Tag Archives: EDC

Here is a jam packed and raw interview with an artist/promoter/raver/teddy bear that has literally been with hardcore since its uprising in the United States. All of California has witnessed this man’s work in some from or another, and to have this kind of energy grace us at this year’s edition of GABBERFEST: AMERICA’S Hardest (June 18th-19th in Las Vegas, Nevada, EDC Weekend) is not only necessary, but a true lesson in hardcore for a lot of us (this man is a literal history book on the scene).

Representing California on the main stage this year, and representing TopDawg SF, CKM Records, and Kids of the Core: DJ EN3RGY!

How did you decide on your stage name?
At my first rave in 1990 I was introduced to the scene at a large desert gathering. I remember the sheer excitement of being inside this new place and losing track of time which turned out to be days just running on the adrenaline in my body. On the third day of the gathering I was asked if I was tired yet. When I told them no, one said I had too much energy. At that moment of the three who brought me said “That’s perfect, we’ll name you that.” So I ran around introducing myself as “Energy”. About 10 years later we added the “3” to dispute multiple identical names and “En3rgy” was born while I was with the production company NeoSapiens. I would later be known as the artist who would also include 3 styles of hardcore into his sets. And the rest is history. No really, it’s history.

How did you start producing/DJ’ing?
During the early 90’s urban music, dance, and breaking was still very popular. And DJ’ing was still a craze. I used to be a b-boy and with some friends. I used to practice with them and they would have me play a record and switch over the track during performances where the DJ, who also danced, would jump in. Soon after I started my own party crew and we started doing events. I met a DJ who used to rent us out his system and asked if he would teach me how to mix. For months I begged until one day I eventually got a shot. Within two weeks he dropped me and told me that I should just give up and that he found a better protégé. So after finding a job, I bought my own turntables and began practicing everyday. Eventually I would become a self taught turntablist developing my own style and technique still not seen today. As far as producing goes, when I got into that I had done everything there was to do with just DJ’ing. Though I haven’t been signed to a major label I still produce original works and fun remixes of US hardcore. I push the style of US hardcore because of where we are from and it still various in style. It’s just about pushing things to the next level.

How did you get interested in the harder styles?
I remember listening to certain styles that set the ground roots for me such as techno and early house. But along the way I made friends and had one in particular who would travel with his family to Europe and the UK and would pick up mix tapes from artists out there and bring them back for me. So growing up I had a ton of tapes that were of the harder genres. Then locally I discovered a distributor that sells these tapes. I bet not many knew some of the mellow artists now used to rock out hard back in the day. I was lucky to pick up hardcore tapes as well and since then I’ve been hooked. I still remember the early days of hardcore and was introduced to the faster stuff before I really got into the happier stuff. People like Speed Freak, The Hammer Bros., Buzz Fuzz, DJ Paul Elstak, Tron, Delta 9, Delirium, DJ Bike etc. Ever since then I’ve been hardcore. And I mean truly hardcore. I eat, breath and live the physical being of hardcore.

What changes have you noticed in your local rave/hard dance scene since you started?
In all honesty a lot has changed. Now I know most people won’t want to hear the truth but lets be honest. I never gave a crap about what anyone ever thought if they didn’t lift a finger to help me get where I am today. So to lay it out, the politics have entered the scene again. People only playing favorites while others drunk with power try to stop others from doing what they do even before they got there. Before there were a lot of DJ’s, and I mean a lot. You had to earn your spot, but that’s no longer the case. People think that they deserve to be there without putting in work or effort only because of “who” they know and the few hours they spent playing in their rooms or for friends. The long time tradition of respect is missing again as well as honor among artists. Add that everyone has some gimmick or tries to live off someone else’s hard work or style and it dilutes what used to be whole and p

En3rgy from last year's edition of Gabberfest. — En3rgy, representing California at the 2016 edition of the American Gabberfest!

