes and the use of vocals, these tracks carry the spirit of revolution.
Bardot - Viva La Revolution
MC R.A.W. - We Who Are Oppressed
Another Blunted Vision - Might Cause A Riot
Ingler - Riot
Delta 9 - Never Stop
Rage Reset - Resistance
Genlog - Revolution
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Cement Tea's Top New Music Suggestions
We are honored to announce a new column in our magazine!
In it, Cement Tea will list and recommend some of his favorite new releases from a variety of genres.
Without further ado, let's go:
Cement Tea links;
https://cementtea.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cement.tea/
1 - https://blacksweat.bandcamp.com/album/amazonia-6891
I love early experimental electronica... You can feel the pure experimentation on it, the lofi mono instruments and layers, and a completely alien sound that cant be replicated easily today, i honestly think those things are timeless, its so unique, and its a truly immersive experience
2 - https://alphaandomega.bandcamp.com/album/daniel-in-the-lions-den-by-alpha-omega
Beautiful roots reggae and dub release, i love it, and i keep listening to it for days! Love all the synths, instruments, etc.
4 - https://amhain.bandcamp.com/album/seaes-ii
amhain's Seaes II project was the one that made me find his discography, very talented computer music artist, top of the shelf IDM and glitch, really surreal stuff, make sure to grab it since he's thinking about deleting his bandcamp
5 - https://opaltapes.bandcamp.com/album/rabih
Don't let the artwork deceive you! This is quite a both heavenly and harsh release, both industrial and ambient combined in a unique way
6 - https://neuropaspace.bandcamp.com/album/the-blitz
I remembered a PS2 Dance Dance Revolution game had some music by them so i decided to check them out after many years and i quite enjoy it! Very catchy synthpop with lots of great classic synth sounds!
7 - https://housecraftrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/thoughts-on-air-xiphiidae
I'm a huge fan of both Thoughts On Air and Xiphiidae so i was surprised i saw this split, both are great but Thoughts On Air's side is the best in my opinion, great soundtrack for a cold autumn day, or a sunny winter day
more UK dub, Shark Attack is a personal favourite!
10 - https://forbiddensocietyrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/deadbox-ep
Forbidden Society is one of my favourite artists ever and for a reason! He started his career making breakcore out of all things, but now he releases on big mainstream drum n bass labels like Vision, and even then you can recognize his sound, his identity, and even receiving more spotlight than ever, this is one of the few cases when someone turns famous but still keep his sound identity and constant experimentation, i think Deadbox is one of the most underrated releases of him and i love the title track (even though youtube commentators like to say the opposite lol)
In it, Cement Tea will list and recommend some of his favorite new releases from a variety of genres.
Without further ado, let's go:
Cement Tea links;
https://cementtea.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cement.tea/
1 - https://blacksweat.bandcamp.com/album/amazonia-6891
I love early experimental electronica... You can feel the pure experimentation on it, the lofi mono instruments and layers, and a completely alien sound that cant be replicated easily today, i honestly think those things are timeless, its so unique, and its a truly immersive experience
2 - https://alphaandomega.bandcamp.com/album/daniel-in-the-lions-den-by-alpha-omega
Beautiful roots reggae and dub release, i love it, and i keep listening to it for days! Love all the synths, instruments, etc.
3 - https://www.junodownload.com/products/hellfish-one-man-sonic-attack-force/1279378-02/
Classic Hellfish release, i love his old style, is truly varied and absurdly ahead of its time, wild to think his first albums came out in Planet Mu out of all places! Same places that the likes of Venetian Snares, Mu-ziq and Shitmat released
Classic Hellfish release, i love his old style, is truly varied and absurdly ahead of its time, wild to think his first albums came out in Planet Mu out of all places! Same places that the likes of Venetian Snares, Mu-ziq and Shitmat released
4 - https://amhain.bandcamp.com/album/seaes-ii
amhain's Seaes II project was the one that made me find his discography, very talented computer music artist, top of the shelf IDM and glitch, really surreal stuff, make sure to grab it since he's thinking about deleting his bandcamp
5 - https://opaltapes.bandcamp.com/album/rabih
Don't let the artwork deceive you! This is quite a both heavenly and harsh release, both industrial and ambient combined in a unique way
6 - https://neuropaspace.bandcamp.com/album/the-blitz
I remembered a PS2 Dance Dance Revolution game had some music by them so i decided to check them out after many years and i quite enjoy it! Very catchy synthpop with lots of great classic synth sounds!
7 - https://housecraftrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/thoughts-on-air-xiphiidae
I'm a huge fan of both Thoughts On Air and Xiphiidae so i was surprised i saw this split, both are great but Thoughts On Air's side is the best in my opinion, great soundtrack for a cold autumn day, or a sunny winter day
8 - https://srirajahrockers.bandcamp.com/album/salavan-in-dub-feat-molam-inteng-keawbuala
Dub from Thailand! Those guys' music is next label, i recommend checking out the whole label!
Dub from Thailand! Those guys' music is next label, i recommend checking out the whole label!
more UK dub, Shark Attack is a personal favourite!
10 - https://forbiddensocietyrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/deadbox-ep
Forbidden Society is one of my favourite artists ever and for a reason! He started his career making breakcore out of all things, but now he releases on big mainstream drum n bass labels like Vision, and even then you can recognize his sound, his identity, and even receiving more spotlight than ever, this is one of the few cases when someone turns famous but still keep his sound identity and constant experimentation, i think Deadbox is one of the most underrated releases of him and i love the title track (even though youtube commentators like to say the opposite lol)
Saturday, May 25, 2024
10 Initiatory Tracks: 1990s Speedcore Techno
One of the questions we get the most is along the lines of: "Hey, I'm new to Hardcore, and I just discovered your e-zine, and I'm very curious about [genre x]. But there is not much information about it out there. I already listened to [artist y] and [track z], and I totally love that shit! Could you please point me to more tracks or releases that sound similar to this?."
