One of the things I've always loved about hardcore techno is the use of movie samples.
You can hear a strange voice, a line of dialogue, a scream or a piece of atmosphere buried in a track and wonder:
"Where the hell did that come from?"
Sometimes the answer is obvious. Sometimes it's something you've seen a hundred times. And sometimes you end up going down a rabbit hole trying to find a film you've never even heard of. That's exactly what I've been doing with a series of videos for the HCBX YouTube channel.
The idea is pretty simple. I've been taking clips from films and splicing them together with the hardcore tracks that sampled them, so you can hear the original scene and then hear how that piece of audio ended up being used in the track.
It's something I've always found fascinating about electronic music. A producer can take a few seconds of dialogue from a film, drop it into a track, manipulate it, chop it up or simply let it play over the top of the music — and suddenly that little piece of dialogue becomes part of hardcore history.
A lot of the samples I've found come from horror films, which probably isn't much of a surprise.
Hardcore, gabber and terror have always had a fascination with the darker side of film, and there is certainly no shortage of material to work with. The videos feature samples from films including The Shining, The Evil Dead, The Fly, Children of the Corn II, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Blair Witch Project and The Exorcist III, alongside plenty of other horror films.
But it isn't just horror.
I've also found samples from science fiction, action films, cult movies and some fairly unexpected places. Blade Runner, Full Metal Jacket, A Clockwork Orange, The Punisher, Natural Born Killers, and Legend all make appearances.
There are even television shows and some much more obscure films thrown into the mix.
The Fun Is In Finding The Source
Some samples are immediately recognisable.
If you've seen A Clockwork Orange or The Exorcist enough times, you might hear a particular line in a hardcore track and know exactly where it came from.
Others aren't quite so obvious.
I've come across films while researching these videos that I'd never even heard of before (The film Mikey for example, sampled in Neophyte's track of the same name....). In some cases, finding the original source of a sample has been almost as interesting as listening to the track itself.
You start with a few seconds of audio from a record you've known for years, search for the quote, track down the film, find the scene and suddenly you've got a completely different appreciation of the sample.
It's basically a bit of hardcore sample archaeology.
Putting The Film And The Track Together
Rather than simply talking about the samples, I wanted to actually show the connection.
So the videos mix the original movie footage together with the hardcore track that used the sample. You get to hear the dialogue in its original setting and then hear how the producer used it within the track.
Sometimes the sample is used exactly how it is. Other times the original dialogue can be almost unrecognisable once it's been chopped up, distorted, repeated or buried underneath the music.
That's one of the things I really like about sampling. The same piece of audio can have a completely different effect depending on what you put around it.
A Few Of The Samples I've Dug Into
Across the videos there are plenty of examples, including:
DOA – You're Dead using The Shining
Hammer Damage – The Demons using From Dusk Till Dawn
Mutoid – Necronomicon using Evil Dead: Army of Darkness
Two Terrorists – The Fly using The Fly
Strychnine – Sacrifice using Children of the Corn 2
DJ Freak – Off Planetary Interference using The Outer Limits
DJ Yves – Leprechaun using Leprechaun
I've embedded the 4 videos I've done (so far) throughout the article, so click away!
What's Next?
The more I get into this, the more obvious it becomes that there are loads more to find.
Hardcore has been borrowing from films for decades, and there are countless samples that I've either never identified or haven't even come across yet. So I'm going to keep digging. Nothing beats that feeling of watching a movie and a line that you heard in an old DOA track pops up. Love it!
HCBXCast 85 is a big one for me. I'm genuinely proud to have legendary UK producer and Outcast Clan label boss Total Output on the show, bringing us his set from last year’s Trash Massacre event. Total Output is a personal hardcore hero of mine and someone whose music has been a massive part of the sound I love, so having him on HCBXCast is a proper honour. He was also kind enough to agree to answer a few questions, so strap in for some hardcore history...
HCBX: Alright Sean, how the hell are you? Thanks very much for the set and for agreeing to answer some questions. I've been a massive fan of your music for years. How did you first get into Hardcore Techno? Did it evolve from an earlier electronic style?
Total Output: OK, a long time ago I went to all the big acid house parties in the late 80s, so we were hearing the music of that time very underground for a while, but big early raves and a lot of acid music — very new and very different. But the turning point for me was when someone showed me the track that literally launched my entire music career.
Acid Tracks by Phuture.
This track was stunning. The way the 303 drops in at the beginning was groundbreaking for me. After that, I wanted to make that music, so I did. This was the very beginning of everything for me.
HCBX: Who were your early influences?
Total Output: Ohh, this is a long time ago, but anything that was different and faster and the best production for that time. This was even before computers were a thing, so acid music really, and then early hard techno, usually made by Amiga or the other earliest computers.
The up-and-coming early artists in the UK. We also worked with a whole heap of other artists: Lenny Dee, Traffik, Sensory Violation Mike, Matt Green, MDMA, etc., etc.
HCBX: What are your memories of the early days? Do you have a party or rave that sticks in your mind that hooked you in?
Total Output: Free parties blew my mind. I went to Castlemorton, Dutch Tek twice, free party in Rotterdam port, various parties in Brixton, Praxis, Head Fuck, Planet FM. Turnmills, Eurobeat 2000, Institute of Goa. Limelight London, Lenny Dee night, GGM Newcastle, free rave Sussex Downs, North Stoke-on-Trent, Knowledge in Victoria, our parties in 1994, Start Bristol. But the big free parties in Europe were my true love. Teknival was so pure. That's very influential. I love music that never stops, hence my tracks being so long.
HCBX: Outcast Clan was massively influential. How did the whole thing actually come about? What were you doing before the label, and what made you think, "Let's start a label"?
Total Output: Ohh, probably my love of acid music, and I had a strange urge to make it. I purchased an S950 and a mixer for no apparent reason in Denmark Street, and a few years later a 303 for £60, and then all the rest of the stuff I still have now hiding away. But my 303 has a vast history that came to every PA I ever did, so I’m unsure why the label even started, as I’m also unsure why I even started buying equipment???
Destiny, who knows, but it all happened and clearly was meant to be.
HCBX: Total Output and the rest of the Outcast Clan artists had a really distinctive sound, but you weren't afraid to put out music that crossed over into acid, industrial, hardcore, gabber and some pretty experimental territory. What were you looking for when you were deciding what fitted the label?
Total Output: Ohh, this is hard. Anything that sounded hard, good tracks that were different from anything else that existed at that time, and we knew a lot of people who made the harder music and, of course, parties and meetings, music makers.
HCBX: I was introduced to the label through your Total Onslaught record. It blew my mind and was very different to the other hardcore out at the time. Was there a particular release that you were most proud of?
Total Output: Yes, I loved Fireproof EP. It sold the most.