retty much flawless. I’ve seen long time artists, great artists get replaced by untalented hacks who are friends with promoters and just retired never to share their sounds again. I’ve encountered promoters low-ball the hardcore rooms for other stages even more or cut them completely because they don’t want to fork out the money or they do not have it to begin with because they are only in it to make money. I’ve seen people steal personas and looks from eras they weren’t even really around in. I’ve seen people call themselves “Emcees [MC’s]” yet they couldn’t wrap a present let alone a verse. Now I’m not naming names in particular and people can read it how they choose to. But it’s the truth. People are afraid of competition and proving themselves as deserving. Competition truly never hurt anyone. In fact it’s what made me a better man and a better artist. Because in life you cannot learn how to win, until you learn how to accept defeat. And that’s the truth. There truly is a lot wrong with things today vs how things were in the past for good reason. Because deny it as people must, there was a time when hardcore flourished more underground than commercially here. And we all did our part for the music if we got along or not. A lot has changed, but there are still signs of hope. Some promoters put their everything into the events to give people great shows. That’s how I built my company. I didn’t have much or at times anything at all and I would risk it all to have great shows so people could enjoy themselves. I say this as an artist/promoter/raver. I have a pretty good balance on watching the scene closely
for over 26 years.

What do you think about the current state of harder styles in America?
I think currently there are ups and downs. Now is it at it’s highest it’s ever been? No, far from it. I think it did have a short bounce back but not withouts ome disasters here and there. I do however believe it did get a bit of notice but if you really pay attention it’s kind of lost in the shuffle of the mainstream and in the underground too hidden from the ones who need to listen to it. Also there needs to be an influx of artists to change things without having to worry about politics. The headliners who grace the stages are already there but the ones below need to be shuffled more before it becomes stagnant and stale. Currently we’re experiencing a slow period and has happened before. Again it’s because of the never changing line ups, the people who choose it’s “who you know” or “how you look” vs talent and hard work. Even with the digital age it still seems like it’s not being utilized correctly in a manner that would make the scene whole again. Very few companies have the right formula while others refuse to change it only to add to the problems. One company I will give credit to is American Gabberfest out in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are doing something that needed to be done and that is unite all national artists and veterans and show the masses what the true harder styles are. With the overtaking of massives and festivals, you have people unaware of various sounds in North America or they just clump them together in one failed acronym. By throwing a show that showcases the harder sounds new fans ears are opened up and the music can continue to flourish. But by just having a personal interpretation like other groups, you really don’t do anything other than throw just another party. This is where I question a lot and see the difference and why more artists are pickier with their events. Most of us still love the music more than anything.

Will you be attending both Gabberfest and EDC this year?
I will only be attending Gabberfest honestly. It’s a fun place with music I enjoy who are actual fans of the genres. Gabberfest is North America’s catalyst for bigger things every year as it grows. Like most things it’s most important point is the beginning. The best times are the early years. It’s like a plant, first you plant the seeds, then you water it and watch it grow into something great. I know from first hand experience with the shows I’ve done. I’ve created name brands and event brands with my company and family. So watching something grow from the beginning while letting it flourish not only benefits the community but also expands it.

In brutal honesty, Insomniac hasn’t really done anything even with a Basscon stage. Sure their events are packed with party goers and big name artists. But they are the main reason why the smaller promoters and communities have taken huge hits. They do nothing to expand the music among people really. The music is flooded in between generic terms like EDM and hard dance. Community artists who have paved the way for others are pushed out or deemed unworthy to just wave their hands around and pose for cameras. They cram various styles into one area which confuses people. For a million dollar company, they focus more on this imaginary image, stolen ideas and concepts and how to make themselves appeal as part of the people. However you know for a fact they’ve never been in the pit or on the speakers with the rest of us. For the hard dance community to grow, the underground needs to rise again. The veterans need their true moments to shine and the smaller long time supporters should be supported fully not selectively. Only then will things be as they were in the early years and only then with the community united will hard dance be as dominant as it was at its highest point. To coexist with the past, present, and future has always been the key to any great community. It’s the true meaning of unity and is the only way to truly expand the sounds that we love.

What are you trying to convey through your music? Are there any themes or ideas that are important to you?
For me this is something I can’t put into words. When I play I’m connecting with everyone on the dance floor. Whether it’s 1 person or 10,000. When I get on the decks I speak to the audience in hopes they hear the happiness/feeling in my soul. I’ve never been about themes or gimmicks. When I play, I step onto the decks and just let myself be free. It’s the moment I’m able to escape the madness, the reality of life, the things we deal with everyday. The only mission I have is to represent my heart, the music and to have everyone join me on a journey into the deepest, happiest part of your soul. It’s one of those things you have to see live in order to understand. It’s the closest thing I can compare to paradise in your brain.

Do you have anything special planned for Gabberfest? Any surprises this time around?
There wouldn’t be any surprises if I told you! But I will definitely be bringing out some fun tracks, possibly some original works and more. Who knows maybe I can get a few strippers! But know I’ll be bringing out the heat during my set, even the sun is going to have to catch up to me on this one. The hardcore will rise this day for sure!

