Interview with The Untitled

The Untitled`s Facebook, Soundcloud & Podcast

So, can you tell us something about the person behind The Untitled? Who are you, where are you from and what do you do in your daily life etc.?

My name is Jacob Slofstra. I`m 26 years old, born and raised on a farm in a small village in the vicinity of Leeuwarden. I work as a production assistant for a polyester company, where I make all kind of polyester caps for different industries, including amusement park rides, traffic solutions, agricultural containers etc. In my spare time I like to collect and play vinyl records (no DJ-ing). I enjoy reading, a good glass of beer, I like visiting breweries or beer events and I also brew my own beer once or twice a year. And obviously I enjoy going to a good rave or concert.

How did you start your career as a Live act/Producer?

Music making originally began for me when I was at my buddies place (hey Jan Gerrit, boks ouwe), he had some music software on his PC and I got hooked on that immediately. I made my first demos with this software and one of those demos ended up at Noisekick. He liked the ideas but told me to use more professional software so that I could increase the sound quality. I started working on that, chose my artist name, The Untitled, and things went fast from there. Noisekick and I did a couple of releases and the performances followed right after.
 

For as far as we know you only perform as a live act, you don`t do any DJ-sets, can you explain why that is? 

I`m a studio guy, I want to make new music. Playing out never interested me that much. And I think that a live act is a nice alternative for performances. You can do whatever you want, it`s much more versatile than Dj-ing. I`m always trying new things, from virtual DJ to hardware sequencers and samplers, Ableton, groove boxes, drum computers etc. Currently I am working on a modular synthesizer live act. 

How would you define your style as an artist? 

That`s hard to say really. A lot of people know me through Noisekick and they only know me for my terror work. But nowadays I am really into acidcore. It really depends on my mood though. In the summer I did a dub techno release, fresh and summery. But there was also a highly successful acidcore vinyl released with Berlin school/new age/ambient as a B side. So it really depends. Some people dislike it when you do multiple genres under one alias but I don`t care, I do whatever I like. Anyway to get back to the question, if I had to define my style at this moment then I`d go for acidcore.

Which artists (or tracks) have been inspirational to you as an artist?

Yeah now that`s a pretty hard question to answer, different artists inspire me for different styles. With my first demos Noisekick deffo was an example for my music. Nano.Strike's details in music also inspired me. Just like Arjen Schat for dub techno music. Klaus Schulze for Berlin school / pioneering electronic music from the 70ies. bRz's acid tekno. Lasse Steen. Unexist inspired me for the 3way release I did on Noisj.nl and there is a lot more. I listen to the radio at work and get inspired by a drumbreak from James Brown, so this is pretty much a never ending story. Everything you experience shapes you in a way. 

You`ve performed on tons of parties, ranging from Masters of Hardcore to the Noisekick parties, what was your most memorable one, and why? 

The first time at Noisekick's Verouderingsproces was fuckin badass, it was like my second or third party I played at ever. Straight away in the main area with something like 1500 people in front of me. All my friends were there in custom made The Untitled merchandise. I was playing with a big old white desktop PC haha, beer all over the keyboard - it was one big party! Another great one was in Birmingham (Youtube), playing solo with a hardware sequencer and sampler, people went nuts, great crowd over there. 

Actually, all gigs abroad where bad ass. One that really stands out for me was the first time in Finland (Youtube). This was a really small party for perhaps 100 people. It was in a wooden shack in the midst of a forest. Pretty much no one knew my music but the promoter believed in it. I played my hardcore acid stuff from Noisj.nl and I really got the party going. It was really satisfying seeing people enjoying the music. Especially for a live act where everything comes down to your own abilities. You`re not playing other artists songs, if you screw up its your fault, and your music sucks. Finland was the first time I played my hardcore acid for an audience. As the night continued I got pretty drunk from the vodka that I was drinking with Neurocore. When I finally went outside, the sun was rising again and I realized that the wooden shack was located near a beautiful lake with hills full of threes and the sunrise/morning glow completing it. 

Besides releasing digital you also run your own Uncompromising Analog Terror label, which releases on vinyl. I`m guessing that`s because you still love vinyl? And how does your label/vinyl do at the moment? 