And was an amazing release, and of course my Drop Bass Network release. That was a good one.
HCBX: You've used the photo for the flyer of your studio and mentioned you have newer equipment now. Talk me through the old studio setup compared to now. How different is your approach to making music compared with the way you worked back in the early days?
Total Output: My old equipment was a MIDI setup. Like I said, I still have all this stuff, but I needed to upgrade to my new setup, to my current setup, which gives me the production quality I always needed, and having access to the world of new plugins using Maschine, Maschine Jam, Mackie desk, 4 303s, original 303, TD-3, Mo TD-3 and another TD-3, Maschine Jam, drone boxes, filter boxes, RD-9 drum machine, Focusrite 4x4.
And all my old stuff. I love the endless possibilities of my new equipment. You can go much deeper than a MIDI setup.
And lots of stunning soft synths, along with about 300 plugins. More noise and much bigger sound.
HCBX: A lot of your tracks are proper long jams. What's the thinking behind that? Do you deliberately start something and just let it develop, or is that simply how you've always made music?
Total Output: Always long tracks because I never want a track to end. My tracks are long because all music should be fully explored, and the effect on me at Teknival showed me that music should never end. But everything has an end, but maybe music doesn’t?
I always am amazed that I actually made any of my music. When I listen back to it, it always feels like someone else made it.
But it’s actually me, but I can’t ever recreate again. It’s always a one-off.
HCBX: You've also said you've got a habit of making multiple versions, mixes and variations of the same track. What is it about a track that makes you want to keep going back to it rather than just calling it finished?
Total Output: See the answer above. I never go back to tracks once they are done. That’s it. That’s why I do multiple mixes. Some of my tracks have 8 or 9 mixes and can take months to complete. There’s no need to end too soon. Finishing a track at that moment is a bit depressing because you never think that anything you make after that point can be better, but I realised over the years that everything you make, as time ticks on, gets better.
It took me many years to even learn 70% of my new equipment, but once you establish your workflow, it becomes easier and your creativity becomes bigger and more and more and more and more, and making music that you feel is a bit over the top, but that’s when it gets good.
HCBX: When you listen back to some of the Total Output stuff from the 90s now, what do you hear differently?
Total Output: I listen to the production quality. I like them, and they now have more significance in 2026. I appreciate my earlier work now more than ever, but it’s all my history and I respect it, and I can hear the progression over the last 40 years, which I enjoy. It really comes down to affordability and technology at the end of the day.
HCBX: You were doing some pretty brutal and experimental hardcore at a time when most people were still trying to work out where the boundaries of the music actually were. Did you ever consciously think about pushing things further, or were you simply making the music that sounded right to you?
Total Output: All my music sounds right at the time. It just flows from somewhere. I’m not sure where? But destroying a mix, taking it to the limit, is now possible. I have mixes that scare me. All music should be scary. All music should have power, and the power should be pushed and pushed. A good DJ can do that on a dance floor. It’s magical.
A lot of music conforms to other styles, and this satisfies the market that is heading for, but I believe that my music is hard techno, but I never wanted to make music that fits in a hole along with a pile of other stuff.
All music that goes on dancefloors is fickle, but why not take a risk and make something a bit different? Some of the greatest tracks in history, in all musical styles, it’s because someone’s actually taken the risk to make it. If nobody takes a risk, then no music would ever exist. That’s new.
HCBX: You've talked about wanting to play out live more. Was there an event you played that really sticks in your mind? And any interesting stories from playing out?
Total Output: Playing on a Monday morning at Dutch Tek was a dream, on a 60k rig after 5 days of endless music. It’s huge wind turbines going over your head, and at North in Stoke-on-Trent when I kicked my computer into the crowd at the end of the PA.
Playing on the beach in the south of France — that was amazing.
I've played over 150 PAs, all of them mad. And playing in a pub in Newcastle where they nearly got chucked out because 2 girls were doing favour for pills in the toilets. Playing in Milwaukee for Drop Bass in 1994 and our John Peel set on the radio. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve played out so many times in so many places, it’s hard to remember them all.
HCBX: What's your best moment in music?
Total Output: Ohh, it’s a hard one. They are always during a live set. These moments are rare but possible, but North Dakota was very special. Massive club, lots of people, good crowd as well.
You crave that moment of perfection during a PA when everything just seems to fall into place. It’s not a very long moment, maybe only 10 or 15 seconds, but at that point you realise why you love to play out live.
So I had many best moments in music, but pure perfection comes rarely, but you certainly know when that moment comes.
HCBX: You've got new Total Output material appearing on Bandcamp now. Talk me through what you're doing with the new music. Is this a continuation of what you were doing in the 90s, or does it feel like you're approaching Total Output as a completely different project now?
Total Output: It’s all a different thing now. My new music is a current time, a specific time in now history.
Music is the time in history, all that the party is, the places and the people. I’m happy finally, after all these years, with the production quality of my music. This is down to my new equipment.
I’m in a way continuing my musical journey way back from 91, 92 and enjoying the rather confusing creative process to making music. I’m high functioning autistic. This has enabled me over the years to create the music that I do, but Total Output is important and I will continue making tracks the way that I do because I love them. I can’t make music any other way. I can’t make any other music either, because all my music that I make with the dancefloor in mind, and this happens after you’ve played out many times and you realise, many PAs, how to drive a dancefloor crazy.
HCBX: Is there any old Total Output material that you've got sitting around that you'd still like to revisit or properly finish? Or do you prefer leaving it where it belongs and concentrating on what's happening now?
Total Output: All old stuff is old stuff. That’s it. Only new tracks I’ll release. All the old stuff on Bandcamp now — it’s about time. And concentrate on new music because of my ability to make music that’s much bigger.
I need to concentrate on what’s happening now, but for the moment I need to get all this music out there that is sitting on my hard drive. I was leaving it there for nobody to hear is a crime against music.
HCBX: The set you've given me for this HCBXCast was recorded at last year's Trash Massacre. What was going through your head when you put that set together, and how does playing Total Output live now compare with what you were doing with the project back in the 90s?
Total Output: More power, more sound, more control, more of everything.
I love playing out. Before Holland, I hadn’t played out for a very long time, so it was a very, very long day, but very rewarding. Once the PA has got going and you get the mix right according to the sound system in the room, and everything falls into place, and I have the controllability that I used to have, but a lot more sound and power to play with.
My old MIDI setup sounded good, but not as good as it sounds now with the new equipment. It’s all about piling up the kick drums and balancing it all within a headroom that has no space. That’s why hard techno is hard to make, especially the noisy stuff — lack of headroom.
HCBX: Finally, anything else you want to get off your chest?
Total Output: Yes. Music is endless and it’s a very personal thing, but it’s all about dancefloor power and going into a place in music that is exclusively reserved for pure hard techno.