And [Genre x] in that case could be Speedcore, Acidcore, Doomcore, or something along that way...
And it's true. Especially when it comes to older releases or more obscure sub-styles, there is not information out there; and just searching the terms on youtube or google will get you lots of generic and sub-par results. and asking on forums or reddits will often get you to fanpersons who are eager to hype the "same ole, same ole" acts to each individual that passes by...
so we started this new series: "10 initiatory tracks: [xyz]".
this is aimed at newcomers to hardcore techno, or newcomers to that specific style.
it should give them a quick overview of that genre, and a good idea how it actually sounds like.
thus we will choose tracks that represent this concept.
these lists are not complete or exhaustive; there is much (much!) more stuff out there to be found.
these might not be the best tracks of the genre, or important artists might even be missing, due to the reduced amount of entries in these listings.
in these cases, you should feel very free to list these "missing tracks", or the tracks that *you* consider to be important and relevant for the genre, or even your very personal favorites, in the comments below!
10 Initiatory Tracks: 1990s Speedcore Techno
1. Bakalla - True Force
2. Seveso - ABC Alarm
3. Gangstar Toons Industry - Mistick
4. UK Skullfuck - Nuclear Family
6. Sonic Overkill - Born In Hell
7. Amiga Shock Force - Violent Geisha
8. D.O.A. - Ya Mutha Part 2
9. Quindoor - Full Energy Flash
10. Rage Against The Cuisine - Untitled A1
And [Genre x] in that case could be Speedcore, Acidcore, Doomcore, or something along that way...
And it's true. Especially when it comes to older releases or more obscure sub-styles, there is not information out there; and just searching the terms on youtube or google will get you lots of generic and sub-par results. and asking on forums or reddits will often get you to fanpersons who are eager to hype the "same ole, same ole" acts to each individual that passes by...
so we started this new series: "10 initiatory tracks: [xyz]".
this is aimed at newcomers to hardcore techno, or newcomers to that specific style.
it should give them a quick overview of that genre, and a good idea how it actually sounds like.
thus we will choose tracks that represent this concept.
these lists are not complete or exhaustive; there is much (much!) more stuff out there to be found.
these might not be the best tracks of the genre, or important artists might even be missing, due to the reduced amount of entries in these listings.
in these cases, you should feel very free to list these "missing tracks", or the tracks that *you* consider to be important and relevant for the genre, or even your very personal favorites, in the comments below!
10 Initiatory Tracks: 1990s Speedcore Techno
1. Bakalla - True Force
2. Seveso - ABC Alarm
3. Gangstar Toons Industry - Mistick
4. UK Skullfuck - Nuclear Family
5. The Berzerker - Evil Worlds Beyond
6. Sonic Overkill - Born In Hell
7. Amiga Shock Force - Violent Geisha
8. D.O.A. - Ya Mutha Part 2
9. Quindoor - Full Energy Flash
10. Rage Against The Cuisine - Untitled A1
Building a community - come join us!
Hey,
There are now 3 ways you can communicate with us:
The Hardcore Overdogs reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheHcTechnoOverDogs/
The new "1990s Hardcore Techno" chat
https://www.reddit.com/c/1990s_Hardcore_Techno/s/64xKX9hd6G
And the Doomcore Music chatroom:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DoomCoreMusic/s/0QhDTnanDg
Let's try and build a community.
See you there!
There are now 3 ways you can communicate with us:
The Hardcore Overdogs reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheHcTechnoOverDogs/
The new "1990s Hardcore Techno" chat
https://www.reddit.com/c/1990s_Hardcore_Techno/s/64xKX9hd6G
And the Doomcore Music chatroom:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DoomCoreMusic/s/0QhDTnanDg
Let's try and build a community.
See you there!
Monday, May 20, 2024
From moments of terror to states of serenity: Hardcore Techno as a catharsis
When it comes to the expression of things such as violence, aggression, brutality, crime, sex, and other negative and / or taboo topics within art and media, there seem to be two major positions.
The first is that such "negative" themes have a very negative, dangerous, damnable influence on human individuals, especially on teens and young adults; that they would degrade and rot away culture, twist the minds (and souls), and in the end cause them to commit unspeakable deeds.
The second position is that "violence etc." has a neutral or non-effect; that humans generally are mature and smart enough to differ between "fiction and reality", know very well that crimes and brutality just happen withing the hypothetical realm of the media they consume, and not in the real world; that the director or author, musician, poet does not really endorse these things: so they're left unchanged by this.
Of course there are shades between these two seemingly diametral positions; e.g. the idea that negative media could twist those with a "weaker" mind or psyche, while exceptionally smart or stable people are immune to it, and so on.
yet, it is often overlooked that there is a possible third position, that transcends the dualism of the abovementioned two.
the idea that "negative emotions" in media can actually have a positive effect on the viewer, reader, listener.
that these "damnable media" are more than "neutral at best", and can be very good and helpful as a matter of fact.
Now let's cut to the world of Hardcore and Gabber. One of the main criticism launched against these genres precisely is that they would be overly aggressive, violent, hateful, dark, depressive and gloomy.
And while the above content can surely be found within hardcore tracks - I don't think that that is something negative or bad at all.
And explaining this will be a good illustration of the abovementioned potential "transformative / ameliorative" effect that art is capable of; the 'third position' that we hinted at above.
Listening, dancing, and enjoying Hardcore Techno allows the listener to undergo a catharsis and metamorphosis; pent up emotions get released; excessive rage, anger, hatred gets released and withers away; fear and terror are induced, pass through the mind, and then are gone. All that's hurt- and wasteful gets flushed out of your mind, soul, subconsciousness.
The listeners comes out of this catharsis renewed, purified, and cleansed; the darkness has been experienced, encountered, and overcome.
You are whole again.
