HCBXCast Vol 74 - Interview With Don Distorted

 

For Volume 74 we get Don Distorted on the show. The extremely prolific Amsterdam based producer presents a full set of his own tracks (which have passably been mixed by yours truly) for almost two hours of hardcore, terror, speedcore, hard techno... basically anything distorted. Strap in and take your medicine. Noise approaches. I catch up with Don on a few bits and piece ahead of the set.

HCBX: Alright Don, how you doing and where are you based these days?
DD: I am doing very good at the moment. The year is about to end, and if I reflect back on this year — what kind of personal goals I have completed — I should be happy and proud, and that’s how I feel right now. I am located in the capital of Holland, Amsterdam.

HCBX: You’re known for a sound that channels early-90s hardcore and terror — how did you arrive at that style? Was it nostalgia, the sound design, or something else?
DD: As I am 48, I am the generation who witnessed the start of gabber and hardcore. I always stayed true to the early hardcore and early terror from back in these days. Unfortunately the way hardcore and terror evolved is not completely my style. I listened back in the days to compilations like Gabberbox, Gabberdome and Thunderdome over and over, and it’s imprinted in my brain. With that given, I start my tracks thinking about that specific sound.

HCBX: What tracks or artists got you into hardcore techno and the harder music styles?
DD: Well, actually not any specific artist or tracks. It all started with collecting vinyl back in the early 90s of Turn Up The Bass. Those weird sounds I could listen over and over and could not get enough of it. Then you had compilations like Gabberbox and Gabberdome or Hellraider, and I thought back in the days, “I hope one day I can produce my own tracks.”
I do have some favourite producers like Drokz, The Destroyer, Noisekick, The Vizitor, Lenz, The Resonant Squad, Painbringer, Leviathan.

HCBX: You started releasing under Don Distorted fairly recently (in relative Hardcore Techno terms anyway!) — what made you move from listening/collecting into producing your own tracks?
DD: The funny part is actually I always thought that producing was a way league too far for me, as purchasing studio gear is expensive and therefore I never could do it. I don’t mind telling that I once was addicted to drugs and I just loved collecting all tunes — many different styles and labels. I have two massive YouTube channels called Early Hardcore Server 1 with almost 4,894 tracks/mixes and podcasts.

Once I was in recovery after rehab, I needed to do something with all the spare time I got. I loved getting buzzed collecting all kinds of tracks. Once in recovery the glance fell off it. I thought I could not love hardcore and terror anymore sober, but the opposite occurred.

Not knowing what to do with all this spare time but not wanting to leave hardcore… Hardcore has, in my opinion, nothing to do with drugs. I saw a YouTube short of DJ Painbringer making a hardcore track on his mobile phone through an app called Caustic. Wow, so cool. So on my back-dated Google Chrome laptop I downloaded it, and with no knowledge whatsoever how to build a track, I started messing around.

Slowly it took over my life — I wanted to become better and evolve. I started networking with some other labels. After a year knowing a bit of basics about how to structurally build a hardcore track, I dared to download FL Studio, and then the real work started for me.

HCBX: Tell us more about those first tracks.
DD: I can offer you a link to the first release on Rotjecore Records and a link to my first EP. As it all started actually with these tracks, I wanted and was destined to make professional tracks and learn it all myself.
Here are the links:

• ROTJE062 - DON DISTORTED - Distorted Destruction | Rotjecore

• First release ever on Rotjecore: Scratchemus (Lau’s re-mix) | Don Distorted

HCBX: Your releases sit on labels like Rotjecore and Gabbaret — how did those connections come about? Which label relationships have meant the most to you?

DD: My first releases ever are to be found on Rotjecore and Gabbaret. As some of you know I am very active on FB, and once I was in my music app Caustic, I saw a call from Rotjecore for their Christmas Hardcore Compilation. That was, I think, in 2000. Never released anything but dared to send the track to them. They loved it and I was ecstatic — within my first year of producing ever I got a release.

I started networking with the guys behind Rotjecore and Gabbaret. FB helped me to connect. I recommend any starting producers: go network, ask questions, get help. We are all happy to help each other. Those guys helped me a lot and some still do.

Also I loved the tracks of Biodome, so I started chatting with him and he helped me too. They watched me grow. SO THANK YOU GUYS!!

To be honest, this year was the first year — after 5 years of starting producing tracks — that I had my debut release on GGM Digital Records owned by DJ Smurf, and the debut album on the mighty Brutal Force Records. This is a reward after 5 years of hard work, almost daily working on my music, watching tutorials, asking other people for help to come this far.

HCBX: Can you walk us through your production setup — DAW, go-to synths/samplers, drum sources, FX chain, monitoring? How much of it is hardware vs digital?
DD: Actually you won’t believe this. My studio is an ACER laptop with Adam Audio speakers and Beyer TD headphones and a Midilink Audiotech III external soundcard — all other stuff is completely digital!

I have some favourite synths like Serum, Sylenth1, Poizone and old school synth Sytrus. I use FabFilter Pro-Q for end-mixing and love the distortion plugin Distructor which gives all your sounds and kicks a massive boost or twist. In every track I use Grossbeat for sampling and side-chaining. The FX Serum 2 series is also awesome. Some other FX chain plugins I use now and then.

HCBX: Your sound often feels like a mash of early terror, hardcore and a speedcore edge. Where do you draw your samples and sounds from?
DD: Actually I create my sounds and melodies through FL Studio’s piano roll connected to one of the above synths. I have a massive 600GB file of samples I can use, split and divided into snares, hats, atmos, drones, vocals, preset kicks (sometimes I make my own kicks through Serum 2), etc.

So I have my selection of sounds ready in my projects, and I just spin the wheels of the library, haha, and see what sounds best to it.

HCBX: When you write, what’s your usual workflow for turning an idea into a finished track?
DD: That depends. Sometimes I start with vocals, and depending on the style of vocals — angry, aggressive, stressed, happy, dramatic, scared — I start to create a track in that atmosphere of style.

I often start a track creating a loop till the end before a break, make the break of a track, and after that I enlarge and add or change the first loop before the break. Sometimes I just start from scratch.

HCBX: You’ve put out both EPs and contributions to compilations — how do you decide whether a tune is an EP track, a comp inclusion, or something you’ll hold for later?
DD: Actually I don’t make any difference, as I want to produce at my best. I think a track should be exactly the same quality as a track for an EP. On a comp I have to represent my artist name in one track, and on an EP you can do the same but have more options. Also depending on the offer they ask me for. Sometimes I make beginnings of tracks that start cool, but I put them aside for later.

HCBX: How do you approach mastering? Do you do your own finishes or work with a mastering engineer, especially to get that old-school punch?
DD: Well, to start with the end-mixing of my track, I do it all with FabFilter Pro-Q and a compressor and the built-in plugin Waveshaper of FL Studio. Once it is all levelled, I use Tonal Balance Control. That old-school punch is a mixture of FX plugins, compressor and FabFilter Pro-Q.

Mastering tracks that come on, for instance, Brutal Force — I won’t do myself. Mastering I hardly do myself as most labels like to do it themselves, but mastering can also be done through FabFilter.

HCBX: There’s a big early hardcore revival in the scene right now — how do you keep your productions from sounding like a straight rehash of the 90s? Where do you try to inject originality?
DD: If I hear producers who produce early hardcore, it’s kinda always the same melody, same structure, and to be honest I got bored of it. I love to combine sounds used in drum and bass tracks or even house tracks.

If you have your own style, you know you stand out of the big crowd. It’s fast, loud, and heavy percussions, snares and hats in fast MIDI patterns. I use my artistic flow and combine all sorts of sounds to make it sound different.