It’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s for the true believers. No dancefloor can keep up with the power of a hard techno dancefloor.
People say they don’t like hard techno, but that’s their problem.
I’ve stood on dance floors over the years which blow my mind, and it’s always the same: pure power.
Never underestimate the power of a fully running hard techno club with a really good DJ or a really good live set. There’s nothing like it, and it’s up to you whether you would like to experience it or not, but it’s an experience that everybody should try once.
It’s like Marmite: you either love it or hate it, but when you love it, you love it with all your heart.
Massive thanks to Total Output for the set and for answering my questions. You can check out his set on HCBXCast 85 from Friday 28th August 2026 at 7pm UK Time. Link here:HCBXCast Vol 85 - Total Output
Back on HCBXCast for a second round, Larry Nevermind returns with another uncompromising set of speedcore and terror. As a driving force behind Apocalypse Recordings, he’s been holding it at the harder end of the spectrum for decades. We caught up to talk origins, production, and the mindset behind keeping things fast, heavy, and to the point.
HCBX: Alright Larry, how the hell are you? Welcome back to HCBXCast – second time on the show. What’s changed for you since the last mix you sent in?
LN: Another year around the sun.
HCBX: This new set is absolutely relentless - you mentioned you done a few takes to find out which flowed best - is that your usual approach to mixing or do you plan out what you are playing?
LN: I used to practice sets over and over to make them as perfect as I could. It's relentless and time consuming. More than that, later on while listening it sounds practiced. Which is cool, absolutely. But as I've gotten older, I started to feel one-take mixes are the best. They keep a good flow going sound-wise. If one mix goes off, stop and start a new one. All new tracks.
HCBX: Your music is pretty unique, and your label Apocalypse is one of the most influential and ever present in the harder end of hardcore techno which goes right back to the 90s – what first pulled you into hardcore and pushed you towards the extreme end of it? Were you coming from rave/techno scene originally, or were the roots elsewhere?
LN: I never liked techno. Still don’t. I came up as a teenager loving 80s and early 90s hip hop and SLAYER!
One day I was on the hunt for LSD in late 1994 when I bumped into an old childhood friend who brought me into a new world. A few weeks passed and they decided to convert me. One guy had a DJ Keoki tape, which was weak bullshit. The other had a DJ Repete tape (back then there was a DJ Repete in NYC playing hardcore). Anyway, the Repete tape was awesome. I was hooked.
HCBX: What was the scene like around you at this time? Were there local events, or did you have to travel a bit?
LN: There was no scene where I lived. Back then you had to get a flyer for an event. It was true underground. We would ride into NYC. I grew up and still live today like 40 km outside NYC.
The first acts I saw were DOA live, Delta 9, Nicky Fingers.
1995 was a fun year.
HCBX: What memories do you have of the early days? Do you have any interesting stories from back then?
LN: The early days were outlaw events. A lot of running from cops, or local street thugs, or thugs another promoter sent to mess your event up.
I’ve got stories. I’d rather not go into that.
HCBX: How did you get involved in making music, both producing and mixing?
LN: One day my girlfriend at the time brought home some really good hardcore vinyl. FUHD was the one I remember blowing us away back then.
I started mixing vinyl at home and eventually, July 4, 1997, had my first vinyl booking. A few weeks passed, and my friend made me a hand-painted FUHD hoodie. The FUHD guys saw it and we have been friends ever since. They sat me down and trained me on FastTracker. I owe them everything.
HCBX: What kind of setup were you using when you first started? And how has this evolved over time?
LN: Technics 1200s and a Dell PC with FastTracker.
Not much has changed. I use Renoise on a Mac now to produce. Also, you can mix on a computer now, which has its pluses and minuses.
HCBX: You’ve put out a steady stream of material over the years including an excellent release recently on RTDF – what’s been driving that?
LN: I just try and write music I would like to listen to, mix, or buy.
I really focus on not trying to sound like anyone else. I can write music every day for a month at 5 am, then not touch music for a month because I fucking hate everything I think of. It’s a battle sometimes.
HCBX: You’ve been running Apocalypse Recordings for a long time now – how did that first come about? What was the original idea behind the label?
LN: Tense and Tyrant had an idea of bringing harsh speedcore and dark slower hardcore together on the same records.
Over the years, management duties have changed between us. My vision now is: hard as fuck and fast. I don’t discriminate—if it’s slow and awesome, I may be down.
HCBX: You have a core of regular collaborators like Fiend, The Tyrant, Tense and Deadnoise - how did these connections come about and who are the other people or artists that had an impact on you?
LN: We all met and talked shit with no music relations, just hanging out. These guys are my brothers.
HCBX: There have been some killer recent releases on Apocalypse and it's great to see some of the older track getting re-released on Bandcamp - How do you approach releases now – what makes something feel right for Apocalypse?
LN: If it sounds right, I’m good with it. One track goes with the next—just a good flow of listening material.
I’ve turned down decent music on the fact it didn’t flow with the rest of the record.
HCBX: When I interviewed Deadnoise last year, he said he had massive respect for what you do with the label as you keep the core sound, and don't run with what's popular. What keeps you motivated to keep the label active and sticking with these values after all these years?
LN: I try and keep the idea: what record I would wanna buy. I can’t deal with bullshit—in life, music, etc. I have to want it. I’m not worried if you want it, though I want you to want it. Haha.
HCBX: What's up next for Nevermind and the label? What are you working on at the moment?
LN: Currently almost finished compiling Apocalypse 27 for vinyl release.
No set title yet, but it has some seasoned artists. This year hopefully by summer.
HCBX: Anything else you want to get off your chest?
LN: Thank you.
Big thanks to Larry Nevermind for the set and taking the time to chat. HCBXCast Vol 81 goes live on 25th April 2026 - 9pm UK Time and you can check it out here: https://youtu.be/E0oAgNX7Q2E
If you're into the harder end of things, make sure you check out his work and support the label:
I proudly welcome David Lagon on to HCBXCast for number 80 — A man who will need very little introduction, a long-standing force in the French hardcore underground whose roots stretch back to the early days of the scene. Recently returning to production with a brand new track on Epiteth, and some high profile gigs, his HCBXCast mix is a hard-hitting industrial hardcore session — relentless from start to finish.
I catch up with David to talk about his origins in the scene, his production process, working with some legends and much more.
HCBX: Alright David — how the hell are you? Thanks for taking the time and for the brilliant mix for HCBXCast. First up, how and when did you first get into hardcore techno music? Was it a specific moment or early influence that sparked your interest?
