These are some of the records that build the hardcore scene in Hamburg as well as created the reputation that Hamburg has as a source for sophisticated hardcore. The tracks that were played at smoke and strobe-filled squat parties and sold at dodgy rave-techno record stores.
How did I get into hardcore? It was 1995, I was 14 and heavily into rave and hard trance. That sound swept through Germany, it was essentially mainstream—much more popular than trance or house is now. Hardcore was a part of it, but unlike the happy rave sounds, it was boycotted by the TV and radio stations (which unlike today were the main source for new sounds.) I asked my rave friends about hardcore, and most said two things: “Good for dancing, not so good for listening” and “Terrordrome is better than Thunderdome”. Then, one night the following happened. MTV’s Party Zone was on. Some guys I’ve never heard of—Alec Empire and others—were talking about a label I never heard of, Digital Hardcore Recordings. They played the video for Atari Teenage Riot’s “Speed”, which took place inside a squat. I instantly knew that was where I’ve always wanted to be, and the sound I’ve always wanted to hear. There was no return.
The infamous Agit Prop LP cover.
A few months later, I got internet, and found out more about this DHR. The DHR webpage mentioned labels like Fischkopf, Napalm, GTI, and Bloody Fist. I was thrilled. Fischkopf was a hardcore label in the city I lived in! How exciting.
I was 15 by this point, and and started to learn more about the gabber side of things. I learned that Mokum was one of the most respected gabber labels around, so I bought Cyberdrome Alien City Part 1, one of their compilations. It introduced me to artists like Wavelan, Speedfreak, and Chosen Few. I knew now hardcore was the thing for me. The next compilation I bought was Thunderdome 12, and then Industrial Fucking Strength. That one really hit me hard. When DJ Skinhead came on, I was legitimately frightened . I had to take the CD out of the player before it was finished!
More compilations followed, and I became lost to hardcore and gabber. I finally picked up something by DHR—Alec Empire’s Destroyer Album. I was surprised how “dark” it sounded compared to the more upbeat Mokum and Ruffneck stuff I listened to. It took me six months before that album really grew on me.
Ec8or DHR CD 3
I found out Fischkopf was run out of a techno store in Hamburg called Container Records. I headed there, went up the stairs to the store, and entered paradise! A wall with “hardcore” written on it (next to some fancy skulls) and full of underground hardcore CDs. The full section of hardcore vinyl was categorized by labels, sublabels, and in the case of Fischkopf, even by releases (one folder full of Fischkopf 12, for example). I bought Ec8or’s self-titled album and a Fucking Hardcore 5 CD. The former, again, took a while to grow on me. The first vinyl I bought was Fisch 14, Eradicator’s Agit Prop LP. When I heard the first track on it—with the “everything is war” intro—I fell in love.
Hamburg is a more than 800 year old harbor town in the north of Germany. As such, it was always also a hotspot for a wide range of subcultures, cranks and crooks, rowdy sailors, prostitutes, pirates that found their place in shady pubs, back alleys and similar dark places. I entered Hamburg in 1980 by birth, so I can’t tell you much about the 60s or 70s of Hamburg, but in the 80s, it was a place for anarchists, punks, rioters and similar people – creating the current for places of alternate music and political views to be set up. This is a bit of a back story for what happened in the 90s in Hamburg, regarding the then emerging hardcore techno scene.
Fischkopf Container Records was a record store in the red light zone of Hamburg – the Reeperbahn – one story above a store for alternate clothing. It was focused on techno music only and one of the largest (or the largest?) of such stores in Hamburg. They also were involved in other things, such as running a record label also named Container. And this Container Records had a sublabel called Fischkopf. The first generation of Fischkopf was a group of people around Martin, the owner of Container Records; I don’t know exactly who was directly involved in running the label, but Cybermouse, DJ Raid and Christoph De Babalon are names I heard over the years (please correct me).
Fischkopf 22, Auto-Psy with “Necrophage”; with artwork by Francis Bacon
Cybermouse got to Fischkopf because it was noted that he bought only the most extreme and obscure records at the store; something that made the crew think he’d fit right in, apparently. So the first Fischkopf record was released, “Surprise Attack” by Cybermouse. They were all done on an Amiga computer using tracker software and a special FX software; actually, the tracks were first released on a diskette magazine called “Neurowaver” (if you don’t know what a diskette magazine is, ask Google). Cybermouse’s debut was followed by Christoph De Babalon’s debut, the “Love Under Will” EP, named after Aleister Crowley obviously. On it we find some of the most haunting music with “jungle beats” made in this era.
