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. 

Interview with Natrion

 Natrion`s podcast, Soundcloud and Facebook

So Natrion, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do for a living etc.?
My real name is Rik Coenen, born in Geldrop but I live in Maasbracht, Limburg now. I'm currently studying IT, which is going pretty well luckily and before this I've done a one year producer/audio technician study and tried Game Design at the University of Utrecht, but quit that after a year.

I`m assuming that the producer/audio technician study was a real benefit to your producing career?
Yes, definitely! Before I started that study I got stuck at a certain level a bit and it was hard to get a better sound. With that study I learned a lot that has helped me and, since I've done it, things have gone pretty fast as well.

You probably started producing a long time before you decided to do that study. Can you tell something about how you got into hardcore music and when/how you started producing it?
I started listening to hardcore around age 13 or 14 or so. Before that I listened to metal and hiphop like Linkin Park, Rammstein, Eminem. I still like those artists now. But at some point I got into contact with early hardstyle and I really liked the adrenaline boosting melodies in there. At that point I still thought hardcore was just a bunch of loud kickdrums without any melody. But I found out later that it had those melodies as well, and that was a golden combination for me!

The funny thing is that it took a while before I appreciated non-mainstream, but currently I'm mostly into industrial hardcore. The producing started when I was 15. I had a lot of ideas for tracks, usually pretty stupid ideas, like making a hardcore remix of a certain song. But I really wanted to do something with it. So I could either message a professional producer about my ideas, who probably wouldn't even bother with them, or start producing myself. And that's how it pretty much started.

Your taste seems really broad. So when i ask which tracks (and/or artists) inspired you as an artist I can probably expect a long and diverse list?
Well, mentioning every artist that has had some influence on my music would make a very long list yeah, so I'm not gonna bother with that. Over the years I have developed a very broad taste indeed. So my influences can reach from normal hardcore, to trap, to classical music, to pop, to metal, to hiphop, anything really. There are more genres I like than genres I don't like. Those creepy atmospheres in my tracks might have influences from Rammstein and Slipknot, while the structures might have influences from Linkin Park.

There are some artists though who definitely play a very big role in my sound and that I really respect. First of all that's Void Settler. I think he has had the biggest impact on how my music sounds nowadays. Before I knew his music, I made normal mainstream around 170 bpm. But when I found out how weird hardcore could sound, my music slowly developed to lower bpm's as well. I am experimenting with how far I can go before it wouldn't be called Hardcore anymore. I'm currently working on a track that`s 70 bpm and I am also working on one thats 40 bpm. Both can still be classified as hardcore I think. Besides Void Settler, I also really like DJ Hidden/The Outside Agency's music, which is also dark and experimental. And finally Ophidian, who is also one of my favorite producers. Those last two artists have been especially inspirational when it comes to the horror-like influences in my music.

You mention the horror influence in your music, and which artists (amongst others) inspired you in creating horror-like tracks. But where does this love for the dark come from?
Ah, it's the demon that possesses me that tells me I need to make that music. Or wait, sorry, he tells me I wasn't supposed to say that. So let's just say I just got a dark personality or something. No idea why I prefer dark music, it just seems like I do. I'm much more of a night person than a day person. At night everything is more quiet and peaceful.

For as far as I know you have not done any live performances yet? Is there any reason or thought behind that or is it just that you have not had the chance to perform before an audience?
Well, both a bit. First of all, no one asked me to perform on their party yet, so that's one reason. Besides that I'm not sure if I'm ready yet. So far I've mostly focused on producing. I only started practicing mixing a bit for my Horror Show, but I should actually practice with real CDJ's.

I'm also not sure yet what I want to do with my live performance. It might be just spinning records like other DJ's do. But I'm also considering doing something special. I have a background in IT and am very interested in technical informatics as well. I'm thinking of making my own unique program or device some day. So I can do something unique on stage. I've had some ideas already, but I still have to think about what I really want to do with such a thing.

I should also keep in mind what the audience wants, when they come to see me. I could for instance make some sort of machine, with which I could create new music on stage. But I have to take into consideration that when I come to see an artist, I expect to hear some of my favorite tracks of that artist as well.

Pretty ingenious idea. Should I picture this as a combination of a live set in combination with a Sonar-like device, just as Noize Suppressor uses sometimes?
I'm not really sure what Sonar was again. Wasn't that one of those electrical drums? But it could be something like that, or maybe something else. I'm not sure if I should do the rhythm parts live, since nervousness doesn't work very well on my feeling of rhythm. But maybe with enough practice I could get over that.

In the past you were always able to showcase your music and your taste in electronic music through your radio show over at HardSoundRadio. But i read that they are going to stop broadcasting. Can you tell what that show meant to you and, more importantly, if there are any plans to continue your show (in any form) elsewhere?
I'm still considering the possibilities at the moment. I might be able to do it for another radio station or I might turn it into a podcast. For the moment I`m happy with the extra time I have on my hands, because I don't have to chase after mixes or think about which artists I have to contact for my show.

