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HARD AS NAILS INTERVIEWS – Sonic Roksta From Renewable NRG Hard NRG Label And Events – Brisbane Australia – BY SYRUS – HARD AS NAILS NRG LABEL
RENEWABLE NRG LABEL AND EVENTS – HARD NRG LABEL – BRISBANE AUSTRALIA – SONIC ROKSTA – Hard As Nails DIGITAL LABEL Interview By Syrus From Hard As Nails Digital
How and when did you start getting into the whole nrg scene?
I got into the scene many years ago. I started out getting into acid house early on and eventually evolved into a hard house and nrg nutter/punter. I did not start djing until I had spent many a year on the dancefloor.
Tell us about your label.
Renewable NRG started out in 2008, holding Hard House and Nrg parties in Brisbane ,Australia.It was a platform for us to play at as many promoters did not put hh/nrg djs on their nights.It consists of Mk Ultra, Parto and myself. The digital label was started in 2009 with a focus on releasing Australian/New Zealand produced tracks. Our latest release, The Manik E.P., sees one of New Zealand’s finest hh/nrg producer,join the Renewable Collective.
To find out more checkout the renewable facebook group
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/renewable.nrg?ref=ts
What is the most important thing you look for in a new artist?
Unsure exactly but I know when I hear their productions. I would say that I personally, am keen on hearing tracks that push the envelope with both the production levels and the soundscape contained within their productions.A big phat bass usually gets me going.For me, its got to be about how it rocks the dancefloor
Tell us about your Renewable NRG events
We have put on numerous events over the last two years. The highlight for me being the Label Launch Party which was a boat cruise on The Brisbane River on New Years Eve 2009.It was spectacular cause the party was rocking loud and the fireworks were fantastic.Our latest event see us bringing Manik over to Australia to play at a warehouse rave for us in Brisbane.This is going to be a first for us as its our first warehouse event.
Right now here are some random questions… just to have a little laugh.
If you were stranded on a island with Andy Whitby could you surive if so how?
I would not be able to survive without music and thats without Andy Whitby thrown into the equation
What would you do in time of war?
Duck and try not to eat lead
People say help the third world countries – would you agree giving them a years supply of batteries and the highest memory ipod filled with hard house and nrg is helping them.
Maybe if they had access to studios and engineers be interesting to see what take they would put on!
Some tips and little updates you may like to share with us?
Tip : Always remember where you put your keys and wallet
Look out for the next release on Renewable NRG. We are will be announcing our first ever uk produced track which is a cracker of a track.You may know the producers but thats all I am going to say about that. (All of Hard As Nails cough rather loudly)
Thanks to the Hard As Nails collective for makin me a small part of it.
No sweat ;0)
Sonic roksta
- Renewable NRG – Brisbane – Australia
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And check out a review of our tracks by Flashpoint Records very own JUPE – HERE – http://www.hotdjgear.com/2010/05/hard-as-nails-tracks-review-by-jupe-from-flashpoint-digital/
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Dom Sweeten – A.K.A -Defective Audio /OD404 Interview By SparX – Hard As Nails Records
STEVE HEWITT – RAW POWER RECORDINGS INTERVIEW – By Sparx (Hard As Nails Records)
Today I’ve got Steve Hewitt the other half of ‘Raw Power Recordings’ and funnily enough Gem Stones other half also…….
So Steve ready for some interrogation?
Always..
So what got you into Hard NRG?
When I was about 15-16 I was in to some pretty nasty Gabba, then got into real hard rock and D&B. I always seemed to like the harder styles of music (some of it makes me cringe to think back). I heard a Sundissential CD in my mates car a few years later which had me hooked in to Hard house after the first tune – just had to get some decks after that! Tunes made by Casper, Grady G and Glazby started rocking my little world! Love that nasty rolling bass.. Read more
NIK DENTON INTERVIEW (Toolbox Records) By SPARX – (HARD AS NAILS RECORDS)
So Nik tell us a bit about Toolbox, and what you do for the few of us who dont know.
