Originally we were going to do a collaberation but I haven't done a remix for years and was chatting with Deon and he sent me the track. I though it was cool and would be fun to remix. Luckily he had all the audio so we decided on that. 

The bell arpeggio was something I really wanted to use and the rave stabs and bells work well in my style of music. I ended up using a lot of the files from the original. I really liked the pads too and used them in the intro and break. I wrote a lot of new parts as well so I think its quite a bit different from the original, arrangement wise and sonically. 

It actually took quite a time to finish. Longer than I expected. I did a lot of versions and the first mixes I wasn't happy with so kept tinkering. Then I decided there wasn't enough of the original vibe and the arrangement was boring so I went back to an earlier version and added more of Damage's audio and made it flow better. Its got to really excite me even after hundreds of listens so that was the main challenge.

I was introduced to Hardcore in my first year of High School back in '91. I made friends with a kid from Belgium. He had some Thunderdomes and a couple of Serious Beats compilations that had some of the earliest Hardcore tracks. Before that, I was always searching for uncommercialized electronic music with some serious attitude. When I heard Hardcore, I was hooked! I did a bunch of odd jobs on the weekends, just to have money for more Hardcore CDs. South Africa didn't really have a Hardcore scene though, so I had to go to a CD store in Cape Town to order whatever I could find in some big ass Catalog book they received every month.I was the only kid in my school that listened to that music. Everybody hated it, but I really didn't give a shit. That was my Nirvana. So I am still very nostalgic about those Early Hardcore tracks, constantly searching Discogs for anything that I might've missed out on.

I'm a big fan of dark melodies and that will remain the main theme of Hellsplice. I started with making the kicks and then just wrote the tune from start to finish. I don't normally work like that though. I've been producing for about 20 years and I've never produced a track in such a way. I've been listening to Hardcore for so long, it just flowed naturally.

Well, I've been living in Japan since 2004, so I doubt that I will have any influence on the Hardcore scene there. To be honest, I don't even know if there is a Hardcore scene. I might actually be the first South African to produce and release a Hardcore track. Before Hellsplice, I released a few Hardcore tracks under a different name. I'm truly hoping that a Hardcore scene will develop in South Africa though.

Working with Deon is great. We have made tracks before so knowing him well I know what he is into so I just do my own thing. To be honest I don't really know how the music will end up when I start. I have a rough idea but so much is random. What I really like is the music is released fast. No waiting a year and losing interest. Its very exciting.

The thing that really sticks with me is the early rave scene. Some amazing parties. My favourite venue would of been Sterns in Worthing. It was an old mansion with multiple dance floors, sweat dripping from the ceiling. Amazing vibe, saw the Prodigy there just after Charlie came out. I love those rolling breakbeats.

I see my music getting heavier, more minimal and darker. I have a lot of tunes with a gothic vibe so I am really excited to be making a new live set. Also excited to be doing tracks with Deon. "Fuck Them All" killed the dance floor back in the day.

Well firstly, I am a big fan of Sienis’s work and also love hanging with the dude, even if it’s just over the internet. We seemed to have a similar childhood, even if it was on opposite sides of the globe. When I first heard “Driving Me Crazy”, I thought that it was his best work thus far. Even my wife walked into my studio a couple of time, inquiring about the tune. So I knew that it was a hit. I always thought that I might suck at doing remixes, which is why I never tried. However, this track has been itching the back of my mind since I first heard it. So I finally did it!

I’d say that the only thing that was different was the fact that I didn’t have to create all the sounds and melodies from scratch. The rest was the usual workflow. First create the beats, then the final drop section of the track so I know what I have to work towards. Then it was just loading all the original sounds and finding a story that works. Making everything talk with each other.

Definitely the vocals at first, but as I continued to explore all the sounds individually, there were some expressive distorted pads that resonated with me, so I made sure to use that throughout the remix as the essential foundation of the track.

I started producing psy again before lockdown, mainly slow progressive stuff but I was missing the faster tempo and energy. One day I went through all my old unfinished tracks and found some stuff I really liked. I knew I should start producing this style again. Now I am obsessed once more and wonder why it took so long.

I was taking a PC apart and printed on the motherboard, was Pot Mode Jumper. I wanted to make something dark and ominous and I had this idea for the intro and the choir then I made the stabs. I got the vital synth and made some parts for the break and the direction of the track started to come together. I like SciFi and was going for something creepy and creaky that sort of swayed like a rocking boat for the breakdown. The main abstract riff in the 2nd drop was some heavily processed drums that made this crazy effect. I went through many many versions and wrote lots of parts trying to get the flow right and make the last section as powerful as the rest. I listened to them over and over again until I figured it out. Eventually it all came together. I sent it to Deon and he loved it and it took another month to complete.

Well I hope its more immersive and better produced. In my head I am still doing the same thing so that’s a weird thing to define. I’d like to think of it as a continuation of the Last Possible Solution sound.

There wasn’t much thinking that went into my previous release, “Shake Your Bones”. That track was just about a straight forward kind of beat with some Hoover leads. Just a regular banger for the Dance Floor. “Battle Between Good And Evil” is a more melodic kind of tune playing with 3 different emotions. Still has some Hoovers of course.

Well I wanted to convey the what I’ve mentioned in the first answer. So there had to be 3 different chords progressions that worked with each other. Good, Evil and the balanced vibe. That was challenging for me. The track starts with the balanced feeling. Neither good, nor evil. Then it starts jumping between the good and evil vibes, symbolizing the battle between the two sides. Finally it ends with the balanced chord progression again.

Yes, I think it’s safe to say that I found a good balance between studio and sim racing sessions.

I wanted to do something fun with some hoovers in it. Less melodic and just focus on keeping the pace going. Kinda like the earlier Damage tracks from the past.

Ha ha, it’s always the first sound I program when I get a new synth. They all have their own unique hoover tones. My current favorite hoover generating synth, is the Nord Lead 4. I probably have over 50 hoover patches on there. 

Yeah, I spent too much time in my sim racing rig. Normally I’m quite good at managing the time I spend in there, but I got a VR setup now. It’s way too addictive!

Mostly F1 and Super Formula. Been watching F1 races and playing the sims since I was a little kid. I’m back in the studio now, spending much more time on producing new music again. Already half way done with the next release, following this one. 

Um…getting my ass back in the studio chair after being absent for a few months. I’m not going to lie, I felt a bit rusty, taking too much time to finish it. To be honest, I just wanted to write a track with some good vibes and an old school rave kind of feel to it. Something fun.

Sometimes you just have to make time for things you love, cut down on movie watching and gaming. It definitely helps that my label manager gives me deadlines to follow, because it gives me a boost to finish tracks in good time.

I´ve been a Call Of Duty fan since the first one came out and the newest iteration of the game is finally great again, with the past 2 being garbage. I´m spending a few hours here and there to just enjoy the fun game play and running n gunning with everything from a crossbow to sniper rifle.

I have been recording game play videos, but haven´t had any time or energy to edit them as I used to. But I would love to make some collages if I get some time for it.