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.
Hard Kryptic Records is a U.S. based hardcore techno label formed by founders Howard “How Hard” Grene and Jimmy “Jimmy X” Navarro. The label celebrated its first decade releasing music in September 2016 with an explosive remix project entitled “Return To The Pit”.
I sat down with How Hard to get a deeper look into him and the label more.
Well, there’s no better place to begin then when it all started. When was Hard Kryptic Records formed?
The label itself came into existence officially in 2006, although there was a year leading up to the first album’s release. Jimmy X and I were working together on music, and I was helping him on some of the more business side of music for his own work.
All good ideas usually spawn from a moment of inspiration or idea, right? So, what was the driving force or reason why the label was founded?
The label came to fruition by circumstance. It wasn’t something we originally planned for. Simply put, I had two friends—a married couple—that wanted to put together a vinyl record for fun. They asked me to take one side, and they’d take the other side, and we’d split the cost. Jimmy and I had finished up a song of mine called “The Pit” a little before that, and I decided that’s what I wanted to use on the record. Long story short, my friends ended up dropping out of the project, but Jimmy and I already were still ready to go. So, we threw on a DJ Delirium remix of “The Pit” as well as had another original track, and the next thing we knew, we had boxes of vinyl sitting in my house!
Hard Kryptic founders How Hard and Jimmy X in Canada.
How did you come up with the name “Hard Kryptic Records”?
Jimmy was releasing DJ podcasts under the name Kryptic Music, and I had been releasing my band’s demos under an unofficial How Hard Records name—basically keeping the name around in the hopes of eventually launching it for real when the time presented itself. As to represent the both of us, we combined the two named into one entity. We did the same thing with our main company that houses HKR—Hard X Music—which combines How Hard and Jimmy X.
Were there any other label creators or artists that helped you out in the beginning of the company, or gave you inspiration/motivation/ideas for Hard Kryptic Records?
DJ Delirium was a great help in the beginning. He was happy to lend his thoughts and connections to get the first release out there and get the second release “Blazin’ Out Your Speaker” put together. Lenny Dee and I had some discussions in the early years as well. He was someone who was happy to give his advice. I mean, when Lenny speaks, you listen! Plus, because I was already working for some labels, I was taking a lot of knowledge from that experience.
The Pit record release party, NYC, 2006.
I can’t imagine just anyone being able to start a record label. Are there any particular skills or education would you say aided you the most in managing one?
I was fortunate to have already been working in the music industry for a few years at that point. I think doing your best to understand how all the moving parts work is beneficial. I often find that people who want to start a label are focused on getting the music out but have little-to-no understanding of how usage rights work. I’ve seen quite a few artists and label owners get upset because music of theirs gets taken down by copyright strikes on SoundCloud or YouTube because of a blatant sample, or releasing bootleg remixes. I find more often than not artists who haven’t given any thought to publishing, which is an important piece that gets overlooked.
What was the first official release on Hard Kryptic Records? And looking back on it, what are your thoughts on how it felt when that release first went out? Was it exciting to finally have something concrete to say, “Here’s something brought to you in part by HKR”?
Our first release was the 12″ of “The Pit” by How Hard & Jimmy X. It was exciting, for sure. It really all went fast too! Once the product was in my house, we already were sending it out to DJs. We sent a whole box to the Netherlands to be distributed to shops. We threw a record release party. Soon after, some labels were contacting me about licensing, and artist demos were coming in. It was one thing after another!
HKR001: How Hard & Jimmy X – The Pit
Who were the first artists you signed to your label?
DJ Delirium was the first artist we signed for two records. After that we signed Triax, who has put out some big releases in his career. Sadly, even though we looked to do more work together, he only did one record with us. After that, we starting to pick up talent in the U.S. and overseas: Delta 9, Angry Tolerance, Forsaken Is Dead, CAP, and so many many more in those first few years.
In the beginning, it couldn’t have been easy. What kept you going with Hard Kryptic Records that first year?
Fortunately, the first year was only “The Pit” and slowly putting together “Blazin’ Out Your Speaker”. We didn’t intend to go out and make this a full-time label, but DJ Delirium remix generated some attention, so we figured we’d go for round two. Obviously, we didn’t expect “Blazin’” to really throw us into high gear, but when it did, it did!
Would you describe managing a label as being very difficult? What are the hardest parts? Do you manage every aspect of the business on your own, or do you work with a team?
I find running the label more time consuming than difficult. The hardest parts I would say are trying to get all of the back-end pieces done. I’m fortunate that 99% of the artists we’ve had on the label have been amazing to work with, so ego hasn’t been too much of a problem.
