Party report: Clublife prsents Frontliner and Neophyte

Hi everybody and happy Easter!

Hope you have kicked the holidays off with a good old bang and will enjoy them to the max with good company. First of all, I gotta thank you all, who read my ramblings. THANK YOU! It is always amazing to hear people tell me that they do read this humble blog. It all started just out of love for the music and a need of a hobby really. I wanted to have a place where I could be enthustiastic of music without making my friends being bored to death. Therefore blog was ideal solution :) It is really humbling and satisfying to hear that you do read this and have artistd/djs thank me (WTF!!?! I should be the one thanking you!!) for interview. I just wanted to say thank you very much for all of you!

Last night was another Clublife party and another banger. The stage was something to look at, that I haven't gotten used to our parties. This is one thing that has changed over the years to better: people do put effort on the stage. And another special thing was the dj competition. Congrats to the winner and for you all: keep spinning those wheels of steel! Never give up. Who knows, maybe I should do mixtape reviews sometimes, what do you guys think? New talent deserves all the boost it can get. Sorry, got sidetracked a bit, so back to business.

This was another adventure into the sound. I don't recall hearing bad tunes on the night at all, all I do remember is the rising volume level during Neophyte's set. I did manage to miss some sets sadly, but what I did manage to hear, everybody knew their craft :) I thought it would be full house, but this time it wasn't. What the night lacked in numbers of attendees, the crowd's enthusiasm and love for hard beats made up for it. The crowd really was into the music and there for the right reason. All I saw were happy, smiling faces and felt the good ol'  unity, that music can create. We all gather there for the same reason: Music. And that creates a special bond.

Frontliner rocked and played bit harder set than usual. He really knows how to take the crowd and has an ear for melodies. It was really good to hear him play again and this time, as said, bit different set from his last visit at Hardstyle Festival. Still kicking big time and good set on a right time of the night. As for local talent, what can I say? The ones I did manage to catch, blew the roof! Amazing to see so much talented djs and producers rise from our small country. This got me thinking that it'd be good change to have a night with only local talent. Here I go again...

As for the legend, Neophyte, I had no idea what to expect, and I think that is the best way to approach dj sets. He played quite hard mix of oldschool and current tunes and this went down so so well, eventhough part of the crowd left after mr. Melodyman. Mc Alee also knew how to get the crowd going and for Neophyte's selection, it was spot-on. Maybe sometimes bit hard for me, but still good, educational set of old and new. It is good to hear someone bang out oldschool stuff, so younger generation has a chance to experience those tracks in the right environment.

Last hour was  another mad 3-way battle of beats and they kept the beats hard and fast! When the clock hit the last hour, all I could do was sit, due pain in lower back and lack of energy thanks to previous shift at work and another not-too-well slept night. If there are typos, I apologize, I only slept 3 hours before writing this report. Maybe I should catch comple of more zzzzs

Have a merry easter!

Eryk Orpheus Interview

Hi all!

Hope you had good weekend. Here is a perfect way of chilling at home: read my blog and listen to good music! Especially that now I present you next big interview: Eryk Orpheus! The man is a big player in the freeform scene and has created string on quality releases on for example Nu Energy records. It was sad day when Kevin Energy closed the label, but his reasons were understandable.

I've been into freeform for quite a long time now. I think it was Säde parties that got me into it or Fury, can't remember which one, but it was almost a decade ago. The scene has really gone back to underground since then, which might be good thing, but sadly there aren't too many parties where you do hear freeform these days. But without further delays, here would be the interview. I proudly present: ERYK ORPHEUS!

What was the first record you bought? 

Wow, now that’s a toughie, as I started buying records when I was about 8 years old! I’m fairly sure the first ever 7” single I bought was “A wonderful Time Up There” by Alvin Stardust in 1981. I’ve still got all the records I bought as a kid stashed away somewhere and there are some real gems in there, although the Alvin Stardust certainly wouldn’t be classed as a gem!!!

What got you into electronic music? 

I originally got into electronic music through listening to groups like Depeche Mode, The Human League and Yazoo when I was really young and then when I was a teenager groups like Pop Will Eat Itself, Nine Inch Nails and Ministry were about so I really got into the whole industrial and sub-pop thing. I didn’t really get into dance music until a few years later, but once I’d discovered synthesisers and sequencers and how to use them I was hooked on all types of electronica.