Toolbox is my own company that I started back in 2001. It started off as a Hard House record label and over time has spread out into other areas in the dance world. We do distribution, have an online store, we publish artists, put on events and are now looking after a few artist diaries too. I basically over see the whole thing with a little help from some hard working dedicated people. Read more
Sean .J. Interview Sparx (Hard As Nails)
Sean .J. here ,Im sat here right across from a pioneer and genius his name is SparXSO SPARX HOW DID THE MISSION OF A DJ/PRODUCER START THEN….
Well i started listening to eufex and farley, bk, and lashes at about 14…..then i got older got into a few clubs like sunnies and storm and polysexual, and then a few friends and i opened a hardhouse night called ‘emergence’ and had a few acts on like casper and so on then i started djing and producing with the help of Riggsy….then we (me and Dj resh)opened hard as nails with a bit of help from J.P (of Jp and Jukesy) …and here i am
WHAT WAS THE BREAKING POINT THAT YOU THOUGHT FUCK IT NO GOING BACK NOW, AND MADE YOU DRIVE ON AS A DJ/PRODUCER…..
Hearing other people start making tunes that sounded the same …doing a few tunes and them selling and having people email me from all over the world saying they liked my stuff…that did it…but there never was or ever will be any going back for me i always was planning on doing all this the moment i hit 16…im 24 next month…anybody that says ill grow out of it who defected to other music coz it go too hard can sit on it and swivel
IN MANY STYLES OF HARD DANCE WHAT MAKES NRG STAND OUT FROM THE REST…..
Well it used to be the nice flowing way it relied more on synth lines and bass rather than a dragging kick….and the more experimental feel it had…these days its either groundbreaking or people copy each other which is a bit boring…we can all change that though- stop taking a day on a tune and sampling each other be different try making your own samples…and dont use a hundred flipping channels try aiming for quality instead!
WHAT IS IT THAT DOES IT FOR YOU THESE DAYS IN A TRACK…..
Hearing something id never thought of doing…like a kick or a bit of perc thats random as hell, or a real nice techy unexpected synth…or just generally KNOWING that somebody really thought about making the track…the main people for that to me lately (doing something cool) have been Tom Parr and AMG, and the franky pretty amazing Nardi and Dwyer – would love making a tune with them…apart from that im pretty partial to heavy metal….(haha)(really)
MANY PEOPLE SAY THAT HARD HOUSE AND NRG ARE DEAD WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS…..
My view is they should shut their whingey yap and try and evolve their style rather than defecting to other music just because they lost their creativity. Nobody ever got anywhere by giving up and if you dont like NRG or Hard House anymore then thats your problem…telling me its dead will just make me laugh at you for being a mindless sheep following the next thing an the next until you get old and die.
IN NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF NRG…..
Different,Experimental,HARD
***ADVERTISMENT – Article Continues after ***
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***Article – Part 2 ***
Lets have a random question time now.
IF YOU WERE ABLE TO HAVE ANY SUPER POWER IN THE WORLD WHAT WOULD IT BE….
Haha well screw super powers just make me a vampire that sounds fun…i can turn you all then…oh and never die-…wonderful…if i had to have a super power it would have to be something fire related obviously – as like most other guys i love a BBQ. Haha!
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO DESTROY AND WHY….
Anywhere that plays Whitby (which is a small town up North i believe) style donk.**Vomits**-with a huge scud missile..what a HUGE HUGE devolution of a sound that stuff is…
WHAT FLAVOUR SWEET WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE AND WHY….
Ooo hard question…erm a CHERRY DROP cherrys are ace.
Right back to being serious
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO NEW PEOPLE TO THE NRG SCENE…..
Dont let anybody slow you down or put you down, dont play shit music because other ppl, tell you its popular – stick to your guns!learn off other people but dont just copy them if you can help it – your hardly likely to be remembered for it-if your a clubber to it support your artists – nrg ppl are cool ppl – get involved its not about looking good or posing like some types of music its about having a damn good time!!,also producers always try new things even if its sounds crazy!Main thing is to know that nothings impossible if you put your mind to it!
And whatever you do – never EVER claim to be the ’saviour of’ and music scene because thats just pure stupid go out and do as much for others as they do for you, and do things for the love not the money.
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT COMING UP FROM THE HARD AS NAILS BOX THEN….