Anything else you’d like to say to the readers? Any events coming up in the summer?
Currently my booking calendar is open and I have nothing else really planned except for a few events later this year and will be organizing the “Rise Of The Hardcore Tour”, so if people are interested they can book me through my sites or email at kidsofthecore@yahoo.com. As far as everything else is concerned I will be hitting the studio working on new projects and mixes so my mix pages will be getting an influx of stuff. I also will be posting more videos on my YouTube pages including tour videos, paranormal investigations and music previews. I’m focusing more on making music these days but love performing and when I have new events I’ll definitely be adding them to my calendar.

And how about shout-outs?
I want to give shout outs to my family for always believing in me, my Kids of the Core family for always working hard. My production partner and sister Natalie aka Squirt for not only being my number one fan with mum, but also for continuing to believe in me and being there even at my roughest points. My best friends JayJay, Robin & Scott. I don’t see you often but you guys are always there. To my TopDawg San Francisco family (Scooby & Glow). To Tiffany, you keep me going and thank you for pushing me and making me smile. There really is too much to name off but you know who you guys are that helped all this “En3rgy” truly flourish. And as I say it can not be created nor destroyed, you all carry “En3rgy” on forever. I hope we
continue this journey in the next phase and show them just exactly how we do it. So live happy, live true, live hardcore. – En3rgy

Kids of the Core, founded and operated by DJ En3rgy! — Kids of the Core, founded and operated by DJ En3rgy

You can stay up-to-date with all the “En3rgy” on his social media:

www.djen3rgy.com
www.hearthis.at/en3rgy
www.facebook.com/DjEn3rgyOfficial
www.twitter.com/Dj_En3rgy
www.instagram.com/djen3rgy21
www.youtube.com/djen3rgy21

Articles, Daybreaker, Interviews

The Counter-Terrorist Interview: Gabberfest 2016

May 17, 2016 Daybreaker

The Counter-Terrorist. Representing Wisconsin at the third annual Gabberfest! — The Counter-Terrorist (nomadic) at Trauma. Next field operation: GABBERFEST! Photo by Peter Vincent.

Living along the plains of the mid-west, The Counter-Terrorist, surprisingly, hasn’t had the struggle of locating the harder genres of electronic music, nor breaking into his local scene with said genres like many westerners (of the US) had imagined when you hear that he’s coming from the state of Wisconsin. Seeing CT live already, I know what kind of a acidic treat we are getting having this name on the line up for GABBERFEST (June 18-19th, Las Vegas, Nevada) and now you all get to discover what is essentially the man “protecting the ears of ravers from the terrors of radio garbage”!

How did you decide on your stage name?

I was originally going by a different name but I wasn’t super big on it, so I did some thinking about my roots in the rave scene, love of comics, and then my history of playing Counter-Strike 1.6 back in the late 90’s and early 00’s with my old foreign exchange student came to mind. It’s a bit of a mouthful, certainly, but it’s my identity. Protecting the ears of ravers from the terrors of radio garbage.

How did you start producing/DJ’ing?

In 2010 I met my best friend who introduced me to controllerism and helped me learn the basics of mixing; I’d wanted to learn how to DJ since I was a kid but my family knew nothing about it and didn’t know anyone who could teach me (their concept of DJs is strictly the guy who plays at weddings or on the radio). Since 2010 I’ve used a couple programs and controllers and then moved onto CDJs due to preference.

How did you get interested in the harder styles?

My first experience with harder genres happened in the late 90’s when we had a foreign exchange student from Germany live with us. He brought over a bunch of music with him but the stuff I got hooked on was the acid trance/hard acid/hard trance. My dad liked it too so he downloaded a bunch of stuff like the Tunnel Trance Force mixes and then he came across some old US hard house that I just went NUTS over. After the turn of the century, while I was in high school, I got introduced to early hardstyle (the reverse bass and gated kicks stuff) then found old gabber/industrial hardcore music while browsing online and it continued to progress from there.

What changes have you noticed in your local rave/hard dance scene since you started?