DL: Hi Andrew, I'm good, thank you. I started listening to underground music quite early. I began with punk music in the 80s when I was a teenager. I already liked those alternative rhythms and that ideology of resistance. Later, also passionate about computers, I heard artists like Aphex Twin and Front 242, among others, who were starting to play a new musical style by adding electronic elements. Aphex Twin gave me the impression of using his instruments to the very limits of their capabilities, and he managed to produce sounds never heard before. I found this world fascinating! I really had that epiphany when I saw Liza 'n' Eliaz perform at the "Transerruption" party in a castle in Grenoble in 1992.
HCBX: You began as a pianist before moving into electronic music and the hardcore world — how did that transition happen, and did your early training shape how you approach production now?
DL: Being a pianist isn't necessarily the right fit. I don't have the knowledge, let alone the talent, of a real pianist. I only learned piano for a few years, and indeed, that knowledge allowed me to feel more comfortable with composition. More specifically, in the creation of certain melodies or rhythms.
HCBX: You come from Dijon and were involved with radio and local parties from a young age. What was the hardcore scene like in France when you first got involved, and how did it influence your direction?
DL: I was lucky enough (as an aside - thanks to my mother) to find an internship at a Dijon radio station when I was young (around 15 or 16). This internship led to a job there for several years. As a result, it allowed me access to a huge variety of different music. I also had access to a whole professional studio with the famous Technics SL1200 MK2. I had the keys to the radio station's professional studios, and I could use them whenever I wanted back then. I used to go there regularly to practice mixing, and some nights I'd go with my friend Christ Of Noise (RIP) to create samples with our Amigas.
HCBX: Was there an event or DJ set that really changed the way you thought about hardcore, like a “this is what I want to do" moment?
DL: Yes! When I had the opportunity to interview Liza 'n' Eliaz for the radio for the first time at the Transerruption rave party in Grenoble, France.
HCBX: Can you walk us through your early setup? You've said you used the Amiga - what other gear or tools were you using when you first started producing and DJing? How has that evolved over the years?
DL: At the very beginning, I used an Atari with Pro24 software (I think? It's been a while, so I don't remember exactly. I'm sure there was "24" in the name, but that's all!). At that time, Christophe (Christ Of Noise) was already using an Amiga with a tracker. When I saw the possibilities that the Amiga offered with trackers, I immediately switched to that platform. At that time, I was using OctamedPro software (I'm sure of the name here) which handled samples and MIDI. There was also Protracker, but it was too limited and didn't handle MIDI. It was because of this limitation that I chose OctamedPro to create my first compositions (the tracks on Provision Records were all created with this software, by the way). I also used a small TR505, a Yamaha SY22, a TX81Z, and a Yamaha 01V. Everything was connected via MIDI. As for DJing, I've always mixed on Technics turntables. I also sometimes play digitally because both bring enjoyment and creativity. It's not the same approach, but both ways of approaching DJing are enjoyable to use once mastered.
HCBX: Your tracks stretch across decades — from early Radikal Groov productions to later releases on Epiteth, Provokation etc. How would you describe the core of your sound, and has that definition changed for you over time?
DL: I've always been searching for new sounds. I like finding combinations that create original sounds. Back then, I had a studio with just a few synthesizers. You had to work within those limitations. The settings weren't intuitive at all. The possibilities were very limited, but looking back, it was already amazing. Currently, with technological advancements, it's different. There are so many sound choices and possible settings that you can get lost in all the options. Personally, I think my sound evolves over time. Nevertheless, I think I always maintain my basic structure in my current productions. They also evolve, but the foundation of my structure remains the same.
HCBX: Are there any artists, labels, or scenes within or outside of hardcore that have influenced your creative process?
DL: Yes, of course! Liza 'n' Eliaz, definitely. Aphex Twin as well, for the variety of his sounds and compositions, Nasenbluten for the hardcore rap fusion, Mark N for his remarkable mixing technique, Klaus Schulze for his hypnotic melodies, Klaus Nomi for his futuristic atmospheres.
HCBX: I probably know you best from your excellent output on Provision Records. Talk us through how that collaboration with the late great Liza 'N'Eliaz came about.
DL: At that time, I was hosting a "Techno to Hardcore" radio show with my friend Christ Of Noise. Later, we developed a project to organize a big Hardcore party in Dijon at the An-Fer nightclub (sadly now closed), which was the go-to club for electronic music in France. An-Fer had hosted some of the biggest names in music (Daft Punk, Carl Cox, Jeff Miles, etc.). Therefore, we needed to find a world-renowned artist for this project. We immediately thought of Liza. I contacted her, and she agreed to come to Dijon to perform at An-Fer. It was a magical night. That evening or the next day, Christ Of Noise and I asked her to listen to our tracks. She listened... silence... She asked us to listen again. We rewind our cassette (yep, back then, tracks were on cassette), play it again, and then the music stops once more at the end of the tracks. Another silence. A few seconds later, Liza tells us she loves our tracks. She explains that she's starting her own label called "Provision Records" and offers to sign our tracks to it. All the tracks we'd played for her were the ones that had been pressed on her label with excellent mastering.
HCBX: Of all the tracks you've released, which ones are you most proud of and why?
DL: That's a trick question! :D It's not easy to answer. I'll tell you that some tracks resonate with me more than others. In hardcore, I really like "EinsZweiBrrrr" because even now, it's simple and effective at parties. This is perhaps one of the songs I enjoy playing because I feel the audience is more receptive. I've never felt a particular pride in my work. Some of my compositions speak to me more than others. I have a piece I just finished recently, and I think it's quite polished. Even better than usual. I don't know yet what format it will be released on, but I think it should be well received by the public. It's quite different from the others and very, very fast. This might be the piece I'm most proud of! ;) A little exclusive… Its name? Melodic Momentum. Its speed? You're not ready! 270 BPM!!!
HCBX: What’s your typical workflow when starting a new track — do you start with rhythm, melody, etc? How much is improvisation vs planning?
DL: It depends. Often, I open my music software (Renoise, the best tracker in the world for me) and start listening to samples, instruments, and presets. Once I find a sound that interests me, I isolate it and start modifying it. Sometimes I can spend hours modifying a sound, and then it's simple: if I still don't like it despite hours of tweaking, I delete everything. If I like it even a little, then I start adding a basic rhythm and try to see if I can feel something. If so, I modify it and add another instrument or rhythm to see if it all blends well. Once I have something decent, I start building the track according to my own feel (intro, drop, break, etc.).
HCBX: You’ve been part of the scene since the ’90s — what are your thoughts on how hardcore and techno have evolved since then? Do you feel the spirit of the old school lives on?
DL: The 90s were the beginning; there was so much to build, so much to discover. Everything was archaic… At the same time, it was thrilling to discover this new world! I remember exchanging technical tips with other artists. Driving around to DJ in incredible locations. I think that back then, the interactions were different. We were a “family,” and in a family, there are no “stars.” What mattered most was back then was mutual support, listening, and helping each other out with all kinds of technical issues. Today, with digital technology, anyone can call themselves a DJ. All you need is a USB drive and to press the "Sync" button to make a clean mix. Sure, it'll be clean, but for me, a mix also has to have soul.
