Angerfist Reflects on the State of Hard Dance Music

After a five-year hiatus in the US, Angerfist tore down Beyond Wonderland SoCal. Then, in this exclusive interview, he dove into the current state of the harder styles.

Hardcore has maintained an integral role in the dance music scene for decades. From the late ’90s to the present day, the scene has remained alive and thriving as the blistering sounds of hardcore continue to captivate audiences worldwide. Throughout the genre’s vibrant history, many industry leaders have come and gone, but one artist has remained head and shoulders above the rest: Angerfist.

Angerfist has left an undeniable mark on the hardcore scene with a career spanning over two decades. The iconic artist has continued to innovate in his productions, as you can hear in his most recent release with Gaston Zani, “The Dark of the Night.” The two artists met in Spain, eventually agreeing to combine their styles because of the hype surrounding hardcore and hard techno today. Angerfist said about the record, “It’s 152, it’s really aggressive, and the vocals and melodies are dark.“

The track has many references to old school hardcore and old school hardstyle — that’s why I liked making it. The middle of the track has a hardcore kick from me, but it’s hard to ignore the screech as well because that’s what hard techno sounds like today.
Angerfist

Even though the hard dance and hard techno scene have historically remained separate, Angerfist hopes to capitalize on the niche of fans who want to tear down the genre barriers. “With sounds, hard dance and hard techno are mixing, but the scenes are not,” said Angerfist.

Even though hard techno artists are dropping rawstyle and hardcore at gigs, and vice versa, it still seems that the scenes don’t want to be associated. Angerfist, however, wants to raise awareness of the similarities to help both scenes flourish and evolve past the purist views of the scene.

I like the hard techno sounds and this hard techno movement. I like that artists use early hardstyle sounds. A lot of the screeches have been used more than 20 years ago, and although some people may not like me saying this, it’s true. But I still love it because it takes me back to when I was younger.
Angerfist

Photo Credit: @troyacevedo

Even though both scenes may go head to head at times, it’s important to recognize that many producers just want to make great music and help the harder scenes gain the recognition they deserve. While Angerfist has always stayed true to hardcore music, he’s also doing his part in expanding more genres with the recent creation of his new project, M4ZE PUSHER.

This fresh side project from Angerfist explores a completely different side of the tenured artist. It allows him to get creative with slower BPMs and different genres like techno and progressive. “I like to make this music because it inspires me to create something new and fresh,” he said.

During his return to Beyond Wonderland SoCal, Angerfist gave fans in attendance a taste of M4ZE PUSHER as he started his epic set with lower tempos and minimal distortion. It almost seemed like he was teasing an eventual run for the project in the States, but he gave more insight on the project shortly after his set.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the project. I like making this music because there’s basically no distortion. It’s already clean, fun, and fresh. Maybe I will do sets in the future, but to be honest, I have zero structure around M4ZE PUSHER. I’ve been producing for 25 years so for now, it’s just a fun side project that gives me inspiration for new ideas.
Angerfist

Photo Credit: @troyacevedo

Even though he’s exploring M4ZE PUSHER in his free time, fans will still find his signature production style within the Angerfist project, like his hardcore records heavily influenced by hip-hop. Throughout his discography, hip-hop has remained a heavy theme in his music, with tracks like “Gangsterizm,” “Strange Man In Mask,” and “Solid Stigma,” standing out as prime examples.

When he was younger, Angerfist would blast ’90s hip-hop and gangster rap in the car all the time. Eventually, this influence started sneaking into his productions as he discovered that hardcore and hip-hop blended seamlessly.

I always liked the old school hip-hop, and it’s very compatible with hardcore music because the BPMs are the same. Hardcore tracks could be at 180 or 185 BPM while hip-hop tracks were at 90 BPM. When you split it in half, you could put it in the break, and it works well.
Angerfist

With such a storied career, Angerfist remains one of the most influential artists to have graced the hardcore scene. His impact will be felt well after he’s satisfied with his work as an artist, leading to many trying to fill the void he will leave. Although there will never be another Angerfist, he was kind enough to share some knowledge and advice for producers who seek to make a change and evolve the harder styles, just as he’s done throughout his career.

It’s a cliche that everybody says, but it’s true. You have to find your own sound — never copy someone. I’ve always been inspired by others, but I’ve never imitated them. I’ve been able to find my own way by creating my own melodies and my own type of kicks. It’s difficult nowadays because there’s so much music out there, but my main advice is to always be original.
Angerfist

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