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ART OF FIGHTERS: RANKED! 5 Arty Tracks!

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Under the masks, Art of Fighters, or AoF, is a musical trio of Italian hardcore and gabber DJs and producers Cristian Nardelli, Luca Lorini and Matteo Pitossi. The three artists’ musical journey started in 1997, back when they were teenagers and still rookies in the hardcore world. They produced their first E.P.”The Beat Can’t Change” in 2000, at the age of 18. They then went out to make their biggest hit yet, “Artwork”. This track is definitely what turned them into big players in the international hardcore scene.

Art of Fighters make a reputation for themselves by performing in different clubs in all of the European continent, mostly in Italy, The Netherlands, Germany and Spain. They are also famous for their unique live-sets: They always perform wearing scary hockey masks, like the one seen in the movie “Friday 13th”.

From 1997 to now, Art of Fighters have been playing in several parties and festivals and their rise to fame have been basically unstoppable since then. They are now a reference in the hardcore international scene, not only in Europe, but in other countries where the hardcore genre is still considered very underground such as Japan, Australia, the US or even some South American countries.

Their sounds are known to be raw, powerful and hard, as you can see it (well, hear it actually) in the 5 tracks bellow. Enjoy it!

  1. Artwork:

This track defines perfectly the nature of Art of Fighters’ style. Quick, rough and energetic, you will probably start dancing to it without realizing it.

  1. Nirvana of Noise:

The sounds are dark, mysterious and powerful. I can already imagine this track in an action movie scene or some dark British TV show (the British really know how to make dark TV shows, let’s give them that).

  1. Goodbye (See you next time):

The sounds in this track are a little bit more soft and rhythmic. You’ll listen to it, dance to it, and appreciate it in all its genius.

  1. A New Today:

A collaboration that is definitely worth the detour! This mix of deeply hard sounds, energetic rhythm and Lily Julian’s voice will leave you panting.

  1. Words of War:

This is where you discover that, more than just producers, Art of Fighters are storytellers. You will enjoy the scenario of this track as much as the sounds.

Art of Fighters are now a force to reckon with in the hardcore industry. Their unique, special sounds turned them into one of the biggest names on the scene and they’re not slowing down.

Follow them on their Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/artoffighters/

 

Articles, Events, Reviews

Minnesota Hard Dance says This is Halloween

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Last night, Minnesota Hard Dance lit up the Twin Cities with ripping, cutting edge electronic music stuffed into an old school format. Ostensibly, the excuse was Halloween, though  half these partyers looked liked they dressed in costume almost every weekend anyway. A wide assortment of rave flavors could be sampled last night, hardcore (by yours truly), drum and bass, Psytrance, sub-ground, techno, happy hardcore, hardstyle… I’m missing a few here, but trust me, between the two rooms you had ear candy waiting for you at anytime.

Though taking place on a Saturday, “This is Halloween” was the name of the party, just to help attendees plan their circadian rhythms accordingly. This was important because magnetic musical artists would be making marks on memories until 5:00 am. As I had a flight the next day, all logical sense of responsibility told me that I should leave shortly after I played. I made the critical, we can’t really call it an “error” because I was the better for it, but I stepped into the middle of DJ Darkmatter’s (not to be confused with L.A.’s Darkmatter Soundsystem) psy-trance set and it was off-the-hook! I cancelled my ride to the hotel and proceeded to bug out to the early morning, sleep-be-damned!

It occurred to me that for the underground to thrive, a wide mixtures of styles is not only more interesting, but necessary. It was a well-attended event, but with all the parties going on the Halloween weekend, its in everyone’s interest in the rave scene to merge the styles because in the current commercial climate only the really big more commercial parties can specialize on a consistent basis. The great thing about this party is that the crowd seemed to appreciate all the styles, too. There was rarely any drop off at either of the sound stages.

So if you were at “This is Halloween” last night, I congratulate you! I bet there was no place in the Twin Cities last night that was as supportive of good music, on shredding sound systems, and with an embrace of the creativity we need to thrive. Big ups to Minnesota Hard Dance for another great party!

Photo by Rad Timmah

Articles, RANKED!

Partyraiser: The Best 5 Tracks RANKED!

