Time to get back to the world of blogging and doing it with a bang. The Man. The Legent. I proudly give you Ruffneck interview!
You created scene called artcore. How would you define artcore?
The term Artcore was used by myself to give my own vision of music a distinctve name as I felt that my vision in a way was somewhat different than what other people where doing. My sound was breakbeat orientated music with phat kicks and thick hoovers, although some did not have some of the above mentioned elements. It just felt different to me although most of it obviously still is also Hardcore at the same time. Artcore as a term is a bit difficult to explain as it is more a thing you instinctively recognise and feel in your soul.
-What is your musical backround apart from hardcore?Hip Hop, techno, , electronic music (fkraftwerk and such) Classical music, Italo Music, Disco, House music, fuck, soul, jazz.
Basically everything except dutch music and german schlagers
First
of all, let me say this is a huge honor for me to do this interview!
Let's go back to the beginnning, what got you into hardcore, djing,
making music and starting legendary Ruffneck label, which is highly
collectible these days?
Inspired by the House Music coming from Chicago and Detroit, I began my musical career at just 15 years old performing at various clubs around Holland. Most of Europe had not yet been exposed to House, let alone any form of Hardcore. I kept pushing the Hardcore sound throughout the 80′s and 90′s, producing hits such as “Mindcontroller”, Incubus on My first label called 80 Aum in 1989
Inspired by the House Music coming from Chicago and Detroit, I began my musical career at just 15 years old performing at various clubs around Holland. Most of Europe had not yet been exposed to House, let alone any form of Hardcore. I kept pushing the Hardcore sound throughout the 80′s and 90′s, producing hits such as “Mindcontroller”, Incubus on My first label called 80 Aum in 1989
In
lieu of my DJ and Producing successes, I started my own record label
(the third own label to be exact. The second one was called wipe out
records, which was formed after I left the 80 aum label in 1991)
“Ruffneck Records” in 1993.
You created scene called artcore. How would you define artcore?
The term Artcore was used by myself to give my own vision of music a distinctve name as I felt that my vision in a way was somewhat different than what other people where doing. My sound was breakbeat orientated music with phat kicks and thick hoovers, although some did not have some of the above mentioned elements. It just felt different to me although most of it obviously still is also Hardcore at the same time. Artcore as a term is a bit difficult to explain as it is more a thing you instinctively recognise and feel in your soul.
The
whole hardcore/gabber scene has evolved a lot during the years.
Events have gotten bigger, sound more accessible (mainstream
hardcore). How do you see the progression? To me it has lost the sort
of punk attitude it had when it started.
Progression is always happening, some for the good, sometimes for the worse. For me personally without I am not a big fan of the extreme fast craze that has been going on for a while now. Over the past years I more and more felt that the original soul and thought behind hardcore diminished into something I didn't identify with anymore up to the point where I don't know exactly if I would call it even hardcore anymore. The enormous variety of what hardcore used to be has been diluted mostly in simple speed (tempo, not the drugs) and most of the same kicks. It is very boring to me so I decided to go back doing something I love doing, which is basically the original hardcore and the beginning of what people call millennium and also electronic music which some people might call ”industrial or hard techno”. What everybody else is doing is pretty much irrelevant to me and if that is what progression is I guess it has become something I don't feel a lot of connection with and therefore I may not be the right person to talk about that form of whatever it is called. Each to their own.
Progression is always happening, some for the good, sometimes for the worse. For me personally without I am not a big fan of the extreme fast craze that has been going on for a while now. Over the past years I more and more felt that the original soul and thought behind hardcore diminished into something I didn't identify with anymore up to the point where I don't know exactly if I would call it even hardcore anymore. The enormous variety of what hardcore used to be has been diluted mostly in simple speed (tempo, not the drugs) and most of the same kicks. It is very boring to me so I decided to go back doing something I love doing, which is basically the original hardcore and the beginning of what people call millennium and also electronic music which some people might call ”industrial or hard techno”. What everybody else is doing is pretty much irrelevant to me and if that is what progression is I guess it has become something I don't feel a lot of connection with and therefore I may not be the right person to talk about that form of whatever it is called. Each to their own.
Where
do you get inspiration to keep on going?
My soldiers and a general love for music. I am an artistic person and my soldiers have given me the freedom to do whatever I want. And even if they wouldn't I'd still do it and they know and appreciate it hahahaha.
My soldiers and a general love for music. I am an artistic person and my soldiers have given me the freedom to do whatever I want. And even if they wouldn't I'd still do it and they know and appreciate it hahahaha.
What
has been your most memorable gig?
Rezerection n(the awakening of 1996) Where most of the footage for the ruffneck rules videoclip was filmed and the first performance of me in Russia in 1997 in Akvatoria building Moscow.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Music in al sorts. Hardcore and electronic dark hard techno under my Ruffneck Prime alias ;)
And welcome back to Helsinki! Last time you were here with Dione, you blew the roof off Helsinki club!