Well as far as the scene I hail from, hardcore isn’t dead (HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE!) but it’s not nearly as big as it once was. Which is a shame to me because we have lots of great hardcore DJs. We got Elekid, Idiom, Delta 9, Dan Efex, Softcore, and so many more. But hardcore isn’t as welcome or desired in today’s world as it was before. Which is why I moved to the west coast where the hardcore scene is thriving for the most part. Nustyle, euphoric hardstyle, rawstyle, and UK hardcore seem to be picking up momentum in Minnesota from what I’ve seen and heard.

What do you think about the current state of harder styles in America?

I think that the hard genres in general seem to be regaining popularity to varying degrees. Primarily hardstyle, but gabber, happy hardcore, and UK hardcore appear to be converting new fans as well. The other sub-genres of hard music are a bit under-represented so it’s difficult for certain sounds to get heard. As far as the more abrasive hardcore sounds, frenchcore and terrorcore look to be gaining momentum since it was demanded by fans at Trauma: Oldschool for the Headstrong till it was played. Uptempo hardcore seems to be trending in the US gabber scene as well. Overall, I’m cautiously optimistic about the future of hard music in the US because the genres are definitely not for everyone, however we seem to be making some progress as far as creating new fans. We just really need more support for our local artists.

Will you be attending both EDC & GABBERFEST this year?

Just GABBERFEST. EDC is too much thriller, not enough chiller (laughs)!

How do you feel about Insomniac’s support of the hard dance community? Even with the Basscon stage, do you feel that it’s enough?

Even with the Basscon stage, EDC does not do enough to represent the hard dance community. It’s primarily geared towards hardstyle despite a couple UK Hardcore DJs and one or two regular “mainstyle” hardcore DJs which, don’t get me wrong, is a step in the right direction but it doesn’t give a in-depth look at the diversity in the hard music scene as a whole.
What are you trying to convey through your music? Are there any themes or ideas that are important to you?

As far as themes when I spin hardcore, it’s generally mind-bending stuff. My gabber sets either conjure up nightmares and things of a dark and twisted nature or it’s some straight gangster shit. When I spin US/UK hard house, my sound is hard-hitting and ghetto. My acid sets are designed around nostalgia but super groovy (SO many “Blood Rave” remixes). You wind up with a pretty eccentric style when you’re raised in Drop Bass Network territory.

Do you have anything special planned for Gabberfest?

Well I’m under the impression that I’m gonna be doing a b2b set so it’s difficult to say what I’ll end up playing, honestly. But it will likely be either frenchcore, hardtek, and terrorcore in a b2b set or gabber, frenchcore, hardtek, and terrorcore if I’m playing solo. Start Hard, Finish Harder. Amirite?

What’s the next operation for the Counter-Terrorist? Any last words/rites?

Since moving out here to the west coast at the beginning of the last quarter of 2014, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to work with some incredible artists and crews both big name and local. There are too many people to thank individually, but I really appreciate all the help and love I’ve gotten from my West Coast and Midwest families. I love you all and I can’t wait to do even more incredible things with you guys. Gabberfest and Northkore are gonna be super rad, you won’t want to miss either if you’re a fan of hard music!

Be prepared for the Counter-Terrorist’s next operation by following him on his social media!

http://artistecard.com/thecounterterrorist/

Articles, Daybreaker, Interviews

CIK Interview: Gabberfest 2016

May 9, 2016 Daybreaker

This is one of our American artists that hardly needs an introduction. This man has covered ground from the west coast stretching as far as the heart of Gabber home country (Holland), has produced and collaborated alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, and is responsible for the uprising of the Arizona Hardcore Junkies, a local collective of producer/DJs that helped put Arizona on the map as one of THE best states for hardcore techno music. Boys and girls, representing Arizona at this year’s Gabberfest (June 18th-19th, EDC Weekend), please welcome the granddaddy of them all, this is: CIK!

CIK at Nocturnal Wonderland, 2008. Hardcore getting bigger! — CIK at Nocturnal Wonderland, 2004. Hardcore getting bigger!

How did you decide on your stage name?

Back in the day I had this bad habit as saying “that’s sick” to describe something that was really cool. In those days there was SIK graphics company here in Phoenix, and I believe a SIC company so I trapped it out (Yeah, trappin’ in the 90’s) and I replaced the first letter of the name to make it cooler.

How did you start producing/DJ’ing?

I started DJ’ing because my mentor and sensei, Spitfire, asked me if I wanted to buy his record collection and I did. I then lived with a guy who had Numark TTX tables and I learned how to beat-match. I never dreamed I’d be sitting here 20 years later, looking back on what has been accomplished. I started producing late, as the shift in being a performer became more of a need for learning music production. I am enjoying the journey and have had some really amazing experiences because of it.

