Tag Archives: Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016

Prelude to Trauma: Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016 on the Horizon

By Joel “Deadly Buda” Bevacqua

Pittsburgh, PA, 1993: “You know what my problem was?” His drunken ankle buckled, dropping his punk-rock body into the plastic rainbow-colored carpet of my little rave shop.

Two stoned teenagers in fat jeans and Fresh Jive T-shirts pried him off the ground. Rising undeterred, John’s beer belly plopped out of his faded Ramones t-shirt. He flicked off the long, black, fifty-something-year-old hair stuck to the saliva on his face.

”I never…” He made a basketball-sized globe with his hand gestures and stared into it—like it was fucking Rosebud or something and swayed back and forth as the two anemic rave kids braced to catch him. “I never…”

I couldn’t have cared less what John had to say. Smelling of booze and vomit, he had been frequenting Turbo-Zen Records—I assumed to get high with the college kids and high schoolers playing hooky at the store. I could never say no to him—he was a drinking buddy at Chief’s and did the sound at the Electric Banana, Pittsburgh’s finest punk rock club (R.I.P.) That conferred too much underground cred. But, he was creating a ruckus and I already was fielding calls from irate parents looking for their kids.

“Will you get him out of here?”

“No!” he croaked and stared into the imaginary globe. ‘I never took the time.” Then he got real ornery, waving his arms at me “to look at what I’d done, to look at it! To apprecccciiiaaaaaate it.” As he lunged at me for emphasis, the momentum of his arms threw him off balance to fast for anyone to catch. He smacked his forehead straight on the floor this time.

“He’s not moving.”

The paramedics came and took John to the emergency room. He was discharged and days later was back on the Electric Banana soundboard. But that was the last time I saw John Krom. A few weeks later, he was found dead in his apartment. He’d been dead a while when they found him.

Back in the 1970’s John was one of Pittsburgh’s biggest rock promoters, jet-setting with Led Zeppelin and all the other stars of the day. John was primarily responsible for orchestrating one of Pittsburgh’s most amazing concerts, but one practically forgotten. One summer day in July 1975, he ran a full page ad in the Pittsburgh Press, simply announcing something big was happening downtown. He then floated 3 barges down the Allegheny River to where Pittsburgh’s three rivers meet, Point State Park. In those barges were Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, and their bands. An estimated 80,000 people showed up that summer afternoon. The police were unable to control the masses of people doing whatever they wanted that day, such as: jumping off the Fort Duqesne Bridge, for fun. John Krom made that wondrous summer day happen.

Turbo Zen Soul Flyer
Until I can find pictures of John Krom, Turbo Zen, and related materials, I will post some of these old flyers so you can see how we did it in Pittsburgh in 1992-3

Many great events can get lost in time, through error or intention. I had only heard of this amazing concert by word of mouth, by Pittsburghers I knew who were at the show. I have found virtually no written documentation of it other than this web post a guy did in 2001. http://www.drunkenbum.com/20010620.html

Someday I will search the Pittsburgh Press and Post Gazette microfilm for more details, as they surely must exist. But until then, the drunkenbum’s report stands as testament, and it corroborates all other stories I have heard verbally about the event. Amazing, wonderful things get lost in the shuffle of history. We read about wars, but never about wonder! Is it not as interesting I ask? Does it not fire the soul as much? Of course it does!

Anyway, something happened to John between floating Suzie Quatro down the river in a barge, to passing out in Turbo-Zen Records. I still haven’t the fine details, but John told me exactly what happened, and it’s my job to tell you. He never stopped to appreciate what he did. He just kept driving forward, oblivious to the joy he created, and never really took part in it himself.

John could have got wasted at a lot of places, but he chose my record store to get fucked up at towards the end. Now I know why. He could see us young raver kids loved the music too. The electric moments of music never left his soul, even as the booze grabbed control of his body and mind.

I didn’t respect John the way I should have the last time I saw him. I guess I can forgive myself considering the circumstances, but I can honor his memory and the man he truly was by relaying his accomplishments and one of his important messages. John’s legacy, and accomplishments will survive just a little longer, because they deserve to. So it is written, and I begin with John Krom’s story for my diary of the Trauma Harder Style Tour 2016.