HCBX: Who are the producers or labels right now that you feel are doing interesting things with the sounds you love?
DD: I am busy with a collab with DJ Portos who released many tracks on Brutal Force Records. Of course my focus will be on Brutal Force and GGM as I am licensed contract. Though I do have aspirations for other labels as well. One day I hope to get a release on Gabberhead as well.

I would love a collab with The Vizitor, Resonant Squad or DJ Lenz.

HCBX: Live performance question — do you ever play out live, or have any plans to take Don Distorted to the raves?
DD: To be honest, I WOULD LOVE TO!! But first of all I only can do premade mixes from FL Studio with some copying and pasting sounds between two tracks, so therefore I thank you Andrew for mixing my tracks into this show — awesome work my man.

I have some plans in the future to learn DJ-ing so I can play my tracks at hardcore parties. That would be a dream come true.

HCBX: What’s next — any upcoming releases, collabs, or experiments you can tease for HCBX listeners?
DD: Hell yessssss I have!
I am busy with a debut EP for GGM Digital Records.
My second EP for Brutal Force Records lifts off in 2026 somewhere.
I have two tracks on the upcoming compilation Rawforce 8 — speedcore and terror track.
I might do a second Toxic Sickness mix next year made through FL Studio.
I also plan — but unfortunately I do not have much time — to create a TikTok show or YouTube show and teach newcomers to produce in FL Studio.

HCBX: Finally — anything else you want to get off your chest?
DD: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS — FCK THE MAINSTREAM, STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF AND DON’T FOLLOW THE SHEEP!
Oh yeah — and the day I start making tracks with uptempo piepkicks, please shoot me then!

Check out Don's show on HCBXCast (Mixed by DJ Asylum) here: HCBXCast 74 - Don Distorted

HCBXCast Vol 72 - Interview With DJ LSA

Making his debut on HCBXCast, DJ LSA steps up with a thunderous mix that fuses a number of different styles but is essentially industrial as fuck hardcore. An unmistakable underground edge that defines his sound. Ahead of the set, I catch up with LSA to pick his brains about his origins, his bloody excellent momentum in hardcore, and ermmm..... pegging. 

HCBX: Alright Pascal! Thanks for agreeing to answer a few questions, and for the debut set on HCBXCast. How’s life treating you these days, and what’s been keeping you busy?

LSA: It's going well! Has been quiet for a while now, but there are finally some gigs coming up again and the next record of my label has gone into production too, so that's all great. Also working out a new hardware live setup, so that I can do that at gigs too! 

HCBX: The set is an absolute cracker of Industrial hardcore. Tell me about how you pulled it together. Did you plan it out, or just hit record and go for it?

LSA: Thank you!! I just approached it the same way as I do for gigs. I always start by thinking about the vibe I want to convey, and then start picking out records that fit this. I do not play every weekend, and I really do want to give people the best I have, so my sets are pretty much always mostly planned ahead. I always want to put various styles in one mix, so I always also need to pick out "in-between" tracks, so that I can smoothly transition styles without it being too abrupt or obvious. 

HCBX: What tracks or artists got you into this type or music initially. Do you have any favourite tracks from the early days?

LSA: When I started out as LSA I mostly just played Early Hardcore / Gabber - my favourite track from that time that pops into my mind is "Omar Santana - Wizard Of Oh". Other than that, it was mostly the Ruffneck and Cenobite people that inspired me.

For the (French) HardKore stuff I do now, I remember listening to Laurent Ho's mix on MCM. I heard it around the same time as I started as LSA. It was so different from all the other 90's Hardcore I heard at that point, and I did not fully understand it yet, but it did set a clear path for me that I would follow years later. All the tracks from that mix have become favorites of mine, but hearing that first (pitched up) track "Difficult Child - Big Bang" still gives me goosebumps. 

HCBX: You’ve shared that as early as the age of 9 or 10, you were tinkering with hardcore in FL Studio under the alias “DJ Biohazard” — how did that happen? What got you into hardcore (and producing) at such an early age?

LSA: As long as I can remember I've always been into Hardcore, even before I actually knew what it was. I remember being very young, laying in bed way too early and not sleeping yet. I heard all the cars drive by, and sometimes I would hear these bass sounds with a high BPM coming from the cars' subs and I *LOVED* that. There was also a yearly festival around in my hometown when I was like 5 years old, which was loudly audible in our house. My parents hated it, I loved it. I later on discovered what it actually was, and have always been a Hardcore Head since. At that time though I mostly listened to mainstream (now millennium) and a bit of terror/speedcore.

I remember tinkering around with a shitty music maker program even before being 9/10, that was very limiting and you just put in premade loops or something. Don't remember a whole lot of it, but TBH I think it was a fun thing to play around with as a kid. After that, my dad arranged a copy of FL Studio for me and my brother with a Hardcore Sample pack. The stuff I made back then was absolute dogshit, but somehow the idea of being a Hardcore producer never left me.

HCBX: You eventually landed on “LSA” as a name — what's it stand for?

LSA: I hate the origin of my name, haha, and I've avoided this question for a long time now. When I started as LSA I was very much into that Psychedelic Hardcore stuff (think Ruffneck/Cenobite), and I was fully set on trying to make that style. I was also watching a lot of documentaries about drugs, just out of interest. DJ LSD seemed a bit too obvious, so I went with something close. LSA is like a similar but natural alternative to LSD that you can legally get in Smart Shops. Why I thought this was a good idea, I have no clue. People that know me well know that I've never used drugs and have no interest in it, and I've also moved on from the Psychedelic style of Hardcore. So, I don't really identify with the name anymore.

Since a few years it has been given a different meaning though, and not even by myself. It started out by Pardonax writing my name out as L.S.A. as if it were an abbreviation on his Sedation flyers.

I'm always tired late at parties (probably since I don't use dope, haha) and I've been caught asleep a few times. Because of that, Pardonax made up a meaning for the abbreviation. "Lethargic Sucker Audio" - a self-referencing nickname where I'm the Lethargic Sucker ;)

I've stuck with that since.

HCBX: You mention that for a long time you were almost isolated in the scene — you didn’t know other producers, organizers — and that made it hard to hammer out your sound. What kept you going?

LSA: Haha, that's the thing, I had actually kind of quit. At the start, I was too young to even go to parties so I did not meet people that way. I did try to get my style of Hardcore active again in my hometown (but it was not very successful). When I was finally old enough to go to a few parties, I did meet some people, but not really a lot of DJs and Producers.

I had a specific vision of the sound I wanted to make, but I did not know how. And at that time, there were of course no tutorials online on how to make authentic 90's psychedelic Hardcore, haha. Knowing no other producers as well, it was all up to me to figure it out. In the end, I got pretty close to the sound I wanted, but to keep up with coming up with new stuff was hard and frustrating. In 2015 I released the last LSA track of that period. I do have a millenium style track that I made early 2016, but I never released it.

I did continue DJing locally for a while after that, mostly at the youth center (where pretty much only I liked this stuff, haha), but that also got pretty boring. Also for the DJing side I never really dove into discovering more Hardcore (and especially did not have something like Soulseek to get vinyl rips), so I ended up playing the same tracks for too long and getting bored of DJing altogether. 100% my own fault. I played my last local party in the summer of 2017 (which was a pretty cool outdoor festival stage I organized with DJ Lunatic).

HCBX: Since then, your network has expanded, collaborations have grown, your label Aphotik Assault is active. What’s different now, for you, from then? And how is running a label?

LSA: Due to a certain person (which we'll talk about later on) I got back into the scene and met a ton of new people (and artists!). Talking with all these artists, working together and seeing how they do their thing has given me so much techniques and inspiration to work with. 