Love to be back, it's been to long and I am looking forward to it.
Rezerection n(the awakening of 1996) Where most of the footage for the ruffneck rules videoclip was filmed and the first performance of me in Russia in 1997 in Akvatoria building Moscow.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Music in al sorts. Hardcore and electronic dark hard techno under my Ruffneck Prime alias ;)
And welcome back to Helsinki! Last time you were here with Dione, you blew the roof off Helsinki club!
Love to be back, it's been to long and I am looking forward to it.
More
:D
Why
do you think it was Rotterdam that gave birth to hardcore?
For some reason people always think that a specific someone or someplace stood as THE blueprint.
I don't really believe in any of that. Music has always been an evolution and so ALSO hardcore.
As said I was making something that was harder than the house sound of chicago and some of the things made in detroit (however some of them where already also pretty rough!), and when I had my second release already out in 1990, only then for instance rotterdam records was born. So would that mean that I invented hardcore as I was clearly releasing harder music than what house music was bringing? I still would say NO, as it doesn't make sense to me. Things just graduately became harder as more people where busy with the same sound at that time. However people just love to pinpoint a single person and call him the ”godfather of hardcore” or the ”birthplace” of hardcore for various reasons I won't go into as it is irrelevant. In my opinion It just makes more sense to see it as an evolution and at the same time understand that certain people and places have played a BIG part into a style that graduately became a common ground for a sound we started to accept as something we define as hardcore nowadays.
For some reason people always think that a specific someone or someplace stood as THE blueprint.
I don't really believe in any of that. Music has always been an evolution and so ALSO hardcore.
As said I was making something that was harder than the house sound of chicago and some of the things made in detroit (however some of them where already also pretty rough!), and when I had my second release already out in 1990, only then for instance rotterdam records was born. So would that mean that I invented hardcore as I was clearly releasing harder music than what house music was bringing? I still would say NO, as it doesn't make sense to me. Things just graduately became harder as more people where busy with the same sound at that time. However people just love to pinpoint a single person and call him the ”godfather of hardcore” or the ”birthplace” of hardcore for various reasons I won't go into as it is irrelevant. In my opinion It just makes more sense to see it as an evolution and at the same time understand that certain people and places have played a BIG part into a style that graduately became a common ground for a sound we started to accept as something we define as hardcore nowadays.
Also
been wondering why hardcore is so huge in Netherlands, but a lot more
underground in rest of Europe?We
just LOVE our festivals and parties and maybe because we don't
necesarilly see it as an underground thing anymore as it has been
around for a very long time. However I may be completely wrong as I
am not a social party analyst hahahaha
Somewhere
around millennium the whole scene became spalled in sub-genres, and
all the genres are going strong. For most other genres this has been
short lived hype, but not for hardcore. If we look this as a
producer, does this open more doors to experiment or is it limiting
due purists?
Limitations only exist in people's minds. Hardcore is a very specific choice, whereas most other commercially club orientated music attracts the more ”oh so this is cool NOW” kind of people who listen to it for a while until the next ”hot thing” comes along, so they jump onto that bandwagon again.
Hardcore in a way is probably more something like metal music lovers, who seem to be more faithfull to their sound as well.
Limitations only exist in people's minds. Hardcore is a very specific choice, whereas most other commercially club orientated music attracts the more ”oh so this is cool NOW” kind of people who listen to it for a while until the next ”hot thing” comes along, so they jump onto that bandwagon again.
Hardcore in a way is probably more something like metal music lovers, who seem to be more faithfull to their sound as well.
Where
do you get inspiration for your tracks?
My
own life events, emotions, and those PHAT hoovers. Besides that
basically just sitting in the studio, switching on the gear and
letting myself be caried away by sounds that simply come along when I
start working on something. Most of the time I feel I need to say
something and that's what I do with the vocals I use in combination
with the raw energy from the beats.
As I am not a rapper, I tell my story in a somewhat different way. The idea however is basically the same though.
As I am not a rapper, I tell my story in a somewhat different way. The idea however is basically the same though.
-What is your musical backround apart from hardcore?Hip Hop, techno, , electronic music (fkraftwerk and such) Classical music, Italo Music, Disco, House music, fuck, soul, jazz.
Basically everything except dutch music and german schlagers
Let's
look at Enzyme records that put end of an era with artcore. Was this
deliberate way to move away from that sound and to re-invent
yourself?
It had to be done to get rid of certain stigmas and to make people believe I stopped hardcore (Which BTW I NEVER did). At that time I wanted to push forward some people who I wanted to help become big stars as nobody was hardly willing to book them as a DJ as they always asked for me.
So in order to get people like Ophidian, Nosferatu and Endymion for instance some bookings and a shot at it...I simply needed to be ”of the field” of availability. So I called them and explained my plan where they needed to pretend they where leading and owning the Enzyme label while in the background I was actually still running things. They had to keep their lips sealed in order to achieve what I eventually foresaw happening as the plan worked and they became big players themselves after time.