I manage the label as a whole but I have some amazing help, too. This includes Stefan—my promo manager for the last year and a half—has been my sidekick. Our artist Komarovski was a big part of helping with the label for a few years in different areas. My brother Jonathan, works with me on the financials and business affairs-type decisions. Plus, interns who have tediously sat and inputted lines upon lines of data into different websites for their 3 college credits. And you [Jai] have also helped in the past with licensing and income tracking.
Would you have any advice out there for people who may be considering founding their own labels?
I would say get your ducks in a row. Learn as much as you can about the ins and outs about how a label operates. I always try to take my time to help friends looking to launch labels or help them gain a better understanding of things from the artist side. There are countless labels putting out product. A lot of it is excellent music, but things get lost in the mix. Make sure what you have stands out, and you’ll have an arsenal of music ready to go so your name doesn’t get forgotten. Also, network! Know the other labels who do similar music as you, and maybe even those which don’t. Speak to DJs who will support your music. Oh, and don’t be a jerk. That’s one way for me and so many others to never want to work with you.
What are some characteristics that stick out about Hard Kryptic?
I think that we are very open about style. A lot of labels—big and small—have a particular “sound”, and the artists on their rosters perfect those sounds. For us, our sound is eclectic. I enjoy having a release that is heavily melody-driven and then another release that is dark and a bit noisy. Overall, I enjoy releasing interesting music by talented artists. Another thing that I try to push to artists is DIY.
In this style of music, sampling is prominent, and there’s lots of chances for similar-sounding results. I prefer to find someone to create something new that’s unique to that track. I’ve recorded or hired others to perform on drums and guitars, to sing, do voice work—even foley effects. With vocals, we can change words around, play with style an phrasing. Another part that I’ve been happy to see is our artists moving on to bigger parts of their careers after working with us.
How Hard, Jimmy X, Integrity, DJ Choke
What are some of your personal favorite releases?
It’s hard to say. I mean, how do you choose your favorite child? “The Pit” launched it all. “Blazin’” made us take the label seriously. So, those two really stick out in the beginning. My collab with Braincrushers and E-RAYzor—“Worldwide Movement”—was a big track for me. It’s one of those songs that even if I wasn’t a part of the song, I’d play it for years to come. When I play that track live, I get this big jolt of energy. I must look like a maniac behind the decks screaming my head off! What else? Oh! My release with CAP called “American Rebels” was a fun release to do. I flew to Arizona for a week and worked on that in CAP’s studio. I love writing tracks which represent hardcore, so this was my track celebrating American hardcore with two American artists from different parts of the country. Sh*t, Komarovski’s first release on HKR “The Melody Within Me” was great. Love those melodies! Same with Hard-Tex’s first release “Defined By The Melody”. Both are masters of melody; so much so I made sure their album titles pointed that out! The first Scathatch EP is something I still play out. The title track is great and the Braincrushers remix of “Time” is forever a go-to track for me. But, all in all, I can’t believe how many great tracks and releases we’ve put out.
Do you have any particular artists that you enjoy working with the most as an artist as well as on the label side?
It’s a different experience working with different artists. J Root and I have been working together in the studio for years. Usually I head down to his studio for several days and hang out. He and I have a great work method which boils down to trying not to kill each other by day two. But in the end, we both come out excited for what we’ve done. He’s an overall great guy, and I like to find projects to work on with him—partially as an excuse to drive a few hours to his place to chill. D-Version/Section IX has been a recent collaborator with me musically. It’s a bit harder to collab from a distance since he’s in the Netherland, but we’re both trusting of each other’s contributions we pass back and forth. I wish CAP lived closer. We had a blast working side by side when I was out there. Broadly, I’ve done vocals on a bit of projects both on HKR and other labels, so I enjoy that ability to add something to someone else’s tracks. I’m a hands-on person, so I enjoy artists who allow me to be a part of the final production of the song.
On the label side, Komarovski was a great guy to have a part of the team. Simply talented in the studio and put in a lot of his time to help me out in many ways. Hard-Tex is great too—another one who I know will go far. Mr. Madness is a cool dude and putting out some great work on Industrial Strength these days. Scathatch, CAP, and Braincrushers are the super easy artists to work with—I’ll wake up with demos in my inbox and pass back some notes. Next thing I know, I have releases ready to go, awaiting mastering and artwork. Can’t ask for a smoother process. Vi Ta Lee and Kostia from Angry Tolerance/The Illuminati/Apex Mind are awesome at getting me awesome music both as a team and solo tracks. They also manage the sublabel Dark Like Hell so they are very much ingrained in the company. I like being a springboard for artists. We’ve had some great talent go come through us early on and move onto bigger labels. That’s really exciting.