But it was a lot of fun. I've received great guest mixes and I was able to increase my network quite a bit. I have been discussing doing collabs with some of the artists that I featured on my show, so that's really cool. It was a good opportunity to grow as an artist, in practicing presenting, mixing, networking and also getting my name out there. And I also really liked the opportunity to promote upcoming artists and new releases.

I had created an environment in which my experimental music would fit well. My music can go from 110 bpm to speedcore in one track. I was able to use all my tracks for the show and I don't think I would be able to display the same amount of diversity on a party, since everyone would probably be standing still then. That is also how the horror show began in the first place. I told the owner of HSR I would make a diverse mix for him, but I decided to make an entire show of it instead. I really had no idea how that first mix would be received. So I was very pleasantly surprised that people did seem to like it, and a lot of people found it a shame that the show had to stop. This is of course a huge motivation to continue the show in some form.

Well you must certainly have a lot of extra time to pour into your personal career now that your show will stop. For as far as I can see we might see inventions, collabs, and perhaps a new show or podcast-series. Is there anything else we can expect from you in the (near) future?
Besides my horror show it has been pretty quiet around me lately. My last EP on the Noisj sublabel Dream Machine is from February. But people who have listened loyally to my horror show, or my other mixes, might have noticed that I've got a lot of new unreleased tracks hidden away here. I've actually been secretly working on an album, which will have a themed story to it, inspired by artists like Void Settler.

I'm not sure yet when it will be done, but I've gotten pretty far with it already. Unlike my previous releases this album will be more focused on industrial hardcore, although it does have its experimental stuff as well. In the meantime I have finished some other tracks, which don't fit the story I want to portray on that album. So there might be a new release coming on Dream Machine soon. On which I will also feature a young upcoming talent that I mentored a bit.

And besides that I'm also doing some collaborations with a childhood friend of mine who's a rapper, named Michaël Gabriël. Some of my tracks already have hiphop influences in them and I found out that actual rap over it sounds surprisingly cool! Off course the tracks will still be 100% Natrion style, so you can expect something dark, experimental and distorted! You can hear one of the tracks I did with him already, it`s in the podcast I did for Forward Observers.

Sounds like you are diving headfirst into new possibilities and that we will probably hear a lot more from you soon. I`d say that this is a wrap for this interview, besides the inevitable last question. Do you have any epic last words to close off this interview?
Yes, definitely, the sickness has to spread much further. Epic last words... Ehm... Kids remember to always eat your vegetables? No, this one is for all the upcoming producers: Fuck borders, do something cool and new and shock the scene.

Interview with Krauser

Krauser`s podcast, Facebook and Soundcloud

Let’s start at the beginning, can you give some info about yourself? Where are you from and what do you do for a living etc.?

Well I am Kjeld Hooijmaijers, 23 years old, live in Raamdonksveer, and I study International Event, Music & Entertainment Studies. Besides my study I work at the hardstyle label Theracords. I started doing bookings & events there, but right now I am the artist manager of the label. You might also know me from the monthly Hardcore Top 40, that me and my buddy Nils Holty do, and is broadcasted on Q-dance Radio. And more importantly, for this interview at least, I’m also known under my Dj name ‘Krauser’.

It sounds like you are pretty busy, is this also why we only know you as a Dj? Or are there other reasons why you are not a producer?

Yes and no. I found out that I wanted to work in the music industry when I was in high school. At first I thought that I wanted to do something in the technical spectrum of the industry, like producing, sound design etcetera. But after a while I found out that I could not translate the ideas I had in my head into actual music. So I asked myself the question ‘Do I want to spend more time preparing, practicing, and hoping that I will be able develop my skills enough? Or should I maybe do something else?’. I chose the second option, because working behind the scenes was appealing much more to me: if I could not be the artist on stage, then maybe I could be the guy working behind the scenes to get the artist on stage. I kept Dj-ing of course, and I still do because I love playing records. But I don’t think I’ll be able to make a living off of that any time soon, so it’s more like a XL sized hobby. 

Do you have the intention to give producing another shot in the future, or is it not necessary for you to develop yourself in that particular direction anymore?

Well I don’t have those plans at this moment, because I am far too busy with other stuff. But the idea is always there in the back of your head though. Certainly now that I spent more time behind the scenes, with people that could teach me so much about producing. Before that I had to figure everything out myself, now people can actually learn me how to do some proper DAW work. My Defqon booking also created a real impulse to pick it up again. How awesome would it be to play your own tracks on a stage like that? In the end I didn’t manage to make something for the gig, but it keeps making me think about it. So never say never because a release might happen eventually, but not in the near future.

Speaking of which, how did you experience your sets at Defqon? Must have been an incredible feeling to be able to play at a party like that?

