Conversation Series Vol.1 with DJ Mad Dog

This project is an article about a dialogue between artists. We believe you will get a sense of each artist's vision and direction from a different angle from the usual interview articles. For the first installment, DJ Mad Dog joined us. This time, artists who make Hardcore with the same alternative attitude as Mad Dog asked him some questions.

<This interview was conducted in March 2023>

Question from Gabber Eleganza
https://www.gabbereleganza.com/

Q. You are originally from Rome and Rome is recognized as the birth place for the rave culture in Italy. How can u describe how much Rome shape you as raver, dj and your creativity at the beginning of your journey?

Being born in Rome has been a blessing for me. I grew up surrounded by all kinds of art - sculptures, architecture, cuisine, cinema - and this beauty was constantly around me every day since I was born, to the point where I developed my own taste for art without even realizing it. The artistic beauties of the city have always conveyed a sense of wonder, magnificence, and something never seen before. This is what I try to recreate in my music, with the goal of creating something that listeners have never heard before, and conveying a sense of amazement as if experiencing it for the first time. I don't always succeed, but it's always my primary goal.

The beauty of the city has also clearly shaped our Rave culture. From the illegal raves hidden in brand new metro stations to street parades around the millennia-old Colosseum, legendary raves have taken place in our city. Amazing locations are still stuck in my mind and I tried to recreate them in my latest two live performances (Downtempo Live at NDSM and Downtempo LIVE at Westerkerk).

We had pioneers of the Rave culture like Lory D and Leo Annibaldi, who released their tracks on Aphex Twin records. We also had 24/7 FM radio shows that transmitted rave music, such as “Il Virus by Freddy K”. What I am today as a producer and DJ comes from their example. They showed me how to DJ during their gigs and selected the right music during their radio shows. I was 13 and learning from them every day or weekend, using the tools they provided to become a producer and DJ, tools that I still use to this day.

Q. Italians have brought innovation, originality and quality to the Dutch scene, do you agree? What do you think?

Of course, I must mention Doris Norton and Zenith, to name a few. I believe the Italian system never understood the economic potential of the club/rave scene. We were constantly banned by the state, police, and church, whereas in Holland, this scene became a multimillionaire business, creating opportunities and hope for many young talents. The Dutch were smart and more open to the rave scene, understanding the needs of their youth and giving them the opportunity to express themselves in any form.

Since we didn't have the same opportunities, we had to forge our own path and develop our own originality and quality. We had to be different and innovative in order to stand out in their country and their scene.

Q. Everyone says that hardcore is a deep feeling within us, but now in such a structured entertainment system it is difficult to get messages across. What would you like to change to improve the scene in which you are one of the biggest exponents?

Hardcore is one of the oldest genres in the rave scene, and we celebrated its 30th anniversary this year (2023). After all this time, with all the parties we've thrown and all the music we've released, is normal to live a period of flatness….but I see it as an opportunity to experiment new things.

In my opinion, we should open our doors to other artists from different genres, mix names, and embrace different BPMs and music tastes. But before we do this, we need to get rid of some of our old ways and renew our methods of communication, self-expression in our music, content, and shows.

The world is much larger than just our hardcore scene, and we should be more inclusive to reach a wider audience.

Q. What are your musical influences, what music you grew up with and what have you been listening to lately.Recommend us some records

I mainly grew up listening to Marc Acardipane's discography, but at those years, the entire electronic music scene was experiencing a boom during those years. Daft Punk's album "Homework" was also crucial in shaping my career as a producer.

Question from Somniac One

https://soundcloud.com/somniac_one

Q. I've heard from different artists who've been part of the so called 'mainstream' hardcore scene that they frequently face pressures both from the organizations that they work with as well as their fans/the crowd, to make music a certain way, to perform a certain way, to release music (more) frequently. Do you also feel these pressures? And if so, how has it changed throughout the years you've been active in music? How do you cope with such pressures?

Ciao Kristina!

I have never experienced this kind of pressure from organizations. I have received advice from my agencies throughout my career in order to get noticed more and book more gigs, like releasing more music or be more present on the social media.

However, I did feel personal pressure from 2000 until 2005. During those years, I desperately wanted to be relevant in the scene, so much so that I started copying other artists' hits. I took every negative comment on web forums (before the advent of social media) personally. I ruined friendships and a beautiful love story, and I didn't enjoy anything in life (I was 25) because I locked myself in the studio every day.

Then, in 2005, I decided to quit my career as a DJ/producer and attend a sound engineering school for a year. During that year, I earned my diploma, and in my spare time, I made many Hardcore tracks, tracks that were meant to please and entertain myself.

Some of those tracks went on to become my biggest hits, and then I realized that the only way to avoid feeling pressure is to make music for myself and not for the promoters, gigs, or haters.

This has been my approach for all these years, and it has worked so far. :)

Q. If you were suddenly, right now, granted a life of no responsibilities, no obligations and complete material welfare, how do you think you'd be spending your time? What would you be doing in the coming year? And where would you see yourself in the next five years? How about in the next 30 years (given that you had no obligations to do anything at all, of course)?

