Everything started on 1992. That days The Stunned Guys proved life is like a tunnel: if you want to reach the exit light, you have to take a big breath and step straight into it, hoping you've got air enough in your lungs. You cannot turn back anymore. The Stunned Guys reached the exit light, and after that they realized that just one tunnel was not enough. Maxx started his career on 1987, Giangy on 1991: there was the period the techno scene was borning. Year 1993, the two guys who will have become worldwide known DJs & producers were spending their nights in a small, wet basement (where their first "home" studio was based) creating new and different music, following their only dream to become part of that uprising techno scene which was just starting. During that period Maxx was attending university and he was working in a small recording studio in Milan as sound engineer. Giangy was DJing at Number One club and, during the week, he was attending military service. It has been a really difficult period for them, not enought money to buy studio equipments (they were making music only with an Atari ST computer and an Akai S1000 sampler), and all the work they were doing in "studio" seemed to be unproductive. All the answers to the demos they sent to the main dutch record labels were like "Sorry, it's not our style ...", "The sound is too this, too that..." and so on. But one day they received a phone call from Paul Elstak from the cult label Rotterdam Records, and a few days later they were finally mixing their first record "Nidra e.p." at Paul's studio (a real studio, with real equipments) in Rotterdam, which was released on 1994. The feedback from the hardcore scene was so good that Maxx & Giangy decided to try 100% to transform their passion into their main job. From that moment on, everything grew so fast: performances at many european raves, collaborations with the main producers and labels and, most of all, an incredible feeling with their fanbase: in a short time The Stunned Guys took their "made in Italy" sound to the top of the international hardcore scene. After many attempts to collaborate with Italy-based record labels, they founded Traxtorm Records, the first italian "only-hardcore" label. Their great productions took (and still take ...) them to uncountable performances worldwide (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland, USA, Croatia, Canada, ...), and the Traxtorm sound quickly became an inspiration source for the other producers and labels (check out the super-hit "Thrillseeka", imitated by hundred of productions). On April 2009, after more than 16 years of activity, Giangy decided to leave the project for a new lifestyle, now Maxx will run The Stunned Guys on his own, The Stunned Guys will never die!
Art of Fighters started out in Brescia (Italy) back in 1997, from the idea of 3 guys: Cristian, Matteo and Luca. Was the 2000 when the first record was released, The beat can't change. After one year they scored again with their second,Artwork, their first hit track. Those two vinyls let them start their career, playing around Europe and pushing their sound. In the end of 2002 the first big change: they quit using FastTracker in favor of professional equipment: few months after that, Earthquake was released. It was immediatly a success; the record was played in every party and by all the big djs. Nowadays (after 6 years) Earthquake is still played at parties, causing again some major mayhem. Art of Fighters career continued to grow up, letting them play in all the major parties over Europe like (to name few): Masters of Hardcore (NL), Hardcore Nation (IT), DefQon 1 (NL), Thunderdome (NL), InQontrol (NL), Mayhem (Australia), Domination (Australia), Black Light (Canada), Fantasia (Scotland), Hardcore4Life (NL), Raving Nightmare (NL), United Hardcore Forces (IT), Hardcore Gladiators (DE), Street Parade (Swiss), Q-Base (DE), SummerRave (Spain), Dominator (NL), Death Experience (Austria), Goliath (CH), Energy (CH). Was the end of 2007 when they released their first Cd album. A double cd with 28 tracks, which was sold out in few weeks. Together with the album release the sad decision of Matteo to quit the team. Even without him the fame of Art of Fighters continued to grow, till the gold moment of now. New projects are ready for the late 2008, including some unexpected collaborations and new tracks. Stay tuned!