Also, I started DJing with vinyl. With this I was able to find a ton of (obscure) material to play, which really gave me my love for DJing back.

About running the label, it feels weird. It all started out to just get our group's tracks on vinyl to play ourselves during sets. But now that we started doing publicly available releases, it's clear that there is a demand for our sound. I'm pretty introverted and my network is pretty small, so it just feels surreal to hear the label's tracks being played by other DJs.

HCBX: In 2016 you played your first gig outside of your hometown. Can you tell us how it came about, and what are your memories?

LSA: My brother and I occasionally did some design work for Early Gabbers, a Facebook Group that also sometimes organized parties. So, because they knew me, they booked me at one point. I felt really proud, but I was so incredibly stressed for weeks leading up to it. The gig went pretty shit because my self-taught DJing techniques absolutely sucked, so I was pretty unhappy afterwards. That, combined with the stress, really wanted to make me quit, and eventually I did. When I started again, I still had some issues where gigs gave me a ton of stress, but luckily that's all gone now.

HCBX: You've spoken about how in 2018, Pardonax reached out to you about your older tracks, reigniting your drive to produce and DJ. How was that? Did you get straight back into it?

LSA: It was pretty cool to get that message, asking if I still produced. I just silently went away at one point and didn't think people even still knew me. He kept on 'annoying' me, slowly getting my interest back. It actually took a while. I had all these 'rules' in my head about what my tracks should sound like, still stuck in what I originally wanted to do but couldn't. I also had this thing in my head that people expected a specific style of me as LSA.

That made it pretty difficult to get started again and motivation was still not that high. Eventually near the end of 2019 he started dragging me to parties, which caused me to meet some cool people (like I said before) which helped, but I still had these 'rules' in my head. To get rid of that, I started making some extreme stuff as HEADCRAP, just to get some more experience producing again, which greatly helped my productions as LSA. Now those rules are all gone and I just make whatever I want, hehe.

About DJing, pretty funny how that started again. I had been looking for years for a track I heard somewhere. Of course, Pardonax was able to ID that instantly and also sent me a seller on Discogs along with some cool and obscure stuff he was selling. I bought the records, and when I played them on my turntable (that wasn't meant for DJing) I just started screwing around with the record. That caused this "you know what..... this is kinda fun" moment, after which I bought legit turntables and started collecting vinyl. Thanks Pardonax, my wallet will never recover from this.

HCBX: I reached out to Pardonax to let him know you were coming to the show... he had a couple of questions for you. 1) Why is Pardonax a better producer than LSA. 2) Do you like to be pegged (not sure if he was offering...) - But seriously he wanted to know how you feel you are progressing and what your proudest moment has been in music?

LSA: Amazing.

1) I mean, I kind of have to agree. Just the way he does not give a fuck is inspiring. I should do that more often.

2) I will neither confirm or deny... But any goth baddies HMU.

3) I'm just always looking for new records and new techniques for producing, so I feel like I've been non-stop moving forwards for years. Especially in recent years my productions have gotten closer to the sound I also love to play in my DJ sets, which I'm really proud of. My proudest moment is hard to say. I've been proud of everything that I was able to do these last few years, from playing at the small private Sedation parties to playing for a full area on Madness XL, and now the release on Epiteth too.. So much to be proud of :)

HCBX: How do you approach your collaborations (like My Computer with Pardonax for example) — how do you approach working with someone else? Is it splitting stems, bouncing ideas off each other, or other ways?

LSA: Completely depends! For My Computer, Pardonax had already started the track and brought it into my studio, where we finished it together. Another time, we made a track where he just gave me 6 minutes of percussion, where I added some elements on top of.

Other times, with other producers, we just visited each other's studios and just started working from scratch, where we each just took turns adding stuff to the track.

HCBX: You are definitely gaining some serious momentum in hardcore techno. Do you have any highlights or memories you want to share from playing or getting involved in the scene?

LSA: I mean, the whole of 2024 was a big insane highlight. Aphotik Assault started getting real traction, I got booked in Italy and Germany and just had the most amount of gigs I've ever had before. I'm so insanely grateful for everything that happened.

HCBX: What's your gear setup like, both for DJing and producing? Have you stuck with FL Studio, or have you moved on?

LSA: For DJing I have these shitty Reloop RP4000mk2's. They work fine, but I cannot even properly put Tonar Banana needles on it because they keep on skipping (heard this issue from others with similar Reloops as well). As a mixer (and for the occasional time I have to spin digitally) I use an XDJ-RX. Since Pioneer's phono conversion absolutely suuuuuucks I had to get some external preamps.

Before that I used an A&H Xone:23, absolutely loved that thing.

For speakers I use Presonus Eris Studio 5's, not much to say about those, they sound pretty good.

For producing, most of the stuff I do is in FL Studio. Funnily enough, I built a sick hybrid studio last year. I never really used all the hardware I got though since it did not fit my workflow, which was a waste. Nowadays I mostly work with (self-made) samples, chopping them up a ton and adding FX beyond recognition. 

I changed the hardware setup to mostly be focused on playing live, which I want to start doing again. Still got some of the stuff from my old studio, so now I have a Launchpad X, Launchcontrol, Eurorack modular, Behringer 2600, Behringer RD-9, Behringer TD-3, Mackie 32:8, a nice pair of Focal 65 Evo monitors, and a bunch of random effect pedals.

HCBX: Under your alias HEADCRAP, you go with more extreme music and speedcore. How do you get yourself into the two different aliases? Are you in different moods?

LSA: Mood never really has anything to do with it, haha. I can be really happy and make a dark and depressing track, or feel really shit and make something happy. It's just all about the inspiration I have at the moment I start making something.

HCBX: In 2024, HEADCRAP, played hardware live for the first time. How did that go in comparison to your usual performance style?

LSA: Yeah, that was sick. Pretty different from DJing. Spent months making sounds specifically to play live. Not sure if I'll do it again as Headcrap, but I did learn a ton from it and will apply those learnings on my new LSA live setup that I'm working on.

HCBX: As mentioned earlier, congratulations are in order for getting an LSA track onto the latest Epiteth record alongside some legendary producers - how did you get involved in this?

LSA: Thanks! This also still feels so surreal. I was working on a track that was meant for AA's 4th record, but then I saw that Hô posted on Instagram asking for demos for Epiteth. Normally, I don't approach labels to send demos, but for this I could not resist. If they would not accept it, it would've been released on vinyl either way. To my surprise, it was accepted and the response I've gotten from it was truly amazing. I'm incredibly thankful!

HCBX: Who are you listening to and who is inspiring you now in the hardcore techno scene?

LSA:  Of course always the other AA guys (Pardonax, Arvid, Biscanna/Smoker/Ganjaz etc) inspire me a ton and make some of the best music in the scene IMO. There are so many more names to mention, but I won't for now. Don't want people to feel left out in case I forget a name ;) just check my reposts tab on Soundcloud to see what I really support, haha.

HCBX: You’re involved in a videogame project with your brother and design artwork as well. Must be different from producing hardcore tracks! Tell us about your other projects and what keeps you so creative?

LSA: I can just not sit still, haha. My mind is always going a hundred miles per hour, and I keep getting ideas for stuff I want to make. I won't say much about the game here, since I'm not here to promote that. But I can say that it's a very cute and wholesome adventure game (completely opposing my music style, haha) and the development is going well (albeit a bit slow since I have so much other stuff to work on). Every week I just focus on a different creative hobby to spend my time on. For now, it's mostly making music, making that game, making artwork for the scene (flyers and records), a bit of WH40K mini painting and some analog photography.  

HCBX: What’s next for LSA / HEADCRAP — any other new releases, projects or gigs on the way?