If I would not be a so a clichéd word / concept by now, one could say that Hardcore Techno can act like a "therapy": you face your deepest fears and darkest pain and learn to handle them, and more importantly, to release them, to express them, to let go of them.
And you can learn to make peace with what you consider the dismal parts of your thoughts, mind, personality. And become one for once.
Light and dark, chaos and order, combined, in harmony.
Of course, this might not work for everyone. Some folk take drugs on Hardcore, get fucked up, and don't recover. Life is dangerous and not fair, ain't?
But generally. With its extreme and negative emotions and sentiments, Hardcore can help you become more peaceful, more restful, more at ease - by inducing a catharsis.
It can help you help you heal, it can help you improve, and a myriad of other things.
That's the wonderful metamorphosis of Hardcore Techno.
Sunday, May 19, 2024
New Hardcore Techno releases worth checking out and more - 1/2024
New Hardcore Techno releases worth checking out and more - 1/2024
Okay, so the situation is this:
There is a lot of awesome, exciting Hardcore music being poured out. This is going on for a few years now; and it's getting better, the amount of new releases grows, and things get more experimental, varied, and frigging rough at the same.
Yet, this still goes largely unnoticed. The sound is just not *getting through*. Many people focus on the same labels, artists, festivals, over and over again. So most of the "good stuff" remains - invisible. This is especially true for the internet and social media, where there is a serious lack of acknowledgment of the very lively new Hardcore *underground*.
Well, cue The Hardcore Overdogs. This was one of the reasons to start this e-zine. To give these new and old over/underdogs the spotlight that they so exceptionally deserve.
This does not mean we hate the "mainstream" artists. It's just not what we want to push.
And now, in order to actually *push* these very new underground sounds, we are starting this new series on noteworthy novel releases.
We won't focus entirely on Hardcore here, but also adjacent and otherwise special genres.
And, of course, not just on the unknown dogs, but also some well-known releases that retain an interesting and / or underground sound.
Okay, so the situation is this:
There is a lot of awesome, exciting Hardcore music being poured out. This is going on for a few years now; and it's getting better, the amount of new releases grows, and things get more experimental, varied, and frigging rough at the same.
Yet, this still goes largely unnoticed. The sound is just not *getting through*. Many people focus on the same labels, artists, festivals, over and over again. So most of the "good stuff" remains - invisible. This is especially true for the internet and social media, where there is a serious lack of acknowledgment of the very lively new Hardcore *underground*.
Well, cue The Hardcore Overdogs. This was one of the reasons to start this e-zine. To give these new and old over/underdogs the spotlight that they so exceptionally deserve.
This does not mean we hate the "mainstream" artists. It's just not what we want to push.
And now, in order to actually *push* these very new underground sounds, we are starting this new series on noteworthy novel releases.
We won't focus entirely on Hardcore here, but also adjacent and otherwise special genres.
And, of course, not just on the unknown dogs, but also some well-known releases that retain an interesting and / or underground sound.
The series will be quarterly, with an entry for each quarter of the year.
This list is not exhaustive or complete, of course. These are just the picks we decided to center on. There is much more stuff out there!
But let us go ahead now.
Here is the first entry for 2024.
This list is not exhaustive or complete, of course. These are just the picks we decided to center on. There is much more stuff out there!
But let us go ahead now.
Here is the first entry for 2024.
Demonic Wavs - Disciples Of Doom
Techno / Industrial Hardcore / Doomcore
https://demonicwavs.bandcamp.com/album/disciples-of-doom
Techno / Industrial Hardcore / Doomcore
https://demonicwavs.bandcamp.com/album/disciples-of-doom
Aneurysm Recordings @ Trash Masscare
Oldschool / Experimental Hardcore / Speedcore
https://aneurysmrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/aneurysm-recordings-trash-massacre-090224
Oldschool / Experimental Hardcore / Speedcore
https://aneurysmrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/aneurysm-recordings-trash-massacre-090224
Les Ombres Torturées Records - Compilation 01
Dark Ambient / Slowcore / Techno / Hardcore
https://lesombrestorturesrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lotr-compilation-01
Dark Ambient / Slowcore / Techno / Hardcore
https://lesombrestorturesrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lotr-compilation-01
DJ Ad - Alive
Oldschool Hardcore / Bouncy Gabber
https://mokumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mok301-dj-ad-alive
Oldschool Hardcore / Bouncy Gabber
https://mokumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mok301-dj-ad-alive
The Man Unknown - Primitive Future
Doomcore / Techno
https://themanunknown.bandcamp.com/album/primitive-future
Doomcore / Techno
https://themanunknown.bandcamp.com/album/primitive-future
Painbringer - Early Hardcore Machine
Oldschool Gabber
https://raveinstinct.bandcamp.com/album/early-hardcore-machine-12
Oldschool Gabber
https://raveinstinct.bandcamp.com/album/early-hardcore-machine-12
Acid Enema - Hymns Of Hate (2024 Mix)
Blackened Speedcore / Breakcore / Oldschool
https://speedcoreworldwideaudionetlabel.bandcamp.com/album/hymns-of-hate-2024-mix
Blackened Speedcore / Breakcore / Oldschool
https://speedcoreworldwideaudionetlabel.bandcamp.com/album/hymns-of-hate-2024-mix
Mokum - Acid Special
Acid / Techno / Acidcore
https://mokumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mok303-acid-special
https://mokumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mok303-acid-special
Anarchist of Annihilation - Inescapable Evil
Early Terror / Speedcore
https://nonewstyle.bandcamp.com/album/inescapable-evil
Early Terror / Speedcore
https://nonewstyle.bandcamp.com/album/inescapable-evil
Christoph de Babalon - Ach, Mensch
Experimental / Breakcore / IDM
https://christophdebabalon.bandcamp.com/album/ach-mensch
Experimental / Breakcore / IDM
https://christophdebabalon.bandcamp.com/album/ach-mensch
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Yoko's Hardtrance and Rave Sleeper Hits
As a DJ with 25 years of ongoing passion for the craft and a special fondness for the 90s oldschool sounds, Yoko has collected lots of vinyl from the "good old days".
