Andy the Core Reflects on a Decade of His Career

Andy the Core, a true staple of hardcore music, stopped by to reflect on his career as he celebrated his artistic journey’s tenth anniversary.

When it comes to hardcore music, many important figures in the scene inspired the next generation of producers that wanted to leave their mark on the style of music. There have been many great successors to the genre who infiltrate the scene and throw a wrench into the music, and one of them is certainly Andy the Core. Over his 10-year-plus career, he’s built a community of dedicated fans that seek the exciting thrill of breakneck tempos, drifting screeches, and distorted kickdrums.

Andy the Core’s skills as a well-versed producer have been recognized in the scene as he had the honor of creating the Free Festival 2021 uptempo anthem, “We Are The Main.” Andy the Core also has two albums under his belt, with the latest being Undisputed. This album saw its release right before the pandemic and included nuclear bombs that would’ve done serious damage in front of a live crowd like “Undisputed 2K20,” “Saturday” with Lil Texas, and the Krowdexx remix of “Drop Zone.”

Despite the lack of live shows, Andy the Core has kept his fanbase satisfied with nearly 30 combined singles and remixes since 2020, including “HOW WE ROCK,” “Cold Blood,” and “CHOKE” with eDUB. Now, in 2022, the producer is going back on the road to celebrate his ten-year anniversary with all the fans who have been waiting patiently to see him live once again. For those fans aching to see him, Andy the Core has bookings at Dominator Festival, the biggest Defqon.1 in history, and a special 10-year showcase set at REBiRTH Festival, so make sure you don’t miss out by buying a ticket or tuning into any livestreams from the festivals.

Before Andy the Core fully returns to the busy tour life schedule, we caught up with him to reflect on his 10-year-plus career, discuss his backstory, his label Rude Vibes, life during quarantine, the biggest Defqon.1 in history, and much more! Check out his latest release, “OUT OF SPACE,” on Spotify and read on for the full conversation with one of the certified megastars of hardcore music.

Stream Andy the Core, Eggedd – OUT OF SPACE on Spotify:

Hi Andy the Core, thanks for taking some time to chat with us today. We appreciate you stopping by.

Ciao guys! First of all, thanks for this interview and this big opportunity to share my story with you.

It’s been more than a decade since you started this journey, so can you take us back to the beginning and share how this project started?

My journey into music started when I was really young. I was always into [music], and I started listening to rock and metal without even knowing English (I’m Italiano)! Ever since then, I always loved aggressive music. I was into Metallica, Judas Priest, Linkin Park, and more artists. Immediately after that time, I got into electronic music, and I found my true love in hard music. Everything from early hardstyle to millennium hardcore was love at first sight! Since I was into informatics and computers, I tried to build up my own music with the first version of Fruity Loops Studio at the age of 15-16. Since that time, I’ve never stopped.

What initially drew you to the harder styles of dance music? Was there a specific artist or event you attended that made you fall in love?

Without a doubt, the type of hardcore that thrilled me at that time was millennium hardcore. [Producers like] Art of Fighters, Unexist, and also American artists like Delta 9. I also remember a track from Nyocore back in the days called “Penetrator,” and it was the roots of what [the scene] called uptempo later.

In 2020, you started your label, Rude Vibes. What was the idea behind creating your label with Nightshift and WHYNOT?

After the end of Traxtorm Records, I searched for new motivation for a new phase of my career. Together with Matt & Simo, [formerly known as] The Melodyst, we decided to launch our own label, Rude Vibes, with no boundaries. We just want to deliver fresh ideas.

How did you keep yourself motivated to keep making music and running the Rude Vibes label during the pandemic with no live shows?

That was a terrible part of my life, but as always, I tried to find good things among the bad things. I worked a lot in my studio and also with singers and rappers to keep my mind busy. It was hard without the feedback of a crowd, but I never stopped a single day!

Live shows are finally starting to come back, which means more Andy the Core shows. What’s your favorite part about playing for a real, live crowd?

The stage is where I feel most comfortable in the world, and I just love to play live. The crowd reaction is one of the most important [types of] feedback for a producer.

This year, you get to play a 10-year showcase set at REBiRTH Festival. Can you share with us what fans can expect for this set?

Ten years is a milestone, and I’m always trying to improve my skills and my style. My 10-year showcase will be the sum of this year’s [music] with some special flashbacks of my old hits.

You’re also playing the biggest Defqon.1 ever this year. How does it feel to have the opportunity to represent hardcore music on such a big stage?

Defqon.1 is something special to me. That festival [gives] you some special goosebumps, and after two years of waiting for it after the pandemic, it is going to be legendary!

Now that 2022 is here, what can you share with us about what’s coming in the near future for Andy the Core? What goals do you have, personally or professionally, for the rest of 2022?

As I said [earlier], I just want to improve my music skills every day and try to deliver fresh music to my audience. I also want to melt down my style and do collaborations with up-and-coming artists on the scene to keep the sound fresh and innovative!

Thanks again for stopping by and chatting with us. We hope to see you in America soon!

Thank you for this great opportunity to share my thoughts with you! Hope to see you in America soon! I promise I will deliver hardcore there as soon as possible!