LSA: I'll keep on going so there's always stuff coming! I will focus a bit less on producing for the coming time to focus on my new live setup. Got a backlog of unreleased or nearly finished material though, so tracks won't stop coming out. Gigs are finally coming in again after some months of silence. End of November I'm doing a sick b2b with Biscanna at the Zinloos Geluid release party. Also some more stuff coming up that has not been announced yet, so check my Insta for that :)

HCBX: Finally, anything else you want to get off your chest?

LSA: Yeah sure! You can't pretend you're 'different' from others if you're dancing in a sold out filled to the brim arena to your shitty hyper-commercial music. Stay small, stay humble, and go listen to some horrible noises. Cheers.

DJ LSA's set goes live here on Saturday 15th November here: HCBXCast Vol 72 - DJ LSA

Aphotik Assault is on Bandcamp here: Aphotik Assault

Follow DJ LSA on SoundCloud: LSA SoundCloud

HCBXCast Vol 71 - Interview with Spliff Monk / Hammer Damage

 

It’s always pleasure to welcome Spliff Monk, AKA Hammer Damage, to HCBXCast. A pivotal figure in the UK hardcore underground, both as producer, DJ and through his influential label Sensory Violation. His latest set is fully 1994 released Dutch Gabber tracks (a golden period for this sound) and is a proper trip down memory lane.  The man himself was kind enough to answer some questions. 

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HCBX: Alright Mike, thanks for coming back on HCBXCast - how the hell are you? 

SM: Not too bad... 

HCBX: You’ve been involved in hardcore techno for a long time. Can you tell us how it all started — what got you into the music, and how did the Spliff Monk / Hammer Damage aliases come about? 

SM: When at school in Bristol I was really into music, it was a good way to escape from the bullshit. I used to go and see indie bands at the Studio and the Bierkeller, so my love of loud music was born. In 1989 went to Reading Festival to see New Order, amongst others, was also lucky enough to see the Stone Roses at Alexandra Palace in the same year. I started to buy more records to add to my collection. In 1990 the electronic stuff was starting to break through, Sweet Exorcist and Tricky Disco on Warp, 808 State and A Guy Called Gerald, (who I saw live in New York that year with the Happy Mondays when the Hacienda took over a club for the New Music Seminar), The KLF, The Orb, Renegade Soundwave and the Shamen released "Entact", I liked the sound, it wasn't like the band music, even though at the time I was still listening to both, have a lot of records from the Manchester scene at the time and also was still seeing bands like the Pixies, Jesus Jones, Ned's, New FADs, My Bloody Valentine and the Inspiral Carpets. I went to Glastonbury that year too, and after the Cure on the main stage what was going down in the travellers' field was certainly an eye opener... The repetitive beats and non-stop attitude was infectious...  

The following year started going to free parties, I loved the vibe, I am fairly inept socially, I normally just keep to myself, but this was different, that collective energy, it felt like home... More and more techno was filling out my collection with the UK pressings of R&S Records and UK labels like XL, Kickin, Network and Warp being of particular interest to me. Whilst at Art College in Hereford I used to play DJ sets at indie nights and make mix tapes, mixing all sorts really and in 1992 played my first techno set at a party in Ludlow, playing new stuff like Urban Shakedown, Orbital and Messiah with the tracks I had been collecting like Energy Flash, Mentasm and Dominator... By the Summer of 1993, after I had finished at Art College, some friends and I got together to put on small free parties in our local area, we did parties on and off for the next seven years, including a few club nights at the Niteowl in Cheltenham, barns, tunnels, the occasional forgetting of leads, a few too many fun (and not so fun) encounters with the old bill and a great time had with a farmer and his shotgun!!! We are still friends, we last connected in April, where I got to play a techno set (Spliff Monk - Carry On Up The Lode), it's always good to see everyone and re-connect...  

At the end of 1993 I was definitely focusing my record buying exclusively on the electronic stuff, I used to listen to tapes of Colin Dale and Colin Faver nights on Kiss FM, scribbling down the names of the records I liked, recognizing certain tracks from mixtapes we had... It was from one of these tapes that I heard 100% by Total Output and Conquest by LSD Psychology, and after buying the records, I decided for some reason to call the number on the record, where I spoke to Hanni, who invited me up to visit, and it all snowballed from there... 

Spliff Monk was a name that came from Art College after shaving my hair off, so I looked like a Buddhist Monk... It may also have had something to do with the almost religious rituals of preparing the spliff, but I can't possibly comment... Hammer Damage came about later, when I started producing, by extracting words from the letters in my name and it had a nice ring to it. It was only years later that I found a 70's punk band from Akron, Ohio, with the same name, so I put the (UK) in brackets so there is no confusion, although as a sign of respect, or to create more confusion, I named SV 011 The Noise Pollution EP after one of their tracks, I thought it was appropriate... 

HCBX: Can you call out 5 tracks that have influenced you and got you into harder styles of electronic music? 

SM: Instead of tracks I have chosen five records that definitely pushed me towards the harder styles of Electronic Music. All of these EPs were something new and fresh at the time, the distortion and tempos in Alles Naar De Kl-te were like nothing I had heard up to that point, External by Zekt, Acid Relevance by Total Output and Electro Comp by DX-13 had acid lines to die for with some monstrous kicks and there is just something about Psychotic Break by Critical Mass that does it for me, doesn't matter which mix, it's something about the sample, I can't really explain it... 

Alles Naar De Kl-te - Euromasters (RSN 44) 

Senseless - Zekt (Adam 014) 

Clip-Lite EP - Total Output (Hanni 007) 

Power Surge - DX-13 (IS 020) 

Critical Mass EP - Critical Mass (INT 021) 

HCBX: What prompted you to start DJing and producing?  I know you've said in the past that Total Output has been a big influence. 

SM: The DJing is pretty much covered in the earlier question... But after contacting the Clan, I went up to London and we got on well, I started drawing covers and doing ads for the ITAH zine that they were producing, at New Years 93/94 we took five or six cars up to London for The Institute of Goa New Years bash with PAs from Sean and Hanni. We met loads of great people and partied hard together... I got to play out in London at The Institute of Goa in April of 1994 and World War 4, New Years Eve 1994/95, what a party that was, DJ Freak's set was immense, as was Total Output's PA, I played the first set so had plenty of time to enjoy myself after I had finished... I was also playing out more back home as we put on more parties.  

It wasn't until 1996 that I started doing tracks with Sean (Total Output), I would book studio time, turn up with my MC303 and Remix 16 with a bunch of sounds and samples and we would just spend time trying to work out what it was I wanted... Some tracks were finished in a day; others took a little longer. All the tracks I made there between 1996 and 1998 are here,  some you will recognize, others probably not... 

Hammer Damage - The Early Daze (1996-1998)

I was always learning from Sean, and it set me up for when I went out on my own to produce. 

HCBX: What kind of gear did you use in the beginning to produce tracks and mix?  Has your set up evolved over time, or do you stick to tried and tested methods? 

SM: The first tracks I produced were with Sean, so I can't really give you a list of what we used but by 1998/1999, when I was working at Underground Music, Simon let me use his TR-909 and TB-303, I was running Cubase on an Atari ST with a dodgy Casio CZ-101 keyboard for midi controller. I had already got some bits and pieces, an MC303, a spectral audio protone, a couple of Peavey PMEs, a second hand Akai S950, a Deep Bass 9 (303 emulator), some effects units, pedals and an Akai Remix 16 that I had bought in 1996, which was ideal for collecting my samples, all going through a Behringer 2642 Mixer. Yes it has evolved, the MC 303 went first as it was a real pain in the ass when midi was involved, I have a much better keyboard a Korg Z1, a Nord2 rack, an Akai S5000 from Sean, a second hand MC202, I bought Simon's TB303 off him, a Jomox Airbase 99 (909/808 analog drum machine emulator), a Lexicon Vortex, other FX units, valve Parametric EQ, a bigger mixer and more recently I have got the Behringer 303 and 909 clones... The majority is still analog. I am also well behind the times, running Cubase 5 on a Windows 7 laptop, but it was the most stable it had ever been... 