After a few more EPs, the management changed, and Hardy Storz took over. He steered Fischkopf into the direction that brought worldwide acclaim to it. Releasing experimental, intellectual music that at the same time is hardcore techno. In one of the rare interviews with him, he states that he was annoyed by the turn gabber had taken at that time; becoming more dumb, simplistic, macho. And Fischkopf for sure was the opposite of that. Fischkopf had most of the major players in the more refined hardcore scene in those days on it’s rooster: Patric C as Eradicator, Lasse Steen with a variety of aliases, Nawoto Suzuki as Burning Lazy Persons, Taciturne, Amiga Shock Force and EPC, and the Michelson sisters Auto-Psy and No Name. Especially these two female fighters brought some of the most interesting music to this label; tracks that are so complex and structured and finetuned, that the word “hardcore” is almost too brutish for them.
Although the pressing for “Fisch” releases were limited to 500, they quickly got known worldwide in the more underground scenes. After a while also parties were set up by the Fisch crew, again in the red light district of Hamburg. These parties attracted a wide range of performers such as Rage Reset, DJ Entox, La Peste, and many many more. Without going too much into this, let’s just repeat Taciturne’s summary that the amount of fog issued in these nights in these dark, strobe filled rooms would’ve clouded a soccer arena. Even though opposing the “commercial” “Dutch” “gabber” scene, Fischkopf spawned one big hit in exactly that scene; Taciturne’s totem which is still sought after, after all these years. Fischkopf faltered in 1997; the exact reasons are not known, but talk is about disagreement on the direction to take Fischkopf between Hardy and Container; or that Fisch just did not generate enough “dough”. One more release appeared in 1998 (and a test pressing of a “Fisch 26” by Cybermouse), only for Fischkopf to disappear completely after that.
Interesting fact: at one point, Alec Empire and Somatic Responses were planned for a Fischkopf release too.
Listening suggestion: Taciturne – 6 Fragmente In Der Chronologie Des Wahnsinns
Cross Fade Entertainment DJ Raid, who was also involved in Fischkopf, set up this label with Paul Snowden and Christoph De Babalon. The word “hardcore” only vaguely fits here; this is just brilliant, brilliant subcultural music. The first release was the premier release of Somatic Responses, who took the world by storm in the years (or rather, even decades) that followed. This was still a lot different to their later style: heavy, heavy distorted drums (or noises) in a 4/4 style, with experimental sounds in a vain of early synth experimental music. As fierce as fierce gets.
The infamous “Methods Of Mutiliation” artwork
The second release was done by Christoph De Babalon and Paul Snowden, aptly named “We Declare War”. Paul Snowden’s site has some of the most distorted acid, and CDB brings us assault troop breakbeat tracks here, going on from his Fischkopf release. In a rare German TV interview, CDB stated CFET to him is “auteur music”, in the sense that the artist take their music in their own individualist direction, regardless of trends. And the releases give proof of that.
Later, we find some fine breakcore releases on CFET. I can’t find much info on this, but according to defunct websites, the CFET personnel was once involved in the “Repulsion Parties”, taking place inside the “Rote Flora”, the most infamous squat in Hamburg. Line ups included artists like E-De Cologne, Alec Empire and Somatic Responses. CFET left Hamburg with Jan (CDB) and Paul moving to Berlin.
Listening suggestion: Christoph De Babalon & Paul Snowden – We Declare War
Nordcore No Hamburg hardcore history text is complete without Nordcore. Nordcore started as “Die Tekknokraten” organizing small techno and hardcore parties, changing the name later. As Nordcore they run a weekly hardcore club called “The Box”, in the midst of Hamburg. I think this was one of the only regular hardcore clubs worldwide that existed in the 90s outside of Netherlands and Belgium; the Bunker in Berlin being another important location. Almost all the big names in hardcore, gabber and speedcore scene played in the box; Speedfreak, the PCP crew including Smash? (sic), BSE DJ team, Laurent Hô, E-De Cologne… And also a lot of the Dutch DJs.