Here, he shares 10 tracks from that era which he thinks often go unnoticed, especially when at retro events today the DJs mostly keep playing the well-known tunes from back then.
Since Yoko always wants to keep tracks like these from being forgotten, he regularly streams live mixes on his channels where he aims to repeat tracks as little as possible! Make sure to check out his "Oldschool Mixfest" series if you're into this style (and don't mind German chat & voiceovers).
Links:
Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/YokoInTheMix
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/YokoInTheMix
Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/YokoInTheMix
Relentlessly forward-pounding Hard-Trancer on one of Spain's best "not-so-Makina" labels, with an awesome melody and high energy vocal sample on top. And as with many of these tunes, works even better when pitched up a few percent!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C-4bNY7OgI
Similarly full of energy with both awesome arpeggio buildup and lead synth melody, plus typical early 90s "dark bass & drums" arrangement. Imagine a strobe-filled but otherwise dimly-lit dancefloor and you're off to rave heaven!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPOLyNNUPlk
Here, he shares 10 tracks from that era which he thinks often go unnoticed, especially when at retro events today the DJs mostly keep playing the well-known tunes from back then.
Since Yoko always wants to keep tracks like these from being forgotten, he regularly streams live mixes on his channels where he aims to repeat tracks as little as possible! Make sure to check out his "Oldschool Mixfest" series if you're into this style (and don't mind German chat & voiceovers).
Links:
Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/YokoInTheMix
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/YokoInTheMix
Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/YokoInTheMix
1. Univers - Univers ["Dance Division Vol. 12" // Pink Records // Spain 1995]
Relentlessly forward-pounding Hard-Trancer on one of Spain's best "not-so-Makina" labels, with an awesome melody and high energy vocal sample on top. And as with many of these tunes, works even better when pitched up a few percent!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C-4bNY7OgI
2. Elemental Space - Called You (Roughage Remix) ["Stronglimited" // Time Unlimited // Germany 1993]
Similarly full of energy with both awesome arpeggio buildup and lead synth melody, plus typical early 90s "dark bass & drums" arrangement. Imagine a strobe-filled but otherwise dimly-lit dancefloor and you're off to rave heaven!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPOLyNNUPlk
3. Polyphonic - Mamy (Virus Mix) [Do It Yourself // Italy 1996]
Italian Hard-Trance is usually more filled with angelic choir sample based melodies, but this track just goes full throttle with a nasty synth line and distorted Acid goodness on top – delicious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZdQ2m9bJTU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZdQ2m9bJTU
4. M - Das Wunder (Club Mix) ["Running (The Future Is Now!) (Special Mix)" // Blow Up // Germany 1995]
Hidden away on the B-side of an (also nice, but slower) Trope Remix of a Vocal Hard-Trance/Euro-Rave tune is this masterpiece of 170 BPM Hard-Trance. You don't expect it from the way the tune starts rather, let's say "level headed" with just some nice drum work and occasional synth stab, but when the main part comes in, you're guaranteed to start jumping!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lG_aDwVBAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lG_aDwVBAs
5. DJ Rope & DJ Marco Bailey - Be Free (Wavesong Mix) ["Spice" // Dance Opera // Belgium 1994]
Another B-side surprise! This one comes as close to the perfect hypnotic rave melody as it gets, and even though it does work at its original speed, try cranking your turntable up to the max and you're gonna lose your shit to this banger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqqyPcD2m5Y
6. Unknown Structure - Music For The Brain (Remix) [Frankfurt Beat Productions // Germany 1994]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqqyPcD2m5Y
6. Unknown Structure - Music For The Brain (Remix) [Frankfurt Beat Productions // Germany 1994]
The perfect starter track for a set filled with 90s high-energy Hard-Trance & Rave! You get about a minute of preparation and moody intro vibes, until the main synth starts taking you on a journey you'll never forget. Another breather around 3:30 mins and then you're granted a second ride through this amazing buildup of sounds! "Sound of Frankfurt" at it's finest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S14CjzUWEc
7. Mental Glue - Accuphase [OverOut // Germany 1995]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S14CjzUWEc
7. Mental Glue - Accuphase [OverOut // Germany 1995]
Starts off already hard with great kickdrum & Acid combo which on it's own already get your heart pumping. But then the break introduces an amazing uplifting melody as counterpoint to the first part that works just perfect. This is the type of "hard-but-still-melodical" tune that could only be made in the 90s!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7asuM5hGjs
8. Secret Alloy - Mon-Ka ["Second Chapter EP" // Pedo Beat Records // Germany 1995]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7asuM5hGjs
8. Secret Alloy - Mon-Ka ["Second Chapter EP" // Pedo Beat Records // Germany 1995]
And yet another B-side sleeper hit. Good buildup, then everything gets stripped down and you wonder if this track goes anywhere – but you'll soon be rewarded for your patience! The melody is a perfect example of "simple makes it memorable", only 3 notes but used expertly, and with a nice piercing synth sound to drive it into your brain while raving.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvx2HcrVaCc
9. M-Modulator - Boff ["Sour Lips EP" // Ugly Frog Productions // Germany 1996]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvx2HcrVaCc
9. M-Modulator - Boff ["Sour Lips EP" // Ugly Frog Productions // Germany 1996]
If you ever wanted to drift off into Acid-Hard-Trance hypnosis for almost 8 minutes, then this tune is for you. Just enough variation of the sounds, underpinned with a repetitive "flickering" sound loop to keep you in trance the whole time, almost invites you to just play this track on repeat in the background to keep you energized and hypnotized for as long as you need.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X89NrmIY9U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X89NrmIY9U
10. Fiocco - Sordo ["Afflitto" // Outline // Belgium 1997]
This might be the most surprising B-side bomb of them all...! The main track on this release would later be made famous in cooperation with Kosmonova (renamed to "Celebrate"), and who would expect a fast Hard-Trance/Rave tune on such a slower "clubsound of the late 90s" release? There's also only one pressing where this particular track even exists, but taking this stark contrast of styles into account it's not that surprising. Just take my word for it, and check this 175 BPM banger out. But don't complain if your legs hurt after bouncing to this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js5_ioDx__Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js5_ioDx__Q
Release: Minimum Syndicat - S.C.H.O.R.L. (KILLEKILL029)
We love it!