Yes, I love vinyl, finding rare records, discovering new and/or old labels, the looks, the ritual of putting them on and see them play. Not only hardcore related stuff but also punk, (stoner) rock, early electronic music, dub/reggea, techno etc. Also as a producer, for me personally there is nothing as satisfying as a release on vinyl. The music you made, right there in your hand combined with the artwork. Lately I`ve become really interested in the process of making the actual vinyl disks in pressing plants, realizing your music made it through the same manufacturing process is great. The label is doing great, the first release was a 7'' record with an amount of only 80 copies in 2013. After a couple of those 7'' releases I did a 12'' release on the French Acid Night label which was a big success. Currently I`m working on a various artists 12'' record and increased the pressing amount  from 80 to 200 copies over the past years.

How is the current terror/speedcore scene? Is it growing, are there any new dj`s/producers people should look out for, what are the best parties etc.? 

I think the terror scene is pretty steady, there is a good number of attendances at parties, and the music is received well. Speedcore is always a little hidden, the best parties are in Germany. Concrete basements with nothing else then smoke, stroboscopes and loud sound systems.

I could mention some names that people might already know very easily, but I prefer to name some of the less obvious names. Be aware, this isn`t gimmicky party stuff here. First of all I would like to mention the French Gamma Oh records. Very dark, uncompromising sound, just like the older terror records. Legs Akimbo records does some great speedcore as well as doom metal and other styles, great stuff.  And I discovered the Swiss Cathartic Noize Experience not long ago, the only high quality speedcore I`ve bought in a long time. 

When looking at the bigger, multi genre parties, we noticed that a lot of the times terror/speedcore has to share an area with frenchcore, do you know why that is and what`s your opinion about this development? 

This is done purely out of economical reasons by the promoters. Personally my interest in nowadays frenchcore is really small. 

What can we expect from The Untitled in the (near) future? 

Well deffo more vinyl releases, whats cooking? A various artists 12'' on Uncompromising Analog Terror with K Rava Joe from Deviant Orbit Rec. cartoonist and producer Moedars, yours truly and a track from a German Acid Operator in good old Lasse Steen fashion. Other projects to come are a new 7'' solo record on UAT and a solo 12'' on the French Ketoksid Records.

Public performances are brought back to a minimum, with a pretty exclusive terror live act at Noisekicks Terrordrang this year, and perhaps an acidcore live act with my new modular system here and there. We'll see what pops up. 

And last but not least, do you have any epic last words to close this interview? 

A man is being arrested by a female police officer, who informs him, ''Anything you say can and will be held against you,'' The man replies, ''Boobs!''

Check out our Facebook and Soundcloud pages for more great artists, podcast, news and other content.

@ Lunatic`s DJ-workshop

Back in November we visited Hell`s Basement for an item on the Cambion, and got in touch with Lunatic, the well known DJ/Producer from Enzyme Records, and organizer of the Hell`s Basement parties. We found out that Lunatic also organizes DJ-workshops for beginning DJ`s. As Forward Observers we`re always looking for upcoming artists, so we asked Lunatic whether or not it would be possible for us to visit his workshop someday. Lunatic found it a cool idea and before we knew it, we found ourselves in a youth center in Hilversum where we were able to check out his course firsthand. 

How it all started
Lunatic has been organizing this workshop for two years now. The workshops have always taken place in a youth center called De Keet in Hilversum. In the beginning he focused on young guys and girls that lived in the area. But since last October he also started taking in people from all over the Netherlands. While talking to Lunatic it became pretty evident that he really loves organizing these evenings and also loves supporting people who are interested in the art of DJ`ing. His enthusiasm, experience and knowledge are probably the main reasons that the courses are doing so well. He has five spots per course and these spots tend to fill up really quickly. And besides his DJ-workshop Lunatic is also starting a workshop for producers somewhere in April or May.