Well we are pushing other artists now so there will be two CD’s of stuff by Simon Vegas and Sista X out in the next two months then we will be approaching other artists too (but im not telling you who yet) (haha)
Also you will be able to hear three new tracks i did with General Lee, Sista X And Riggsy on the ‘ The Beat Ranch Extended E.P’ available from www.toolboxmusicshop.com
its going to be one seriously hard weird CD..
TELL US ALL ABOUT HARD AS NAILS AND WHAT YOU GUYS DO TO HELP THE SCENE…
We started hard as nails about 4 years ago…because me and Resh met randomly when i held a huge rave in my back garden….(dont ask)…he wanted to do a label i wanted to do a label we got trashed we just went and did it-we didnt want to have to ASK to get signed by other labels we wanted to call the shots and do something different! we are all about producing the harder more experimental types of Hard music….as for what we do for the scene we try and innovate as much as we can …but once the studio is complete (its about 80% there) we will puropsely drag in any newcomers and either give them the step up they need and any advice or if they are any good they may well end up getting poached for the label…that is our evil plan or its mine anyway..this scene needs more new young people and nobodys giving many of them a chance i dont think, i want to unlike alot of ppl who just want to sit there and moan..
Thank you sparx for you time.
No problem thanks for climbing up the roof of our studio complex while drinking to take photos of me a maybe a considerable risk. It was fun. And cheers for the interview always good!www.thebeatranch.com/interviews_sparx.html
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Buy Hard As Nails DIGITAL releases CD’s and MP3’s from www.trackitdown.net and www.junodownload.com or for CD releases directly in bulk visit http://www.toolboxmusicshop.com
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DJ GEM STONE – RAW POWER RECORDINGS INTERVIEW – BY SPARX (HARD AS NAILS RECORDS)
So Gem Stone old friend good to have you on………. ready?
So you’ve been doing a lot with yourself miss stone with the success of your digital label ‘raw power recordings’ fancy telling us a bit about how you started, who is involved and the ethic behind the label?
Well starting a label has always been a dream of mine and with me learning to produce as well it seemed to be the best thing to do to not only get my tracks out there but also other up and coming producers out there. I started the label with my other half Steve Hewitt. We work really well together because we both know what we want from the label – Just good, hard, hard house!
So you’ve been doing everything lately since I first met you from winning DJ competitions to DJ’ing all over the place! Any gigs you found particularly memorable?
Yeah in the last year things have really started taking off for me (and about time too! Lol) I’ve been getting a fair few bigger gigs, playing at Twist this year has got to be the most memorable! I’ve always wanted to play there because I’ve been going there for years and it’s always such a good atmosphere!
Where do you hope to take the label in future? Any plans?
All Steve and I have planned is just making sure that the tunes on the label are top notch to keep you kids happy! Lol. We’re probably going to branch out on styles of hard dance later next year but for now we are happy with the way everything is going.
What got you into this industry? Was it a tune or just an experience?
I have always been into dance music… my Dad is the person who got me into it really! I used to go to his house and spend all day listening to trance! How things have changed (although I do love listening to classic trance still and reminiscing about the good old days!)
***ADVERTISMENT – Interview Continues after ***
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***Gem Stone Interview – Part 2 ***
Any upcoming tunes you want to tell us about?
Yeah I’ve been working on a few to be honest! Steve and I have made a tune with the very lovely Ann Tsoulli, called Hello Dave. It’s a right stormer of a tune and will be out on Raw Power in the next month or so! Steve and I have also done a remix of Wayne Smart & Phatt Beats – Drop It which will be coming out on Encoded NRG sometime soon. I have also been asked to do a 3 track EP for Presence Recordings which I will be starting on this week so make sure you guys look out for that!
I have had a few tunes out in the last month – Well Done Pablo (Digital Disko), Pumped (Toolbox Choons) (with Steve Hewitt), Sunday Roast (on Raw Power) (with Steve Hewitt & Matt Edwards) & my remix of Steve Hewitt & Riggsy – Finally (On Raw Power). If anyone out there would like me to do any remixing or original tracks for their label please feel free to contact me.
And I hear you run a event now that sounds pretty cool! How’s that going?
Well the 1st event is on 5th September and the preparations for it are going well. We have a wicked line up:
Torque Feat Raw Power Recordings @ The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury.