But why use more words, when the label has written such a great promotional text?
And here it is:
The 2x12“ vinyl is limited to 100 copies, hand-numbered and comes with a printed sleeve and a silk-screen A2 poster with a version of the artwork by Elzo Durt.
Minimum Syndicat (also known as MS or M-Syndicat) are two musicians from Paris who have been making electronic noise and live performances for decades. They are known for their very unique mix of acid, rave and industrial on the one hand and cinematic, psychedelic, sci-fi landscapes on the other.
S.C.H.O.R.L. is their first full length album. Like some kind of bleak space opera it tells its story of lonely subaquatic outposts, Soviet droids and mantis-priests gathering. The core is spaced out electro, but it also has elements of techno, doomcore, breakbeat and industrial, one could say. "At this point subgenres are less important than in the past, it's more like the alternative electronic scene against the industry turning techno into moronic money-driven entertainment.“, they say, and right they are, so let's end this here.
The album features two collaborations with French heavyweights Umwelt and Voiron, the artwork comes from the legendary Belgian artist Elzo Durt, who made some of our strongest artworks in the past and who is a fan of Minimum Syndicat himself.
MS will also be releasing a special series of digital releases called "Mutant Signal“ on their own label.
https://killekill.bandcamp.com/album/s-c-h-o-r-l-killekill029
Thursday, May 9, 2024
From "Frontal Sickness" to "(Maria) I Like It Loud" - Marc Acardipane, the 'Forgotten Man' of Techno
There is an essay by "raver anthropologist" Simon Reynolds that has become a kind of cult thing amongst Hardcore Techno aficionados. It got published in The Wire in 1998; it turned into a cult object not only because it was one of the rare cases where Hardcore music was mentioned in a bigger zine during the late 90s (as opposed to the many badly xeroxed Hardcore-fanzines, with a run of ~50 copies, of which most were destined to end up on soaked squat party toilet room floors), but because it also focused on a very specific person: Marc Acardipane, his releases, and his label family. [1]
In it, he called Marc "the forgotten man of Techno", and followed up with the reasons for that: even though he was right there at the proper beginning of "Techno", was hugely influential, and good friends with many people that are now considered to be true pioneers and legends by vox populi, he fell out of favor when Hardcore itself fell out of favor amongst the Techno folk; because he stayed true to his "core roots" and didn't disown them, like so many other producers did on their way up to the place amongst the stars (and on their way down to the sewers again).
But let's move on from Simon, The Wire, and the year 1998. What happened after that date?
First, Marc itself was pulled out from the "shadow zones"; because at least the Hardcore and Gabber scene finally remembered its Techno roots, and kept worshiping those roots again; although under different monikers, such as "oldschool", "oldstyle", "early rave", and so on - I guess "the names have been changed to protect the innocent".
This meant that "Technoid Hardcore" could be enjoyed at Hardcore parties and festivals once more (often on separate floors), which led to a lot of gigs and exposure for Marc and his Planet Core Productions sound. [Note: PCP aka Planet Core Productions was a label family run by Marc Acardipane and Thorsten Lambart in the 90s.]
It also influenced the Hardcore scene as a whole. A succession of genres such as "newstyle", "millennium" and "mainstyle" came into existence; genres that to 98% were built upon PCP and PCP-adjacent tracks: "Stereo Murder" (produced by Acardipane), "Atmos-Fear" (produced by Acardipane), "Poltergeist" (released on his label), "Flesh is the Fever" (released on Things To Come Records, a label with personal ties to PCP and that was inspired by PCP), plus various others.
This was already a good thing. But then, slowly but steadily, the Techno folk re-gained their interest in Hardcore and harder sounds, too; and now that the "millennial dominance" of the Techno scene, together with their favoring of minimalist and dandy-esque sounds, is slowly fading away, a younger generation is taking over the scene, and that new generation is very, very hardcore.
This led to a renewed interest in the works of Marc Acardipane, his crew, and his output again, coming straight from the heart of the Techno world. Marc himself acknowledged this development in some of his interviews, and added that the Techno people are sometimes even more zealous and knowledgeable about this music than the die-hard old-school gabbers!
A very fine evolution indeed; and we hope Marc gets into the spotlight again because of this, and that he finally reaps the respect that he deserves!
But why is the Techno folk favoring him and his sound specifically - in fact, more than a lot of other "Hardcore" players?
I think this is because - and now we cycle back to 1998's "The Wire" essay - his sound is *indeed* heavily connected to Techno. It's not just some ultra-aggressive, ultra-noisy Gabber outing. It's real, true, bona fide Techno music.
More than that, it represents a "road not taken" in the history of Techno music. Because, when you go back to the advent of Techno, to Detroit, Chicago, Berlin, London, Frankfurt, there was always a Hardcore contingent. Hardcore was always part of the Techno spirit, it helped to shape and mold the Techno sound. Alas, as mentioned above, it got disowned, and it became almost "forbidden" to speak of this type of music within Techno circles.
A liminal space that always lingered next to the scene as time moved on; a place that people did not dare to enter.
All this is changing now again. And while "every boy and his dog" (i.e. zines, webcasts, music academies) had their own Marc Acardipane feature by now, focusing on his more Hardcore and Gabber output, we decided to do the very opposite here, and showcase the Techno tracks from the past days of the PCP oeuvre, released using a cornucopia of aliases.