The courses

Volstead

What he offers is an eight weeks course, one on one, with two hours per lesson. The course days are on Tuesday and Thursday. Lunatic`s courses are laid back and informal but at the same time he really emphasizes on proper mixing. Throughout his eight week course he teaches his students how to beatmatch, which tracks work together and why, how to use effects properly etc. Besides his one on one coaching he also expects his students to study at home. Though they will obviously lack the professional equipment that`s found in the youth center in Hilversum, they can still study tracks, do assignments, or practice with software at home. Eventually the participants get the opportunity to do the opening set on one of the Hell`s Basement parties. Or Lunatic finds them a different party to perform on if they don`t spin Hardcore. In the past he had participants that played a wide variety of genres, ranging from Moombahton to Hardstyle to Hardcore. Before they get to do an opening set though, both Lunatic and the student have to be convinced that they are ready for it. When they`re ready they`ll get some time before the party starts to get used to the equipment there, the loud monitor speakers, and the feeling of being on a stage in general.

KidKat

Last Tuesday
We were welcomed by Lunatic and proper Hardcore. Exodus was behind the decks and he was recording a Hardcore set with Millenium and regular Hardcore. No better way to start any evening for as far as we`re concerned. Lunatic told us that Exodus was recording his set so that he could re-listen it at home and discover where there would be room for improvement. We had a good chat with Lunatic and shot some pics while enjoying Exodus` choice of tracks and mixing. Later on two other students came in, namely Volstead and KidKat. These two students have (almost) finished the course and they`ll be opening Hell`s Basement next Friday the 30th of January. Volstead spins early Hardcore and we were impressed by his mixing skills and, though subjective of course, his choice of tracks. KidKat, on the other hand, spins recent Hardcore with a bit of a rougher industrialish twist. When he was behind the decks he looked completely in the zone, and we were impressed again by the mixing skills. The atmosphere was really informal and though Lunatic had to divide his attention we noticed that he didn't miss a single transition the guys were making. 

Coming up

Exodus

We were pretty impressed by the originality in the track selection, and the mixing skills of the upcoming DJ`s that we heard that evening. And we`re sure that you`ll be interested in hearing them as well by now. We`ve shot some short clips of these DJ`s in action which will be online soon. And we`ll also upload some new podcasts, mixed by these DJ`s, in the future. But you`ll have to wait a bit for that as both the DJ`s and Lunatic will have to be completely satisfied with the recording first. So keep your eye on our Facebook page because there`s some pretty cool stuff coming up!

Curious?
If you want to find out more about the DJ-workshop, or the upcoming producer workshop, then you should check out Lunatic`s website Bassmachine for more info, or send an e-mail directly to Lunatic through info@bassmachine.nl.

Photography by: Bren-D

Interview with Enthorine

 

Enthorine`s Facebook, Soundcloud & Podcast

Can you tell us something about the person behind Enthorine? Who are you, what do you do for a living etc.? 

Hey! My name is Dick Nieman, I am 23 years old and I live in Hilversum. I study Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. Next to my study I also work as a dishwasher in a small restaurant. Besides DJ'ing and  producing I also like to draw, paint and read in my spare time.  

How did you start your career as a DJ, and how is it going for you at the moment?

Well, I`d have to go back to 2006. I listened to a lot of hardcore music at the age of 14, and I also used to visit a record store in my hometown on a weekly basis, which was owned by Michel (DJ Darkcontroller). He taught me how to mix with vinyl records and also introduced me to producing music. A few years later I got in touch with Andre (MC Justice), the man behind Thunderdome Radio. He invited me to the show and I met a lot of other DJ's there, from whom I also learned a lot. This resulted in many opportunities to play on Thunderdome Radio. 
Over time I got more experienced and confident due to lots of practicing. A short while later they considered me part of the Thunderdome Radio Crew, and I focused on the alternative and industrial side of hardcore for the show. All of this has led to fantastic gigs such as Nature One, Footworxx and ultimately the last edition of Thunderdome itself: The Final Exam. Nowadays, Thunderdome (Radio) is no more and I decided to focus on producing. I rarely have gigs anymore at the moment, but I hope this will change as I get better in making music. 

Talking about Thunderdome, you had the opportunity to play at the final Thunderdome, can you tell how you got there and what that party was like for you?
A few months after my gig on Nature One in 2012 I suddenly got a phone call from Andre, asking me if I wanted to open the frenchcore stage on the final edition of Thunderdome. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, because I thought that it couldn't get any crazier than Nature One. 

The event itself became a truly memorable night. There were already quite some people at the stage I was playing at (mostly thanks to the fact that the frenchcore area was close to the entrance) and I received a good response to my set. I did not play frenchcore by the way, but this did not seem to matter as I was the opening act. 