It had to be done to get rid of certain stigmas and to make people believe I stopped hardcore (Which BTW I NEVER did). At that time I wanted to push forward some people who I wanted to help become big stars as nobody was hardly willing to book them as a DJ as they always asked for me.
So in order to get people like Ophidian, Nosferatu and Endymion for instance some bookings and a shot at it...I simply needed to be ”of the field” of availability. So I called them and explained my plan where they needed to pretend they where leading and owning the Enzyme label while in the background I was actually still running things. They had to keep their lips sealed in order to achieve what I eventually foresaw happening as the plan worked and they became big players themselves after time.
What
is the secret of long, successful career in music industry? You have
been in the game from day one and still going strong!
Being stubborn with an own will and a specific drive to follow your own path I guess. For me and a lot of people from that era it has been a LONG and most of all very HARD struggle with lots of downs and dissapointments to create a scene people nowadays most of the time take for granted as it has been around for a while and available to enter much easier as to when we had to build it from scratch. I just love music and have been on a mission from day one unwilling to bow for anyone.
I guess some people have picked that up and see and support me as I have become an inspiration to them (So I've been told many, many, many, MANY times. Something I wasn't even aware of to be honest.)
Being stubborn with an own will and a specific drive to follow your own path I guess. For me and a lot of people from that era it has been a LONG and most of all very HARD struggle with lots of downs and dissapointments to create a scene people nowadays most of the time take for granted as it has been around for a while and available to enter much easier as to when we had to build it from scratch. I just love music and have been on a mission from day one unwilling to bow for anyone.
I guess some people have picked that up and see and support me as I have become an inspiration to them (So I've been told many, many, many, MANY times. Something I wasn't even aware of to be honest.)
Tell
us of your new album
It's good :P
But in all seriousness. I had been walking around with the idea of bringing the original hardcore home for years already and it just felt like THIS was the time to do it.
I grew so tired of the state hardcore was in where most people where chasing their own tails trying to fit in a specific sound that became stale. I just missed the variety of sounds and kicks. Thick kicks, kicks with and kicks without bass. Tracks with a high drive vs tracks more simple pounding staright 4 to 4 vibe. Happy tracks vs dark tracks (And so much more variety btw). ALL of these which can and is found in the original hardcore in such an overwhelming amount. I just got bored with all the very well, but very similar music that was aroudn where you had to spend weeks to create a kick and sound which HAD to sound similar to all the big players in order to...still not being heard. It just became VERY discouraging and in my opinion hardcore needs to be spontanious, quirky and accesible to more poeple than the ”elite” who have the money to build big studios that the people from the streets simply don't have. It became a toxic stronghold while losing the original thought of what hardcore truly used to be, an expression of a LOT of people's ideas of what THEY liked instead of a very small framework of similar sounds. Well at least that's how I felt it. So I just dedided that I was going to go back to the beginning and create what I wanted to make and by doing so I felt relieved and REBORN (This BTW is a future hint…) and you can actually HEAR the joy I had when creating this album. It simply breathes freedom again. The freedom to not give a f*ck. Exactly what hardcore was all about in the first place
It's good :P
But in all seriousness. I had been walking around with the idea of bringing the original hardcore home for years already and it just felt like THIS was the time to do it.
I grew so tired of the state hardcore was in where most people where chasing their own tails trying to fit in a specific sound that became stale. I just missed the variety of sounds and kicks. Thick kicks, kicks with and kicks without bass. Tracks with a high drive vs tracks more simple pounding staright 4 to 4 vibe. Happy tracks vs dark tracks (And so much more variety btw). ALL of these which can and is found in the original hardcore in such an overwhelming amount. I just got bored with all the very well, but very similar music that was aroudn where you had to spend weeks to create a kick and sound which HAD to sound similar to all the big players in order to...still not being heard. It just became VERY discouraging and in my opinion hardcore needs to be spontanious, quirky and accesible to more poeple than the ”elite” who have the money to build big studios that the people from the streets simply don't have. It became a toxic stronghold while losing the original thought of what hardcore truly used to be, an expression of a LOT of people's ideas of what THEY liked instead of a very small framework of similar sounds. Well at least that's how I felt it. So I just dedided that I was going to go back to the beginning and create what I wanted to make and by doing so I felt relieved and REBORN (This BTW is a future hint…) and you can actually HEAR the joy I had when creating this album. It simply breathes freedom again. The freedom to not give a f*ck. Exactly what hardcore was all about in the first place
Which
format as a producer you prefer: singles or albums?
They both have their own charme. Sometimes singles, as you immediately can tell your story , but delivering a complete album gives a specific satisfaction once it's finished that feels like you have overcome a huge mountain. Hard to describe, but best celebrated with some festive drinks :)
They both have their own charme. Sometimes singles, as you immediately can tell your story , but delivering a complete album gives a specific satisfaction once it's finished that feels like you have overcome a huge mountain. Hard to describe, but best celebrated with some festive drinks :)
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