HCBXCast Vol 62 - Interview With Toxic Den
Straight outta the Dutch underground, Toxic Den makes his debut on HCBXCast with a filthy, early hardcore and terror-fuelled mix. Raised on rave culture around the Amsterdam area, Den’s been living hardcore since day one—and it shows. This set is raw, nasty, and unapologetically heavy. A proper no-holds-barred session from a DJ who lives and breathes the scene. I caught up with TD to ask him a few questions.
You can check out the show on 12th July 2025 at 9pm (UK Time) - Here:
I got in to hardcore at a very young age. My uncle was going to parties back then and he always brought something home for me: flyers, t-shirts, CDs, so I really don't remember which track got me in to hardcore but I've lived it my whole life.
What made you want to become a DJ, and when you made that choice, what gear did you learn on?
When I was 12 we threw a party to end the school year and good family friends helped us set up and then they came over with a fully packed installation with DJ gear. That's the moment I was sold to DJing. Shortly after I got my first gear and my DJ adventure has started… I started with Numark CDJs and played the first 2 year on that and after that I traded them for some turntables and an bunch of records.
What's the hardcore techno scene like where you are based?
I live near by Amsterdam so yeah, we get a lot of parties here in Holland every weekend. I like the smaller early hardcore party’s like Gabber Resistance or real underground hardcore party’s but I've also been to the most common like Thunderdome, Masters of Hardcore, Pandemonium and so on…
You play a lot of the harder early stuff and pump out some terror - how does that go down with the local Amsterdam crowds?
Sometimes very good, but sometimes the stuff I play is not for everyone, but that's okay. It depends on the time slot I have to play. If I play early I like to play some slower stuff but if I have to play late... Yeah then you can get some fast pounding terror
What gear are you using now and do you have a preferred way of preparing for a set?
I have a Pioneer XDJ RX1 DJ controller and vinyl turntables
You seem to have a good few gigs and parties under your belt. What’s been your favourite set to play so far? Any moments that really stuck with you?
The most that really stuck with me was my last performance that was at club Rodenburg… always going there as a visitor but last time it was my turn to play. That one was always on my bucket list so the dream has now come true. Been there many times on the Terrordrang parties from Noisekick and lots of other parties. I've spend a lot of weekends over there so it remind me of some of the best times of my life.
What gear are you using now? And how do you go about selecting tracks for a live set? Do you build around a theme, have it all prepared ahead of the show, or do you wing it based on the crowds?
I have a Pioneer XDJ RX1 DJ controller and vinyl turntables. It depends on the situation, but I can do everything because you always have to be prepared for the worst. I can select a set but if I know already that the crowd is not up for it I must play then I can switch fast.. so a little tip… always have a back up plan!
What's your go-to track in a set now? Any personal favourites or hidden gems?
That's a hard question. Of course I have a lot of hidden gems - really a lot!! And also have a lot of go-to tracks so it's hard to narrow it down… But I am a big fan of the French hardcore from back in the day. Not Frenchcore, but French hardcore. You have a lot really really good labels, but my most favourite one is S.O.D.O.M (Slaves of Devil our Master). I've done did some dedication mixes to labels, so if everyone likes this set, I can make some of these for the next time!
Which DJs or producers are inspiring you right now?
My al time favo Artist is Frantic Freak - got me in to this wonderful world of early hardcore.
I think you've dabbled with a bit of production in the past - any plans for doing any more tracks?
Yeah I do there is a lot more coming in the future. For now though I have nothing planned because I'm going back to school this year to start a producers course for a year, so I can learn more about producing music and we will see what the outcome will be.
Tell us about the set you’ve submitted for HCBXCast?
Oh I'll keep it short… its a fucking nasty one!
What’s coming up for you—any upcoming gigs, guest mixes, or other projects you’re working on?
I have Some gigs confirmed but the producer's course is the priority at the end of this year with full focus on producing - so expect a lot off new stuff coming your way!
Anything else you want to say?
Thanks for asking me it was fun to do an interview like this. Keep underground hardcore Alive!
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