It were speedy times, but The Box had to close in 1996; much too soon! The parties got bigger though, and Nordcore moved to the Markthalle, usually a location for rock and pop bands, with their “Operation Nordcore” parties, again attracting all the “big name” performers to play.
Operation Nordcore Flyer
Nordcore continued their hardcore journey way long into the 2000s in Hamburg; and maybe we will see them resurface? They also ran a record label, called Nordcore Records; and, beginning with issue 5, compiled the “Terrordrome” CDs, the biggest name in hardcore CDs in the 90s, only eclipsed by Thunderdome.
Listening suggestion: Nordcore GMBH – Hartcore Will Never Die
Blut After Hardy left Container, he set up his own record store, called Otaku Records, again with a “Hardcore” label, called Blut Records; and in many way a spiritual successor to Fischkopf Records. The rooster was similar too: Taciturne, Nawoto, Amiga Shock Force and EPC. We also find a record that was originally planned as Fischkopf 25 here, Taciturne with Ebizieme.
Oh, Jörg…
The sound was taken a step farther in extremism with this label, so be prepared for a noise assault on your ears; but, again, a sensible one. The record store itself was also a good destination to shop for obscure and not so obscure hardcore, speedcore and breakcore records in Hamburg, with it’s own special charme. Blut never officially ended, but there was no release after Blut 6; a shame!
Listening Suggestion: Taciturne & EPC – Vendetta Vol.1 EP
Hardcore didn’t end in the 90s in Hamburg, but that, my child, is written in another tome…
(Im Original geschrieben von Colby X, übersetzt von Sönke Moehl)
Dance Music trat in verschiedenen Phasen in mein Leben. Ich wuchs an der Ostküste in den 80ern auf und Cybotron, Strafe, Run DMC waren frühe ballistische Raketen die mich in der dritten Klasse trafen, als mein Sportlehrer Linoleummatten ausbreitete und versuchte einem Raum voller Vorstadtkinder Breakdance beizubringen. Hip Hop und Electro wurden meine erste Liebe, gefüttert durch New Yorker Radiosender, und ab Anfang 1988 durch tägliche Dosen von Yo! MTV Raps und Rap City. In 1988 betraten auch “Good Life” und “Big Fun” mein Leben mit Hilfe von Metromix Sessions auf Pittsburgher Radiosendern, die ich auf Kassette aufnahm. Obwohl ich keine Ahnung davon hatte wer die Belleville Three waren, waren diese Tracks meine Einführung in den Sound of Detroit.
Zuhause mit The Mover: Selected Classics und einigem Spielzeug
Ich begann mehr und mehr Musik zu hören, und mein Geschmack erweiterte sich und schloss elektronische Pioniere wie Yello und Art of Noise mit ein, aber merkwürdigerweise war es die Demoscene welche mein Interesse Richtung Techno lenkte. Für die, die es nicht wissen, in den 90ern haben verschiedene Gruppen von Programmierern “Demos” geschrieben – eigenständige Programme mit eigener Kunst, bewegter Grafik und Musik, um ihre künstlerischen Talente auszudrücken. Verbreitet wurden diese Demos auf Computer Bulletin Board Systems und man konnte sie (sehr) langsam mit Dial-Up Modems herunterladen, und diese Demos wurden fortlaufend umwerfender mit jedem neuen Release, da die Künstler ihre digitalen Zaubereien verfeinerten, oft so, dass sie gleichwertig oder besser waren als die beliebten Videospiele ihrer Zeit. Und die Musik kickte mich richtig – Soundtracks mit eigenständiger Musik von der ich bald erfuhr, dass es sich um Techno, Trance und Ambient handelte. Die Demoscene brachte mich dazu, tiefer zu suchen – zugegebenermaßen erstmal oberflächlich, da einiger meiner ersten Käufe kitschige Compilations aus Einkaufszentren waren. Aber alles änderte sich nachdem Deadly Buda von The Hard Data den Power Rave ’92 organisierte – mein erster Rave – auf einer Rollschuhbahn in der Nähe von Pittsburgh. Die Musik in dieser Nacht war härter und düsterer als alles was ich jemals gehört hatte, und als die Nacht zu Ende war, reichten mir die Compilations aus den Einkaufszentren auf keinen Fall mehr. Ich kaufte mein erstes Mixtape bei Turbo Zen – Budas Plattenladen – und außerdem die erste Industrial Strength Record Compilation. Der erste Track auf der CD war “We Have Arrived” von Mescalinium United, welcher inzwischen als der Track bekannt ist, der die Geburt von Hardcore Techno einleitete. Der Titel konnte nicht zutreffender sein, und ich war sofort süchtig – ein ganz neuer Ansatz bezüglich der 808s und 909s die meine frühen musikalischen Interessen bereicherten.