How did you get interested in the harder styles?

I went to my second show ever and saw DJ Tact at an event called Lotus (R.I.P Fuzzy Chris) at the Icehouse in Phoenix. The energy of his music and his stage presence honestly made me say, what in the hell is this fast crazy energetic music!? Thanks to Tact, I’ve been hooked on hardcore since 1996.

What changes have you noticed in your local rave/hard dance scene since you started?

Oh man, I have noticed a lot of changes in the local, regional and national scene over the years. There’s a new school wave of hard dance promoters that have the passion and drive to be successful, so we will see what the future holds. Much love to anyone pushing hard dance.

What do you think about the current state of harder styles in America?

CIK, Satronica, and the White Ape at Dominator 2014. — Satronica, the White Ape, CIK at Dominator 2015.

I think that if everyone took a step back and said, if we want this music to progress put “personal differences” aside and try to co-exist, it may progress. You may hate the person truthfully, not everyone’s going to get along, but shit we live in a country that is 50 times the size of Holland and are still stuck arguing on Facebook and threatening others over dumb shit. I hope one day we all can stop the dumb stuff and get back to what’s important…the music and the preservation of said music. I also think that support for US artists, old and new, needs to happen. You have legends in your front yard! Lenny Dee, Delta9, Delirium, Satronica, Rob Gee, Fiend and The Horrorist are all legends. There’s probably a dozen people I am missing, but shit all these named have definitely contributed a lot to hard music. Not to mention all of the new skool hardstyle/rawstyle guys who have been doing good shit! #Murica

What are you trying to convey through your music? Are there any themes or ideas that are important to you?

To be honest, most work to date has been reflecting back on certain periods of my life. But, like CAP says I can’t do anymore tracks about “naysayers”. So, my sampling has gotten very deep. Nothing to communicate, more just about learning and progressing and still developing my sound.

Do you have anything special planned for Gabberfest?

I currently have 5 tracks that are unreleased, I will probably play a few of those. Might even drop some #trumptempo.

Anything coming up in the near future for CIK? For Arizona?

AZHCXX: Celebrating 20 years of Arizona Hardcore. September, 9th, 2016

We have this show coming up on 09-09-2016, the AZHC 20 Year anniversary. It would not have been possible without members (current and past) for helping build the brand. Though some are no longer part of the crew, I still would like to thank them for their personal contributions to the Arizona Hardcore Junkies. Most importantly, thank you to all our fans, family and friends for their support they’ve given, through thick and thin. AZHC XX – Celebrating 20 Years of Hardcore is going to be a great night with a stacked lineup!

Follow CIK on social media:

http://djcik.com/

http://facebook.com/djcik

http://soundcloud.com/cik-2

Articles, Daybreaker, Interviews

HellNegative Interview: Gabberfest 2016

May 6, 2016 Daybreaker

Back from the dead, it seems! Anthony Alonso, drum and bass connoisseur from Las Vegas, Nevada, has been out of commission for the last three years taking care of business (literally) only to come back to his beloved scene with the same amount of force and ruthlessness he had when he first departed! HellNegative is back on the decks and is ALREADY playing all over the west coast (read up on his comeback show in San Bernardino, CA HERE!) and is making his first appearance this year at America’s hardest: GABBERFEST, June 18th-19th (EDC Weekend)!

Founder of Dead Kaos, and co-founder of Bassline Syndicate Records, representing Nevada, this is HellNegative!

How did you decide on your stage name?

My religion is the empty space between sounds. The way those spaces are placed creates music. When I produce, I imagine what my heaven would be like through sound. Thus leading to the development of the name HellNegative. It makes sense when you take the phrase literally.

How did you start producing/DJ’ing?

My older brother was listening to electronic music at a young age, so this introduced me to it at an even younger age! I fell in love with his hard house and DNB mixtapes. I decided at the ripe old age of 13 to get my hands on an Electribe ER1 and an EA1. It was all downhill from there.

How did you get interested in the harder styles?

I had always enjoyed rocking out to Delta 9 and DJ Tron, but it wasn’t until my first visit to Dr. Freecloud’s in Los Angeles that the addiction began. Living in Ohio at the time, there was no access to a decent record shop. Of course I dug out some Underground Construction and Nervous Rekkids, but it was the speedcore that I loved the most. I picked up pretty much every Industrial Strength and Drop Bass record they had in the store.