You have been in the scene for a long time. How much has it changed over the years? 

I think because it has mainly stayed underground there hasn’t really been much of a change in momentum and there’s probably the same amount of Freeform happening now as there was 10 years ago, although with the closure of Nu Energy and Freeformation there is less representation of Freeform at the bigger Hardcore events. Artists like Thumpa and A.B. are doing their best to push the Freeform to the larger raves, but it is still very much under-represented and takes a back seat to the other Hardcore styles,

Where does inspiration for tunes come from? 

Inspiration comes from all over the place really so it’s hard to pin down a particular influence. I do tend to avoid listening to genres that I’m writing though, so if I’m going to write a new Freeform track I’ll avoid listening to Freeform for a couple of weeks to make sure I’m not being influenced by something else I’ve heard. I also listen to a lot of non-electronic music so I probably end up drawing on inspiration from that a lot of the time.

What kind of equipment do you use? 

I started back in the day before computers were powerful enough to run DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) so for many years I had a room full of synths, as well as racks of processors and effects, but as technology has evolved I’ve nearly sold all of my outboard and pretty much just use Logic Pro X on a Mac with a few select plug-ins. I’ve still got my Virus and a few nice sounding processors like pre-amps and compressors, but I mainly do everything in the box and I have to say I much prefer working that way now.

If we think of dj side of things, what would be your most memorable gigs? 

I have to say Adelaide in 2009 is still one of my most memorable gigs, as it was absolutely mental. By the time I’d got 15 minutes into my set the room was rammed and there were even clubbers on the stage with me, as the dance floor just couldn’t hold any more people. I also really loved playing for Fantazia on New Years Eve in about 2010 because I was doing a back to back with Sharkey in the Hardcore room and then Scott Brown came in to see if he could join us as there had been a problem in the room he was playing in and they’d cancelled his set. So in the end I was doing a back to back with Sharkey and Scott Brown and it was absolutely amazing, in fact we played for an extra hour, as the room was packed so they kept it open.

Freeform has gone more underground and lot of labels have closed. How do you see the future of the genre? 

I don’t think it’s a bad thing that it has gone back underground again, as it is giving the scene a chance to regenerate itself. After Kevin stopped the Nu Energy labels a few people tried to keep the momentum going, but personally I feel that some of the quality control was lost and there was a lot of generic sounding Freeform being played. Recently however there have been a few new artists and labels and there has been a bit of an injection of life back into Freeform with people producing some different sounds rather than sounding like Nu Energy circa 2008. Greg Peaks’ Tesla Tracks is putting out some cool stuff and I’ve had some bits through from the Digital Commandos, who have also been producing some great Euphoric Freeform. Funnily enough it’s the FiNRG artists who I always go back to, but that it probably more to do with the style of Freeform I like, as I’ve always preferred the Finnish sound.

How do you feel about digitalism? I do miss vinyl. 

I must admit I occasionally fire up my 1210s and will have a bit of an old-school mix, but I’m such a massive gadget geek I absolutely love using the new technology, as it allows me to do far more than I can with just a pair of vinyl decks. I’ve gotten really bored of the whole vinyl/digital argument, as they both have their merits, but I’m particularly bored of people banging on about sync buttons, as they seem to think that DJing is all about getting records in time, which it’s not. Djing is about reading your crowd and keeping them happy with the right tune selection. It’s all very well being able to beat-match perfectly, but if you’re not choosing the right tunes and keeping the dance floor going then you’re not doing your job!

How is the scene in UK? Over here you almost never hear freeform. 

Unfortunately, for some reason, the UK is still dominated by Happy and UK Hardcore and although some of the bigger nights like HTID will place a token Freeform DJ in the line-up, it is still very much an underground genre. However, I don’t see this as a bad thing, as it means that promotions like I Love Hard Beats do really well when they put parties on and it means that the producers writing it are doing it because of the love and passion for it rather than for the motivation of fame and fortune.

Has the rise of hardstyle affected the scene? 

I don’t think so, but I do think it has probably had more of an affect on the Hard Trance and Hard House scenes, as they were suffering a decline in popularity anyway and like all genres of music there is always going to be a cycle of highs and lows as the various styles take turns being popular and then not.

