New Release: Hardcore & Techno against Misogyny & Queerphobia

Everyone should be free, welcome, and allowed to love who they want to love, and to be who they always have been.
Yet hatred against humans that are "queer', lesbian, bi, trans, gay, non-binary, asexual, etc. is on the rise again...
Just like the hatred against women is on the rise again... sadly.

This is a release in support of everyone who feels, is, or wants to "queer", or just wants to be who they want to be.

The tracks on this release are in different electronic styles of music.
Usually the darker and more hardcore kind. Gabber, Acid, EBM, Hard Trance, Rave, Industrial... Speedcore.

The LGBTQIA+ community needs all the support they can get right now, so they shall receive it!
credits

Tracklisting:

Hardcore & Techno against Misogyny & Queerphobia
by Diverse Artists

1. Fight for your Right - La Revolución del S*xo 02:43
2. FeminGabberist - Not Necessary 02:57
3. Trans Hardcore Project - Trans Acid (New Derivate) 03:36
4. DJ Gender - Acidcore Pleasure Release (Special Edit) 04:47
5. Ace of Hardcore - Space S*x (Revisit) 05:28
6. DJ Gender - Androgyny (3rd Phase) 02:55
7. Trans Hardcore Project - As*xual Bis*xual C-s*xual 03:08
8. FeminGabberist - You Wish You Had A C!it (Extra Extended Version) 05:22
9. Ace of Hardcore - (F**k) the (P*rn) Industry (Extended Instrumental) 10:37

Omnicore Records 82
Doomcore Records 236
Slowcore Records 70

https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/hardcore-techno-against-misogyny-queerphobia

Before the Street Trash Alliance: A few rare German Early Hardcore releases

Mono Tone was not the first German "Hardcore only" label, but maybe one could say it was the first really big one. Besides the Planet Core crew, of course, and at that point they were into a mixed bag of genres.

The Mono Tone releases were featured on Thunderdome and everywhere else. But, alas, the label went away as quickly as it came. You can read (part of) the story about it elsewhere 
The Mono Tone roster partly re-grouped on the new Shock Wave label by The Speed Freak.
Shockwave gave rise to other labels like Anodyne or Speedcore Records, which became part of the Street Trash Alliance... the rest is Hardcore History.

But the entirety of this thing is not what we want to talk about. Rather, we want to look at the time *before* all that happened. There were some kicking Hardcore releases on German labels before that, too. Often on labels that usually were more into hard trance or intelligent ("armchair") Techno. And often by the same artists that later went to Mono Tone and the Street Trash family of labels.

BC Kid - Wild And Wonderful E.P. (Generator Records 9120-12)

BC Kid later became one of the main artists on Shock Wave, of course.
An early release with early hardcore, and, man, these hoovers are brutal. When you hear them loud & live it is like your skull gets melted from your head.
The BPM might not be as high as later brutal recordings, but in my opinion, this is harder than most "Speedcore" stuff.
Best track is Wild & Wonderful (eponymous!), with cool Akira samples, and some happy hardcore stabs that do not feel misplaced.
Followed by "go boom!"

Various - Destroy Deutschland ! (Force Inc. Music Works - 034)

Ooooh baby. Has there ever been anything better?
Techno label Force Inc had the guts to drop some political Hardcore.
The EP is split, not only in 2 sides, but there are also two styles.
Side A is early breakcore by Alec Empire (very rough!), and the b side is hardcore & gabber.
Mike Ink's "Lovely Ugly Brutal World" is probably known from Thunderdome.
The other tracks are more like acidic hardcore.

Shadowrun - SNES-E.P. Vol.1 (Force Inc. Music Works - 052)

Early collab by the Hardcore gamers Speedfreak & BC Kid.
All track names are references to some of the best Super Nintendo games (except for b1 maybe).
Style is already similar to the releases they later did on shock wave or mokum etc.
the winner track for me is "base you", with that very cool super parodius melody right in the middle of it.

Biochip C. - C8 E.P. ( Force Inc. Music Works - 045)

Very interesting early release by Martin Damm!
Because it already has the recipe for the later Speed Freak / Shock Wave stuff.
Including some very corny and fun samples.
But it's also still in a row with his earlier acid / hardcore releases.