Well it was a bit of a shock when they asked me to spin there. In a positive way of course, haha! I think any Dj, no matter how big or small they are, dreams about a booking for a huge event like that. So did I, even though I didn't think that those kind of stages where in it for me since I consider myself to be not good enough to perform there. But luckily I was wrong. That whole weekend was  a madhouse. I am satisfied with how I performed. There was a surprisingly big crowd in the Silver area for my opening act, so that made me feel even better! I’ll remember that weekend for a long time. 

I have listened to your Defqon Silver set, but I was still quite surprised when I received your podcast for Forward Observers. You put a lot of different genres in that mix, do you play the same broad spectrum of genres on stage?

I like a lot of music, not only hardcore music. If you do not produce your own tracks, you have to find other ways to stand out from the crowd. I chose to incorporate multiple genres in my mixes to do that. One of the reasons for this is that I have been a resident DJ at the late Fear.FM for like 1,5 years. And I had to hand in a hardcore mix every week. So I figure people would be tired of my hardcore-only mixes after those years, and I wanted to give my new mixes  something original for the listeners. So that’s why I started incorporating other genres in my online mixes and podcasts as well.It`s a bit different on stage though. When you are on stage you have to factor in the concept, the genre and the timeslot of the event. I cannot open with an electro house track if I am booked for the Silver area on Defqon. People there expect industrial hardcore. But a Wavolizer track could work in a set like that, because it has that hardcore vibe in it. So I can’t play as broad as I do in homemade mixes, but I do try to keep it fresh. 

That sounds obvious from your point of view, but at the same time I also have the idea that a lot of party visitors do not appreciate surprises in livesets. They visit a certain kind of party and a certain kind of stage, and they want to hear a certain kind of music. Is that something you recognize?

I cannot say much about that from the perspective of a DJ, people that visit me know who I am and what I do. So the people that attend my set know I could do more than just the style or genre that is played in that particular area. But I do recognize what you are saying in a more  general way of speaking. I can, for example, get really annoyed by people who’re jumping on N-Vitral right now because he changed his sound and performance. These are all people that prefer his older sound over his new one. Those people are entitled to their own opinion of course but in the end, the artist chooses what he produces and spins. Personally I think that it is really cool that he drops a ‘regular’hardcore track in his sets every now and then. Or take Amnesys for example, last year at Defqon I heard him play a Prodigy track and a Zardonic track. I think it’s great if an artist does that from time to time, but there are always people who want straight up hardcore. There is nothing wrong with that, but I personally think that it is really cool to put little twists in your sets like that. 

Do you think that it`s also one of the reasons that we do not see a lot of new headliners these days? Organisations and visitors prefer to stick to guaranteed quality, safe and predictable? Or are there other reasons behind this?

Well the scene has obviously become a lot more professional nowadays, the bar has been raised quite a lot. Years back the scene might’ve been just about the music. You could be a great producer or a great DJ but either skill was enough back then. Nowadays you need to have strong productions and you need to know how to DJ. Apart from that you need to have a recognizable look, your social media has to be good and interactive, your logo has to be appealing etc. So by today’s standards, it`s a long way to the top if you only know how to make good tracks. 

What is your opinion about this development?

If you're good at it it`s much more fun. It offers a lot more and pushes people to get themselves in the picture online and do interesting marketing campaigns. I am an internet addict, like the rest of the world, so if your social media allows you to get a strong and pure bond with your favorite artists it’s a perfect match of course. There is almost no way to get closer to your fans, except if they would come over to your house every day for a cup of coffee, but that ain’t happening of course haha.

On the other hand I do feel that it is a shame that some acts with huge musical talents go unnoticed, they do not stand out, because their branding is not up to par with the industry`s standard. I see a lot of artists, not only in the hardcore scene, that deserve a lot more than they get. So in short: this development works both ways. It can make your big, or it can kill you. 

You mentioned N-Vitral and Amnesys earlier, can you tell us which artist have been inspirational to you?

The ‘homo musicalis’ Ophidian, for his ability to really master all hardcore related genres. And like I said before, Amnesys for his truly unique take on mainstream hardcore. And last but not least The Outside Agency for their diversity within the darker side of hardcore and for giving birth to the immensely popular crossbreed genre. If we are talking about other genres then I should really mention KOAN Sound, Porter Robinson, Asa, Wavolizer and Black Sun Empire: artists that do their own thing and have fans that accept that. 

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

I am on the line-up off Convoi Exceptionel, an event by Dither. So that is going to be a very enjoyable experience! And I have my traditional yearmix coming up. A mix with 100 hardcore tracks from this year that I personally loved. Mixed by hand obviously because I do not like to make it easy for myself haha. It’ll be out before the end of this year, so I hope people will look forward to that! 

So just one more, very original, question to close this interview. Do you have any epic last words for us?

Last words are for fools who haven't said enough! #okdoei