A DJ has to tell a story. They have to bring their mix to life, they have to take the audience on a journey. And for that, there's no other way than to listen to music regularly, practice your mixes regularly, and master the equipment. There's no secret to it; that's what will make the difference, in my opinion, between a DJ who's passionate about music and a DJ who's passionate about followers. I don't want to get into a childish debate between vinyl DJs and digital DJs. Both offer excellent performance and the opportunity to be truly creative if the DJ knows their equipment even a little. This requires work, practice, willpower, and a good ear for music. What's unfortunate today is that for many new DJs, music takes a backseat to social media visibility.
HCBX: That spirit definitely lives in your recent track Hô My Bitch out on Hô's Epiteth. This is a new track. Talk us through how you started working on this after a break, and is there more to come?
DL: "Hô My Bitch"... I composed this track after a bit of fun with my friend Hô. She asked me if I could compose a new track for her label, Epiteth Records. I gladly agreed and started listening to samples, and I came across this sample that says "Bitch…Bitch…Bitch!" (As an aside, it was Christ Of Noise's voice) that made me think of Hô because sometimes, between us, I like to call her "My Bitch"! ;) So, I created this track with this sample as a kind of dedication to our precious and strong friendship. Anyway, yes! I have a new track finished and ready for production. I also have a new project. I'd like to create an Ambient album.
HCBX: How do you feel about the current state of the French and global hardcore scenes?
DL: Times are changing, and mentalities have changed a lot too. I find that the music is no longer the main focus. You have to be seen, play as many shows as possible, get as many bookings as possible. I think there's a lot of rivalry, jealousy, and oversized egos. Alongside that, there are some really great parties with truly passionate people. I think the scene today is kind of split in two. On one hand, you have the passionate fans with well-organized "Rave Party" style events where there's a real sense of solidarity and a "family" vibe that I particularly appreciate. The hardcore played at these parties is often quite underground. On the other hand, there are huge events like Thunderdome (among others) with insane shows and really established artists. Musically, you'll find a more mainstream hardcore scene there. Personally, I like both styles of events. You don't find the same thing in both; there's good and bad in both types of scenes. There's something for everyone.
HCBX: Great to see you playing a good few parties lately and events including the "Special Memories" tribute to Liza N’Eliaz - how has this been and how do the parties differ from years ago?
DL: I was lucky and privileged to know Liza personally. She was an exceptional person with incredible talent. She taught me so much about music, but she also instilled in me wonderful principles and values. Liza gave me so much that I now feel it's only natural to participate in tributes, provided they remain non-political, non-religious, and non-toxic, and that they showcase Liza. I'm always careful about these kinds of projects. If the requests are respectful and serious, and meet my requirements, then I generally accept.
HCBX: What have been some of the most defining moments in your career (so far) both good and challenging?
DL: The most memorable… As for a bad moment, I immediately think of the first Techno Parade in Paris in 1998, where I was scheduled to perform on the float representing Dijon. Dijon was home to the legendary An-Fer nightclub, which was very focused on house music. When I started playing my set in front of thousands of people, one of the organizers, who wanted house music on his float, cut off my live performance. It drove me crazy!
The good times… There were so many. Big parties with an insane atmosphere, smaller parties with great vibes too. Magical encounters, amazing trips.
HCBX: You have over 30 years of experience in hardcore—what advice would you give to someone starting out in production or mixing—in terms of creativity and longevity?
DL: Going out in the evenings, meeting people, and finding the right people who will motivate you. It will require perseverance, accepting criticism if it's constructive, staying humble, keeping your feet on the ground, and not touching those damn drugs. It will also require working on your mixes (DJ) or your compositions (producer). Learning to master these machines and software. Respecting other artists and, of course (and especially), your audience. Sharing and passing on your knowledge and expertise.
HCBX: Besides music, what other activities do you enjoy?
DL: I like computers, video games, playing chess, talking to AI and asking it impossible things. Enjoying all the pleasant moments that life has to offer.
HCBX: Anything else you'd like to get off your chest?
DL: We're just passing through here… Time flies! Use it wisely… Jealousy and hatred bring nothing good. Help and love one another… Unity is strength, and make love, not war!
A massive thanks to David for spending time answering these questions and for the set submission. You don't want to miss this one!
You can check out David's excellent set on HCBXCast from Saturday 14th March at 9pm GMT here: HCBXCast 80 - David Lagon
I'm proud to get The Untitled on for Episode 4 of The Acid Hour. The Uncompromising Analog Terror label boss turns in some serious Acid Hardcore for your listening pleasure as he runs through a live set of his tracks. I've been a massive fan of Jacob's music and the UAT label for a while, so pretty happy to get the opportunity to ask a few questions.
HCBX: Alright Jacob how the hell are you?
The Untitled: Hi! Going pretty good thank you
HCBX: For anyone who may be discovering you for the first time (surely not many people in that position reading this!) – who is The Untitled, and how did this project come into being?
The Untitled: My name is Jacob from The Netherlands, The Untitled is my artist name. I also did some projects under other names but The Untitled is the main.
My first release was on a American label called Blast Beat. This was a very extreme 800 bpm speedcore track together with Noisekick called 'Idols666' - I had to look it up on Discogs, this was 2006, when you think of it - 20 years ago! Insane! I love the review someone left there, sums it up very nice:
''If you want to educate someone about this kind of music make him listen this first - chances are he will either get a heart attack or choke with laughter.''
The track samples from a Dutch television show ''Idols'' where participants that usually couldn't sing aimed for their moment of fame. Resulting in funny and extreme speedcore track.
A period of Terror and Speedcore followed which slowly changed to acidcore nowadays. Doing multiple collaborations with Noisekick, ending up on numerous CDs and LPs. Gigs started also around that period in 2006.
Starting off in the local town, De Westereen with The Noise Area, loads of parties with Noisekick in Culemborg. Local parties in Quatrebas, Berlikum, Leeuwarden, Drachten, abroad in Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Finland, England and bigger events like Hellbound in Kardinge, Groningen and Masters Of Hardcore in Brabanthallen Den Bosch. Crazy places like clubhouse of motorcycle gangs, former German war headquarters, bunkers, illegal parties. I love a nice adventure.
HCBX: How did you first get into hardcore techno? Was there an artist or party that grabbed you attention? And has it always been the acid styles that roped you in?
The Untitled: Me as a kid you had the massive gabber hype here in Holland in the 90's, pretty sure I got a blow of the mill back then haha. Making cassettes tape copies (for fuck sake :D) of Thunderdome CDs etc, not long the first people get CD burners.