Necromancer - Spacecakes EP (Generator Records 9116-12)

And here is a super early solo release by an aka of BC Kid / Psyche Out, too.
Quite similar to his later "Street Trash" releases, but also... close to rave / breakbeat, even trance, of that era (1993).
Not as extreme yet. But quite fun none the less!

The Rageful Eighth Hardcore Techno Overdogs Anthem

We got some great news to announce!

A new production by Godfather Death, who, so far, was more known for his remix work here and there, and I think he did a mix set too... somewhere.
And now they come slamming through the door with the new The Hardcore Overdogs anthem! The Eighth, actually.
The Rageful Eighth.
Because, you know, this one is... tough as ßell. really.

But check for yourself. Without further ado, here is the new anthem!

Oh, and the styles? Doomcore, Oldschool, Dark Ambient, Gabber, Speedcore.

Tracklisting + Info:

Godfather Death - The Rageful Eighth (The Hardcore Techno Overdogs Anthem)

1. The Rageful Eighth (Bunny Version) 02:23
2. Drum Test (Model Eight) 08:11
3. Hamburg Hardcore Anthem (Godfather Death Remix) 03:49
4. The Rageful Eighth (Quiet Choir) 02:34
5. The Rageful Eighth (Doomcore Mix) 03:11
6. One More Choir 00:53
7. The Rageful 8th (Extended edit part 1) 05:58
8. The Rageful 8th (Extended edit part 2) 07:40

Doomcore Records 238
Omnicore Records 83
Slowcore Records 71

https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-rageful-eighth-the-hardcore-techno-overdogs-anthem

The blue sun of Afghanistan and how to shoot a "techno-hardcore music video" (or any other genre) on a zero budget

An excerpt from Low Entropy's Producer Diary: How to shoot a "techno-hardcore music video" (or any other genre) on a zero budget

When you are an artist, and do music, and been around for a while, and you (or others) think the music is, cool, then, it might be cool to have a music video for one or two of the tracks, too. Not (just) for promotion, but because it's fun, can be creative and... yeah, it can be an extension of the music. because the mood or atmosphere of the video can align with that of the track. or, if you are really bold, you could even create a video that somehow "explains" what we hear in the track.

the problem is that artists are always low on money, especially little underground rats like ourselves. that do not live in the spotlight of glamour and the... big bucks!

but let me tell you that there is a way out. let's roll right back for this one.

Part 1.

Note: No AI has been used when writing this text

let's start at zero (budget). since the history of music videos, since the early beginnings in the 1960s and 1970s, broadly speaking, there have been 3 main categories of music videos:

a) videos that "just" show the band performing the song, nowadays these videos are usually shot in big stadiums, but in the early years, the "music video" often really just was the band playing in a studio room. early videos by Queen or other rock bands were like that.

b) narrative videos that tell a story. have a plot, something that happens from the beginning of the video right to the end. these became much more expensive and complicated over time. stations like MTV loved them, and a lot of them have become cult classics.

c) "weird", montage, fx, "art house", strange videos. oh, baby, now we are talking! this is the really really good stuff. it can be everything and nothing. they follow no story, neither are they a performance video. it could just be flashing images, or weird claymotion, or any of what i mentioned above (like art house stuff...).
they were often very close to surreal or dadaist art... but, oh wonder, despite of this, some of the most famous music videos fall right into this category!
for example, "sledge hammer" by peter gabriel.

Part 2

so, let's get back to our "budget" problem. if you have zero bucks, which option of these three... looks most appetizing? what is the easy choice?
the multi million dollar narrative movie type of music video...?

no no! it's the surrealist montage, of course.

and if you look back at the roots, the 70s and 80s, even back then, low budget artists did this type of music videos. especially in new wave, or industrial, or goth...

you don't need to buy an expensive camera, you don't need to hire a crew of 100 actors, make up artists, practical effect designers... you don't need to fly to Jordan, nor do you need to have 2 dozen unclothed models pedaling on a sports track, nor do you need to ride on a dolphin while playing your electronic guitar.
(in case you don't get it: the last three were references to three of the most famous music videos. by sisters of mercy, queen, and guns n roses, respectively).

the video could be created out of video footage, it could be created out of electronic fx, it could be created out of... anything and everything.

but how do you do it *right*?
so that people don't laugh at you, wave their sticks at you, and tell you your precious video is nothing but an art waste!

that's a very good question, and i will give you one answer out of many: it still has to have a good idea. you have to come up with an idea that feels good and, at best, is grande and cool and everything.