Bon appetit!
Oh, and by the way: we very dearly love "I like it loud", too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVjeheaFfsM
(This list is in no particular order)
1. The Mover - Over Land and Sea
how can one not love this track? great techno beats, rhythms, groove... and then this cosmic, celestial arrangement in the middle... the beats come back in, and the dancefloor erupts into madness.
the flip side ("underwater operations") is also very well worth a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuYMsR1Cae8
2. Cyborg Unknown - The Year 2001 (Deep in Detroit mix)
this is going deep into the history of detroit techno indeed. it's not enough to be friends of the jaguar here, this track channels cybotron just as much as it does metroplex. funky!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2q4v8_YxbE
3. Trip Commando - Cross The White Line
a techno behemoth of the most epic proportions. has probably one of the most elongated build ups in dance history, until the epic cinematic breakdown unfolds. highly recommended!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGWv1e2hBZk
4. Turbulence - Whurlstorm
this was on the second release by Industrial Strength Records - a label that shaped Hardcore history, too.
it starts as a nice little nasty techno track, until everything breaks apart in the mid-riff, and turns into a hurricane of bass frequncies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sngue8baqPs
5. The Mover - Nightflight (Nonstop 2 Kaos)
and this was on Industrial Strengh Records number one! As Lenny Dee licensed "We Have Arrived" (a fantastic hardcore track, to say the least) for his label, and put that number on the back side.
a cold groove, percussion that almost feels like a breakbeat... lots of bass, cyber-synth.... this is just dancefloor heaven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snnHspK1QYI
6. Countdown Part V - Untitled (A1)
Countdown FFM is another sub-label to go for if one is looking for some technoid gems.
stellar electronic intro, then we get into dance grooves, and things become more deviant as acid sounds sneak in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfIL6OCtN3o
7. Alien Christ - Of Suns and Moons (Phase II)
inspired by "Suburban Knights - The Art of Stalking" (a true classic, originally released on Transmat).
Marc made this influence his own, and delivered a very detroit-ish underground rave anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGmmDrQTyyY
8. The Mover & Lunatic Asylum – Frequency Surfers
you should have realized by now: the mover is a synonym for high quality productions.
this is one of my favorite pics from the legendary "frontal sickness" releases; and indeed adds a very demonic vibe to the whole dance thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSMT2KdQt5Q
10. Rave Creator - A New Mind (Thai Acid Mix)
"Thai" was a pcp sub that focused specifically on techno, acid, even a bit of trance-ish tracks. despite the alias, this was put out on DE 2001 instead.
It's a remix of the famous "A New Mind" track.
starting with pure bass drones. it builds up very slowly, until thunderous, reverberated bass drums come in, and then it goes into full-on acid feeding.
similar to "cross the white line", this track could be given the title "cinematic techno soundtrack".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGpuMbLicZU
Honorable Mentions:
T-Bone Castro - Return 2 Planet E
Reincarnated Regulator - Italian Stallion
Craig Tayaffo - Reduction (Back For Acid-The Expanded 0,25 Hrs Mix)
Barracuda - Braineaters
Two Tonys - Organ Bitch
Nasty Django - Ey Loco
Cold Rush Records
Frontal Sickness 1+2
Reincarnated Regulator - Mindeater
Climax - Relax
Nasty Django - 3 P Rules!
SexDrive Entertainment - No.2
T-Bone Castro / Ace The Space - Ace In The Hole
Project Æ - Whales Alive
Ultra Spaceman - Ultra-Style
Footnotes:
1: The original Wire essay -
http://reynoldsretro.blogspot.com/2015/03/marc-acardipane-mover-pcp-dance-ecstasy.html
In it, he called Marc "the forgotten man of Techno", and followed up with the reasons for that: even though he was right there at the proper beginning of "Techno", was hugely influential, and good friends with many people that are now considered to be true pioneers and legends by vox populi, he fell out of favor when Hardcore itself fell out of favor amongst the Techno folk; because he stayed true to his "core roots" and didn't disown them, like so many other producers did on their way up to the place amongst the stars (and on their way down to the sewers again).
But let's move on from Simon, The Wire, and the year 1998. What happened after that date?
First, Marc itself was pulled out from the "shadow zones"; because at least the Hardcore and Gabber scene finally remembered its Techno roots, and kept worshiping those roots again; although under different monikers, such as "oldschool", "oldstyle", "early rave", and so on - I guess "the names have been changed to protect the innocent".
This meant that "Technoid Hardcore" could be enjoyed at Hardcore parties and festivals once more (often on separate floors), which led to a lot of gigs and exposure for Marc and his Planet Core Productions sound. [Note: PCP aka Planet Core Productions was a label family run by Marc Acardipane and Thorsten Lambart in the 90s.]
It also influenced the Hardcore scene as a whole. A succession of genres such as "newstyle", "millennium" and "mainstyle" came into existence; genres that to 98% were built upon PCP and PCP-adjacent tracks: "Stereo Murder" (produced by Acardipane), "Atmos-Fear" (produced by Acardipane), "Poltergeist" (released on his label), "Flesh is the Fever" (released on Things To Come Records, a label with personal ties to PCP and that was inspired by PCP), plus various others.
This was already a good thing. But then, slowly but steadily, the Techno folk re-gained their interest in Hardcore and harder sounds, too; and now that the "millennial dominance" of the Techno scene, together with their favoring of minimalist and dandy-esque sounds, is slowly fading away, a younger generation is taking over the scene, and that new generation is very, very hardcore.
This led to a renewed interest in the works of Marc Acardipane, his crew, and his output again, coming straight from the heart of the Techno world. Marc himself acknowledged this development in some of his interviews, and added that the Techno people are sometimes even more zealous and knowledgeable about this music than the die-hard old-school gabbers!
A very fine evolution indeed; and we hope Marc gets into the spotlight again because of this, and that he finally reaps the respect that he deserves!
