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Articles, RANKED!

Amnesys RANKED! The Best 5 Tracks EVER?

Dario Renzi, known under the stage name Amnesys, is an Italian hardcore and gabber DJ and producer working under the famous label Traxtorm Records. His career starts when, in 2001, he records a demo and personally gives it to Cristian Itali, aka Impulse Factory.

In 2004, under Impulse Records, Amnesys releases his first official EP, named The Ultimate Motherfucker, which is still played at raves today. These tracks earned him the recognition of two big names in the industry, Maxx and Giangy, also known as The Stunned Guys. The two artists scouted him and helped him release two other EP’s under Impulse Records. After that, Dario was deemed ready to jump to the real deal: producing and releasing tracks under the giant Traxtorm Records.

In 2007, Amnesys officialy becomes a Traxtorm Records artist and releases his first EP under this label. Those four tracks will truly mark the beginning of his career and propel him to the rank of a big player on the hardcore scene. He gets booked for several big parties, and his latest release, “Worldwide Crisis”, gets voted best record of the year by the MOH Radio live-show audience.

Now, let’s discover listen together to Amnesys’s best 5 tracks and enjoy them to the last!

  1. Worldwide Crisis:

Which track to start with if not the one that propelled Amnesys to fame? Listening to this, everyone can understand why it was voted best record of the year in 2008. Even the stiffest people will dance to it, so it’s not a surprise that hardcore techno fans and party animals alike went crazy for it.

  1. Underground Revolution:

This is one of the most played tracks by DJs all over the world, and we can clearly get why! Only someone deaf wouldn’t go wild when listening to it, and we here suspect even people with hard hearing would feel the beat in their bones and dance to it!

  1. Catastrophes:

Get ready for a wild ride! The powerful beats will make you head bang, so be sure of taking some pain killers if you don’t want your neck to feel stiff. Yes, that’s how addictive this track is. And the neck pain is real after listening to that one, believe us, we’ve been through it and it was totally worth it!

  1. The Ultimate Motherfucker:

This is one of the artist’s first releases. Even back then, he had that crazy kick that makes his music so unique. Listen to it and feel the genius!

  1. Elevation:

Last but not least, one of Amnesys’s most famous releases. The powerful sounds go really well with the overall futuristic vibe of this track.

Since his early beginnings, Dario has been tacking the hardcore industry by storm and he’s not about to stop his rise to the title of Master of hardcore. Indeed, in those last years, he has been booked by several big promoters and famous clubs. So, make sure to watch him closely, he’ll definitely leave his mark on the hardcore scene.

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

https://www.facebook.com/DjAmnesys/

Articles, RANKED!, Reviews

DJ Thera: Five Thumpin’ Tracks you gotta know!

Pieter Heijnen, known for the fans as DJ Thera, is a raw hardstyle DJ and producer. He is also the founder of the famous label Theracords. Son of a musician, he started playing several instruments at an early age, but as he said it himself, he was too stubborn to play in a band, and his musical taste always aimed towards electronic music, so it was only natural that he would become a DJ.

His tracks are known for being unique and positive, and his art has established a brand new sound design in the rawstyle world. It’s powerful, melodic, hard and energetic, a combination bound to be successful.

From Canada to Australia, and even Russia, DJ Thera has performed pretty much everywhere in the last few years, proving that a diverse set of sounds in raw hardstyle never hurts. His popularity has been growing since his first album release and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon, given the huge fan-base he has created for himself all over the world.

Check out these thumpin’ DJ Thera tracks:

  1. The Paranormal:

A mix between raw hardstyle and trance, this track is a perfect description of DJ Thera’s musical style. This combination of sounds has been called “the new era of hardstyle” by more than one specialist, and we can see why. It’s new, it’s fresh, but most of all, it’s perfect for raving!

  1. It’s a Fine Day:

This collaboration with Yuna-X shows how open minded DJ Thera can be with his musical creations. The sounds here are at the same time fast and soft, creating a perfect harmony.

  1. The Alliance:

Another collaboration that went extremely well for DJ Thera! Dark sounds and mysterious vibes, we can imagine this being played in a masked rave.

  1. Desolation:

Be ready to headbang like a madman, because this is what this track will do to you! The storytelling in it is great, but what’s better is the crazy strong beat that is definitely not for the faint of heart!

  1. Hate Society:

If you’re feeling rebellious, then this is the track for you! This song is for the freaks, the odd ones, the outsiders and the alien ones. It’s a cry of rebellion, a literal “F***you” to a society that doesn’t accept difference.

DJ Thera is a strong artist, with years and years of experience behind him. But more than that, he’s a visionary who knew that to be a good producer, you have to think outside the box and be unique.

To know more about DJ Thera, look up his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/DjTheraOfficial/

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

Articles, RANKED!

Neophyte: 5 Classic Tracks!

Jeroen Streunding, known for gabber and hardcore fans as Neophyte, is a Ducth DJ and producer. Having started in 1992, he is now one of the biggest names in the hardcore music industry.

In 1999, Jeroen takes the risk and founds his own label, Neophyte Records, even though it was an extremely hard period for gabber artists back then. Indeed, at that time, being a producer of gabber music was controversial, since the Dutch government considered that hardcore music fans used too much drugs and acted as hooligans. Neophyte answers to the government’s statement by releasing his famous track, produced along with The Stunned Guys, Army of Hardcore.

One of Neophyte’s singles, Always Hardcore, produced with two of his fellow artists under the scene alias Bodylotion, is considered as being part of the 10 most influential tracks in Dutch pop culture. This is a testimony of Neophyte’s legendary unique take on underground music.

Discover here his 5 most popular tracks, starting of course with Always Hardcore. May you always stay hardcore to the bone!

  1. Always Hardcore:

This track definitely sounds like a war cry to us. Powerful, dark and raw, it defines Neophyte’s style perfectly. Listen to it and you’ll understand why it’s now one of the most popular songs in the Dutch pop culture.

  1. Army of Hardcore:

This answer to the Dutch government is everything you can imagine a hardcore track to be: strong, dark and rebellious, it will make you head bang like crazy! So clap your hands and join the army of hardcore!

  1. Alles Kapot:

“Alles Kapot”, which literally means “Everything broken” is an ode to hardcore and gabber music everywhere. The raw sounds make it hard not to be taken by it, even if you’re not a fan of Neophyte.

  1. Coming Home:

This track is a little bit on the softer side, having smoother, more rhythmical sounds to it. It’s the perfect demonstration of how flexible Neophyte can be with his productions. So, for a few minutes, forget your daily problems, and dance!

  1. Hardcore Hooligans:

We’re ending this list with Hardcore Hooligans, a pure hardcore track. This is, without any doubt, a revolution anthem!

After 25 years of activity, some might think that Neophyte is getting old or has-been. They couldn’t be more wrong! These last few years, he has been collaborating with many artists on the scene, which makes his sounds always fresh and diversified. He’s an artist who’s definitely not afraid of change, and we, here, love him exactly for that!

Discover more about Neophyte by visiting his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/djneophyte/

 

Articles, RANKED!

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