HCBX: Sensory Violation was a flippin' brilliant label that really pushed limits of hardcore (in my humble opinion). It's thrown out some amazing tracks (mostly your own - I've probably told you at some point that Help Us and No More (with Nevermind and Tyrant) are a couple of my favourite tracks of all time). How did you get it off the ground, and would you ever go back to it? 

SB: Thank you, I appreciate the love, makes it all worth while... I was working at Underground Music at the end of 1998, into 1999. Was pretty hectic at the time, Luke was starting Rebel Scum, Matt was starting Corrupt, Freak was starting Boneheddz, so with Simons help I put together The Acid Casualty EP, which was a collection of tracks I had made with Sean in 1996/97 that hadn't seen the light of day, and Sensory Violation was born... Was a hell of a ride... It gave me the opportunity to put my stuff out there, and also the music of people I liked in the scene. I just love the fact that John Peel played a track off the first EP, and it wasn't The Demons!!! (Hammer Damage - Psycho (John Peel Radio Show)) As for going back, I don't think so, but never say never. I started a new label, Bass Line Disorder, a couple of years back with a release by Total Output, and I'm still trying to sell them
(Bassline Disorder on Bandcamp)! Nowadays you have to do a low press run and charge too much, it's a vicious cycle and sort of a little dis-heartening... Hopefully there will still be Hammer Damage stuff coming out on vinyl, it just will be on other labels, fingers crossed... 

HCBX: Running a label in such an underground scene can’t have been easy. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced trying to keep things going — especially in and before social media and the likes of Bandcamp came along? 

SM: Simon at Underground Music does a fantastic job for our scene in this country, and credit must go to him, with his contacts in the UK, Europe, Australia and America distribution was not an issue, promotion was done through postcards and the Underground Datafile, which was a zine that I helped out on at the time and we sent out the releases to many DJs, including John Peel, which really is the best promotion. The challenges were really just getting the music done, I am restricted really to one track at a time, because of the way I work, and some took much longer than others, I had many, many different versions before I got to the final track... And I'm not really good at chasing people up, so the SV010 release took quite some time to sort out, but was definitely worth the wait... 

HCBX: One thing that I'll forever dig about your Hammer Damage tracks is your samples. I've started doing sample source videos on the channel, and it would be good to do a Hammer Damage special but wouldn't know where you get half the samples from as there's a few obscure ones! How do you approach sampling when you are producing? 

SM: I'm glad you like them, would love to see the Hammer Damage special, (I'll do you a list of the ones I can remember!) always wanted to do a visual thing with a live PA where the samples would be accompanied with their matching videos, just never got around to it... I normally start with the samples I am going to use, they are usually integral to the track, although that isn't always the case. I hugely enjoy films, especially UK stuff, horror and sci-fi, cartoons, comedy, documentaries and other weird TV stuff. Would also record comedy stuff and news reports from the TV, like Brass Eye, which pops up in Monumental Depression, then try and find more obscure stuff by the same person, so I found loads of good samples in Chris Morris's early radio work on GLR which ended up in They're All Cunts, with other samples from The Day Today (Radio 4 version), MC Hammer (from the single which I bought especially), The Carpenters (which was from a friends tape from his car. I took the front off the tape deck and manually fucked it up with my finger!!!), The Dead Kennedys (from a CD) and Derek & Clive (from my record collection) just to mix things up...  

HCBX: Playing live - You've done this loads as a DJ and a producer - what's been a highlight for you? And have there been any interesting stories you want to share? 

SM: I haven't really done that many compared to others, but I prefer doing live PAs as I'm more focused, when I started I used to take most of my kit out and run a track on Cubase that I would have written for the night, Help Us was the second half of my first PA in Rotterdam at Connected, the reason for the really long sample was to give me enough time to load the next track in to the Atari and the Remix 16, had got the samples from a bootleg video, and a couple came up to me after the PA and couldn't understand how I had sampled something they had just seen at the cinema before they came out! At Deliverance in Preston everything crashed half way through my set, so Jaseion had to play some tracks off his Amiga while I sorted everything out, but all was okay in the end. I love Live Evil London, I went to the first one as a punter and have been lucky enough to have played there many times, lots of great nights, got to meet lots of other producers, was an incredible time. I liked to go when I wasn't playing too, just to have a night out listening to the music that does it for me, surrounded by like-minded people, my hardcore family...  

The parties in Scotland were always pretty good too, they certainly know how to party up there, and the after parties were always fun, such friendly people all round... And then there's the Geordie Gabba Mafia's Fuelled By Hate boat party... The only time I have played in the Toon but what a night that was... Three people fell in, the boat didn't go anywhere, it was very loud, the people who lived around the quay were definitely not too pleased about a 3 deck, oh no, make that 2 deck set from La Peste, as there wasn't enough room for the third deck, the speakers had to go back because they wouldn't fit through the doors, the ones they got in certainly made most things vibrate including your internal organs, was a cracking night though, met some great people and had a mental time... Had good times in France, Belgium, Holland and America too... Have also really enjoyed playing at the Unit recently, it has a really good underground vibe that brings back memories of early squat parties, the sound system is really loud for the size of the building it is in, just the way we like it, although it was pretty cold in February last year!!! Much more comfortable in the Summer! 

HCBX: You've worked with a lot of great artists and some real influential hardcore heads, who have you enjoyed working with most, and is there someone you wish you'd worked with, but haven't? 

SM: For enjoyment I guess it would have to be those early days with Sean in his studio under the stairs in Croydon... It was proper escapism for me. Apart from those tracks we haven't ever done anything together, which would be interesting. We had a little jam a couple of years back when he came up for a few days, 303 onslaught... 

As for working with others, me and Matt Green were supposed to do a PA together at a Rebellion Christmas party at the Void in 1999, with the first UK appearance of a certain Micropoint PA, but alas, that never happened, I would have paid to see that!!! 

HCBX: What are you most proud of out of all you have done in music? 

SM: Well, being played on John Peel's show is pretty high up there and receiving copies of my first release on Outcast Clan, but a few years ago I got an email from a bod from the British Library, I think it was during Covid. So, after the lockdowns I went up to the library to give him copies of all of my UK releases, which you can now listen to in the British Library Listening Room... They're All Cunts, in the British Library... Priceless... They will be put safely in the Library vault with all the other records, mind blowing really... Legacy I guess... 

HCBX: Your upcoming HCBXCast set is already shaping up to be a monster - previously you have played a full 1993 set. This one is the sequel! Can you tell us a bit about how you approached putting this one together and what made you focus on Dutch Gabber? 

SM: I essentially open Discogs, where I have catalogued my collection, put the date in and see what there is, for 1994 I have over 100 records and I noticed 40 of them were from Dutch Labels, which at the time I was pretty into and I haven't really played them for ages, so I pulled them all out, had a few listening sessions to see what tracks I wanted to use off each EP, checked out their tempos, had a mix with certain tracks at certain tempos to see what goes well with each other, plan out roughly where I'm going to start and then commit to a mix, with a pretty firm idea where it's going to go. 

HCBX: Further to these themed sets, your Sensory Violation sets on HardSound Radio were as good as you would imagine.  You got any other themed sets you want to do? 