Part 3

so, i will give an example of one of my own "music videos" that did not cost me a thing.
"Tierra del Fuego". it's a track of mine, in the style of techno-hardcore, 160 bpm.
it's inspired by old videos of the 90s, that had no narrative too. maybe one could term them "rave montage" videos.
inspiration includes video like Drax - Amphetam1ne, Quench - Dreams, Biosphere - The Shield, Aphex Twin - Westworld

so, here are some ideas for it, that i have used in the video.
the idea for the entire video actually came to me when i was looking at the TV program schedule. there was a movie or documentary, i think it was called "under the blue sun of afghanistan".
i went like "what the heck?". since when did afghanistan have a blue sun? is the sun different there, then in the rest of the world or what?
is there something in the air that creates the impression of the blue sun? or some weird reflections off the mountains?


no, the answer was more simple. it was about the shooting of the 3rd rambo movie, which took place in afghanistan. and the effect the hollywood production had on the people.
now what about the blue sun? the movie was not shot in afghanistan... and the production team did not like the gleaming, burning, orange-red sun of the place they were at. so they decided to put a blue filter on it. they explained that it created the effect that the entire movie takes place on a different planet. with that weird blue light in the sky.

i thought "this is very interesting". it is a simple, but very powerful effect. that changed the entire movie. by just using a filter!
everyone could do that. and, i could do that, too, of course.

so, i searched for free, public, domain footage, of suns and landscapes on the internet. i downloaded something, added a blue filter, boom, off we fly to another planet!

(btw if you "copy" my ideas, place make sure that everything is public domain etc)

a rave montage video should also have a recurrent element in it (in my opinion), and that's this weird, glowing, round, flickering ... "thing". looks a bit like a spring on a mental trip (in my opinion). it's orange-red, so this is a bit like a counterpoint to the blue sunlight.

now that i had these 2 elements, i kept adding more and more, dancers, road trips, computer fx, ravers, cyberspace... you got it!
and kept cutting back and forth, which created quite the flickering and crash of colors (intentionally).

so, voila, the video was finished. just took 3 days, 0 bucks, you might not like these ideas (but i do), it might not win a price in cannes or in hollywood, it might not be the best thing ever, but it's a video, and it does the trick.

and, if interested, i am sure you could do something similar, too.

ain't that a cool end to our story?

here's the video:

you can also watch it on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkzC4_PSh6c

or check the track itself: https://lowentropy.bandcamp.com/album/tierra-del-fuego-the-nucleus-project-august

or read this text again, on my blog (soon!) https://lowentropyproducer.blogspot.com/

GabberGirl interviews The Tyrant about Skumkore Muzik

We are proud to present a new feature by GabberGirl for The Hardcore Overdogs.
This time, she interviews The Tyrant about Skumkore Muzik and other topics related to his music.

GG: When did Skumkore Muzik begin, and what was the concept for it?

Skumkore was supposed to be initially a publishing company but sort of forgotten about. When Bobby Tense, Axys-Deza & I first started FUHD I had gone to an audio engineering school in NYC and had a music business class but when we signed a master purchase agreement deal with Industrial Strength it was sorta unnecessary. Once we signed with Crapshoot Hardcore I brought it back. That contract was just a license agreement for the 1st maybe 3 or 5 years. I can't recall exactly. I feel like I'm on trial.

GG: It is hard to find info on Skumkore’s history, as a truly underground label this makes sense to me. I can see a vinyl release by Hellz Army on Discogs listed under Skumkore and is so rare that it costs collectors between $150 and $200 for a used copy. But it also seems this same album is being offered on Apocalypse Records. What other releases was Skumkore known for? Is Skumkore related to Apocalypse Records? Did Skumkore release the Team Bring It CD compilation from 2005?