What got you into djing? 

A mate used to DJ at an indie music night in Canterbury in the early nineties and when one of the other DJs stopped doing it I took over. It was about the time when Bigbeat was popular and artists like The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim were doing remixes of music by bands like The Charlatans and Primal Scream. I was getting really interested in the electronic side of music and would tend to mix the remixes rather than use the originals and it wasn’t long before I was beatmatching. By 1997 I had started getting into Progressive House and Hard House and it wasn’t long before I started my own night at a venue I was sound engineering at, so I really first started DJing dance music there. Because I was already working as part of a live PA I started getting a few bookings off the back of that and the rest, as they say, is history.

What are your plans for the future? 

At the minute I’m in the final year of my degree, which is why I’ve been fairly quiet and not written or played out much for the past couple of years, but once that is finished in September I’ll be back in full effect writing, remixing and gigging. I’ll also set a bit more time aside to do The Pressure Technique project that I do with a mate. We’ve already played at a couple of festivals last year to test the tunes out and we’ll hopefully be at more festivals next year with an album to promote too. First though I’ve got a backlog of Freeform remixes to do for people, so they’ll take priority and will be done by late October and I’ve also been promising an artist album for years so I’m hoping to finally get that done too.

Hi all!

This time around there is a bit different interview. I talked with Nita Korpi, who is a member of various so-called promoteams / street teams. Their aim is to market people on social media and on various other methods, such as posters. This is quite a new way of marketing and became extremely important thanks to social media and internet and has really taken off. For a promoter, this is an ideal way of marketing that keeps costs low when compared to printing flyers, like we did back in the day. The only down side to this is that flyers are obsolete and some of them were just pure art. But times change and club scene changes along. But without further mourning of how things were better back in the day (they weren't always), here's Nita's interview. Same in finnish in the end. Translated by me and it was difficult

You're a member of various street teams. Tell us a bit of street teams?

I'm a member of Mayhem, mindcore and Rawzone street teams, which are handled by the same people really, but the concept is different on each one.

Mayhem is the smallest of the three and has only finnish djs on stage, but during my time, Mayhem also has brought Deepack (which by the way was really sick party, one best Mayhem ones.

With Mindcore, we bring big names from abroad and we have organised parties together with House Of Hard Music and Clublife, when Angerfist was at Venue. I was working tight with that party and can say it was the best party ever and was better than parties abroad by far. Most likely thanks to that I was part of it so much and the sensation of success of the party was really something.

Rawzone on the hand is a new concept and first party was just now. Expectations were high and we created a lot new things for the venue that hasn't been seen in our parties as yet.

My job in the street team is to guide people, take care of advance ticket sales and help with all I can (as for Rawzone, we went to Y31 early on to get the place ready for the party). I also take care of advertising and pre-sales like everyone else.

There are 2 of us chiefs, me and Mariina. Nina helps us create ideas and with all promotional stuff, but with a bit in a different way that “normal” street team members. We get ideas from various people and everyone is involved in their own way. The promotional team has people on different levels and who benefit from it their own way for their input for the parties.

What was the reason to get involved with these clubs as a street team member?

I first was member of Floorluv street team and after that I applied to Clublife, Fury, Events 365 teams and when Venue changed to Dusk & Dawn, we created bigger and more functional Mayhem/Mindcore street team. I really worked hardest in Clublife promo team and it has been the most rewarding of all the previous promo teams. As for Floorluv, I got involved with my friends, but as for the rest, with passion for hardstyle/hardcore.

Mayhem/Mindcore promo team got started when I joked with Wille that I can get in a night right people involved in it and run it on a whole new level. And that is excatly what I did: I got most of the people to join in one night and when we indeed got the promo team running in a new level. For example the popularity of Deepack is completely due our promo team, maybe not the most attended party, but whole lot of people showed up than I ever expected.

Today I work only for Mayhem/Mindcore/Rawzone teams and give 100% for them.

How do you feel of this kind of teamwork? What is the best thing in it?