This was all usual hardcore stuff, not especially acid but I was always drawn to the old sounds even back then, exploring how hardcore music evolved from the very start.
HCBX: Who were your biggest influences in the early days, and what prompted you to decide to start producing your own music?
The Untitled: A friend of mine had a music program on their computer, it all started just as a joke. Noisekick was a big influence as he was local and his tracks contained also crazy funny samples.
Nowadays I am into the 90's acidcore sound, Lasse Steen and all his aliases is a huge influence.
HCBX: What gear do you use in your studio? And how has this evolved over time?
The Untitled: Nowadays I have a hardware setup with stuff like a TR909, two 303 clones, a small modular system as really the source of my sound and music.
Back then I always used Renoise computer based DAW.
HCBX: How do your tracks usually start – is it an acid line, a beat, or something else?
The Untitled: Usually when I enter a creative period a start with taking out the 909 or a 303 clone out of the studio and just sit at the kitchen table making good sounding but very minimalistic patterns over a few days.
Then its back to the small studio room and work everything out. Making numerous patterns and preparing an arrangement in my head how the track should be build up.
After some sessions of try outs, freaking the sound and building up and off the patterns I record the track live, changing patterns and sounds in one go.
All my acidcore releases are live recordings. Usually I leave all my equipment on in these days, as I'm afraid of losing specific sounds as it are always very small sweet spots that are very appealing, but also very practical reasons like losing connections with cable breaks or routing mistakes.
HCBX: What are your thoughts on the hardware versus software question in the creation process? The are a massive amount of software cloning machines these days.
The Untitled: For the sound I am after its more handy to just go with the equipment it was made with in the past, the source. Software is great you can do way more complex stuff, but for me its just the pleasure of playing the equipment and to get the fundamental sound just right, that's a journey that still continues and probably never stops and keeps evolving as long as I'm healthy myself.
HCBX: You run Uncompromising Analog Terror, easily one of the more unique labels on the go, and a favourite of mine. What pushed you to start the label?
The Untitled: The label started more of less a joke. My terror period pretty much ended with the digital releases of that time. There was not much fun for me in that without physical releases, so I started looking what sound I liked and still did vinyl.
I really like the tekno approach - its really about the music and not about the artist being adored on big stages.
Anyhow the first releases of UAT were a big Fuck You to everybody, smashing 4 minutes of live hardcore chaos on 7'' vinyl singles of 75 to 100 copies and try to sell them myself.
That evolved in a more serious acidcore sound with compilation records later on.
HCBX: How do you decide what fits the label? Is it difficult to keep the core sound of the label working with as many artists as you do?
The Untitled: I think the main thing I look for is the more classic acidcore sound, but also a pinch of other styles as well to keep it fresh.
The most important is the overall style of the record, the artists come second, there is not a fixed grid of artists.
HCBX: You have a new UAT record coming out soon - can you tell us about the release?
The Untitled: Yes after some years of silence we are going back to the roots, and coming this spring!
HCBX: Running a label comes with challenges (including the crazy costs of vinyl production) What’s been the hardest part of keeping UAT moving forward?
The Untitled: To be honest the hardest part of keeping UAT running is my personal life and goals coming in the way. Nowadays I'm working on setting up and building my own vinyl record plant, that's one of the reasons the label went a little quiet.
You can spend your time and money once and then it comes down to priorities. The vinyl plant is probably going to be one of the biggest projects of my life, and when that's running it will be much easier to release a record and keep on doing so.
The idea of the pressing plant is doing as much as I can on my own and starting it on a hobby basis. Not a start-up company style but dedication and perseverance of a hobbyist, or do I have to say passionist :D.
Some years ago already I came to a point in my life where you think, where do I want to go with my life? I want something of my own, and the pressing plant is a combination of my work as a factory operator and my passion for music.
I want to hold off investment loans as long as possible, so I started of with buying second hand equipment with savings from my job in shiftwork. Hydraulic presses, boiler, water treatment plant, extruder, moulds etc everything you would need and I can get my hands on.
Machines and parts from Belgium, South Germany, Czech and England. Fixing 40 year old machines back up, converting a press to an actual record press, fixing up a old barn on a farm to a decent commercial building.
Permits, currently in a whole trajectory of permits with the county. I want to set something up for the rest of my life.
HCBX: You mentioned that the set you sent for The Acid Hour is based on a live set you have been working on - tell me about playing live: Do you approach live sets differently from studio productions? What's the thinking behind it?
The Untitled: Yes my live sets are totally different from my studio sessions regarding work approach. I always look at it as a 'Best Of' of my current work, its about the party and enjoying playing it myself and for people to have a great time.
HCBX: Looking forward, what keeps you motivated to keep making and releasing music after all this time?
The Untitled: A natural urge and keeping myself healthy.
HCBX: What’s next for The Untitled and UAT?
The Untitled: For The Untitled there is a solo record coming up on a sublabel of Dutch Enfant Terrible called Freedom Club. That's going to be a massive record. And for UAT there is this new release in spring.
HCBX: Finally - massive thanks for the set it's a cracker! Anything else you want to get off your chest?
The Untitled: Take it easy buddy, I worked on this interview for 2-3 hours and you want even more?! hahaha - Jokes aside, Thank You sincerely.
Massive respect to Jacob for taking the time — and for the dedication not only to acidcore, but to vinyl culture as a whole. Keep an eye on Uncompromising Analog Terror this spring. The roots are calling.
After more than 25 years of silence, Black Blood returns.
Emerging from the underground of 1990s Dresden — from illegal factory parties, air-raid shelter clubs and hand-pressed vinyl — Black Blood carved out a sound that stood apart. Dark, melodic, uncompromising, and emotionally charged, it sat alongside the likes of Brutal Chud and Rage while never quite sounding like anyone else.
Now, in 2026(66), the project resurfaces — not through nostalgia, but through rediscovery. Found again by a new generation and reactivated after decades of dormancy, in this interview, Steffen opens up about the early days of East German rave culture, hardware-only production, Frontline Of Sound, lost pressings, underground tunnels, and why melody has always mattered more than noise.
HCBX: Alright Steffen — how the hell are you? Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions. Looking forward to you bringing out some new (old) music. Black Blood has been out of the picture for a while. Personally I have been very happy to say the name and online presence pop up again over the last while, and great to see that you are picking up musical projects again. Do we call it a comeback? Or have you been here for years? What's bringing you back?
BB: Thank you, Andrew, for your interest in me and my music! I'm doing very well and I'm thrilled to finally release my Black Blood project after 25 years of stagnation! My comeback wasn't my own idea. Lars (Pardonax) found me some time ago on Discogs after a long search and contacted me. I was amazed by his persistence in his research, especially since he was only just born when the last Black Blood album was released. The fact that my music still resonates with a young person of today's generation has deeply impressed me! Lars is the archaeologist of hardcore.