Filippo aka MAD Dog started his DJ career just as joke. In 1995 after 3 years of hard work with the tecnichs, he met two friends (an M.C. and a DJ) with whom he formed a team: HARDCORE TERRORISTS. With this team Filippo has a lot of success especially in his city Rome. In 1996 the Hardcore Terrorists made their debut with their first live-act at the QUBE (one of the symbol club in Rome). After that night, the performances of this team followed one another and their success was unavoidable! In 1997 the Hardcore Terrorists decided to organise hardcore parties in the capital to improve the scene. They made an alliance with other DJ's and together with IMPULSE FACTORY, 3 VILLAGE and DJ GEPPO they formed the GABBERS ROMA. Even though that the hardcore movement grew excessively the organization of the GABBERS ROMA dissolved. But before of that the Hardcore Terrorists released in collaboration with IMPULSE FACTORY and THREE VILLAGE the record "TRY TO MAKE IT HARDER" on TRAXTORM RECORDS. It's 1998 the Hardcore Terrorists continue to organise hardcore parties in Rome. The turning point arrived with the Pronto Soccorso Rave. It was the biggest Rave that the capital city had ever seen; 3500 gabbers dancing Hardcore Sound! Thanks to this they got a radio program (conduced by Filippo and his MC), which helped to consolidate their fame in Rome. After Pronto Soccorso they organised also Odissea 2001 another Rave which was hold in the most prestigious location of Rome; La Fiera di Roma! In the meanwhile Filippo produced some Hardcore tracks which were included in the Compilation Traxtorm Power 2000 and Always Hardcore 7. In the summer 2000 Filippo improved the wish to dedicate himself to the production of hardcore tracks. Because of his job as organizer and as radio speaker he couldn't find the time to do that. That's why he decided to leave the Hardcore Terrorists team and he created a new project, Dj Mad Dog. Filippo has produced many releases since 4 years ago: THE MEMORY DISAPPEARS, MOTHERFUKIN DJ, DOG FOR LIFE, CLOCKWORK, HYSTORY, BOOM AND SHACE UP, I LOVE HARDCORE, THRILLSEEKA (Rmx), TALES OF JEALOUSY (Rmx). Thanks to these productions Mad Dog export hes sound in many European cities, like: Caracas, Rotterdam, Bochum, Barcelona, Zurigo, Vienna, Valenzia Heindhoven, beyond having participated like guest in many Italian clubs. The artistic career of Maddog will carry us other surprise.
Tommy remembers in this way his first contact with hardcore music "during the summer '94 I was at a private party and the atmosphere was surely not hardcore, there were fashionable people and commercial music was being spinned. Suddenly a friend of mine put the needle on a Lenny Dee & Dj Paul's record...a shout...a guitar and a fat kick...I had never heard that sound before...since then everything started". In that period only illegal raves, clandestine parties organized in abandoned locations, had dancefloors that were able to propose that sound in Rome "The atmosphere of those parties was unique... they used to get a shed, put a massive sound system and few lights in it. No advertising, no Internet but guess what? 2000 people, aware of their illegal acting, were always ready to party till the end". In '95 Tommy started spinning hardcore in his city. He was one of the first who propose that sound performing in clubs and then as resident in various Romans events. In '98 his wish to play his tracks during his sets made Tommy buy a pc, a sampler and a synth, and he begins to work night and day... One year later his first release "The realm" is ready. Tommyknocker starts performing at international events "Street parade 2000 in Zurich was the first big event were I took part as a DJ: I was there close to the big names of the scene, ready to rock thousands of people but the needles were skipping all the time...I was so nervous...as supposed the needles skipped but everything went good...I will never forget it". His next releases improved Tommy's popularity: Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, England, Holland, Slovenia, Spain, United states and Switzerland came infected by his sound and his catchy performances "When I spin I try to give the same energy that I get from this music directly to the crowd, sometimes I get involved so much during my sets that I start dancing! My music selection is various, I try to propose a bit of all the hardcore styles that have been developed for 10 years. I prefer smashing kicks, distorted melodies and aggressive vocals that make the difference". Thanks to tracks such as Demolition, Revolution, The Aftermath, Tommyknocker became a guarantee of hardcore sound made in Italy. In 2003 Tommy moved to Belgium "Rome couldn't give me more. Moving to Northern Europe was a necessity". Now Tommy lives in Bruxelles, he performes regurally at the biggest events of Planet Earth: Masters of Hardcore, Nightmare in Rotterdam, Megarave, Hellraiser, Energy, Streetparade, Love Parade, Decibel, Raving Nightmare, Goliath, Odyssey and many more; you can find his music all over the most important compilations of the hardcore scene, collecting hundreds of licenses all over the world. He has collaborated with many top artists such as: DJ Paul, Impulse Factory, The Viper, The Stunned Guys, Evil Activities, Neophyte, The Headbanger. Tommy's working in his studio looking for its own sound, even more characteristic... even more devastating... be patient and you'll see... well, you'll listen!