SM: I really enjoyed doing the SV ones, sort of gave me a chance to reflect on what all the people involved did, including myself, and as a collection I am really proud of what we released. I also love the Drop Bass Network one I did during lockdown 2.0, it's such a good label and was good to spend the time listening through all the vinyl before the mix, you can find it here...  

I Love Drop Bass Network : Mix for Hardsound Radio

I was thinking about doing an Outcast Clan one as I have the complete collection and Epiteth would be fun as well... 

HCBX: What's your thoughts on Hardcore Techno and the scene these days?  Anyone out there (DJ or Producers) that you are digging or taking inspiration from? 

SM: Have been reading How Music Works by David Byrne (from Talking Heads) and in it he discusses how bands sounds change with the size of venues that they play in. I believe that this is the way Hardcore Techno has gone, as the parties got much bigger, the sound became more expansive, there was more clarity, and the sound fundamentally changed to fill the larger spaces, I personally prefer the dirtier sounds of the past, but I also prefer smaller, more intimate venues. So it's each to their own I guess... Not overly keen on the glossy photos of moody DJs either but I understand that it is part of it now, it used to be about the music, not image, not likes, not followers, just faceless techno bollox, I prefer the simpler times. As for artists, I don't really listen to too much new stuff, the Oraj tracks on Sodom 21 were pretty cool, am still loving Total Output's new stuff, always enjoy the hard acid so liked Sean and Crabby's releases on AVC and Agro's last release on Epsilon 4, also noticed a new release from Acidgun on Audio Riots, although it doesn't seem to be on vinyl, loved his track on EAR, but that was years ago now... Matt Green's new stuff always stands out, Lorra Laffz on Must Trust was an absolute belter, again shame no vinyl, but that is the way it is.. I am also partial to a little bit of Perc, especially the EAS acid stuff, it is a lot of fun mixing his tracks into some of the early techno stuff, it just sort of elevates it to another level... 

HCBX: What's the plans for the future?  Any releases or gigs planned? 

SM: I haven't been very productive this year, I have a load of samples, just haven't found the drive to get going, although I did finish a track for Larry at Apocalypse Recordings, clocking in at 300bpm with vocals from Alex B from Inebrious Bastard/Leech Woman/Shitspitter, so that should see the light of day at some point in the future... Have also started compiling stuff for a book about the Outcast Clan, which will hopefully be a collection of stories, a chat with Sean and a compilation of the zines ITAH and UTR that I was involved with between 93 and 95, have just finished scanning over 200 pages and there is a huge amount of hardcore history that many have never seen, a good snap shot of what was going on back then... As for gigs, I don't really get out as much as I used to. I don't really do the digital thing and there isn't a huge demand for vinyl DJs... Any promoters out there want a brutal acidic hardcore live PA then I will happily oblige... Get in touch... sensoryviolation@hotmail.com  

HCBX: Finally - anything else you want to get off your chest? 

SM: Not without getting myself into trouble, so I'll pass on that one...  

Although... Legalizing cannabis in this backwards thinking country would be a good start... 

Until the next time... Enjoy the mix... 

Links and stuff

HCBXCast Vol 71 - Spliff Monk 8th November 2025

Hammer Damage On Bandcamp

Sensory Violation Discogs

Mashed up stuff for mashed up people... https://flamingpigs.co.uk/ 

Picture credits... 

Bredon Hill, 1993 - Unknown 

121, Railton Rd, 1996 - Nod 

Deliverance, 2000 - Stef 

Fuelled By Hate, 2001 - Mel (I think) 

Live Evil 7, 2002 - Matt Wood 

Class vs Trash, 2007 - Azil De Flous 

Psicose, 2023 - Harm Veenstra 

HCBXCast Vol 70 - Interview With Nikaj

Nikaj — the vinyl-first (but not always!) DJ behind Pure & Obscure and Gabberet — is one of those DJs who lives in his record crates. He’s submitted a bunch of HCBXCast mixes, founded our Mixmarathon sessions with Gabbergirl, Low Entropy and myself, and runs multi-genre shows like Mainstream Pollution. Now he’s doing a joint set with me tackling Bloody Fist and various offshoot labels which is going live on 1st November. I catch up with him to ask some questions where we dig into his love of vinyl, how he keeps so prolific on DJ sets, and the labels he is involved in.

HCBX: Alright Nikaj, how the hell are you?

Nikaj: I'm doing fine. I've been busy with work and preparing for various mixes.  By the way, nice interview you did with Deadnoise for your latest podcast on HCBX. I too practiced for years on other people's turntables, but that was because I was a poor wretch. I sucked at mixing for years because of it! His favourite tracks are also high on my list.

HCBX: You’re known as a vinyl-first DJ with a proper collection — how did that obsession start, and what’s the story of the first record that made you think “this is my thing”?

Nikaj: Actually, you have to go back to 1989. That’s when I started collecting 7"s, 12"s, and LPs and also did tape trading — exchanging cassettes with people through the mail. In the beginning it was mainly Grindcore, Death Metal, and Crustcore, and after a few years also Techno and Hardcore. I also played in a band at that time.

In 1994, I started buying Hardcore, but it was too late to re-purchase all those great tracks from 1993. Most of them I bought in obscure record stores or from DJs who stopped, and later when Discogs came up. I did hear these tracks through all the tapes I received — Turbulentie Radio (Rotterdam), Delta and Balans (The Hague), but also the first five volumes of Thunderdome and some other compilation albums of that time — all of which were my inspiration.

That early Hardcore Techno Gabber has always fascinated me because of its simple structure and straight-in-your-face approach. 

HCBX: You've spoken about how the more obscure hardcore and gabber tracks around 1993 hooked you to the genre, what are your favourite tracks from this period?

Nikaj: Ultraviolence – Psycho Drama is my favourite album of all time. But also Embolism, Gabbanation, Hellfish, GTI, Lasse Steen and all of those great releases back then inspired me so much.

My next upcoming mix on HCBX is all about that era.

Natas - Interview at 200.

Marc Acardipane - Give Me a White Line. 

Took me years to find it but finally got it in via Hard Wax in Berlin.

Enfant Terrible - P.W.A.

BSE DJ Team - Outbreak

DJ Dano - Welcome To The Thunderdome. 

HCBX: Pure & Obscure and the Gabbaret connections show you wear a few hats in the scene — label runner, producer, curator and DJ. Which of those roles do you enjoy the most?

Nikaj: Actually, I don't find being a label owner all that interesting. I do it to be free in releasing whatever I want and supporting the producers. Producers get far too little credit for what they do — many DJs don’t even add a tracklist, that’s a bloody shame.

The other day I heard a Hysta mix — all boring Hardstyle and a few happy tracks. Reading the comments, it seemed like she’d just pulled off a miracle, even though it was just hits and no one seemed to care which tracks were which. DJs like that play for people who don’t have a real passion for this music. It’s a cheap shot.

Many DJs take themselves too seriously and are adored for something that anyone can easily learn. Marc N, Flapkack, Q-Bert, X-Ecutioners — those are truly excellent DJs and that’s really hard to learn. But Hysta, Lil Texas, Darkraver and the rest who go with the flow don’t do anything special.

HCBX: You’ve done several sets on HCBXCast and the Mixmarathon sessions and are pretty prolific when it comes to mixing — do you plan your sets out, or just hit records and see what happens?

Nikaj: With hardcore, I often just play whatever comes to mind, but the problem is that it takes longer to find the right track, and sometimes you’re not satisfied afterwards. That’s why I’ve been preparing everything lately.

With the multi-genre Mainstream Pollution podcasts, I have to prepare carefully because the styles don’t always match well. I played the first one unprepared — that was more random luck than conscious choice.

HCBX: What kind of gear do you use for mixing and your various other artist endeavours?