The “Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016” is America’s first hardcore techno music tour. It’s about forty-plus electronic music artists pushing the most extreme version of electronic dance music. This is EDM you might slam-dance to, pogo, mosh, or stage dive to. It is the type of electric hybrid John might have loved to hear, if he were only here.

Probably the most neglected segment of the EDM world in America, hardcore techno is actually one of its oldest—chock-full of rave pioneers and the perhaps overly-curious youngsters that found out about them. Like some others on the tour, I’m one of those rave pioneers with a nagging sense of unfinished business in the back of my mind. When I found out the tour would stop in my old hometown, Pittsburgh, PA, like a moth to flame I lobbied like hell to get on the tour, and vowed to document its entirety. This tour could be a boom, or bust, or just… whatever… but I want to remind myself, and whoever will listen to me, that what we’re doing is special, it’s important, and we’ll lose a part of ourselves if we take it for granted. So I dedicate my following journal entries to John Krom, who reminded me to take the time to look and appreciate what we all do.

Lenny Dee: The Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016 Interview

Lenny Dee, you’re playing the Brooklyn, NY stop on the Trauma Harder Styles Tour, I have to say it’s an honor to be conducting an interview with such a legend! From pioneering the NY scene back in the 80’s, to dominating the charts in the UK, and developing the early hardcore and industrial sounds that has evolved into modern hardcore- how does all that happen? Who was your biggest inspiration in the early part of your career?

I was inspired by the evolution of electronic music itself. This hunger lead me into doing all the styles so this was the next step along my musical journey. Right before the hardcore, I was doing disco, house, techno, industrial, Dnb breaks, rave, hardtechno, and I kept on rolling with the flow of the music which I felt was getting harder each party.

When I met Marc Arcadipane in the early 90’s, his tracks were the definitive sound of the style. He made the sounds of the core in the studio which had not been done yet and we released it on Industrial Strength Records. 25 years later – we are still pumping out the most underground artist and styles of Hard Electronic music.

ISR logo

What important changes have you witnessed from the time you got into the scene, until now? 

The sonics of the music have changed in a big way, analog gone – digital in. Also social media.

Some DJs coming up don’t know how to beatmatch and really DJ which is a shame as I think it’s a real artform, and some don’t even make their own music. That’s the bad side, but  there are a lot of talented new guys coming up too. I like to support guys with real core attitude. I still have faith in the new, unexplored roads. I’m not the “safe bet” / “every track sounds the same” kind of label guy.

What projects are you working on right now that we should be looking out for?

I just finished 3 tracks on Mr. Madness’ new LP, I’m also working on a few remixes Tymon & Stormtrooper.

The big one is our 25 years of ISR project this year, which will include a vinyl release, and we’re also doing parties around the world to celebrate.I’m also wrapping up some solo music and collabs with Tieum and A-Kriv, which I am excited about – some cool vibes cooking up. I also signed with Footworxx Bookings for Europe who are awesome!

I am super excited about our new Kaos Engine Kick Drum instrument collection we are doing with ‘5KRO’ and ‘Industrial Strength Samples’

This custom instrument will give new artists loads of hardcore kicks, with the power of a custom NI Kontakt Gui. This is a real studio tool to help make the hardest part of the style – the kicks!  We are set to release it in April.

lenny_s

This Trauma tour is a big thing for the North American hardcore scene, featuring some of the biggest names in hardcore today. Have any of the other artists on the Trauma tour ever inspired your work? If so, how?

Yes, the Trauma guys doing the tour – they give me inspiration that there might be more hope for this music here. Hats off to them for giving this style of music a real tour.

All the artists give me inspiration for sure. I love all the music they make, plus I have worked with many of them over the years too.

What are your top 3 favorite tracks of all time? Why?

I kinda flip around with this question a lot :

Mescaline United –  first ISR -First core track – this has a place in my heart forever

Euromasters Rotterdamn 01  – killer core for sure  – really took it up a notch

Extreme Terror – ISR – thee most bad ass track around – Nuff said, really!