In September 2016 you released the 10-year anniversary release “Return To The Pit”.What work went into it?
For the anniversary release, I wanted to bring in some remixers that would take the original and have some fun with it. I started my own remix first: recorded new vocals, recorded a guitar melody that I heard in my head with my man Spikey Jay. I called up J Root to see if he wanted in on the new remix. He took the elements I had, and we brainstormed a bit. As we worked, I realized that this was more than a remix, but a whole new take on the song! I remember getting a text from him with a link to our Dropbox with the updates he made, and I was so blown away at what it turned into.
From there, I reached out to guys on the label. First pick was Braincrushers—they’re the top breed on the roster and such mainstays for years that I couldn’t NOT have them on this! The same thing with Vi Ta Lee who I knew would go in a totally different direction than anyone else on the project. Section IX had just came back to the label looking to do rawstyle which I thought was cool to add into the release. Then Silent Humanity who was releasing on the Dark Like Hell sublabel and starting to work on HKR was excited to be a part of the mix too. The biggest coup of them all was having Ophidian come in on a remix. I can’t tell you how honored I was to attach his name to the project. His remix is simply untouchable. I got the first draft of it and I was so blown away! I passed back some ideas and the guy took it a thousand levels farther. Then, because “No Clownin’” was on the original vinyl, I had Scathatch come in on a remix. We remastered DJ Delirium’s remix of “The Pit” and included previously released remixes of my tracks “Suck A F*ck” and “Revenge”. Alina at Second Idea Design did a kickass job on the cover too. If this was my last release as an artist or a label, I’d be okay with it. Just an overall rad release!
HKD074 – How Hard, J Root, Jimmy X – Return To The Pit
Have any releases come since “Return To The Pit”?
Oh yeah, totally! J Root did a cool solo release “Project Disclosure”. Can I say how unique J’s style is? He’s another one whose melodies stick out and production is so his own! CAP did two releases back to back “I Have No Friends” that included a remix by [crisis] who has done work on HKR as Deotys and then “Machine Music” which has a remix by Nekrokick who I met earlier in the summer at Gabberfest. Both CAP releases showcase his different styles. The dude has grown so much since joining the label. Mash Manson did an aggressive techno release “The Bad Man“, Vi Ta Lee had a hardstyle single that was a collaboration with Marina Borodina and General Guyble titled “Blow Your Mind“. Section IX contributed vocals to that one. So, our most recent release, which came out end of July, is “Worldwide Movement: Remix Project” by Braincrushers, E-RAYzor, and myself. This is a big release for HKR and me. I’m so amped for this to be played everywhere!
What else can you tell us about “Worldwide Movement: Remix Project”?
The original theme of the song was hardcore being a musical uniter for artists and fans around the world. In 2014, we released the original with a music video that had clips of hardcore artists and events from different countries. This remix project took that idea to the next level. We enlisted remixes from on and outside the label—people we felt would represent their countries well. Similar direction like we did with “Return To The Pit”. I know Re-Style is the name that will stand out to many. His remix is right up there in that mainstage style. A headbanger for sure. Other remixes we have are Trinitite from Sweden, Dark Headz from Switzerland, SOTUI from Spain, Round Wave Crusher from Argentina, Hard Versions (the collaborative name I am using with D-Version), and Kortarow in Japan. Everyone came through with fantastic remixes—each one is so unique.
HKD078 – Braincrushers, E-RAYzor, How Hard – Worldwide Movement: Remix Project
What’s next, or what’s in the future of Hard Kryptic Records? Do you foresee it ever changing into something mainstream or radio-friendly? Where do you see yourself going with this? What changes or evolutions do you predict for yourself and the label?
To be honest, I’m not even sure. Sounds change and artists come and go. I hope we have longevity and we continue to represent underground hardcore techno. I have no problem releasing non-hard music, and we’ve done so on some of the Hard X labels. It’s not a direction I am trying to steer the ship towards completely, but overall I enjoy interesting music and want to help push talent. In the end, hardcore and harder music is my #1, and I look to continue to do that!
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…
Thousands of miles separate the concrete jungle from the sweltering west coast heat. Gathered under the high noon of the Las Vegas summer sun, delegates from all over the globe gathered to celebrate hard music as one. Representatives spanning many time zones, countries and genres delivered performances proving that the heart and soul of hardcore is alive in a powerful way. The diversity from style to style and coast to coast did not seem to interrupt the core message that hardcore has captured hearts around the globe. Disciples left their souls on the dance floor of American Gabberfest in the sizzling Las Vegas summer heat—under one love and one very blistering sun.