Thank you for the question. (Have you noticed all politicians say that now? ) Hellz Army is of course related to Skumkore, we're all skum. In a good way though. Hellz Army is The Tyrant, Nevermind & Tense. I can't believe people are asking for a crazy price. I may be posting for sale vinyl mint condition not opened for sale at the skumkore bandcamp site. ( http://skumkore.bandcamp.com ) Not sure how many left but it'll be cheaper than $200. Nevermind has the digital files on the apocalypse site so that's pretty cool. I'm glad he's still keeping the label alive. I appreciate him very much. The Team Bring It Comp was just a collaboration while I was living on the west coast. It's a collaboration from East to West artists from the US. People can pick up the compilation at https://tbi25.bandcamp.com/

GG: Has this always been your label or have you had partners in the past?

Skumkore was sorta my idea. Of course you can't do it on your own but the support and artist contribution from Nevermind and Tense was the beginning. Any artist I have worked with is always a contributor you can really include Madame Chao, Fiend, Deadnoise.



GG: What is your connection to Madame Chao and can you give any background on the newest Skumkore release?

My connection with Chao started in around 2000. We met at a basement spot we all used to hang out at. He was playing some of his VHS tapes of his visual art. I was blown away. We always crossed paths between the west and east coast. When I moved back from the west we formed a real good friendship. Even did a small tour in canada with duran duran duran. you can listen to my set here https://teambringit.bandcamp.com/album/the-tyrant .... The 1st release was actually inspired by my wife. She asked me if there's one thing I can do that made me a little bit more happy and the 1st thing I thought was to start a new label of my own. Apocalypse started with Tyrant and Tense. But like Larry Nevermind said in his interview with DJ Asylum, managerial positions have changed and I couldn't be more happy then to have Larry still doing it. Skumkore is meant to be sort of free for all Music genres. Apocalypse has that signature speedkore. I just want to give a different avenue to expose more.

GG: The artwork on the vinyl release is fabulous and memorable. Who designed the album art?

The artwork was all Madame Chao. Let's not forget though Jared Knight gave the concept of course Adam knows his visual art but Knight was the inspiration and especially on the Side A track "Compulsion of the device". I met Knight through Chao. He used to go by the name the headless rapist. It's unfortunate he passed away, but Chao always gives props when props are due. You can even see it on his website of whatever he samples. madamechao.com



GG: Is the Madame Chao digital and vinyl release a reboot for Skumkore Muzik, or a one-off reminder of Skumkore’s existence?

Well it's not really a reminder. It just came up with an idea of how to start something new not really associated with anything from the past. It was sitting there for years for me to rediscover. Skumkore 25-2 Is coming with most likely a 7" with Duran Duran Duran and Fury 8. Steve Fiend mastered the 1st 7" and the 2nd one once it's ready to go. Also in the works is a digital online world peace compilation my wife is working on. artists to include Madame Chao, Nevermind, Midnight Sonny, Fiend, myself (the tyrant), Fury 8. A 2 part digi release to focus on how the conflicts of political powers that don't really reflect the will of the people. Especially in Gaza and Israel. Not everyone agrees with their government of law.

Thank You for all your questions and movement for the scene.

The Hardcore Overdogs... the next generation?

Look at this, isn't it great? (Zoom in to see it better)

One of our readers and fans used our magazine to gather knowledge for a school project and presentation in their German language class!
Awesome.
Please go on like this!

Review: Various Artists - Astral Wave Vol 2 (Braintrance)

Braintrance is my favorite (and only?) label for new Ravecore and Hardtrance productions, and I think I said that 10 times already.
But it's true, I know no other label that does the old sound, and does not mix it with more boring "new" styles like mainstream hardstyle or hardstyle or whatever.
It's just pure, card-carrying, trance / rave hardcore.

This little release is a bit harder (and faster) than the usual output on the label. And that's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh), I like it!

Various Artists - Astral Wave Vol 2

1. Wasi Distorsion - Super Saw 05:32
2. Astral Wave - Symphony Of The Crown 05:16
3. Dj El Gris - High Spirits In The Shadows 04:51
4. Ninu Brt - Bright 05:51
5. Mr. Ace - Panic Transmission 07:01

https://braintrance.bandcamp.com/album/astral-wave-vol-2

Bandcamp Friday coverage - August 2026

Here at the Overdogs, we often do a kind of "live coverage" on Bandcamp Fridays.
Trying to find+review the goods.