Lastly (see our interview with Rob Gee for Rob’s answer here) who would win in a pie eating contest between you and Rob Gee?

Haha! Well I am not sure. I like pie – but i am not a super sugar freak – now if we are taking about smoking …… I think I am the winner 🙂

If there’s anything we haven’t asked, what else would you like to say to the readers of The Hard Data?

This music was a USA grown music style. Industrial Strength Records was the first Hardcore Label ever, here our of Brooklyn and I was the first hardcore DJ back in the day, so the USA is the real birth of this music. But it still needs some support here – so lets ass kick it!

www.industrialstrengthrecords.com

www.facebook.com/DJLennyDee

www.youtube.com/IndustrialStrengthNY

Meccano Twins Interview from the Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016

Name: Jose Sendra
Age: 30
City: Milan, Italy

The Meccano Twins project started out in 2003 from the idea of the two Art of Fighters members (Luca & Cristian), driven by the need to create a new breed of music: a blend of mainstream Hardcore together with Darkcore. Once Jose became the new producer and front man for the act, his arrival immediately opened up a new plane for all kinds of experimental Hardcore music. And now finally, America is about to witness the dark and twisted underworld of Hardcore and what a better tour guide to have than Mr. Jose Sendra: the Meccano Twins! You can see Meccano Twins on February 19th in Mesa, Arizona. February 20th in Denver, Colorado. February 26th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and February 27th in Brooklyn, New York.

Were you a DJ first, or a producer?
My career started as a DJ, under the name ‘Hardrebel’. It was when the ‘Art of Fighters’ became ‘Meccano Twins’ that I started producing tracks with the guidance of Cristian (one half of the Art of Fighters).

How did you get into the Hardcore scene?
I was already a big fan of Hardcore music. Later on, it wasn’t enough to just listen to it so I began my career as a DJ.

What was the first record you ever purchased?
It’s so hard to answer this question, but I think it was in the early 2000s. I’m sure it was an Enzyme EP because I was and still am a big Enzyme Records fan. And I still could never find the Enzyme K7-2 record!

Click HERE to purchase your tickets to the Trauma Tour and receive a FREE subscription to the HARD DATA!

Who was your biggest inspiration in the early part of your career?
Easy, just read my response above! For me a lot of Enzyme artists in the early 2000s, such as Ophidian, Nosferatu, and Endymion.

Would you describe your very first DJ gig?
I remember that day very well because my first gig was under ‘Meccano Twins’ at the Dominator Festival! I was so scared and excited because it was my first time playing in front of thousands of people. That was one of THE best days of my life!

What was your favorite party you’ve ever played? Why?
Difficult question because there are many factors to consider; a lot of big festivals are fun because of the scenery and the amount of people that attend, but for me the small parties leave something more because you have more contact with the public. For me that’s much more important.

Did you ever think you would be touring the United States? What do you think the Trauma Tour will be like?
Honestly, no! I’ve always hoped but I did not believe it would happen. When they informed me of the tour, I was very happy to know that I finally get to visit and play in the U.S.. I’m very curious to see the American [Hardcore] scene.

What is your favorite track that you have produced?
All of them! (Laughs) But really, each track is very important to me. Maybe ‘Combustion’ because it was produced during a very important period of my life.

What advice would you give to up-and-coming Hardcore producers?
Always be yourself! Of course, listening to advice, but never let them change your ideas.

Record label founded in 2014 by Meccano Twins and The Sickest Squad.
Record label founded in 2014 by Meccano Twins and The Sickest Squad.

What are your top 3 favorite tracks of all time? Why?
My most favorite track ever is So Many Sacrifices by Ophidian!

What was your favorite track of 2015 (that wasn’t your own)?
In 2015, for me, wasn’t a great year for Hardcore; there weren’t a lot of beautiful tracks. But excluding my own tracks, my favorites were ‘Underground Existence’ by Unexist and ‘Crispy Bassdrum’ by N-Vitral.

Are there any exciting projects or gigs coming up you want our readers to know about?
Yes! This year I’m working hard with a lot of collaborations and a new Brutale EP!! This will be a year with many surprises so make sure that you stay tuned to my social media!

