Fischkopf was already "obscure" back in the day, even for Hardcore heads. I guess it is close to being completely obscure by now.
Yet, the label always had its fans, and it's often a nice surprise to discover that an artist loved the label, who you did not expect to do so.
Apart from Praxis and DHR, Fischkopf was probably the most influential label, at a time when I just had started to produce Hardcore and electronic music, too!
I want to mention a few tracks that I consider to be particularly nice... and interesting!
Because, directly or indirectly, they teached me a few production "tricks".
1. Auto-Psy - Oxyde
Of course, that's the one. I always mention or play this track.
There is something noteworthy, as the track has a bizarre percussion / rhythm flip halfways each "loop". Listen to it and you know what I mean.
This one runs against any conventional concept of rhythm or time signature.
2. Fields Of Defacement - Attached
This is barely Hardcore, is it? It's like the opposite end of the gabba-speedcore spectrum. Introverted, reserved, almost chilling and very cold.
The "killer" for me are the pads that come in at half of the track.
What is it, a hi pass saw synth? A chord? What kind of fx is run over it?
Not sure, but I often tried to "mimic" this sound in some way.
A great one, when listening to at 6 am, and being completely burned and down!
3. Cybermouse - My Dorectives
This track has a very odd, peculiar feel.
It's like time is standing still, and you are not sure for how long it runs already, and if it would run for all eternity.
The track is based on a few elements that run on a loop. But not quite, as there are subtle changes here and there, and it is not easy to tell what actually changed.
So this is a bit of almost "invisible" production techniques.
4. Taciturne - Phenprocoumon
There is something very remarkable about this track, and I don't think I ever heard anything like it again (except for maybe in other stuff by Taciturne).
It has super hectic, super distorted beats and sounds, noise. and then these completely still, "silent", serene sounds... that ran completely against the hardcore thing.
The calmest of ambient...
It is quite the clash of opposites. And, as you can imagine, it inspired me to do the same. To add "calm" / sweet / ambient moments, in abrasive hardcore tracks, too!
5. Christoph De Babalon - Pleased With Being Alive
"Borderline" hardcore, but it ain't exactly Jungle or Drum'n'Bass either.
More than that. It has a completely "science fiction" mood, makes me feel like I'm walking on a different planet.
I tried to "copy" similar space sounds in my own tracks, at the beginning. never worked really well. but it led me to find my own way of producing "future music".
6. Eradicator - Used Against Us (Remix)
"Experimental gabba". I think this is the idea of the track.
There are hoovers, there is a huge kick, yes, it is gabber all the way. And it adds sounds to it that are outside the gabber genre. The ambient intro, the weird fx...
And it stacks sound after sound on top of each other.
What i learned here is that gabber, hardcore, techno, can be very experimental and clever. if you want to do it.
7. No Name - Kamasutra
A track by the french maniac.
I don't know if any analyzing of this music could ever do it justice.
But... it starts very calm, almost like a (teknival) techno track. Then suddenly flips, goes into full anger and aggression. It adds so many different moods and sentiments, and ideas, in such a short time.
Music like this showed me that hardcore (or electronic stuff) can be extremely splintered and complicated. and still be very cool and hard the same.
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