ROOM 1/ HARDSTYLE
DANNY KILLA
THE LEEROY THEORY
DANNY WILLIAMSON (Sector 9, Gravity, Sin DJ Management, Hard Junk Recordings)
AJ BATTUTTA (Redefined/Reset/Hard Junk Recordings)
AUDIO ADDICTS (New Talent)
CHRIS CHRINIC (New Talent)
MC SMILEY (All Around The World)
MC MASSEY (bounced/clinic )
ROOM 2 / HARDHOUSE
Raw Power Recordings takes over room 2 giving u the best of hard house.
Rich Resonate (Toolbox)
Tim Stokes (Toolbox)
Gem Stone (Raw Power Recordings/Torque/Gravity)
Wayne Smart (Wayne has just been added to the line up)
Steve Hewitt (Raw Power Recordings/Torque)
Matt Edwards (Raw Power Recordings)
Jammy Dodger (Redefined/Evolution)
For tickets go to www.theticketsellers.com or http://www.dontstayin.com/uk/shrewsbury/the-buttermarket/2009/sep/05/event-213569
Weird Questions
Fave thing to do after a set?
Get myself a Jack & Coke! Mmmmmm! Then have a chat to people and chill out! I tend to get a little stressed before my sets so it’s good to relax after!
If the squirrels took over the world….would you fight them or are they just too cute?
Awww…. They’re just too cute! We’ve got loads in our back garden… Love to watch them chasing each other around the trees! Lol!
Ever eaten anything that really did taste the colour it was?
Actually, YES! I had these blue cough sweets once and they definitely taste blue!
Back to normal
Any upcoming gigs new mixes available anywhere?
Up coming gigs:
24 Jul 2009 Mash @ The Frog, Chester
1 Aug 2009 Excellerate @ JR’s, Powys
28 Aug 2009 Gravity @ The Attic, Manchester
5 Sep 2009 Torque Feat Raw Power @ The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
31 Oct 2009 Bounce, Basingstoke
I do a radio show every Wednesday night on www.examplefm.net from 9pm-11pm. We have a 1 hour live mix by Steve and I and a guest mix every week. All radio shows can be downloaded on our website -www.rawpowerrecordings.co.uk.
Newest Mix – Gem Stone – What a F**king Mistress Pt2
Track Listing -
1. Jimmy Dean – Can’t Believe It
2. Em-Extreme – Captivated
3. Sabresaw Vs Pandemik – Power Up
4. Gem Stone & Steve Hewitt – Well Done Pablo
5. Base Graffiti – Tetra
6. Ben Stevens – Pwomp It Up
7. Defective Audio – Nice Move Son
8. Gem Stone & Sam Green – Attention Seeker
9. Em-Extreme & Sista X – Rip It up (Gem Stone Remix)
10. Equinox – PUMA (Pocock Remix)
11. Paul Glazby & Paul Maddox – Gargantuan
12. Lucy Fur – Take me Away
13. Defective Audio & Hi Freak1c – Slow Vibration
14. Karl Davis & Frank Farrell – Beatcore
15. Defective Audio – Psychomp
16. Wayne Smart & Phatt Beats Vs Defective Audio – Death Warrant
17. Defective Audio & Marc Johnson – Hyperscum
Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VBBMLBFB
For any booking please email gem@rawpowerrecordings.co.uk
Any shout outs (lol) or thank you’s?
Just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me lately and to everyone who has downloaded my tunes. I couldn’t do it without you!
Thanks for having me Sparx! It’s been a pleasure!
Much Love xxx
SPARX INTERVIEWS HARD NRG RECORD LABEL OWNER BRIAN JOHNSON (AKA) DJ DESTRUCTO OF THE BEATRANCH DIGITAL CANADA
- Brian Johnson A.K.A Dj Destructo
So Brian how did The Beatranch come about?