But why is the Techno folk favoring him and his sound specifically - in fact, more than a lot of other "Hardcore" players?
I think this is because - and now we cycle back to 1998's "The Wire" essay - his sound is *indeed* heavily connected to Techno. It's not just some ultra-aggressive, ultra-noisy Gabber outing. It's real, true, bona fide Techno music.
More than that, it represents a "road not taken" in the history of Techno music. Because, when you go back to the advent of Techno, to Detroit, Chicago, Berlin, London, Frankfurt, there was always a Hardcore contingent. Hardcore was always part of the Techno spirit, it helped to shape and mold the Techno sound. Alas, as mentioned above, it got disowned, and it became almost "forbidden" to speak of this type of music within Techno circles.
A liminal space that always lingered next to the scene as time moved on; a place that people did not dare to enter.
All this is changing now again. And while "every boy and his dog" (i.e. zines, webcasts, music academies) had their own Marc Acardipane feature by now, focusing on his more Hardcore and Gabber output, we decided to do the very opposite here, and showcase the Techno tracks from the past days of the PCP oeuvre, released using a cornucopia of aliases.
Bon appetit!
Oh, and by the way: we very dearly love "I like it loud", too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVjeheaFfsM
(This list is in no particular order)
1. The Mover - Over Land and Sea
how can one not love this track? great techno beats, rhythms, groove... and then this cosmic, celestial arrangement in the middle... the beats come back in, and the dancefloor erupts into madness.
the flip side ("underwater operations") is also very well worth a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuYMsR1Cae8
2. Cyborg Unknown - The Year 2001 (Deep in Detroit mix)
this is going deep into the history of detroit techno indeed. it's not enough to be friends of the jaguar here, this track channels cybotron just as much as it does metroplex. funky!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2q4v8_YxbE
3. Trip Commando - Cross The White Line
a techno behemoth of the most epic proportions. has probably one of the most elongated build ups in dance history, until the epic cinematic breakdown unfolds. highly recommended!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGWv1e2hBZk
4. Turbulence - Whurlstorm
this was on the second release by Industrial Strength Records - a label that shaped Hardcore history, too.
it starts as a nice little nasty techno track, until everything breaks apart in the mid-riff, and turns into a hurricane of bass frequncies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sngue8baqPs
5. The Mover - Nightflight (Nonstop 2 Kaos)
and this was on Industrial Strengh Records number one! As Lenny Dee licensed "We Have Arrived" (a fantastic hardcore track, to say the least) for his label, and put that number on the back side.
a cold groove, percussion that almost feels like a breakbeat... lots of bass, cyber-synth.... this is just dancefloor heaven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snnHspK1QYI
6. Countdown Part V - Untitled (A1)
Countdown FFM is another sub-label to go for if one is looking for some technoid gems.
stellar electronic intro, then we get into dance grooves, and things become more deviant as acid sounds sneak in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfIL6OCtN3o
7. Alien Christ - Of Suns and Moons (Phase II)
inspired by "Suburban Knights - The Art of Stalking" (a true classic, originally released on Transmat).
Marc made this influence his own, and delivered a very detroit-ish underground rave anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGmmDrQTyyY
8. The Mover & Lunatic Asylum – Frequency Surfers
Lunatic Asylum aka "Dr. Macabre" is another person that was entwined with electronic music history while turning into a global player in the hardcore sector at a later date.
this is a joint-venture of these two titans of techno, and the result is a very trippy, very twisted and surreal track.
(Cannot be found on youtube, but here are audio previews: https://www.toolboxrecords.com/en/product/17643/techno-hardtechno/dance-ecstasy-2025/ )
9. The Mover - Astral Demons (Original Mix)
this is a joint-venture of these two titans of techno, and the result is a very trippy, very twisted and surreal track.
(Cannot be found on youtube, but here are audio previews: https://www.toolboxrecords.com/en/product/17643/techno-hardtechno/dance-ecstasy-2025/ )
9. The Mover - Astral Demons (Original Mix)
you should have realized by now: the mover is a synonym for high quality productions.
this is one of my favorite pics from the legendary "frontal sickness" releases; and indeed adds a very demonic vibe to the whole dance thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSMT2KdQt5Q
10. Rave Creator - A New Mind (Thai Acid Mix)
"Thai" was a pcp sub that focused specifically on techno, acid, even a bit of trance-ish tracks. despite the alias, this was put out on DE 2001 instead.
It's a remix of the famous "A New Mind" track.
starting with pure bass drones. it builds up very slowly, until thunderous, reverberated bass drums come in, and then it goes into full-on acid feeding.
similar to "cross the white line", this track could be given the title "cinematic techno soundtrack".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGpuMbLicZU
Honorable Mentions:
T-Bone Castro - Return 2 Planet E
Reincarnated Regulator - Italian Stallion
Craig Tayaffo - Reduction (Back For Acid-The Expanded 0,25 Hrs Mix)
Barracuda - Braineaters
Two Tonys - Organ Bitch
Nasty Django - Ey Loco
Cold Rush Records
Frontal Sickness 1+2
Reincarnated Regulator - Mindeater
Climax - Relax
Nasty Django - 3 P Rules!
SexDrive Entertainment - No.2
T-Bone Castro / Ace The Space - Ace In The Hole
Project Æ - Whales Alive
Ultra Spaceman - Ultra-Style
Footnotes:
1: The original Wire essay -
http://reynoldsretro.blogspot.com/2015/03/marc-acardipane-mover-pcp-dance-ecstasy.html
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Review: Various Artists - Happy Gabber Sounds #2 (Mokum Records)
This compilation album, as the title implies, focuses on "Happy Gabber Sounds". And, IMHO, this is a much needed 'breath of fresh air' in the ongoing Early Hardcore revival - as a lot of Early Hardcore focuses on one specific style (fast hoovers, horror and scifi samples, darkness.. you know what I mean).