You said that when you returned from your hiatus that you returned to a “scene that was in shambles”. Can you elaborate on this?

Well when I left, things were small, but the only real drama was between sounds of the underground and area170 (which sadly closed its doors). Multi genre parties were still a thing. Although every crew had their differences, we all worked together as a family. When I came back, the DNB scene had grown greatly. I was excited for that, but it seemed to drown out everything else. There’s this separation between the DNB scene and the 4×4 scene. I never see any of the 4×4 promoters at the DNB events and vice versa.

So, what changes have you noticed in your local rave/hard dance scene since you started? How do you feel upon your return?

Hard dance and hardcore have not gotten enough love in Vegas. The unfortunate reality of permit issues and the club scene have made it hard for the smaller promoters to put together successful events. Things have been slowly changing this year, though. 2016 is going to see a huge underground revival. Even as I write this sitting in the dirt at Further Future two strangers have commented positively on the breakcore blasting from my phone.

HellNegative, representing Nevada at Gabberfest 2016! — HellNegative making his first appearance after a three year absence at March Madhouse, San Bernardino, CA.

What do you think about the current state of harder styles in America?

With Drum N Bass becoming so mainstream as of late, the harder sounds are starting to become the real sound of the underground.

What are you trying to convey through your music? Are there any themes or ideas that are important to you?

I think setting boundaries and rules limits yourself. My production has one main focus. That is to create something I can rock out to in my living room, bedroom, car, and venue. There is way more meaning to enjoying music with others because it’s something you truly enjoy.

Do you have anything special planned for the event?

I’ve been spending a lot of time producing a set for Gabberfest. Every tune will either be produced or remixed by myself. All styles of core will be represented, but the focus will be on speedcore, breakcore, and industrial hardcore.

What can we expect from HellNegative in the future?

Between DNB and Hardcore, I’ve been super busy in the studio and less focused on bookings. To the Vegas family, keep your eyes out. We will be working to grow the hard dance and hardcore scenes. Remember to always enjoy the music you listen to not because it’s popular, trending, fashion, or you’re afraid to say you like something else. Listen to it because you love it. Never be afraid to express your love!

You can catch HellNegative at The Bradley in Vegas on May 28th for Propaganda! Be sure to follow him everywhere else you go and look out for the DNB heat at GABBERFEST!

http://www.hellnegative.gq

http://www.deadkaos.gq

http://www.facebook.com/TheHellNegative

Articles, Daybreaker, Interviews

CAP Interview: Gabberfest 2016

May 4, 2016 Daybreaker 2 Comments

I am very happy to say that this interview is going to reveal a hidden gem for you all! One of the busiest minds in the American hardcore scene, with a most impressive Discogs page, an education from the Conservatory for Recording Arts & Sciences at the top of his class and a father of not one, but two [expecting] hellions. On the surface, Mr. Stephen Caparella looks like any ‘ol bronie to most, but deep down, this man is THE unsung hero of American hardcore and is deserving of your utmost respect and attention.

Cap, representing Arizona at Gabberfest 2016! I mean, just look how beautiful he is. — CAP, representing Arizona at Gabberfest 2016! I mean, just look how beautiful he is.

CAP, industrial hardcore producer from Mesa, Arizona!

Affiliations: Arizona Hardcore Junkies, Industrial Strength Records, Important Corestyle, Hard Kryptic Records, Dark Like Hell Records, Six Feet Underground Records, No Sleep Till Bedtime

How did you decide on your stage name?

It’s my nickname from football. We had tape on our helmets with our last name and my last name is pretty long so they shortened it to CAP. Football was pretty much my life from about 10 to 20 years old.

How did you start producing/DJ’ing?

I started learning to DJ when I was 16 but my rigorous football, training, and school schedule kept me from fully pursuing it. It wasn’t until I stopped playing football that I decided to pick up DJ’ing again. I had the basic skills down but working with the [Arizona Hardcore] Junkies helped refine me as a DJ. Soon after learning the basic skills [of DJing], I figured producing was the next logical step. Why play everybody else’s tracks when you can make your own? I’ve been producing on and off since 2006 and right now is happily one of my more “on” times.

How did you get interested in the harder styles?