We've had incredible team for whole time, eventhough some have left, we have managed to keep the best and most active ones, which is most important. Better little and full on than a lot and without visible outcome. It is really great to be part of this team, it is rewarding and I've got so good vibes from successful parties, that I won't give up being a member of the team easily. We now have created levels for promoteam members. Each level gives their own investment and gain profit from it in various forms and that motivates people. The idea is that people would get a bigger kick out of promotion and that it'd be rewarding. Everyone can decide how much they want to and can be part of it, we have no limitations, but to get a reward you have to work for it. I also hope that promoteam members feel same kind of gratitude of successful parties that for example I feel (how is it possible that I reply to these with tear in my eye? :D)

Street teams are pretty new in the clubland, but artists have had the street teams for longer time. Does this respond better to the supply these days than just flyers/internet/poster marketing?

I think this is just perfect invention! Our time is so connected to social media that it is most important marketing channel for clubs these days I thnk. For example I can't due this work disconnect from Facebook completely, it is that important these days. I've only been in this world for couple of years so I can't compare promoting to previous times, but times change and everything changed along with it.

Of what do you get the biggest kick out?

That feeling when the party is on full swing, people dancing antd the atmosphere is tangible. People smiling, enjoying the party and everybody is happy. Then you know that your deed has been rewarded the best way possible. On that point you don't have to worry of anything and you can just enjoy the party. I've also been involved just as much I've wanted to. I was once given a chance to organize a party from start to beginning, when the new player TEMTEK was released for Mayhem 24^th of January 2015. I've also been part on selecting djs and been given freedom with the promotional team, I took Marru together to guide the team and we have managed to get together an incredible team, whom without we wouldn't be where we are today. Thanks to promo team these parties have really began to raise up and we have managed to move forward all the time.

1. Kuulut eri klubien street teamiin. Kerro hieman street team touhusta?

Kuulun Mayhemiin, Mindcoreen ja Rawzoneen, joiden takana on oikeastaan samat ihmiset, mutta konsepti on jokaisessa erilainen ja omaa luokkaansa.

Mayhem on kaikista pienin ja lavalla nähdään oikeastaan vaan suomalaisia nimiä, mutta mun aikana Mayhem on tuonut myös Deepackin (jotka oli muuten ihan sairaat bileet, Mayhemin parhaimmistoa).

Mindcorella taas tuodaan myös isompia nimiä ulkomailta asti ja nyt ollaan nähty myös yhteisbileitä House of Hard Musicin ja Clublifen kanssa, ja jatkoa varmasti luvassa. Mun ekat Mindcoren isot bileet oli viimevuonna, kun Angerfist tuotiin Venuelle. Olin niissä bileissä tosi intiimisti mukana ja voin sanoa, että ne on kaikkien aikojen parhaat bileet ja päihittää mennentullen myös ulkomaan bileet. Johtunee kyllä suurimmaksi osaksi siitä, että olin siinä mukana niin paljon ja se onnistumisen tunne bileistä oli ihan huikea.

Rawzone on puolestaan uusi konsepti ja ensimmäiset bileet onkin nyt tulevana perjantaina, odotukset on korkealla ja ollaan keksitty paikan päälle kaikkea uutta, mitä meidän bileissä ei oo vielä edes nähty.

Mun paikka street teamissä on ohjata porukkaa, hoitaa lipunmyyntiä ennakkoon ja auttaa muutenkin kaikessa missä vaan pystyn (esim. mennään torstaina rakentamaan kaikki valmiiksi Y31:seen). Hoidan kuitenkin mainostusta ja ennakkolippujen myyntiä ihan samalla tavalla kuin muutkin.

Meitä on nyt kaksi "pääjehua", minä ja Mariina, sekä Niina on mukana kehittämässä ideoita ja muutenkin promohommissa, mutta vähän eri tavalla kuin "normaalit promot”. Saadaan kuitenkin ideoita milloin keneltäkin, jokainen on omalla tavallansa mukana ja promoissakin on eri tasoisia ihmisiä, jotka taas hyötyy erilailla omista panoksistaan bileisiin.