I was nervous as hell obviously, haha. But luckily everything turned out fine. After my set, I stayed for the whole night and heard lots of cool artists and great sets. All in all, I felt really privileged and honored to be a part of such a legendary event. 

You have been a member of the Thunderdome Radio crew, a resident at Hardsoundradio and performed on MoH radio. I think that it`s safe to assume that online radio has been important to your career?

I`m sure it is. I think most of the people that know my name, know it because of the radio shows. Many recordings of these shows ended up on Soundcloud, especially the ones from Hardsoundradio. HardsoundRadio was a nice opportunity to showcase my DJ-mixes. The station served as a platform for underground hardcore-related music and acquired quite a name among alternative hardcore-listeners. The fun thing was that they had a chat room where people could talk about the music that was playing at that moment, and I think it was a good place to discover new hardcore-related music. Unfortunately, none of these radio stations are up anymore. 

We`ve noticed that you play a wide variety of styles, ranging from drum&bass, to hardcore to (hard)techno. You don`t like to limit yourself to a single style? 

Absolutely! Even though I don't like the music itself, I am very much inspired by artists in the eclectic and urban scene. I really like how they manage to put hip-hop, house, trap etc. smoothly into one DJ-set. I often try to do this in hardcore sets with UK hardcore, drum&bass, hardtechno, dubstep and industrial. Most of the time (due to time slots at parties) I stick to hardcore and drum&bass. But when I am free to play what I want, for example on online radio shows, I like to feature multiple styles. However, for the Forward Observers Podcast I decided to do a typical Enthorine DJ-set consisting of mainly hard drum&bass and drum&bass-influenced hardcore. This is because I really love breaks and the variation between breakbeats and hardcore in sets. 
Another thing worth mentioning: although I really like the work of artists like Ophidian, The Outside Agency and Tymon, I tend to avoid using their tracks in my sets. This is because I think they already get played a lot and it`s more fun for me to play forgotten and lesser known tracks. 
I guess you could say that my style is pretty similar to that of War is Inevitable, a very good DJ who I don't know personally though.   

In the past you've told us that you`re really busy with producing. Are you making progress? And should we expect a release coming out anytime soon?

I`m making progress, slowly but surely! I had the benefit of getting lots of know-how about Cubase years ago from DJ Darkcontroller, so when I decided to start making music myself I had a relatively quick start. But I still have so much to learn. Thunderdome Radio also brought me into contact with foreign hardcore-minded people like Alex (Ragnarok, from Noisj) and Candy (Minckz). This resulted in a collaboration with Ragnarok on his forthcoming album on Noisj, which will be released very soon. And I have to say I am really satisfied with this track! Besides this, I also spend a lot of time in the studio with Vincent from Terminal & Vavaculo (shout-out to you guys! haha). Concerning my solo tracks, I recently finished three tracks, and I am aiming for my debut-release this year!  

Where do you get your inspiration from when it comes to producing? And are there specific artists or tracks that influenced your music?

My inspiration definitely comes from big artists like Dolphin, The Teknoist, The DJ Producer and Detest, but also from newer guys like DJIPE and Khaoz Engine. I don't think I`ll ever be as skilled as those big names. But in my view those newer guys are doing really well and they inspire me to develop myself in producing too. 
Still, the artist that has had the biggest impact on my music has to be Dolphin. I really admire his original take on alternative hardcore music and the way he blends oldschool hip-hop, drum&bass and hardcore to get his own 'sci-fi' kind of hardcore sound. He uses futuristic effects like bleeps and lasers and manages to create a truly unique vibe. Nothing sounds like it, really awesome.
Furthermore, an example of a track that really got me thinking is 'Uncertain Sound' by The DJ Producer. He can make fast, aggressive and energetic beats without using a load of ugly distortion. In this track, you just hear a clear kick with a hard snare, yet the track is a real slammer in my opinion. I like this way of making hardcore and I hope that I`ll eventually be able to do the same myself. Of course there are many more great artists in the scene, way too much to mention here.  

What can we expect from Enthorine in the (near) future? 