This is not just about Hardcore and Techno, but all kinds of styles... so watch out!

Note: No AI was used when writing these texts / reviews.

(Edit 2: One more update)

P.S.W. 2022 - Brutalism (Order Doesn't Matter) (Bunker Records)

Is this the summer of brutalism, or what? Kim Petras just had a single out called "Brutalist" (very good, btw!), the Hypertechno band "Brutalism 2000" was just featured on European TV channel "Arte", and now, our dirty electro rockers from The Hague come out with this.

This pesky little style of cold war architecture is high in demand, right now, isn't?

But let's get down to business, or rather, music.

Dutch label Bunker is legendary for its minimal / early Techno (Unit Moebius, Rude 66, I-F). Then they did a U-turn at the turn of the Millennium and did all those retro 80s electro-funk releases (Legowelt, Rude 66 and I-F again). Which even put them on heavy rotation with the MTV (I kid you not!).

And this new EP is something I was hoping for, but I did not expect it. It seems like an unlikely, "schizophrenic" fusion of 80s electronic b-boy funk, and early 90s minimal / harsh acid.

Bon Appetit!

https://bunker-panzerkreuz.bandcamp.com/album/brutalism-order-doesnt-matter-panzerkreuz-space-war-2022

(Edit: Three More Reviews)

John Carpenter - Cathedral (Self-Released)

Yes, *the* John Carpenter. Director of Halloween, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, In The Mouth of Madness...
Is he some eccentric rich guy that now wants to do music, too?
Very far from it! Carpenter has always been a musician; more specifically, he did the score and soundtracks for a lot of his own movies. He is one of the true electronic music pioneers, in a group with people like Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis, Kraftwerk, Jean Michel Jarre...
One of his compositions even was adopted by Bomb The Bass (a UK techno group), and became an early rave hit in the 90s.

This album seems heavily synth-wave inspired. But, well, it's actually the other way round. Synthwave is a genre that was co-created by our director here. Not intentionally, but synth-wave as a genre is to a very large part inspired by Carpenter's early movie soundtracks (well, and also the aesthetics of the movies itself... like "Escape from New York").

So it must feel a bit like a god coming home to his own creation... right?
But, yeah, this album is grand! Or, as the info text reads:

"An abandoned cathedral. A gruesome murder. A powerful supernatural entity living in the catacombs. It all comes to a head in downtown Los Angeles."

https://johncarpentermusic.bandcamp.com/album/cathedral



Wavelan Vs. Disintegrator - B2B / Your Power (Industrial Strength Records)

A release by Oliver Chesler, who is a legend in Techno / Hardcore music (author of tracks like "Flesh is the Fever" or "One night in NYC", also John Selway, another Techno Legend, and Carl Carinci, a Gabber legend (author of tracks like "Brookly Mob" or "NYC Speedcore").

With this line up, you might expect something super hardcore, but it's more like acid techno. With a touch of early Goa. Or rather, that typical "american" psytrance / goa vibe, that often is in their 90s techno production, for some reason.
it's still quite hardcore, and mental.
spiffy + cool!

https://industrialstrengthrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wavelan-vs-disintegrator

Cave Castle - Ancient Ones (Clan Destine Records)

I know Clan Destine Records from Glasgow (great pun in their name, btw!) as a label for the toughest of the tough. Speedcore, Noize, Industrial, EBM... Breakcore.
So I was a bit astonished to hear this release. Definitely won't give you nosebleed while listening, this time!
It's more like gloomy, chilling breaks, electro stuff.... also in the vein of lo-fi hiphop... but more "fierce", if you catch my drift. Good beats to relax / study, too!

The label itself de-classifies it as "New album ov Dungeon Rap". Which is a good term, too!

https://clandestinerecords.bandcamp.com/album/anicent-ones

Alien Skin - Black Flowers Remember (self-released)

Alien Skin was a surprising discovery for me this year. The "band" / project quickly turned into one of my favorite things. TBH, I first feared it was AI or an otherwise "artificial" project. It all seemed too perfect!
But no, it's a project by George Pappas, who played in the band Real Life (the band that wrote "Send me an angel" in the 80s).
It's not about angels, it's about aliens. And if you know Real Life... you might expect what kind of sound to hear here. 80s Synth Pop, Wave, New Romantics... all over again.
In my opinion, it shows that a veteran is at work here because... it doesn't feel too overloaded, or changed. Does not really mix Synth Pop with "newer" styles.
What it does though, is to add a layer of emotion, longing...