2. Miten innostuit lähtemään mukaan juuri näiden klubien tiimiin mukaan?

Oon kuulunut ihan ensimmäisenä Floorluvin promotiimiin, jonka jälkeen hain Clublifeen, Furyyn, Events365:seen ja kun Venue vaihtui Dusk & Dawniin, niin kehiteltiin myös isompi ja toimivampi Mayhem/Mindcore promotiimi. Eniten oon panostanut Clublifeen ja se onkin kaikista näistä entisistä promotiimeistä ollut antoisin, vaikka jokaisessa tiimissä on ollut ihan omat spessut juttunsa. Floorluviin lähdin kavereiden mukana, mutta muihin oon lähtenyt mukaan täydellä intohimolla ja rakkaudella juurikin hardstyleen ja hardcoreen.

Mayhem/Mindcoren promotiimi syntyi vähän puoliksi läpällään, kun heitin Willelle, että saan promotiimiin vaikka illan aikana sellaisen porukan, että päästään pyörittämään sitä kautta promohommia ihan uudella levelillä. Ja niin hän mä tein: kokosin illan aikana suurimman osan jengistä ja saatiin kuin saatiikin promohommat toimimaan ihan eri tavalla kuin ennen. Esimerkiksi Deepackin suosio oli täysin meidän promotiimin ansiota, ei ehkä eniten kävijöitä, mutta ainakin paljon enemmän mitä itse edes osasin odottaa.

Nykyään kuulun ainoastaan Mayhem/Mindcore/Rawzone-tiimiin ja annan täyden panokseni niihin.

3. Miten koet tämän tiimin työskentelyn? Mikä siinä on parasta?

Meillä on ihan huikea tiimi ollut kokoajan, vaikka jengiä onkin lähtenyt jonkin verran, niin ollaan kuitenkin saatu ne parhaimmat ja aktiivisimmat pidettyä, mikä on tärkeintä. Mielummin vähän ja täysillä, kuin paljon ja ilman näkyviä tuloksia. On mahtavaa olla osa tätä tiimiä, se on ollut todella antoisaa ja saanut niin mahtavia fiiliksiä onnistuneista bileistä, etten ihan helposti tästä aio luopua. Ollaan nyt kehitelty promoille omat tasonsa, jokainen taso antaa erilaisen panoksen ja hyötyy siitä eri tavoin, joka taas motivoi ihmisiä. Ideana oli se, että jengi saa enemmän myös promohommista irti ja että se olisi kaikille antoisaa. Jokainen saa takaisin oman panoksensa mukaan. Jokainen saa päättää miten paljon haluaa ja pystyy olemaan mukana, meillä ei oo mitään rajaa millekkään, mutta palkkion eteen pitää tehdä työtä. Toivon myös, että promojengi tuntee samanlaista kiitosta onnistuneista bileistä kun mitä esimerkiksi itse tunnen. (Miten voi olla mahdollista, että vastaan näihin itku silmässä? :D)

4. Street teamit ovat aika uusi ilmiö klubimaailmassa, mutta artisteilla on ollut jo pitemmän aikaa käytössä sama. Vastaako tämä nykyajan tarpeisiin enemmän kuin pelkkä internet/flyer/julistemarkkinointi?

Tämä on mun mielestä ihan loistava keksintö! Nykyaika on niin kiinni somessa, että se on klubeille nykyään ehkä tärkein markkinointikanava. Esimerkiksi itse en pelkästään näiden hommien takia pysty irrottautua Facebookista kokonaan, niin tärkeää se on nykyään. Itse en oo ollut tässä maailmassa kuin reilut pari vuotta, niin en osaa hirveästi verrata aikaisempaan promoamiseen tätä hommaa, mutta ajat muuttuu ja sen mukana myös kaikki muukin.

5. Mikä on antoisinta touhussa?

Se fiilis, kun bileet on täydessä vauhdissa, ihmiset tanssii ja se tunnelma on ihan käsin kosketeltavissa. Ihmiset hymyilee, nauttii bileistä ja kaikki on tyytyväisiä. Siitä tietää, että oma työ on palkittu parhaalla mahdollisella tavalla. Siinä vaiheessa ei tarvitse enää murehtia mistään ja saa itsekkin nauttia bileistä ja oman työnsä jäljestä. Lisäksi oon saanut olla niin paljon messissä, kun ikinä oon vaan halunnut ja voinut uskoa. Oon saanut järjestää yhdet bileet alusta loppuun asti itse, kun uusi ressu TEMTEK julkaistiin Mayhemille 24.1.2015 Oon saanut olla moniin bileisiin mukana valitsemassa esiintyjiä ja mun mielipiteet ja ideat on aina otettu huomioon vähättelemättä. Kaikista parasta on ehkä ollut se, että Wille on antanu mulle vapaat kädet promotiimin suhteen, otin Marrun mukaan vetää tiimiä ja ollaan saatu kasaan uskomaton tiimi, joita ilman ei oltais tässä pisteessä. Promojengin ansiosta nää bileet on lähteny huikeaan nousuun ja ollaan päästy jatkamaan kokoajan eteenpäin.