HCBX: How did you first get into Hardcore Techno and the harder styles of electronic music? Was it a specific track, event or DJ that lit the spark for you?
BB: In 1992, Dresden's first techno club, the "Dance Fabrik," opened its dark basement rooms on Hamburger Straße, welcoming countless dance-crazed clubbers. Every Saturday from 10 PM to 5 AM, we were there. I still vividly remember the first time we, as 15-year-old kids, descended the stairs and pushed open a heavy sliding door. A deafening sound assaulted our ears, accompanied by strobe lights and fog. You couldn't see a thing! (A nightmare for today's "I film everything" smartphone generation!) The Dance Fabrik also regularly hosted hardcore events featuring local DJs and the Hakke Crew from Chemnitz. DJ BA (later a member of BORSCHTSCH) was dedicated to the Dutch gabber sound, and so Euromasters' "Alles Naar de Kl--te" inevitably found its way into our lives. Mescalinum United's "We have arrived" and Program 1's "Louder than a Bomb EP" also left a lasting impression on me with their extremely nasty sounds, and the path deep into hardcore had become irreversible.
HCBX: Tell us about your early days producing — when did you start making tracks and what was that learning curve like for you? Was it a gradual thing or straightaway something you got obsessed with?
BB: Before I started producing my own music, DJing was, of course, another thing I did. Until the political changes of 1989, Dresden was part of East Germany, a socialist dictatorship with state-owned enterprises that barely allowed any private business. When history abruptly changed in 1989, the political and economic restructuring left most of these state-owned enterprises empty. This suddenly created a lot of unregulated space for the subculture. People simply went into abandoned factories and threw illegal parties. At one of these parties in the long-forgotten "Steamboiler" in 1994, I met my good friend Stefan/Noize Creator. Since then, we've DJed together more often and met up at Hardwax Dresden to buy records. He would drive to Hardwax in a small Ford Fiesta, where he would always play me his latest productions on cassette. He once said to me during one of these sessions: "If you can tap your foot to the beat, then it's a good track!"
This was the time shortly before his first release on JUNCALOR RECORDS and shortly before the founding of BRUTAL CHUD by Stefan and Mirko Rotzsch (co-owners of Hardwax Dresden). This development sparked my decision to also start producing, but my sonic standards were somewhat higher. Making music with a computer was out of the question for me. It all began on February 21, 1996, with the delivery of the QUASIMIDI RAVEN, a synthesizer with an integrated pattern-based sequencer. I quickly realized that this alone wasn't enough. So, the QUASIMIDI QUASAR and the QUASIMIDI 309 followed shortly after. With this equipment, I created my first track, "The Number," that same year, which was also released on the BRUTAL CHUD 06 Cannibalistic Underground sampler. The famous 666 sample, which others had also borrowed from Iron Maiden before me, was played live using a Roland MS-1 sampler whose MIDI function was unfortunately broken. This setup also produced the tracks that were originally intended for BRUTAL CHUD 12, which, as we all know, never came to fruition. In 1997, I expanded my equipment with a YAMAHA Promix 01 digital mixer, a YAMAHA A3000 sampler, and a KAWAI K5000 workstation synthesizer. The only change to this setup to this day has been the addition of the NATIVE INSTRUMENTS MASCHINE in the 2010s. I still don't use any sequencer software to create and edit tracks. Everything happens in the 40-track sequencer of the KAWAI K5000W. All the equipment is functional and currently in use.
HCBX: Which producers at the time inspired you and why? What other hardcore music were you into?
BB: I was very inspired back then by the Frankfurt sound of labels like Kotzaak, Super Special Corp., and Cold Rush... Their consistently excellent productions with their dark atmosphere were right up my alley! The Australian Heutling brothers with their unmistakable Rage Records sound, as well as Mark Newlands and his Bloody Fist Gang, were also unrivalled! All the records by the Danish acid god Lasse Steen have also found their way into my collection. I DJed with him and Noize Creator on one of the floats at the first Fuckparade in Berlin in 1998. I'm sure I played Simon Underground's Crapshoot 666 there. Probably the record I've played most ever! "Diiiiiiiiiiie"
HCBX: What memories do you have of that period? Where there any parties or gigs that you have been to/appeared in the you'd class as a highlight?
BB: There are so many great memories from that time! I once DJed with S37 and Noize Creator in an underground tunnel somewhere in Dresden. Imagine the location like the tunnel from The Prodigy's "Firestarter" video, only much bigger! It was truly underground! Unfortunately, I'd never find the place again. Another great party was with the guys in an abandoned dairy. The whole room was filled with metal, which made for a very powerful and memorable sound! On April 12, 1997, our first and only Brutal Chud label party, "Trashdance," took place in Chemnitz, as this picture (below) shows! From left to right: Noize Creator, S37, DJ IMP, Black Blood, AKA.ST-14. Re.Pete must have taken the photo. DJ IMP ran the REPHLEX club in Dresden for a while, where Cannibalistic Underground often played as residents. REPHLEX was a windowless air-raid shelter beneath a former kindergarten and really not easy to find, or so we thought. But for some young men from Australia, it was apparently no problem to locate our club in those days when the only navigational aid was a map.
Bloody Fist were touring Europe in 1997 and were in Leipzig on October 24th, 1997. That was a Friday. Since the guys wanted to do something on Saturday, they asked if there was a hardcore party happening anywhere. Someone gave them a tip about our party at REPHLEX in Dresden. Without further ado, they borrowed an East German car (a Trabant or Wartburg) and drove even further east on their own to show up at our door as a kind of "raid squad." Everyone was speechless with astonishment, and it took a while for the last person to realize who was making their way behind the turntables. Naturally, they were immediately allowed to take over the controls, and Mark N. played one of his amazing sets, which I still have on cassette and will release on the Black Blood YouTube channel in the near future. Lasse Steen also visited us at REPHLEX with his Roland collection in tow and played a fantastic live set, which will also be available on my channel at some point.
HCBX: You make music under a few aliases, obviously Black Blood but also Steven Sick and Lilo where you've have an EP on each. What made you decide to release under a few different names?
BB: On Frontline Of Sound, I only released my own music. My Steven Sick project was a bit more experimental and not as dark as the Black Blood sound. The LILO EP on Noize Creator's Suburban Trash Industries was created under the immediate impression of the untimely death of my art teacher. Her nickname was Lilo. She died a slow death in a hospice. That affected me deeply at the time.
HCBX: The Black Blood sound is a fairly unique one in my opinion. It fit in with more darker industrial and terror releases on the likes of Brutal Chud and Rage, but your sound always felt more melodic (but still darker as feck!) than some of the other music in those styles coming out at the time which was very interesting. How did you develop your sound?