So, we got some Happy Gabber sounds here for a change. The tracks here seem to be inspired by classic "cheerful" tracks that could be found on some Thunderdome releases, ID&T's Happy Hardcore / Happy Rave series, Martin Damm productions, or Mokum itself.
This is *not* "Happy Hardcore" in a traditional sense, though! Nothing like "Rainbow in the sky" or "Love you more" on here. Not a cheesefest for kiddies. These are Gabber tracks that happens to be interlaced with pitched up pop samples and other kitschy elements but remain fierce, hard, rough, brutal at their core.
Something for tough Gabbers that are still able to smile and take a joke now and then, maybe.
Mokum informs us that these 20 tracks are from the "90ies to 2024", and indeed, in between all the oldschool-ness, elements of contemporary hard styles can be heard, too.
They also tell us that "8 brand-new tracks" are included in the releases; and this alone would make this release worth getting
Highly recommended!
Rating 6 out of 5 happy stars.
https://mokumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mok305-happy-gabber-sounds-2
Tracklisting:
1. M-Project & Dynamax - Hope (Original Mix) 03:58
2. Riot Nation - Abba Gabba (Original Mix) 04:51
3. Flamman & Abraxas - Good To Go (2005 Mix) 05:06
4. Tekscape - BT4 Core (Original Mix) 04:18
5. Tellurian - Squash The Floor (Remastered) 03:36
6. Wicked XXX - Sunlight (Original Mix) 04:58
7. Peckerhead - Euro Vibe (Remastered) 03:34
8. X4phantom & DJ Ad - Tonight Is The Night (Original Mix) 04:50
9. Blue Calx - V16 Turbo (Remastered) 02:48
10. Morven - Bounce Bliss (Original Mix) 03:34
11. M-Project - Closer (Original Mix) 03:49
12. Technohead - I Wanna Be A Hippy (DJ Technorch Remix) 07:55
13. DieTRAX - GABBAGABBA HEAVY (Original Mix) 02:33
14. Tellurian & Delirium - Let It Flow (96 Mix Remastered) 04:36
15. Back2Bass - The Beating Of My Heart (Radio Mix Remastered) 03:31
16. Tekscape - Back To 95 (Original Mix) 04:27
17. DJ Chosen Few - Feel The Dream (Remastered) 03:59
18. Reeza - Rave To Forget (Original Mix) 04:20
19. X4phantom & DJ Ad - Break My Stride (Original Mix) 04:36
20. Arvid - Game Over (Original Mix) 04:28
Friday, May 3, 2024
Our 10 favorite melodies across the productions of Miro
A new EP by Miro has been released. ( https://mi-ro.bandcamp.com/album/e-tensity )
We are very happy about this and, in honor of that release, we're doing this little special.
There are many things that are outstanding about Miro's productions in the Hardcore field - the vicious drums, the speed & terror of some of his tracks, even his twisted vocals - and one thing we find especially remarkable are his melody workings.
Because, let's face it, he blows almost all of the competition out of the water when it comes to melodies.
Most Hardcore is devoid of melody and harmony anyway; and yes, there are some artists that are good at creating moody atmospheres and synths. While that stuff can be grand in its own way, to me, it often feels like sci-fi / horror ambience. That's something to adore, too.
2. Evidence - Inspirit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMScljzpbvw
3. E-Man - XTC Express (Higher Level Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMJwzK0RvyQ
4. Hall - Huge Mix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De4sHmNO3eU
5. Superpower - In The Midnight Hour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axYZk5MAZTk
6. Reign - Light & Dark (The Second Dimension) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JxZ_qc5O7Q
7. Frozen - Soul Saver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNc9Sg9VTdE
8. Miro - Purple Moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdsNBPFGpNU
9. Destination - Nowhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O3_-rQZAew
10. Scorpion - First Bite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhBRb4MmtXA
We are very happy about this and, in honor of that release, we're doing this little special.
There are many things that are outstanding about Miro's productions in the Hardcore field - the vicious drums, the speed & terror of some of his tracks, even his twisted vocals - and one thing we find especially remarkable are his melody workings.
Because, let's face it, he blows almost all of the competition out of the water when it comes to melodies.
Most Hardcore is devoid of melody and harmony anyway; and yes, there are some artists that are good at creating moody atmospheres and synths. While that stuff can be grand in its own way, to me, it often feels like sci-fi / horror ambience. That's something to adore, too.
But Miro creates actual melodies, tunes, epic things that could sit right next to the most legendary songs in music history. Take the melody out of the track, add a band and vocalist and different instrumentation (and marketing), and these tunes could be radio hits or dark disco (the location, not the style!) cult classics around the world.
Evoking a spectrum of emotions and sentiments; bittersweet, melancholic, haunting, surreal, serene, ecstatic, adrenalized, ferocious.
It's one of the things that makes his music unique. That makes it so special.
Evoking a spectrum of emotions and sentiments; bittersweet, melancholic, haunting, surreal, serene, ecstatic, adrenalized, ferocious.
It's one of the things that makes his music unique. That makes it so special.
So, for this feature, we are looking at our ten favorite melodies in Miro's music production (and the tracks that accompany them).
1. Hypnotizer - The Light Is Leaving https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWijFQofs7w
1. Hypnotizer - The Light Is Leaving https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWijFQofs7w
2. Evidence - Inspirit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMScljzpbvw
3. E-Man - XTC Express (Higher Level Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMJwzK0RvyQ
4. Hall - Huge Mix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De4sHmNO3eU
5. Superpower - In The Midnight Hour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axYZk5MAZTk
6. Reign - Light & Dark (The Second Dimension) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JxZ_qc5O7Q
7. Frozen - Soul Saver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNc9Sg9VTdE
8. Miro - Purple Moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdsNBPFGpNU
9. Destination - Nowhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O3_-rQZAew
10. Scorpion - First Bite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhBRb4MmtXA