Ah, the glorious “how did you get into it” question. I HATED hardcore at first. I thought it was noisy garbage. I even watched CIK vs. KORE and Omar Santana at a show in ’03 or ’04 and walked away thinking “how does anybody dance to this?” Irony and hypocrisy is my middle name, always has been, always will be. Fast forward not that far to 2005 when I was in college. It was the first time I had high speed internet. It was a big deal. I could download tracks and mixes in a fraction of the time than when I was at home. I made a commitment to myself to listen to all forms of EDM and yes, even hardcore. At the time, I had one of those old brick iPods with plenty of space so I loaded it up with everything I downloaded. I forced myself to listen to hardcore and one of the first sets I listened to was CIK’s Nocturnal Wonderland 2004 mix. I listened to it again, and again, and again, and again. Something about it just caught my ear. I was into UK hard house at the time and this was a step above; harder, faster, louder, more intense. It grew on me after a while and pretty soon I was hooked: I was listening to mixes before practice to get amped up, and downloading and searching for more and more hardcore mixes. After that it was the hardcore record habit that cost me a pretty penny then the producing bug. The love has been catching steam ever since.

What changes have you noticed in your local rave/hard dance scene since you started?

There’s been phases of the scene. When I first started, pretty much every show was illegal and underground. It was special if a show was actually licensed and bonded. Our illegal warehouse hookup disappeared so the nature of shows changed; more desert parties and more legal venues. I was out of the scene a while after that; work, more school, moved away for about a year. While I was gone, parties got bigger and eventually the EDM divide happened. I came back to a scene that had legal, small budget “underground” parties and large budget “EDM” events. It’s nice now to see more than one “hard” crew supporting the harder styles, despite it being more hardstyle, rawstyle, etc. focused.

What do you think about the current state of harder styles in America?

I have no idea where it truly stands, I can only assess it from my vantage point. From where I see it, SFX going under was a big blow because the huge shows under its umbrella hosted hardstyle. The good news is guys who have the main stage at current events are playing hardstyle in their sets, so there’s growth there. American hardstyle producers seem to be doing better than in the past but hardcore producer wise it seems to be down from where it once was. The good thing is hardcore has plenty of hype show wise and DJ wise. Aside from all that, I’m a big supporter of the idea that the US needs to cultivate and support its own artists to really grow into a new era that rivals the EU.

DJ Cap, representing Arizona, will be performing at Gabberfest 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada! — CAP putting in that work for hardcore techno

What are you trying to convey through your music? Are there any themes or ideas that are important to you? Is there anything in particular you find yourself wanting to communicate to the audience?

My themes change from track to track. It’s as hard to pin down as asking a horror author to describe all their work in a single statement. Yeah, the genre is horror but every novel tells a different story. Most, if not all, my work is hardcore but each track has its own feel or style. There really isn’t any singular theme to my whole discography – although I probably need to do that with an alias – and every track pretty much speaks for itself. A lot of times I don’t even start with a theme. I just make a kick that I like and try to choose a direction from there. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s also a good amount of times I start out with a theme, typically a theme related to something that’s caught my attention lately. Recently, it’s been random stuff like movie trailers and video games. Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to let it in.

Do you have anything special planned for the event (b2b set, all vinyl, live PA, guest performers/dancers etc)? Original productions?

Well, it wouldn’t be special if I told you ahead of time! But… let’s say tons of new tracks for this year’s Gabberfest, and like every set I do, it’s 95-100% original production.

I have to ask before we part, are we potentially going to see the “return of the mask” this year?

Nah, that’s pretty much retired for a couple reasons, so you probably won’t see it this year. I initially did it as a mega-industrial gimmick but I have garbage vision so the combo of the mask and no glasses made it tough to DJ. Add to that, just about every hardcore act out there today has some kind of stupid gimmick whether it be vests, helmets, masks, fake blood, you name it. It’s not unique if everybody does it. Aside from that, I would rather have the stuff that matters – the music – be the driving force for people to remember me or have the desire to come see me.

Is there anything you want to say that we haven’t asked you about yet? Do you have any upcoming projects or tours to promote, or anything special or shout outs you want to say?

Don’t forget to support your locals! Thanks to the Hard Data for having me. Thanks to the Great American White Ape for continuing to put together Gabberfest year after year. Thanks to anybody who’s ever supported me on social media or bought one of my tracks. Thanks to the other producers out there for raising the bar as well as being down to earth enough to talk shop. Thanks to CIK and KORE for being my good friends, mentors, support, and colleagues for over 10 years. Last but not least: thanks to my wife for putting up with putting up with my noise as well as my persistent requests, demands, and deals for studio time.