Nikaj: Two Synq record turntables or Virtual DJ, a Xone 23 mixer, Yamaha RMX1 sequencer, Ableton, and I master with Audacity.

HCBX: Your Mainstream Pollution Podcast shows cover a wild range of genres. How does running a multi-genre podcast differ from the way you build a hardcore/gabber set, if at all?

Nikaj: Actually, this podcast is something Low Entropy, Gabbergirl and I mostly do intuitively.

I usually collaborate with another DJ on one mix. I ask them to use a wide range of styles that suit their taste, and then I supplement that with other styles to create a varied end result.

In my experience, that’s much harder to put together than a random hardcore set. But that’s what appeals to me, even though I sometimes feel like we’re only a small group of enthusiasts who enjoy this kind of mixing.

HCBX: Tell us about your record collection — you have a lot of classics and some more (pure and) obscure releases. Do you chase labels, eras, regional scenes or is it more personal? Is there a particular record you are really attached to?

Nikaj: I have about 1500 records, mainly Hardcore, Techno and Terror from 1991 to 1997.

What I like most are the first 40 volumes of Mokum and Rotterdam Records; the first 20 of Terror Traxx, Hardstuff, Rave Records, No Respect, Reload, Drop Bass, Labworks, Djax, Bloody Fist, Force Inc, Industrial Strength, Deathchant, Twisted Vinyl, Fischkopf, Strike, Juncolor, Overdrive, Nordcore, Gabbanation, Ruffneck, and Knor, to name a few.

But also those obscure records from 1993, often released on tiny labels — I’ve managed to get quite a few of those.

HCBX: Pure & Obscure releases / collabs with Gabbaret show you’re well versed in putting music out as well as spinning it. How do you decide what’s right for the label(s)?

Nikaj: That’s the hardest part of Pure & Obscure and Gabbaret for me. I prefer to approach people based on tracks they already have available — that way I know the final result and like it already.

When people send me things themselves, I often agree to tracks I’m not fully into. The quality of tracks from 1993–1995 was so good — Thunderdome 1–5 was 90% top quality — it’s hard to get that same level in 2025.

With Breakcore, I have that problem much less because the producers there are more in tune with what I like.

HCBX: You’ve played with Gabbergirl, Low Entropy and myself for Mixmarathon sessions — what did you take from those back-to-back marathon experiences? Any weird technical or creative lessons?

Nikaj: The Mixmarathon is a really fun project with people who complement each other in tracklisting but don’t resort to shameless classics or styles that don’t suit us. Jumpstyle, Hardstyle, Happy Hardcore, and Uptempo are not welcome.

The Mixmarathon always has a specific structure — from slow to fast, calm to hard. You have to get a feel for tracklisting, just like a producer needs to structure their track.

I hope we can build a community by inviting more DJs — with the four of us, our supporters, and the guests we bring in, I hope we grow a bigger audience. I try to play records people remember from the past but haven’t heard in a long time, and when I play newer stuff I want to surprise people and make them curious.

A DJ needs to find a public that matches his taste — not be a clown doing Ableton mashups of The First Rebirth with Stereo Murder. That’s poser stuff for nitwits with no musical background.

I’m always learning. In the first episode we used Ambient, which I felt was too far-fetched for a Hardcore Mixmarathon. In the second one I made a Mainstream Hardcore part that didn’t match your more obscure selections, so I changed it to pure Gabber — that fit much better.

HCBX: How do you balance nostalgia for the 90s/early-2000s gabber sound with modern releases and keeping people interested in newer tracks and sounds?

Nikaj: I specifically seek out artists who still use those ‘90s styles — people like Wardyyr, Low Entropy, O.p.b., Don Distorted, James F, and King Cog. I’m proud of what they’ve created for our label.

I work intuitively and hope it makes people happy — never for commercial reasons. For Gabbaret, it’s the same. We don’t make money anyway, so we may as well do what we love.

HCBX: There’s a strong DIY  culture in the hardcore/gabber scene — is Pure & Obscure / Gabberet trying to capture a specific DIY ethos? What's the future for these labels?

Nikaj: The future for labels like Gabbaret and Pure & Obscure will continue as long as underground subcultures exist. I’ve been part of that DIY movement since 1989 — we did tape trading, played small gigs, and made music ourselves.

Back then it was letters and tapes; now it’s podcasts, Bandcamp, and social media. The DIY spirit still exists — just in a new form. It’s much easier and cheaper to build a scene now, but the heart of it is still the same.

HCBX: Are there any producers, labels or DJs out there that are inspiring you these days — who should our readers be checking out right now in your opinion?

Nikaj: There are too many to name. Besides hardcore, I’ve been into Igorrr, Methods of Mayhem, Mindustries, Starving Insect, Dev Null, Deathchant, Enduser, Doormouse, Groinibard — and also your recent stuff is great!

I also enjoy electronic folk music from the Arab world. Artists like Wardyyr (who released on our label) are doing pure analog, raw stuff I love. Maladroit, Unstable Tone, Impotentacles, and M5K have released or are releasing great material on Gabberet.

HCBX: What’s next for Nikaj, Pure & Obscure and the Gabberet project? Any releases, collabs or trips we should know about?

Nikaj: 

A new Mixmarathon on January 1st

A new episode of the Break The Core various artists album on Gabberet around Christmas

A new Mainstr€am Pollution podcast from Ben (Gabberet) and me under a new alias: The Gabbaret Panthers — out now

A Bloody Fist tribute set from you and me for the HCBX Podcast this coming week

A strictly 1993 mix mentioned above

An Impotentacles release on Mainstream Pollution Records in the coming months

A joint release from DJ Asylum and King Cog, date TBA

Next year, I hope the Tales of the 90’s CD is finished — lots of work and still saving up for its release

HCBX: Anything else you want to get off your chest?

Nikaj: Lots of respect to you for building this HCBX network full of exciting DJs — 100% no Classics and Uptempo guaranteed! Gabbergirl, Low Entropy, King Cog, JD NoiZe, Ben Jalvingh — and all the DJs and producers still creating beats because they follow their taste, not because the mainstream polluted media or fans asked them.

Check out Nikaj vs DJ Asylum on HCBXCast 70 here (broadcast date 1st November 2025): HCBXCast Vol 70

This is the link to Pure & Obscure: Pure & Obscure

And Gabberet here: Gabberet Records

HCBXCast Vol 69 - Interview With Deadnoise

I'm more than chuffed to get Deadnoise back on the show, the U.S.-based DJ and producer who made his first appearance on HCBXCast Vol. 42. Known for his hard as fuck hardcore and speedcore sets, top mixing skills and track releases on the likes of Apocalypse Recordings - Deadnoise has long been a pillar of the American hardcore underground. His latest mix for Vol. 69 is a brutal masterclass in hardcore excess. You don't want to miss this one.  The man himself took time to answer a few questions.

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HCBX: Alright Deadnoise, welcome back on HCBXCast. What have you been up to?

DN: Glad to be back on. It's hard to believe that almost a year since my first HCBXCast. Since then, I have been recording mixes and TRYING to finish new music.

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HCBX: You’ve been involved in the hardcore and speedcore scene since the 90s — how did it all start for you? What first pulled you toward this type of music? Was there a particular track?

DN: I spent the early to mid 1990's writing graffiti and painting freight trains in Arizona. It was though the graffiti scene that I was first exposed electronic music and Hardcore when a friend lent me a mixtape that had "TRANCE" written on it. I have no clue who made the mix or if it was good but I do remember hearing tracks from Bodylotion, Krimson, Gizmo, Short Circuit, and Neophyte. Shortly after hearing that tape I began to buy whatever Hardcore vinyl I could get my hands on. Unfortunately the only two stores that carried Hardcore were located in Phoenix so I had to drive 2 hours each way and HOPE they had something worth buying.

