I am talking about the 90s Hardcore track called "Doomsday" by the German producer "OyEz".
Oyez! - Spacetime 6
Another track by OyEz
But, first, let's move back in time.
Before the internet, there was already a digital world, an online world, that was vast, huge, global - maybe even bigger than today's internet in many aspects (without doubt, the current 'world of online' stores more "data" in sheer tera, peta and exa-byte size - yet most of this data consists of duplicates, or derivatives of duplicates.)
Part of this global online world was the BBS scene - and I already alluded to that in the past (here).
I was a teen - age 13-14 - and I was part of this thrilling scene of digital activity. I also just had discovered Techno music - Rave, Trance, Hardtrance... but not Gabber yet.
Yet almost every other user on the BBS was deeply into Hardcore, Gabber, and Speedcore. They partied at The Box in Hamburg, or at the Hardcore nights in regular Techno clubs. Most were a bit older than me, but, as usual, those who were not, found ways to sneak into these nighttime raves despite their young age and technically not being allowed to do that.
Starfox - Feel the Music
Starfox was another producer on the BBS circuit around hamburg
Of course a lot of the folk were doing their own music too, mostly on tracker programs, then sharing their creation as ".mod files" on the BBS, or around Germany - and in some cases, a track might even reach New York, Tel Aviv, or Tokyo.
And some actually managed to share their music not merely online - but on a physical release, too.
There was a guy on the BBS who did just do that. His releases were more in the vein of Techno or Trance, actually, but there was harder stuff, too.
And one of those tracks was "Doomsday". It never got a proper release, though, in the sense of entering the club circuit.
It ended up on a "compilation CD-Rom", but not for music - for files, editors, tools, maps, add-ons related to a then popular FPS game that was created in the wake of the DOOM hype.
As a "bonus", the cd-rom had an audio track - the abovementioned one.
Hardsequencer - Magic Flight
Hardy started in the tracker / mod scene, too.
Being bundled with such a CD meant it was not likely to be played on the dancefloors - but it assured it could be played at a lot of gamer parties, conventions, demo scene events (not entirely certain it became the hit I assume it was - but you can never know!)
So what's the fuss about? Reminiscing of early nerd / computer days, tied to a track?
Mindviper - Messiah 2000
Mindviper has their roots in mod / chiptune music as well.
No, no, not at all! Because here is the twist: it suits our gaze in manifold ways (as mentioned).
1. it is a completely obscure track that barely anyone knows, yet it existed in the 90s already
2. it is a hardcore techno track
3. yet it also crosses over in a lot of other genres, like "german rave" and hardtrance
4. it is, in my opinion, one of the best gabber tracks in the entire 90s (opinions might differ)
5. due to its release, it has almost become "lost media", but we can try to bring it back from the dead
6. it's not some "cheap tracker hack", even though we'd love that, too - it is professionally produced and sounding, better than most "top names" in the 90s
7. the contextual "halo" of the track is ambiguous, liminal, and strange: it was a hit, but not to the gabbers, to gamer nerds: it was played, not in clubs, but at computer parties and meetings; it's a huge "track" but stayed small, undeservingly; and more.
And therefore, it is a true Hardcore Overdog!
You can listen to the track here:
OyEZ! - Doomsday (Remix)