Italian DJ/ Producer Amnesys was born in 1987, but his parents called him Dario from day one. Just ten years old, he discovered hardcore when he got a compilation of A Nightmare in Rotterdam 5. From that day, all the innocence was blown away. Dario started to listen to hardcore more and more and became curious how all of his favourite records were produced. He started making music as well and after years of hard work, he delivered his first piece of art on Impulse Records. "The Ultimate Motherfucker", which is still being played up to this day. These three tracks were also noticed by the Stunned Guys. Maxx and Giangy scouted the talented youngster and after two EP's on Impulse Records, he was ready for the big job: releasing an EP on Traxtorm Records. It turned out to be a brilliant move by the label managers, because the impact of Amnesys' "Mainstream Nitro" EP was bigger than expected. The four tracks dominated the dancefloors for months, got on nearly every hardcore-compilation in 2007 and the B1 "My Motherfuckin' Name" ended up in fourth place at the MOH Radio Live Top 100 2007, a chart based on the votes of the audience. 2007 was a crucial year in his career, but nobody knew that hell was about to break loose in 2008... 2008 was just one month on its way, when Amnesys dropped his "Worldwide Crisis" 12". From that moment on, Dario was no talent anymore, but one of the world's most important producers. Playing his record on Masters of Hardcore - Warrior Elite ( his first big performance in The Netherlands), the venue was nearly torn down: Amnesys put himself on the map, not only as a great producer, but also as an outstanding DJ. The EP was released and caused an earthquake in the hardcore scene. Every DJ over the world played "Worldwide Crisis", "Underground Revolution" and "Catastrophes", and Dario got booked for loads of parties in 2008. Just some highlights of his 2008 resume: Masters of Hardcore, Dominator, Defqon.1 and Project: Hardcore.nl. At the end of 2008, Dario heard about "Worldwide Crisis" being voted best record of the year by the MOH Radio Live-show audience. Thousands of hardcore-addicts said that the track was their favourite production of 2008. An insane year ended with the ultimate reward for Dario and of his skills. The expectations for the follow-up of "Worldwide Crisis" were as high as the Mount Everst, but Dario managed to match them. With his incredible release "Elevation", Amnesys proved that the "Worldwide Crisis" EP was not just an incident. The titletrack is a mainstream masterpiece, "4D Future" predicts the evolution of hardcore in 2009 and "Raw Generation" is a true romper stomper with an insane kick. All tracks are played by all major DJ's and get raving reviews from the crowd. Amnesys' hunger for getting people dancing is unstoppable, as he became one of the most popular hardcore DJ's from Italy. Getting booked by all big promoters and smaller clubs, Dario Renzi is one of the guys to become the next Italian emperor of the hardcore-scene.
The Meccano Twins project started out in 2003 from the idea of 2 of the Art of Fighters members, driven by the need of a new breed of music, bleeding the hardcore mainstream together with darkcore and electronic (taking examples from artists like Prodigy, Aphex Twin, Daft Punk) without losing the vibe and power of the hardcore music. Now they are in charge of the artistic management of T.R.S.E., the Traxtorm's sublabel devoted to the experimentation. With tracks like Tendrils of agony, Illusion and Breath they are now one of the most respected hardcore producers around, able to surprise and innovate with every new release. In 2010 the project, after been carried out by Cristian Nardelli as a solo artist in the past 3 years, change shape again with the join of Jose' Sendra, new producer and future frontman of the group. His arrival has immediately given a new effort to exploration of new sounds, even more experimental and alternative.
Jappo started djing in 1994 after experiencing the hardcore sound at club Number One in Brescia. On 1995 teams up with italian Hardcore legend Claudio Lancinhouse and start working in CL home studio, and after less than a year the first release was out: "Lenny dee and the Hardcore Warriors" on ISL records. It was a collaboration between them and the godfather Lenny Dee. The second records was the smashing hit "Real Motherfuckers EP" including the probably most famous track of the duo EXLXAXL. After many releases on Industrial Strength, other releases followed on labels such as D-Boy and Mokum. In 1996 started djing as a resident at Number One, the club where everything started, along the side of his partner/hero Claudio Lancinhouse till 2000. UneXist was born very early in the days (around 1997) as solo project of Jappo with the sound leaning towards brutality but it didn't fully formed until 1999 when the 1st UneXist LP "Disintegrator rising" on ISR was released. From that day another big challenge started for Jappo. He wanted to start from scratch and try to achieve the same goal as with J&CL but this time as a solo. On 2001 he teamed up with his long time friend Lenny dee and found ISE. they continued for 5 releases but they had to stop shortly after due the real bad time for their dark and rough sound in the hardcore scene. Stubborn Italian never wanted to compromise his view of whats hardcore supposed to sound therefore he decided to take a break and move to NYC near his crazy mentor and away from the scene he didn't recognize anymore. In NYC he just embraced his love for turntablism even more and expanded his knowledge of Heavy Metal and old school Hip Hop, which was the very spark who set his fire up for Hardcore music once again. He literally closed himself in Lenny's studio for 6 months, working and smoking like a savage and he came up with the unique UneXist sound! Before coming back to Europe he had few releases ready to be drop: "Fistortion", "Attack", "Liberate" just to mention a few. By the time those records hit the shops UneXist started getting booked in Holland almost every week and he played at almost every big Hardcore event you can mention. On 2005 he released his 1st album Contagion on his new label DT6 Inc. UneXist way of thinking about making music: "I started making music because I wanted to make something that other people wasn't doing and felt it was missing. I make music for myself first, than the fact that people digs it is a huge collateral..."