Industrial Strength ISCD1: Die Compilation die mich 1992 mit The Mover bekannt gemacht hat
Obwohl ich so viele Parties in Pittsburgh besuchte wie ich konnte, wurde Marc Acardipane (und seine vielen Aliasse) schnell einer meiner Lieblingskünstler. Ich zerstörte viele Lautsprecher zu “Nightflight (Non-Stop To Kaos)” in den kommenden Jahren – pass auf deine Bassboxen auf, sag ich dir – und vielleicht tue ich gerade das gleiche, 25 Jahre später, während ich diesen Text schreibe.
Die 2×12″ mit “Selected Classics” wurde auf Killekills Sublabel Boidae veröffentlicht, lizensiert von Acardipanes neuem Planet Phuture Label. Selbst für eine 33 Rpm Produktion klingen die Hihats und Snares klar und deutlich, und die unterschwelligen Basslines sind dick genug um deine Zahnfüllungen wackeln zu lassen. Die Trackauswahl ist sorgfältig kuratiert und neu remastered, und reicht von dem erwähnten “We Have Arrived” (ursprünglich in 1989 aufgenommen und in 1990 veröffentlicht) hin zu Albumtracks aus “Final Sickness” von 1993 (Planet Core Productions) und “Frontal Frustration” von 2002 (Tresor), und den EPs die dazwischen released wurden. Schmerzlich vermisst auf dieser 12″ wird der Track “Over Land & Sea” von der Signs of ’96 EP, ein langsamer, brodelnder Track der in einen Choral des Dooms voller alptraumhafter, dröhnenden Basslines und Crashes kulminiert. Dystopisches 3-Uhr-morgens Nebel- und Strobo-Material, das bis zum heutigen Tag unbedingt in einem Film verwendet werden sollte. (Digitale Käufer dieses Releases werden sich freuen, dass der Track enthalten ist, sowie “Spirit Slasher” von 2002). Man findet hier auch den kickenden “Waves Of Life” mit seinen treibenden Vocal- und Synth-Stabs die in einer wahrhaft himmlischen Coda enden, den desorientierenden, schweren Wirbel von “Reflections of 2017”, und das perkussive, eindringliche “Astral Demons” mit seiner absolut fantastischen Stereoakrobatik.
Als ein vollkommen indoktrinierter Fan sind alle diese Tracks in meine Psyche eingebrannt, aber für die Uneingeweihten sollte diese Sammlung eine wirklich lohnende Reise in diese einzigartige Energie und lebhafte Bilderwelt von The Mover sein. Für diejenigen welche in all den Jahren den Mythos von Acardipanes “See You in 2017” Botschaft entschlüsseln wollten (für einen tieferen Einblick in diese Sache lies dir auf jeden Fall die Frühlingsausgabe 2017 von The Hard Data durch), nun ja, “We have arrived”. Heutzutage lassen Aphex Twin und Nina Kraviz Mover Tracks auf einen ganz neue Generation von Menschenmengen auf Festivals los. Acardipane hat wieder ein weiteres Label seinem Oeuvre hinzugefügt (das Erscheinen von Planet Phuture), und uns erwartet ein neues Mover Album diesen Herbst. Ich will keine politischen Gemüter verärgern, aber war “The Emperor Takes Place” prophetisch?
Bis zum heutigen Tag klingt das immer noch wie einige der futuristischsten Sachen die ich jemals gehört habe, und trifft beängstigend genau ins Ziel. Willkommen in 2017 – endlich. Seit 2002 ruhend und nun auferstanden wie ein dunkler Phönix ist The Mover zurück – wie es seinen treuen Hörern vorausgesagt wurde.