What artists would you like to collaborate with that you haven’t already?
I’m a big fan of Ophidian; it would be a dream come true to do a collaboration with him. And I would be curious to do some work with N-Vitral.

If there’s anything we haven’t asked, what else would you like to say to the readers of The Hard Data? What can they expect from you on this tour?
I hope to meet all the American fans! I want to see the same passion and love from them that I give for this music! See you soon USA and remember be “Brutale”!

Jose Sendra: The mind behind Meccano Twins and founder of the record label 'Brutale'.
Jose Sendra: The mind behind Meccano Twins and founder of the record label ‘Brutale’.

Digital Punk Interview from the Trauma Harder Styles Tour 2016

Digital Punk is the prophet of Raw Hardstyle that the U.S. has been waiting for. Though he has been in the game for quite a long time, it was with his ‘Unleashed’ series of podcasts and events that skyrocketed his name to the top of the list of “must know Rawstyle artists”. This man is a “Firestorm” of aggression and his dedication to his music and his fans are what makes his appearance on this tour vital to the progression of hard bass music in our scene. Digital Punk will be appearing in Mesa, Arizona on February 19th, Denver, Colorado on February 20th, and will playing at Basscon’s Wasteland on March 5th in Los Angeles, California!

What inspired your stage name?
There was a local DJ contest that I won! The only thing I didn’t have yet was a DJ name. I was a big fan of the track ‘Punk’ from Ferry Corsten. So ‘Digital Punk’ was born.

Were you a DJ first, or a producer?
Both to be honest.

How did you get into the scene?
A friend of mine was already a DJ. I already liked Hardstyle because every weekend I was going out to different clubs that played harder house music. So, naturally, I bought my first computer to produce music and bought my first DJ set. The first track I produced got me a contract at Seismic records back in 2005!

What was the first record you ever purchased?
Geal – Losin’ my Feeling (The Beholder & Ballistic Remix)

Who was your biggest inspiration in the early part of your career?
The Beholder & Max Enforcer!

Describe your first DJ gig ever?
It was terrible (laughs). I practiced a lot at home, but I had no experience whatsoever; so I didn’t know what to do with the delay in the monitors for instance. My second gig went a lot better!

What was your favorite party you’ve ever played? Why?
Hard to tell actually… I have so many amazing memories. I guess my #1 is ‘Supremacy 2015’. I made the anthem for the party and got to fly over the crowd in a DJ booth when I was playing!

What was the funniest moment during any of your performances?
So many funny moments! But one of them was stage diving for the first time! MC Da Syndrome put me on the spot. I was jumping on a set of speakers in front of the crowd when he yelled ‘Catch Digital Punk! He is going to stage dive right now!’. I had no choice and jumped right in! Luckily they catched me, haha!

Catch Digital Punk on the Trauma Tour! Click here to by your tickets and receive a FREE subscription to the HARD DATA!
Catch Digital Punk on the Trauma Tour! Click HERE  to buy your tickets and receive a FREE subscription to the HARD DATA!

What important changes have you witnessed from the time you got into the scene, until now?
Music evolves constantly; It’s a natural process. Over time, music became more professional. Besides that, it has become very big worldwide.

Did you ever think you would be touring the United States? What do you think the Trauma Tour will be like?
I can’t wait to play in America. It will be my first time and I’m excited to meet my fans here. There are more shows planned so I can’t wait to Unleash the States!

What made you want to start producing Hardstyle music?
I was born to make music. When I was 4 I played guitar. When I was 10 I played drums. By the time I was 17 I produced all kinds of music. Hardstyle was becoming my biggest interest, because I wanted to make hits like The Beholder & Max Enforcer did! When I heard a new track from those guys I was like “Wow, I want to make music like this!”

What is your favorite track that you have produced?
Hmmm, I have a lot of favorite tracks. I guess ‘Firestorm’ is one of my favorites.

What advice would you give to up and coming Hardcore/Hardstyle producers?
Let yourself be inspired by other producers, but don’t be a copycat; do your own thing!

Digital Punk Tour Dates