The 2 Djs have started their career separately joining themselves together in the duo that all you know. They are DJ resident at Florida discotheque from many years, making Italian hardcore people dance all Saturaday nights. In 1999, thanks to the aid of the Stunned Guys, they produced their first track Alleluja Motherfuckers released then in 2001 together with the collaboration with the Art of Fighters, Shotgun. The following year they created I Became Hardcore always in coproduction with the AoF and in 2004 it was time for their first solo record Hardcore Motherfuckers and with the same project name, the duo, released the first of their official compilations, well known all over the industry due to mixed with great technique. In the last years they have been performing all around the Globe: Holland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, USA and naturally in Italy, from North to South. Defqon1 festival, Nightmare in Italy, Energy, Evolution, Hardcore Nation, Street Parade, Piramide, Central Rock, Masters of Hardcore in Italy, and Industrial Strainght party@Nycity, are the most important parties they have been hosted and they seem to do not have any intention to stop...
Barbara aka AniMe started the dj work in 1997 when the Italian Hardcore Movement was still totally dominated from men djs. In 2000 she become part of the famous Italian Label "D-Boy Black Label" with the artistic name "Radioactive" (group formed from her and a friend). Like Radioactive she performed in many parties around Europe exposing her industrial/darkcore style. In this year Barbara started producing her own music, understanding that it was an important step for her musical career. She was the only woman Producer in the italian scene during those years. In 2005 Radioactive splited and she started to play at rave parties around Italy until when in 2007 was contacted by The Stunned Guys to become a new member of Traxtorm Records, the most important Hardcore Label in Italy, so was born the big promise of Italian Hardcore: AniMe. With her productions AniMe become soon part of the most important names of the movement, starting to play at parties around the globe: Spain, France, Holland, United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, Swiss, Belgium, Luxemburg, Mexico, Chile and at the best Hardcore Parties of the world like Thunderdome, Masters of Hardcore, Defqon.1, Q-Base and many more. In 2010 AniMe introduced herself between the Traxtorm Records producers with the release: *AniMe - Detonate* Innovation is the guideline of her project. Sounds, vocals, mergers between grooves and elements of various music styles with strong influences from her past as industrial/darkcore producer. Her style has already become inspiration for many important hardcore producers and her tracks are already included in the best hardcore compilations worldwide.
Marco Collini was born on the 9th of March 1983 in Campobasso and he always liked music, he started to love electronic music when he was child, and in 2000 he listened for the first time hardcore music in a compilation of that period (Extreme 2000) and he loved it at the first listening. In 2002 Marco bought his first turntables and started to improve his skills in deejaying, but in his city unfortunately there wasn't hardcore music, and he must go to Rome to buy Vinyls and CD's, and at Virus Records and Deejay Mix (2 Romans Vinyl Shops) he met 2 important hardcore artists: Hellsystem and Amnesys. Marco and Amnesys became big friends, and Marco understood a lot about hardcore music in his conversations with Dario, and decided to start to make his own productions. From 2004 to 2005 Marco played in some medium and big parties in Switzerland, and he was one of the winners of the Megarave's newtalent dj contest. In the same time Marco thanks to his big passion and the advices of his big friend Amnesys became good in his productions and, at the end of 2006, he decided to send a demo to G-Net Records (Sublabel of Traxtorm Records) and The Stunned Guys decided to release his first records "I'll be tha hardest E.P." in 2007, then Alien T was born. Thanks to his first record, Alien T in the same year played for the first time at Florida (the most important italian hardcore club) at parties like Sunbeat 2007 and The Nightmare in Italy. In 2008 he played for the fist time in the main floor of a really big italian party, United Hardcore Forces, and in the same year he played also @ Masters of Hardcore in Italy and Sunbeat 2008. At the end of 2008 Alien T undestood that if he want to develop his dj career, he must move himself to Brescia, where there are the most important italian parties, so he went to live in Adro (BS), and luckly in the same town there are the Studios of Claudio Lancinhouse, that decided to give to Alien T one of his two studios to make music. Marco's choice was right, and thanks to the helps of his label too, his gigs improved a lot and on 2009 he played at about all the most important italian hardcore events like: United Hardcore Forces 09, Masters Of Hardcore Italian Freakz, E-Mission, Fusion-E, Conflict 01, History Of Hardcore, Kick.It, Sunbeat 09, and in the same year he played also at Hardcore Italia Stage @ Dominator Festival (NL) and one of his tracks "Wartime" was selected for the official compilation of this party! Alien T kept on working on his music, improving a lot his skills also thanks to the professional studio. He produced 2 new tracks "Bullets in their heads" and "Ghetto mentality" and Maxx (The Stunned Guys) really liked that, so he decided to release the Marco's dream: to became a Traxtorm Records artist!!!