The Beat Ranch was created in 2006 when Sebby and I’s radio show on 1Groove.com (also called The Beat Ranch) came to an end. The company who ran the site decided that electronic music was not a profitiable market anymore and pulled the plug. Sebby and I thought it would be awsome to have a site where we could post our mixes online for people to download. To give us a bit of exposure and to be in control of the site so we won’t have to worry about anyone “pulling the plug”. A month after we launched the site we thought it would be good to let anyone regradless of status in the scene to be able to be featured on our site. Shortly after that we started The Beat Ranch Digital with the awsome help of Dan Dyson. About a year or less after that we started our Interviews and Mixes section so we could give the top producers and DJs in the scene proper exposure and let them advertise thier new releases or whatever they had on the go at the moment.
How did you get into Hard NRG?
I use to listen to (well still do) a wide mix of music when I was younger. Everything from light fluffy trance to heavy metal. A friend of mine, Pat, in highschool would always bring me a couple cds of random trance or electronic music and I remember thinking, I really like these sounds but its just not heavy enough. It wasn’t until my first rave in 2002 that I heard what hard house & nrg was, for me it combined the heavy aggression of rock with the snythetic sounds of trance. So I was instantly hooked.
What do you like about the scene the most, and equally is there anything you would change?
What I like most about the scene would be the community part of it. Going to an event and meeting up with all your friends, and even meeting new ones, who all share the same passion and love for the music that you do is really a great feeling. The downside is actually the same thing. Where you have promoters who are friends with DJs, booking only them for thier events regradless of how good or bad they are. So unless you are friends with a promoter it can be hard to get gigs (at least over here that is).
How long have you been making tracks for yourself?
Well a couple years I would think, but to be honest really on and off for the last couple years. I find it really hard to finish a track as I will either get really bored with it from listening to it a million times over or just over all not happy with it. Which I am sure happens to alot of producers. After I finished my remix of Floor Eater, I thought it would be best to really get a better understanding of production, and even more importantly better equipment. (I don’t even have proper moniters). I also plan on making my way over to England again in the fall of 2010, and when I do I will be booking some serious studio time ahaha.
Whos your favourite dj and also which producer?
I have had the pleasure in seeing alot of very talented DJs over the years and ones that stick out are Rodi Style, Illogik, Andy Farley, Paul Glazby, Guyver, The Thrillseekers, damn this list could go on and on ahaha. The production side of things Dynamic Intervention, Guyver, Paul Maddox, Grady G, Hi Freak1c, Dan Dyson, Darrell White, Weazal.. again list goes on and on ahaha.
Any plans for the label in future?Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?
Well I hope we can still being doing all this 5 years down the road. In the last 7 years that I have been in the scene, I have seen some major changes, with vinyl on the outs, to CD singles taking over. So its hard to tell what the future holds for us. I just hope that if or when things do end, that people will still be rockin our tunes out for years to come.
Whats the weirdest thing you have ever seen while out clubbing?
Well I did see one kid wearing a suit made entirely out of candy (colored beads), so that was a bit different. There is a guy over here in Toronto named Jimmy Lightshow, he is a really nice guy, and when he comes out to events, he brings his puppet with him, and a has this giant belt with all these lights on it. It’s kinda hard to explain, but he is someone that will stick out in your mind if you saw him.
You can cross two animals in a laboratory – what would you make?
Hmm I would take a grey wolf and cross it with a great white shark so that the sharks would hunt in packs. That would be bad ass…or maybe not..didnt really think that through…
Favourite piece of equipment, dj / studio?
Well for DJing any Pioneer CDJ or Tech12s will do, but I gotta say I love my Numark DXM06 mixer. I know alot of people knock Numark, but just I can’t stand the Pioneer DJM800’s cueing system. With my Numark, I just have to flip a switch to listen to the master where as the Pioneer you have to turn the cue knob over and then adjust your headphone volume, I just find that really annoying, when I am trying to cue it really quick, so I will stick to my Numark thank you 
Any advice to the younger starters in the scene?
Most important advice I think would be to just have fun. Alot of people complain about the state of things, but I think that just makes things worse. Go out enjoy your night thats what you are out for, not to complain about things 
Support the music by BUYING IT! Otherwise artists will not be able to afford new gear or software to make the music you love so much.
Any shout out of thank you’s??
Thanks to Sparx for havin me on here A big thanks go out to everyone who has supported The Beat Ranch through out all these years, let there be many more to come
TO BOOK DJ DESTRUCTO EMAIL - djdestructo@hotmail.com