I hope I`ll be able to create some good music and it seems like the first releases are not too far away. So you can expect more tracks for sure! There are also some small gigs coming up and I would like to do way more podcasts and radio shows.  

And last but not least, do you have some epic words to close this interview?

None at all.

Interview with Syk2ne

Syk2ne`s podcast, Facebook and Soundcloud

Can you tell us something about the man behind the mask, where are you from and what do you do for a living etc.?

My real name is Michal and I`m from the Czech republic. Last year I finished the bachelor degree of Theory of Interactive Media where I focused on experimental electronic music. Besides my education I`ve been working in the medicinal drug supply for the last few years.

How did you start producing and mixing music?

My first steps with producing music where when I was 14 or 15. It was nothing more then creating some really simple hip-hop beats and layering them over sampled loops I took from other songs or video games etc. 
Later on two good friends of mine bought some turntables, which gave me the opportunity to try mixing with vinyl and scratching. In those years I became very fascinated with the art of turntablism. And although I haven`t used turntables for almost five years now, I can say I spent my adolescent years on them, mostly scratching. 
It was around then when I also got in touch with something what is now called mainstream hardcore. That would have been around 2004 or 2005 and the tracks that were released in that period by Enzyme, Traxtorm or Neophyte records were raw and full of energy. I got hooked by this style and so I decided to produce and play this kind of music myself. 
Over the years I started to focus more on heavy, dark, experimental and broken stuff and in 2011 I discontinued my hardcore project and began with Syk2ne because I felt I needed more space to experiment with my sound.

How would you define Syk2ne`s musical style nowadays?

I get this question quite often from various people. It`s hard to explain because people tend to get confused when I describe the whole spectrum that i try to cover with my music. To put things simple, I write dark, industrial, experimental and usually broken music on varying tempo`s. The name Syk2ne really speaks for itself if you think about it.

If you state it like that then you might best describe your style as a musical hybrid, can you say what role Hardcore music plays in your life and in your music?

I do not consider myself the gabberhead that I used to be but I have to say that hardcore had a big impact on my life. About ten years ago I was really into it, and you could even say that I was addicted to it for the first couple of years after I discovered it. It really was a lifestyle for me. I made a lot of new friends, who had the same passion for the music and I still have regular contact with them, also with the one`s that aren`t into the music that I produce now. I have to admit though that I am not watching the current hardcore scene closely, except for a few of my favorite producers. I do try to attend any local hardcore party because I still haven`t found anything more energetic than a proper hardcore bassdrum.

Your music and performance are both very dark, where does your love for the dark come from?

I don't know where it comes from, but I have always been more attracted by the sick and twisted stuff than things that are considered beautiful by most people. I don't mean murders, blood or violence, these things don't inspire me. What inspires me, and my work, is stuff that is somehow connected to dystopian future, apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic visions, cybernetics, natural disasters, diseases and plagues of the modern society. Basically mankind itself in many different ways.

When did you start using your iconic mask and what is the reason behind it?

I started using it last year, just one or two months after the Contagion album was released. I had been thinking about the visual representation of Syk2ne for a while and, because all of my releases are connected to sickness, I wanted something that could carry this concept even further. I remembered a drawing of the plague doctor which I saw as a child. This drawing fascinated and disturbed me at the same time. For me the plague doctor is one of the most frightening figures in human history. His purpose was to help and take care of people with the bubonic plague, but every time he appeared he brought death with him. 

Which artist have influenced you as an artist over the years?

A lot of artists have had an influence on my music over the years and the list is very diverse as well. But If I have to name some artists with a big impact on me and my music then I should definitely mention The Outside Agency/Dj Hidden, Access to Arasaka, Ophidian/Meander, Oyaarss, Tapage, WWW, Broken Note, Venetian Snares and Hecq. I should also mention the artists releasing under the Dark Industry label because almost every album that`s released there made my spine shiver. And if you want to know specific tracks which caught me lately, you should check my soundcloud for podcasts called Syk2nes, which I release every three months.

How is the music scene (and/or Hardcore scene) in the Czech Republic?