BB: It has always been my ambition to stand out from the crowd. Even in hardcore, there's mainstream, and many people feel the need to tell you that only the sounds are cool, only the speed is right...blah, blah... I don't think in categories and I agree with a quote from Björk: "Music isn't a cabinet with many drawers, but a large pot where everything belongs and you have to stir it vigorously!" Especially with heavy music, you have so much boundless freedom! You don't have to please anyone or meet any expectations. You can basically do whatever you want. I had and still have an abstract idea of how music should sound to me. It can't be put into words, but a melody is always part of it. You can't remember drums, noise sounds! Only the structure of a melody sticks in your mind. And especially dark, powerful, euphoric melodic progressions are much more enduring and, under certain circumstances, evoke genuine emotions. Personally, I also always like a sense of tension in a track. Don't rush straight on from the first second; feel free to take a breather now and then. I enjoy making films with an audio track.
HCBX: Do you think there are specific influences from other hardcore or other genres that shaped this sound?
BB: My whole life shapes my sound. Everything I see and hear. I have a heightened awareness of things, or sounds, that others might overlook, and I find answers within them. Inspiration can be found everywhere!
HCBX: Your label Frontline of Sound - what made you decide to go down this path? It was a platform for your music like a few producers at the time ended up doing, but what was your original plan for FOS?
BB: My primary goal with Frontline Of Sound was to meet my own high standards. I was thrilled to have a track on each of Rage Records issues 4 and 7, because the first three Rage releases were distributed by PCD, who pressed their records in Germany, a guarantee of excellent quality. The Brutal Chud records, on the other hand, were all cheap pressings from the Czech pressing plant GZ Vinyl. The irony is that starting with Rage 04, Steffen Kuschel of Sound Base took over distribution and production, and he too favoured the cheap Czech pressings. We were quite annoyed, and that's how I decided to start my own label. FOS 01 was a Pallas pressing, while FOS 02 and 03 were from Optimal. Both are very good German pressing plants.
HCBX: Have you called it a day on FOS, or is this something you would like to get back into?
BB: Glad you asked! The new FOS 04 will be released in May after 26 years of silence.
In collaboration with Simon Underground, who was also aware of my Black Blood comeback and has described himself as a big fan of my music, the mysterious Black Blood Exitus 02 "Phase One" EP is being re-released on Frontline Of Sound.
It includes the original EP plus the previously unreleased track "Avalanche of Fear," which was created during the same period. Limited and numbered to 150 copies. All sleeves are hand-printed by me in two colors, based on the original lettering. This makes each record unique. I've also created nine different Black Blood art cards, which I'll randomly include in nine sleeves. Let's see who the lucky finders will be!
HCBX: Out of all you have been involved in in your musical endeavours what has been your proudest moment? Also which of all the tracks you have released is your favourite?
BB: I'm proud that my track "UTA" is featured on the only release by the sadly deceased DJane Sextoy, aka Delphine Palatsi. Her iconic grave in the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is now more well-known than she was during her lifetime. It features a bronze sculpture in the shape of a record player with the SEXTOY logo. Being included on Bloody Fist founder Mark Newland's "Stuck in Stallis" mixtape also undoubtedly makes me proud, as does being part of the Rage Records catalog. I don't have a favourite track. I've invested a lot of time in every single piece, and I'm all the more pleased today that there are still people around the world who appreciate my music.
HCBX: Can you talk about your 2026(66) projects coming up? You've talked about releasing "brand old music" - some unreleased stuff from back in the day? Any plans for newer stuff?
BB: 202666 is the bridge from the beginning in 1996 with the 666 song on Brutal Chud, to the year 2026, when in my first sign of life after over 20 years the sample appears again. I also have a great desire to produce new music again, especially since there are two requests from Germany and Sweden for one release each. Frontline Of Sound 05 will also be able to feature new sounds. The creativity level is still at 100%, and I myself am curious how Black Blood will sound in 2026.
HCBX: You've very kindly offered to throw together a Black Blood vinyl set for HCBXCast. Do you do much mixing these days? And any plans to ramp this up?
BB: I haven't mixed in a long time. Let's see if it still works? I don't know if I would DJ anywhere these days. At most at a self-curated event. When I watch videos of some parties on various channels, there are always lots of colorful lights flashing. It looks like a completely normal disco. Terrible! Strobe lights and plenty of fog, that's all you need for the visual accompaniment to brutal music! Everything else is child’s play and only serves so that everyone can film the amazing 'hands up in the air' DJ doing his 'job.' Back then, we simply didn’t have the time during a set to take our hands off the turntables/mixer just to keep waving! But oh well, that’s just how it is.
HCBX: What's your take on hardcore techno and the harder styles these days? There seems to be a sub genre for everything!
BB: Yes, the inventiveness in coming up with new names for more and more categories seems to be limitless! Very funny! First and foremost, I’m glad that 'Hardcore will never die' was not just a catchphrase, and that it still seems to be very alive worldwide. But basically, there hasn’t been any development in this area since the early 2000s, which I find a shame.
HCBX: What music are you enjoying these days?
BB: I have a very wide range! I listen to a lot of classical music! At the top of my list is Johann Sebastian Bach with his chamber music solo works for piano and cello! I have also been engaging with the compositions of Niccolò Paganini for years. I am also very fond of jazz with its many possibilities. Furthermore, I listen to a lot of Icelandic music, especially BJÖRK, of course! She is one of my greatest sources of inspiration! I go to concerts by very diverse artists such as Portishead, CocoRosie, MÚM, Einstürzende Neubauten, Flying Lotus, Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux, Bohren und der Club of Gore, Portico Quartet, Den Sorte Skole, The Cinematic Orchestra, Nils Frahm, Benjamin Clementine, Högni, Aphex Twin, Alfa Mist, Hania Rani, Asaf Avidan, to name just a few. Since 2001, I have attended over 250 shows, not counting classical concerts. Music has always been a very important part of my life!
HCBX: Finally anything else you want to get off your chest?
BB: I would like to mention that good films and good art are very important as inspiration for me! Watch all the films by the following directors: David Lynch, Béla Tarr, Gaspar Noe, Lars von Trier, Nicolas Winding Refn, Giuseppe Tornatore, Denis Villeneuve, Anders Thomas Jensen! Look at all the paintings by the following artists: Johannes Vermeer, Hieronymus Bosch, David Schnell, Jonas Burgert, Martin Kobe, Pierre Soulages! Thank you very much, Andrew, for your questions! I hope my answers were insightful!
A massive thanks to Black Blood for taking the time to answer some questions (And also thank you to Low Entropy, who helped check over my translation of the interview). Very good to see him back, and releasing music again. The Black Blood special on HCBXCast will be coming soon...
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