To be honest, I have always lived a life with no responsibilities or obligations. I had my first paid gig at 16, realizing the dream I had since I was 13. I played the music I wanted and am still releasing the music I want. Yes, I work 24/7 and have had some struggles, but I don't view them as responsibilities. I would live exactly the same life that I'm living now and have lived for the next 5, or 15 years. While I may not be able to perform when I'm 70, I'm quite sure I will still be releasing the music I love. Sometimes I ask myself what I would do with 10 billion dollars, and I see myself in the studio doing what I love the most. :)

Q. Imagine the perfect, just the best hardcore party in the world. The party to end all parties, the ultimate hardcore experience. What kind (or which?) artists would be playing there? Would it be big, or small? How big (or small)? What kind of areas would be part of the event? Or would there be just one? Are there any events you've played at or attended that come close to your idea of the perfect hardcore party?

Here it comes my Roman blood again. As you probably know, inside Rome we have a little independent state called the Vatican. The Vatican has had a significant influence on our world, so imagine the impact it has had in Italy and especially in Rome. I still believe that many things in Italy are banned because of the Vatican, including raves. So, my perfect hardcore party would be held in the Basilica of San Peter, in one area. Clearly, the DJ booth must be placed under the Baldacchino del Bernini. I want to hear The Mover live, Apex Twin, Lory D, Freddy K, Speedy J, Kotzak Klan, Dr. Macabre, Zenith, and Marusha.

The first illegal rave I went to was under an abandoned metro station that the city hall built for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. That beautiful metro station, located next to the stadium, costed millions, but it was never used because the railway was constructed too small for the new trains they purchased. We had just one legendary rave there, and we danced on the railway under the train gallery...it was such an authentic rave feeling.

Question from Kilbourne
https://soundcloud.com/kilbourne

Q. So much of your recent work uses the sounds and structure of early hardcore, yet it doesn’t feel like a simple rehashing, there’s something new and exciting about it! How’d ya do that?

Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

What I do is try to evoke emotion by experimenting with sounds, kicks, melodies, and structures until I feel a sense of joy, enthusiasm, and energy.

Then I strive to maintain that feeling throughout the track, and if I still feel the same enthusiasm even after months of work, it means that the track is good... at least for me.

Question from RoughSketch
https://soundcloud.com/roughsketch87

Q. What do you consider the most important part besides kicking?

The groove, it gives you the drive, it transmit the energy.

Q. When you left Traxtorm to start Dogfight, how did your musical style and state of mind change?

That was probably the toughest period of my career. I had to push my new label, follow my artists, make my album, do the Dominator anthem, and be totally independent for mixing and mastering. I learned a lot of things during those years, which proves that complicated periods can be stressful but also an opportunity to learn new things and grow as a person.

Q. Do you have any advice for trackmaker who share Downtempo's vision and want to create? and would you like to see more Downtempo trackmaker and DJs?

My advice is to create music with a strong idea or concept in mind. When you have a compelling story, the technical aspects become secondary. Surely some more slow BPM Hardcore would be welcome.

Q. Do you ever use TR-909 clones or drum machines other than the 909? If so, what do you use?

I tried many different clones, but nothing beats the combo TR-909 + Mackie 8Bus if you want to reach that kind of kicks.

Question from Casual Gabberz
https://soundcloud.com/casualgabberz

Q. Today we see the whole techno scene getting harder, what do you think it means for the Hardcore scene ? Will the techno-heads just go crazy with distorted kicks for 2 years and the trend will change for something else? Or is it a real recognition?

Hey guys, thanks for your questions.

Trends are unpredictable. The Hard Techno scene moves very quickly, with new names and sub-genres changing as fast as a TikTok trend video. In my opinion, these two things are quite connected. The tempo range has been moving faster in recent years; while the standard range used to be 128/130Bpm, we are now going up to 160Bpm, and the kicks are getting harder too.

This new way of making Hardcore will eventually emerge, but it may not be called Hardcore. It is more likely they will name it….Hardcore Techno.

Q. What do you think of the hardcore eco-system being so dutch-orientated and dominated by big franchises that own several festivals, booking agencies, etc

IIt's a consequence of Dutch history. They have always been open to new trends, and in addition, they know how to market things, such as music, tickets, and merchandise. They understood many years ago that this would be a huge business, and their government helped them improve their market. For this reason, their companies are the biggest, and inevitably, they have full control. I wish we could have more nations like the Netherlands to create different realities and increase the demand for artists and producers. However, I see a bright future in this aspect. More and more, I see larger events and clubs outside of the Netherlands when I play during weekends.

Q. Give us your kick recipe plz : )

II don't have a recipe because I use a different approach for every new kick. Currently, I'm going back to the analog way like I used to do in the early 2000s. A kick is like making a song; it must contain its own story.

Q. What in your opinion defines, musically and culturally, the original gabber movement.

I can only reply to your question according the experience I had as a Gabber from 96 to 00.

I personally have been driven by the distorted kick drum:

909 Kick + Distortion = Hardcore Gabber

That particular distorted sound have generated the Gabber culture, Djs, Producers, Raves and Ravers, a lot of dreams.