Here are a few of tracks that really got me into Hardcore:

• Parrot Torture - Angel of Amphetemin

• Speed Nova - Impulse

• Odysee II - Domino

• Son Of A Bitch - Sucker

• Sorcerer - Winter

• Neophyte - In Your Head

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HCBX: How did you get into mixing? Was there a party that made you say: "I'm going to do that"? And what gear did you start on?

DN: I have always been interested in DJing. Even as a child I remember seeing Run DMC and was fascinated by what Jam Master Jay was doing. In middle school I used to order pro audio catalogs so I could look at turntables and the rack-mounted mixers made by MTX, Numark, and Biamp.

I had a few friends that owned 1200's but I could only practice on their schedules. When I finally did get my first set of 1200s, I would spend 10+ hours mixing every day. Once I was confident in my abilities, I began recording mixes and sending them to promoters and record labels asking for promos or information on where to get their releases.

I remember receiving records, flyers, stickers, letters, and information about distributors from DJ Freak and Michael Zosel at Shockwave. Through them and others I met Stefan at Sound Base, Simon at Underground Music, and Rubick at Mad Dog Distro. Meeting Rubick changed everything for me. When I started to produce professional mixtapes I sent him 100+ copies and in return he would send me a box of vinyl. He continued to send boxes for several years and kept me supplied with amazing vinyl I couldn't find anywhere else. I owed a lot to him.

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HCBX: You've played gigs all over the shop, what's been your most memorable moment over the years?

I've had amazing and terrible bookings over the years. Some of the most memorable Arizona parties were Hiatus, Synthetics, Lotus, Blue Balls, and Tranceformtion 2000.

I started getting booked in Los Angeles in 1999 and played a lot of amazing and horrible events out there. I was fortunate to have caught the tail end of 1990's Los Angeles Hardcore scene so I had pretty consistent bookings there for several years.

Europe was always amazing. I could play the hardest/fastest records I had and never had an empty room. Paris was probably one of the most memorable. Tense and I went to a party the night before and got absolutely smashed. The next day we were so hung over we could feel the earth spinning. Nevermind had flown into Paris the next day to join the tour we were on and we ended up playing a killer party called Alternation 2119.

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HCBX: How has your gear set up evolved over time? Both for mixing and producing?

DN: For mixing it was 1200's and various mixers. I made "Sinistrum" and "Shit Hemorrhage" on a super cheap 2 channel "American DJ" mixer that outlasted my Vestax mixers.

Currently I am using the Pioneer XDJ-XZ and I love this thing. Vinyl DJing will always be my first choice but mixing with WAV/FLAC opens up so many possibilities that aren't there with vinyl.

For production I use a PC and a tracker. I started Fast Tracker II then eventually moved on to Mad Tracker. We all used Mad Tracker for about 6-7 years until Fiend introduced us to Renoise. I think our music improved when we made the change to Renoise. We could finally use VST/VSTi without it slowing our computers down.

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HCBX: You've had a load of cracking tracks out over the years, on Apocalypse, TNI, SWAN and Shit N Gutz (my personal favourites have been Suspiria and King Of The Witches). Which of your releases stand out for you/are you most proud of and why?

DN: I am proud of Arrogant, Suspiria, King Of The Witches, and XRCSM. I don't consider myself a great producer but I have been very lucky to have music released on some cool labels. I still have a lot to learn and hopefully a long life to learn it.

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HCBX: Your connection with Apocalypse Recordings has been a constant. How did that relationship come about, and what has working with Larry Nevermind and the label meant for you as an artist?

DN: In 1998 I started working with Jon Berry at Industrial Strength, he became my manager and took care of everything relating to bookings and promotion. Through Jon Berry I was able to get a several page feature in Mixer magazine and was part of an article about American Hardcore artists in URB magazine.

In early 1999, Jon introduced me to Siege from Siege & Menace at a party outside of Los Angeles that Lenny Dee, Simon Underground, and Siege were playing. Siege had recently started a new management agency called Coalition Management, which already had Tron, Tense, and Nevermind on board.

Later that same year, I met Fiend at a party I was playing in Los Angeles. Siege managed to get all of us connected and not long after, Fiend and I joined Apocalypse Recordings.

Working with Apocalypse has been amazing. I trust Larry and I know he loves the music as much as I do and is in it for the right reason. He doesn't use the label to promote himself at the expense of everything else. The label doesn't change with what's popular and releases music that fits with the label.

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HCBX: There’s a distinct Deadnoise sound in what you produce. What’s your process when you sit down to make a track or build a mix even?

DN: There is? It's mostly luck. I don't have a specific process when writing music. It's all trial and error until something comes together. I wish I did have a process because I end up getting in my own way most of the time.

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HCBX: Who's inspiring you now in hardcore, either producer or DJ?

DN: Producers: Bumphead, Lord Terror, Rottencore, Darkside9878, Nevermind, Fiend, Virtue, The Ctrl, Hellcreator, RedOgre, Desolation, and Sucre Rose.

When it comes to mixes I am very selective. There are only a few DJs I listen to — Dan Efex, Tron, Fiend, Nevermind, DJ Raf, and Hellcreator. The last HCBXCast Tony Katana was killer mix.

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HCBX: Stateside, there’s a long history in hardcore. How is the scene in Arizona, and how has this lasted the test of time?

DN: Arizona has always been weird for Hardcore. I have played Les Diaboliques, Dj Freak, Skullblower, Napalm and had full rooms that went crazy. The following week I couldn't play anything above 190 BPM.

Arizona has had a handful of Hardcore DJs/producers since the mid 1990s with The AZHCJ, but I am the only one that played Industrial and Speedcore. Forsaken Is Dead was releasing a lot of music for awhile but he has disappeared.

It's been a while since I have played in Arizona but harder music is starting to make a comeback here. There are a few local DJs that play hard Techno and Gabber so hopefully the scene will continue to grow.

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HCBX: You've got the TNI label night coming up in Switzerland soon. Congratulations, there's a quality line up at that too! What are your plans for that and what type of set are you going for?

DN: I pulled the usual 1990s and early 2000s Speedcore. I approach parties differently than recorded mixes and play whatever seems to work for the room. I practice so much and know my music so well that I rarely run into problems and my live sets are just as clean 98% of the time.

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HCBX: Let’s talk about your HCBXCast Vol. 69 set — it’s an absolute onslaught - fuckin brutal stuff. What was the thinking behind the set? Was it planned or did you just press record?

DN: When I make a mix there is always some amount of planning. I have played classical piano for most of my life, so I approach my mixes with the same attention to detail and preparation.

I start by pulling tracks I like and listen to them until I memorize all the changes and length of phrases. Once that is done I typically record 3-4 different mixes with the same tracks and use the best one. I feel that mixes show what you are capable of and should be as clean as possible. I refuse to put my name on a sub par mix.

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HCBX: What’s next for Deadnoise — any new releases, collaborations, or gigs on the horizon?

DN: I am currently working on some solo tracks and a few collaborations Nevermind. I have a good booking in Phoenix on February 21st, 2026 with a killer line-up. Hopefully it's one those parties I can play Speedcore at, but if it isn't I will have a bunch of 1993 Gabber. I am open to playing more parties in the future.

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HCBX: Anything else you want to get off your chest?

DN: In the words of the great Bob Barker: "Help control the pet population — have your pets spayed or neutered."

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Thanks to Deadnoise for taking the time — catch his full HCBXCast Vol. 69 on Saturday 25th October here: HCBXCast Vol 69 - Deadnoise

Follow Deadnoise on SoundCloud: Deadnoise SC