Despite the sizzling conditions the diverse assemblage delivered heart-stopping sets across the board. Day one included declarations from Australian representatives, DJ Phoenix, Epidemic, and Rohdan. American Gabber Legend Rob Gee also addressed the congress that afternoon on the outdoor main stage, followed by delegates from New York including the Pied Piper of Hard Core, How Hard. Outstanding performances from the Hard Data DJ Team of Deadly Buda, Lostboy and Mindcontroller, CAP, Arcid, Cik, KORE, Inspektor Gadget, Delusion, and so many others to rounded out scorching day one. It was also a proud experience to be invited to represent with some New York City Rawstyle!
Official Timetable American Gabberfest 2017: Congress of the Kickdrum
Day two also proved to be an intense declaration of hard bass including addresses from Flapjack, Acid Enema, System Malfunction, En3rgy, Seppuku, Nekrokick, and Drencrom—among many other dedicated artists.
Aside from the awesome performances, it was an amazing gathering of old school and new school— meeting of the minds from so many different styles, and walks of life. New friends and old friends intermingling and sharing their passions and talents was a testament to the music, empowering us to think, connect, share, and learn. This year’s American Gabberfest not only left all the hardcore warriors with memories of an amazing weekend, but was an amazing manifestation of our music as a unified heart beating at a very fast tempo.
Noize Suppressor Ft. Angerfist – Back with the Hard Street Sh*t
This is an absolute smasher!! What else can you expect from two of the biggest players in the Hardcore scene… This track is all of what good in hardcore. In my opinion this is the top track on the Legacy of Noize album CD 1, followed by Appetite for destruction and The Outside Agency remix of The return of Bikes drum. CD 2 is filled with all the classics including Pole postion, Nobody likes, and Bassdrum B*tch to name a few. SO TELL ME HOW THE F*CK DO WE FEEL… TO GET HIT WITH THE MUTHA F*CKING REAL!!
Linkin Park – One Step Closer (DJ Mad Dog Bootleg)
I thought this review would be fitting giving the recent death of Chester Charles Bennington. Despite your thoughts on the incident you should enjoy the musical legacy which Chester is leaving behind… One Step Closer is no exception and when you throw in DJ Mad Dog the combination is nothing short of magical. This has gone off every time I’ve dropped it and sadly will even more so now with Chester’s passing.
The newest EP titled Impact available now on the Masters of Hardcore label. My favorite of the two is Get Fu*ked. It’s a hard hitting track with a great melody and catchy samples… Simply what you come to expect from Javi Boss. The second track titled God of War features MC Diesel and is full of energy…. definitely worth checking out.
Dark melodies, female choir vocals, dark male voice overs, and hard hitting distorted kicks! All the good stuff we’ve come to expect from Thorax. This is Thorax’s first release on the Master’s of Hardcore label. His previous label Thorax Productions was barely on its third installment before getting picked up by MOH.,. That’s a massive accomplishment! I honestly cannot get enough of Thorax’s style. WELCOME TO HELL!!
Free release by yours truly! This song was inspired by what is being dubbed as the fight of the century. I was watching the press conference and thought to myself, wow! This would be great to sample and use for a Hardcore track! Doesn’t matter if you’re on Mayweather’s or McGregor’s team I think you will enjoy this track. Check it out!
The Stunned Guys and DJ Paul – Thrillseeka (Wild Motherfuckers remix)
Technically this is a Rawstyle remix of a classic Hardcore track, but if you like building up a Hardcore set as I do this will flow perfectly into the mix. There’s not much to say other than this is a wicked update of a classic. Get while it’s hot, you won’t regret it. Thrillseeka!… put your hands against the Godd*mned speaker!!!
I was so excited when I saw an email in my inbox from Mr. Julian, Thorax himself!! He had graced me with a copy of his latest and greatest! In true Thorax fashion this track is a hard hitting dark and aggressive track! A must for your collection and number four on Thorax Productions. ANYONE ELSE WANT SOME?
This was kindly shared with me by the homie CIK… Although this is an older track I feel it deserves the exposure. This is a killer rework of the 1993 classic by Jones & Stephenson. This track is truly ageless… I remember dropping the original on my debut mix tape release on Biohazard “Hyperdelic”. There has been other awesome renditions throughout the years and this is no exception. I got to say this the fastest one yet… but it works. Make sure to check out this 200 BPM monster!!