I mean, yeah, Synth Pop always had this dark romantic thing, and I think Alien Skin extended it even a few notches farther.

https://alienskin.bandcamp.com/album/black-flowers-remember

Various Artists - Overlook. Music inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (Unexplained Sounds Group)

Is there anything more awesome than the Unexplained Sounds Group on Bandcamp?
They do these great anthology releases, for example about Dark Ambient artists out of Iran (!) or Experimental Electronic music out of China (!)...

According to the info text, this one here, "Overlook is a music compilation inspired by The Shining, the 1980 film directed by Stanley Kubrick".

I also want to share the "genre" description from the info text:
"The artists involved explore a wide spectrum that spans ambient music, experimental electronic composition, Berlin school, hauntology and works situated between drone music and contemporary classical practices,"

Everything clear?

It says it is inspired, but I think it could also work as a kind of "second OST" to some of the scenes in the movie.
This is very experimental stuff, at a high level, *but*, and that's the big plus for me, it also has a really powerful mood and atmosphere in the tracks.

https://unexplainedsoundsgroup.bandcamp.com/album/overlook-music-inspired-by-stanley-kubrick-s-the-shining

Prince Istari - Escape From The Tomb Of The Synth Lich

I wanted to skip this one, but then I noticed it is called a "Dungeon Dub" release, and I got curious.
I guess the idea is to combine "Dungeon Synth" with Dubstep / Dub-breaks...
According to the blurb, it is the soundtrack to a table top / dungeon crawl, that can be ordered along-side the record.
Not sure which part of the project is real, fake, or a parody...
The tracks themselves sound like a re-run of Stranger Things (the intro!) and electronic dub reggae beats layered on top... also sound quite whimsical.
But yeah. It's good stuff!

https://spb-hamburg.bandcamp.com/album/escape-from-the-tomb-of-the-synth-lich

Overdog of the past: Lunatic Asylum - Cabal (Energy Flow) (Polydor / Zeitgeist)

A post-PCP release, a few years after his tenure at Planet Core Productions.

This is no mental psycho gabba underground, like we were used to hear by Guillaume.

This was at a time when the hardtrance wave was at the height of its turn towards mellow (paradox) but was also still quite cosmic.

This shows he was readily able to make tunes with chart appeal sounds, that were still cool and fresh and sincere (in my opinion).

The melody reminds me a bit of his earlier, biggest hit "the meltdown". I must say it also reminds me of Fear Factory's Resurrection! ( hehe )

The "remixes" are actually quite similar and, as far as I can "hear", mainly vary in length.

There is even a tiesto remix on it!

Why did this tune never become a charting big big trance hit? 

I don't know! It would have deserved it.

https://www.discogs.com/master/128092-DJ-Hitch-Hiker-Pres-Lunatic-Asylum-Cabal-Energy-Flow

Overdog of the past: Ilsa Gold - XXX 4 Gasometertrax

Can a release by Ilsa Gold by an Under/Overdog? Yes, because of the following reason:

Many years ago, a friend told me a real bombshell of a story:
he showed me some document (forgot what it was) which indicated that Planet Core Productions, when they were still around, had plans to release an EP by Ilsa Gold.
I mean, how awesome would have been? Two of the most iconic hardcore / rave icons of the 90s... joined in a project!
But, as we know, it never happened.
What did become of the release?
So my friend has this theory. The tracks on this EP called Gasometertrax actually grew out of the aborted pcp project!
Could be a completely wild claim, or maybe there is some truth on it.

The tracks sound indeed very different to almost everything else by the ilsas.
Very monotonic, "rave arena" sounds... slower. And no cheesy and corny samples like in other ilsa gold tracks.
Or maybe these were just "inspired" by pcp.
Either way, a unique and outstanding release!

https://www.discogs.com/artist/13350-Ilsa-Gold