The music scene in general is still in bad condition here. I suppose the main reason behind this is that our country spent 40 years in communism and its “official culture“. Everything that was different and slightly provocative was forbidden, and the people involved would get prosecuted. I consider myself lucky because I was born a few months before the Velvet revolution, so I was able to travel and enjoy all the new things from abroad. But the marks of the former government are still very visible in our society. People still have problem with accepting new things for example. And because of that we don't have many progressive bands or projects here. Events or festival line-ups are repeating the same names more than a chorus in a pop song. But things are slowly moving forward now, you can really see a evolution if you look at the development on a year by year basis.

If I focus on the electronic and hardcore scene I have to say that the Czech republic was always very drum and bass oriented. I can clearly remember the first hardcore parties in 2005 with local dj`s. Those parties brought twenty people to the dancefloor, where DnB events were able to pull full clubs. But the early hardcore parties were very unique. A lot of people traveled very long distances for a party because there were just a few of them a year, and this created a real sense of family here. At that time me and my friends were admiring and visiting some Dutch parties as well, hoping that something similar would be possible for the Czech republic eventually.

So in 2006 I created a platform for Czech dj`s and producers called Gabber.cz, this platform isn`t active anymore, but we organized regular events back then and released some Czech hardcore tracks. It probably changed the Czech hardcore scene and definitely brought more people to the game.

Nowadays the Prague Nightmare guys really pull the hardcore scene here, and they took the events to a complete new level. Thanks to them the scene has grown up and we can now enjoy professional parties with hundreds, or sometimes even thousands of attendants. The crossbreed sound has also helped though, that sound has attracted a lot of attention from the hard DnB audience and pulled them to the hardcore events over here.

In the end you can say that the wishes we had back in the days have come true and as an addition we now have plenty of great events with raging hard DnB like Therapy Sessions, the Forbidden Society label night or Bassinfection. 

What can we expect from Syk2ne in the (near) future?

As a person I`m pretty cautious, I usually don`t say anything specific unless it is settled. At the moment I am working on some remixes of tracks from my favourite artists, so you might hear those in the near future. Besides those tracks I have also done some major studio upgrades in the last months, so I hope that those changes will be noticeable in my upcoming tracks as well.

And last but not least, do you have any epic last words for us?

Witness the sickness!

Interview with Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory`s podcast, Facebook, and Soundcloud

Well Chaos Theory, can you tell us a little something about the man behind the artist name? Where are you from, what do you do for a living etc.?
Hi there! My real name is Phelim Young, I'm 27 and I come from a little coastal village in the north of Ireland called Annalong. I'm currently studying a HND in Music Production, which I'm then planning to take to a higher level qualification, as I would like to work in the audio industry in some shape or form to make a full time living.

Your interest in Hardcore music had to start somewhere, do you remember how you got into contact with it?

Well, I guess I initially came into contact with Hardcore music back when I was quite young in the early 90's, and I remember my brother listening to some early Nightmare in Rotterdam cd's, along with all the happy hardcore that was happening back then. Then, when I was around 17, I met a guy at college who introduced me to the hardcore sounds of the early 2000's, and I became hooked to it right away. I listen to a lot of music styles in general, anything from Johnny Cash to Slipknot, and my main interest is in dance music (or EDM if you prefer), but the sheer energy, feeling and sensation created by hardcore kickdrums tickling my eardrums was like no other to be honest!

Initially, I only liked the more mainstream side of hardcore due to the hair raising melody lines and energy of the kickdrums, but as time went on, I came to appreciate the more obscure and dirtier sounds of core. I still tend to prefer the more melodic styles, but as long as it has a distorted kickdrum of some sort, I'll probably like it!

And in which of the above periods did you start producing your own music?
When I came back into contact with Hardcore in the early 2000's, I'd already been playing around mixing some other dance music styles, but had yet to even think about making my own stuff. The guy who showed me these tracks at the time also introduced me to FL Studio (or Fruityloops as it was known as back then). We both had similar tastes in music, and thought to ourselves that we could give making our own tracks a shot. We worked on some stuff together for a while, but eventually he quit producing and we went our separate ways. However, I decided I wasn't going to give up so easily, and I've been doing it ever since. 