PLACID K born in Varese (situated in the Northern part of Italy, near Milan). He began to listen to Techno music and therefore to became fascinated with this kind of music in 1990: the year in which Techno music had a really massive positive feedback in Italy.
After some years a new kind of "Techno" was growing: Hardcore. During the cold month of January 1995, thanks to Digital Boy the first two Placid K's productions, "2nd Base" and "Quick Acid", were released on the PK side of "Genesis project": the absolute first Hardcore release on D-Boy Black Label. Placid K is now starting to show his unique style.
After some months the first "solo" vinyl called "Acid Factory" finally came out. From that first success, he couldn't imagine that another thirty projects would follow. He also did some co-productions and remixes with some of the most famous names in the Hardcore scene. Furthermore we cannot forget the well-known series of compilations that he signed, selected and mixed: "100% Hardcore". During these years Placid K has participated in the biggest European and world-wide rave parties, performing "Live" at the beginning of his career and then doing a "Dj set". Since the first performance at the "Ravers Religion" in Groninghen (the Netherlands), lots of other performances followed. We can remember some of them : Misteryland ('96 Holland) Rave the city (Holland) Masters of Hardcore '97 (Holland) Magic Kingdome (Edimburg/Scotland) Street parade (Zurich/Switzerland) Thunderdome Gheodrome (Rn Italia) Love parade (Vienna) Odyssey (Switzerland) Thunderdome in Italy (Brescia, Italy) Urban phenomen (Los Angeles USA) Number one club (Brescia Italy) The world dance convention (Rogwill) Orbital Rave (Moscow Russia) Ecu club (Rn Italy) Digital hut (Los Angeles USA).
After a break during the year 2002 in which no performances were given and no records were released, Placid K strikes back once again in December 2003. In fact he decides to start his own indipendent label: "Choose Or Lose Records". Thanks to new goals and objectives, Placid K has spent lots of time in his studio these last three years, and here are the results: "C.O.L. e.p.", "G-Member" , "Mutation" , "B.2.B." & "Malediction" , which has been released on the special edition of "Choose Or Lose 015"... , & c.o.l. 020 "Paying attention ".2009 is the year for his first album "BEAT RESORT" 2cds with 30 tracks,15 from his past 1t5 for his future!In spite of the young age of his new "creation", Placid K has already represented his label at big events like:.. Nightmare in Germany-Masters of Hardcore-Project Hardcore-Ravin' Nightmare-Heroes of Hardcore-Thunderdome-Hellbound-Hardcore gladiators-Dominator-Extreme reunion-Hardcore world cup-Ground Zero-Harcore Italia-Syndacate-Hardcore For LiFe-Too Loud festival.
Finally in 2012 a very important step for his music history is came, it's time to release his unique beats on Traxtorm Records. A new page has been started.
What if you take some of the best artists beneath Traxtorm Records and ask them to work as one single entity? Traxtorm Gangstaz Allied is the result: a modular team made of four top class producers, delivering hardcore at its finest.
The project started back in 2006 with the release of "Disposal of outer power". At the time the alliance was made by the creativity of The Stunned Guys, the raw power of Mad Dog, the harmony and party vision of Art of Fighters and the rhythm and unique sound of Tommyknocker. The project was a blast and immediately put the act on the biggest stages like Defqon, Dominator and Masters of Hardcore.
In 2010 Tommyknocker left for focusing on his solo project, while Unexist joined the team, delivering that extra aggressive edge in the tracks, which leaded to the release of "The hardest" and in 2012 "Hardcore Italia".
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