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Partyraiser is definitely one of the oldest players in the hardcore scene. In 1995, Wesley van Swol, who would soon be known under the stage name Partyraiser, started DJ-ing in parties in his hometown, encouraged by his family and one of his best friends, who helped him learn the initial tricks of working the turntables. Even back then, Wesley van Swol impressed others by his skills. It’s in one of those numerous parties that Partyraiser met Bart Revier AKA Distroyer. They produced their first tracks together and went on playing in small events together.

Luckily enough, the pair ended up meeting Dutch Gabber Network Records’ Vincent Heijnen in one of their many parties, and he was very interested in their music. This impromptu meeting resulted in a vinyl called “A New World Order” that has been critically-acclaimed by none other than Lady Dana and DJ Paul.

Soon after, Wesley van Swol and Bart Revier split up, each starting his own solo career. And it’s not until 2001 that Partyraiser truly finds his voice, creating his own concept called “Doomsday”. This step is what really brought him out to the hardcore world. He started working outside of his province and gaining recognition outside of The Netherlands.

After his breakthrough, everything changed for Partyraiser. He became a phenomenon that every hardcore fan talked about. Partyraiser describes his style as “hardest hardcore”, the fruit of many influences ranging from house to terrorcore and even old rock, as one of his favorite artists is Elvis Presley.

So, in the light of all this, let’s discover together Partyraiser’s 5 best tracks.

  1. Sound Becomes One:

No needs to wait for the beat to go from slow to quick with this one. It starts off hard and softens in the middle, which brings a very welcome change. Truly listen to this song, and you will find yourself flying. Aaaaand, in the third minute, the track returns to that crazy quick vibe it had in the beginning, which might confuse some people who aren’t used to Partyraiser’s very eclectic style.

  1. Time To Raise The Party:

This is definitely the party track. Just imagine yourself in a rave, somewhere in Amsterdam, drink in hand and neon lights surrounding you, just feeling the music in your bones and being part of a crowd that moves like a monster with one thousand heads. So, listen to the man and raise that party!

  1. Our Power:

This is a truly powerful track, and not just because of its name. The sounds are hard, dark and more on the terrorcore side.

  1. From The Westcoast:

With some rap in the middle and a quick beat, this is the perfect west coast sound. Just forget yourself for a few minutes and feel the music, you’ll find yourself dancing without realizing it!

  1. Like An Animal:

Wow, this starts strong! This track doesn’t give you time to acclimate to the music, you just head bang like crazy from the beginning, because there’s no other alternative!

Partyraiser is an artist who knows how to use all of his imagination and inventiveness to create music that transcends space and time. His way of looking at the hardcore style is open minded and original, which explains the use of many musical styles in the same track. It’s pleasing to the ears, as his ever growing fan-base proves.

To know more about Partyraiser, check out his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PartyraiserOfficial/

Or… go to his upcoming show Dec. 3, 2016 in Los Angeles, WINTERFRESH MUSIC FESTIVAL!

Articles, RANKED!

WARFACE: 5 Raging Tracks RANKED!

Born and raised in The Netherlands, Youri Claessens AKA Warface is a raw hardstyle DJ and producer. In just a few years, his popularity has grown and he became one of the biggest names the industry has seen.

He started his journey in 2010, hosting small parties with his friends in his hometown, simply for the love of music. It wasn’t until he met the hardcore artist Triax (Remco-Jan Prevoo) that he started to think more about making a career out of his passion for producing raw hardstyle. So when Triax asked him to collaborate on a new project named Warface, he said yes without giving it a second thought.

From a DJ on a small scale, Youri turned into a famous and well-respected rawstyle producer who garnered a big fan-base that went totally crazy over his music and his unique live-acts. Indeed, his presence on-scene is phenomenal. Always clad in a mask and suit, magnetic and charismatic, Youri knows how to turn a normal live show into a raging party. His style is aggressive, bold and pleases the crowd. His unique style is also an element we can’t ignore, and some of his latest tracks and collaborations quickly climbed the charts of hardstyle.com, which says a lot about Warface’s popularity, especially that he’s still considered a “rising” artist.