Mindcore interview

Hi folks!

This update took bit longer to make than I hoped for, but please forgive me. I am after all a student, work part-time and got kids, so sometimes I am just too busy to update the blog. I will however keep updating every week :)

This time around I did an interview with none other than Mindcore! Mindcore is a name that should ring bells if you like your music hard. These guys have been in the game for a long time and really pushed hardcore scene forward here in Finland. Next up will be an interview with the street team and we'll look what the heck it is all about. But now, I proudly present you.... Mindcore!

Who are members of Mindcore?

Wille Immonen (Waily), Jani Virta (Zerathep), Mertsi Valerious (Skitzofrenik) and Toni Taskinen (Machina). We also play gigs as Mindcore djs collective and mutual industrial/crossbreed project of Skitzofrenik and Machina is called Chimaera.

You have been in the game for long and kept pushing Finnish hardcore scene. How much has the scene evolved over the years?

Scene has taken big leaps forward during th years and these days hardcore has made it to big events, well-known hardcore artists have a following over here, which allows many more possibilities to organise harder events than before when the scene was still taking it first steps.

Raise of hardstyle: good or bad thing for hardcore?

Revolution of hardstyle has given a lot to the Finnish scene and made possible to have excellent events. Some of which were part of. It has given us a lot of fantastic possibilities to spread our loved ”hardcore virus”. Without the hardstyle revolution, and especially without the rise of rawsrtyle, we wouldn't be in the current situation, where we can organize parties for example in Circus. Most definetly hardstyle has been really good thing for scene in Finland, since it has reduced borders between genres, now that hardcore and hardstyle have both raw and melodic styles.

Over the course of years hardcore has changed a lot and mainstream hardcore has gotten more commercial and easier to get into. Positive side of this is vitality of the genre, but is commercialism a good thing? It does add lot of supply but does it become more of take the money and run?

All music evolves and mainstream is just one part of hardcore. Genres tend to live on cycles, that keep repeating. Same thing was seen in 90's when hardcore changed to really commectial and then some broke off and created rawer and faster style. Same pattern happened with uptemp vs mainstream. Therefore we see commercialsm a good thing up to a point. It brings new listeners to the genre and this often creates new artists who can add some new flavour to the music and this always good thing for the genre. It keeps things fresh. Nowadays it is possible to organise events on a whole new level and in a different way now that we have pushed the genre forward for years and have a fanbase, who comes to our parties eventhough we wouldn't tell them any infos of them except the date. So we can make even better and create first-rate events. Making money has never been a principle of Mindcore, we always try to create as unique event as possible and give people their money's worth.

Mindcore has co-operated with other party organisations many times. How did this happen?

Whole idea of co-operation is to create an atmosphere that combines two or more party organisation's visions to one and offers that wat unique atmosphere for the party for examplse in the form of wider line-up of different genres and artists as a way to crreate excellent experience.

What keeps you going on organising parties, which is hard work and quite risky?

The love for hardcore, no other just doesn't give as much vibes as hardcore. That vibe at Mindcore, when people love that music and the crowd is warmed up and first proper hardcore tune blasts from the speaker and crowd goes crazy. That is absolutely the best that this can give you, seeing how people enjoy themselves. That keeps you pushing on and makes one forget the rest.

Which djs you'd want to bring over?

We do not build events around one artist, we think of it as whole, whether it is mainstream, uptempo, crossbreed or frenchcore for that matter. The future will tell.

What will future bring for Mindcore?

Mindcore will keep serving hardcore in all it's forms on big and small stages. We want to keep things varied since hardcore is very vast genre and has so much to offer for Finnish hardcore heads. There will be big events but also small intimate ones!