How would you define your style as a producer and as a dj nowadays?
Generally I tend to have a more melodic style with my tracks and sets, as I love the spine tingling sensations created by a huge melody line combined with the power of the kickdrums found within hardcore music. I always try to have an underlying story or meaning to my music, so that it feels like it has a soul, and not something that follows the same basic formula and structure that can be found in a lot of dance music. Of course, the same kind of melodic tracks can become repetitive after a while, so I do like to venture off into slower and faster styles of Hardcore. I'll generally try to have some more raw sounding tracks somewhere in a set, picking up the tempo as I go along so that I can end a set in a fury of kickdrums at 200+ BPM.

What artists and/or tracks have influenced you as an artist?
Like I said, previously, I listen to a wide variety of music styles, not just dance music, so I really get inspired by a lot of artists and other things such as movie or tv soundtracks. Within Hardcore, my biggest influence over the years would have to be Ophidian, as the sounds and sensations he has created in his music have consistently inspired me to try and hopefully make something as epic one day. Other artists who have greatly influenced me would include Nosferatu, Tha Playah, DJ Promo, Amnesys, D-Passion, Ruffneck, along with countless others. Outside of Hardcore, I get influenced by a number of styles like Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Electro etc., as these styles can also have some pretty crazy sounds and arrangements. For non dance music styles, I listen to pretty much anything and everything providing it's good; country music, punk rock, ambient, film scores etc. Music is all around us every day in some shape or form, it's just a matter of keeping an eye (or ear) out for it, and losing ourselves in it.

I can imagine that there isn`t much of a Hardcore scene in Ireland, am I correctly assuming this?
At the minute it's indeed quite poor unfortunately. It seems to be quite an acquired taste over here, with a lot of people regarding it as just noise. Hardstyle is a little bit more popular here since it can be more accessible, but even those nights can be quite rare now. Most people here seem to prefer the more civilized forms of dance music such as House, Trance etc. There was a period of time a few years ago when Hardcore gained a bit more popularity, and we even had some headliners over here such as Angerfist, Endymion, Art of Fighters and The Sickest Squad, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to play right before these guys who have helped inspire me to create my own music over the years, but poor crowd attendances at some of these nights meant that promoters were losing money booking these acts, and thus were hesitant to take a chance on these nights. It's quite sad, but hopefully one day the scene can gain popularity here once again.

You have released tracks on multiple labels (Gunpowder, Six Feet Underground, GGM, Deton8 and Infusion Audio) under your previous alias. Why did you decide to start allover under your current artist name Chaos Theory?
Yeah, for those who are familiar with my previous stuff, I released under the alias Xeno for a number of years on the labels mentioned above. I also released a couple of Frenchcore style tracks under the name Leprecore on GGM. I decided near the end of last year that it was time to start afresh under a new alias, as I'd made significant progress in regards to my production skills, almost like I'd became a totally new artist, or reborn in a sense. Another reason for the change was because over the years, there had been a lot of confusion between myself and a Dutch graphic designer who used a similar alias, and people in Europe often confused me with this guy, and vice versa. So, I thought for the sake of my own possible career in this scene, I'd be better to have something a bit more unique.

When we received your podcast it featured some of your own work. You had to redo that podcast, and take out your own tracks, because a label showed interest in those tracks. Can you unveil something about what happened? 
Indeed, the podcast didn't contain any of my recent tracks, as around the same time I submitted the podcast, I also got an email from a very popular Hardcore label expressing an interest in releasing these tracks. I mentioned to them about the podcast I made, and they preferred if the tracks were not in this podcast, to prevent any early leaks of the tracks coming out online before the tracks are released. So, currently I'm finishing off some more tracks for this release, and I'll be able to announce more about this in the very near future all going well. Hopefully these new tracks will cause some movement within the scene.

What can we expect from you in the (near) future?
I would imagine in the early part of 2015 my first release as Chaos Theory should be out, then from there perhaps I'll get to play some gigs in some more venues outside of Ireland. I'll also be continuing with my college course to expand my skills, and hopefully get some more work with other clients for making some other styles of music, along with some more soundtrack work. 

Do you have any good last words for us to close off this interview? 
Don't eat yellow snow, ask any Eskimo... In all seriousness though, the only thing I can really say to people is for them to pursue whatever their dream is, no matter how big, crazy and unlikely it may seem. The only thing really stopping anyone from what they want to do, is themselves. With enough time and dedication, anything is possible. Just remember, if you find a job you love, you'll never have to work a day in your life.