Warface’s production and DJ sets are different from what rawstyle fans usually hear, which contributed to his popularity and turned him into an “all weekends are booked” producer.

So, without further ado, here are Warface’s 5 most popular tracks. Enjoy them!

  1. The Danger Zone:

What to start with… if not a collaboration with the mighty Luna? The “operatic” sends you directly in the mood of what becomes a dark and intense track. It starts slow but quickly turns into that sick beat that’s Warzone’s signature. If you close your eyes while listening to this, you’ll feel the rave surrounding you.

  1. Throwback:

This collaboration between Warface and Crypsis is worth the detour. Hard and fast, you can recognize both producers’ signature in it. You can feel the rhythm in your bones, urging you to ignite the dance floor on fire.

  1. Warzone:

All of Warface’s tracks have a reference to the battlefield, which is understandable. But you don’t have as much fun in a battlefield than in a rave –unless you’re a sociopath –  and that’s where Warface truly shines!

  1. Wakin’ Up:

This track is another masterpiece collaboration that has an extremely hip-hop vibe to it in the beginning, but soon switches to the rawstyle that Warface is famous for. The beat is sick and will make you dance as if no one is watching.

  1. The Truth:

This track is truly on fire, and that’s normal, since it’s a flaming collab’ between Warface and Delete. As they say, “Get up!” and dance, because the present is all you’ve got.

Warface is now one of the most energetic, eclectic and appreciated name in the rawcore scene. His original live sets and fiery albums turned him into an important name in the industry and he’s now booking shows all over the world.

For more info about Warface, check out his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/WarfaceOfficial/

 

Articles, RANKED!

Crypsis: The Best 5 Tracks RANKED!

Working under the Minus is More label, Grzegorz Luzynski AKA Crypsis is a Dutch-Polish rawstyle DJ and producer. He was first discovered by the hardstyle legend Luna who took him under his wing and made him the raw hardstyle star he is today.

Fascinated by Crypsis’s unique take on hardstyle, Luna suggested a collaboration that ended up giving us the magnificent E.P. called “Choices”.

Crypsis is known for his progressive, raw and energetic musical style, and for his original live shows that set the roof on fire (metaphorically speaking, of course). And most importantly, he cares about his fans and what they like. He said once in an interview that he, as a DJ and producer, didn’t get to choose which music was “cool” or not, because in the end, it was all about his fans and whether they liked what he made or not. Him caring about his fans’ opinion that much is what helped him gain a huge fan-base, not only in Europe, but all over the world.

After his albums ‘Statement of Intent’ in 2009 and ‘Cryptology’ in 2012, Crypsis established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the rawstyle scene and as Minus is More’s front soldier and one of their most important producers.

Today, you will get to discover Crypsis’s 5 most popular tracks ever. Get ready, because you will be dancing A LOT!

  1. Program Hostile:

We’re starting with a pretty dark collaboration here, with Crypsis and MC Nolz. This is a track that starts strong and end the same way, leaving you banging your head even after you’re done listening to it. The dark side of it adds a shade of mystery to an already noir track.

  1. Bathe In Blood:

No, Crypsis is not trying to turn you into a psycho murderer who could bathe in their victims’ blood. This is metaphorical, y’all! This track is fast and you can truly feel the raw side in it. We imagine this being played in a party where everyone is wearing fantastically creepy Jason masks. It just gives off this kind of nicely disturbing vibes.

  1. Lost In The Mist:

This track starts on the conventional side, and just when you’re getting used to it, it hits you with a mix of opera and Asian sounds, which is a testimony of how inventive Crypsis can be with his art.

  1. Kill For The Thrill:

And once again, this is metaphorical y’all! Don’t go murdering people in the streets, even if you feel like this track is definitely killer!

  1. Say My Name:

This feels like a Beaking Bad reference, but sadly, it isn’t. What is it though is a sick track that will make you mooove!

This last September, Crypsis released his latest album at Supremacy 2016, and as always, it didn’t disappoint! He has now more die-hard fans than ever, and he impresses with his original style and progressive tracks.

Check out Crypsis’s Facebook page and find out more about him here:

https://www.facebook.com/crypsismusic/

Dedicated to the harder sound of electronic dance music.