Yorkshire Tea, Bollywood & “Halloweencore” – Getting to know UK Hardcore’s Macks Wolf!

Since bursting onto the scene with his debut track “Dark Sky” in 2015, Macks Wolf has wasted no time in securing his place as one of the leading new artists in the UK Hardcore scene.

Appearing at every major event in the UK and now embarking on his first Australian tour, this flat-cap wearing Yorkshireman is quite literally leading the pack when it comes to creating fresh new UK Hardcore music and pushing the scene forward.

 – Hi Andre, it’s lovely to be chatting with you today, how’s your day going?
Well I’ve had a cup of Yorkshire Tea and a packet of Smarties, so I’ve got a bit of a spring in my step this morning!

 – Last year was a huge year for UK Hardcore, what were some of your personal highlights from the year?
HTID In The Sun 2016 was probably the most fun I’ve ever had. It was my first time there even as a spectator and obviously it was awesome to play there too. The best part was really just hanging out with fellow artists and ravers, and even to hang out with some of my idols. You don’t often get that chance at UK events, where DJs generally cross paths only briefly.

Apart from that, it was great to see my track “Galleon” go to the top of the Beatport Hard Dance chart. Considering some of the names you find in that chart, I’m still amazed it happened. Having my remix of “The Other Side” featured in Gammer’s blog for NEST HQ was also wicked.

The best thing about last year was getting the support of the people I look up to the most in the scene. People like Hixxy, Dougal, Scott Brown, etc. When you grow up listening to these artists, and they start telling you that they like what you’re doing, it’s a pretty good feeling and it’s reassuring as an artist.

 – You’re about to make the big trip down to Australia for your first tour here, what are you most looking forward to about the tour?
Dave PSI’S BBQ haha! Apart from that, I’m actually ready to just embrace the whole experience. I’m stupidly excited, and massively under prepared. It’s my first time going over there, so that in itself is amazing, but to actually play out there is an honour. I’m looking forward to checking out the rave culture over there and playing to a new audience. I definitely want to do some sightseeing and get all the typical touristy photos in front of Sydney Opera House, all that stuff. Also, I need to try Tim Tams and find out once and for all if they are better than Penguins.

 – How did you first get involved in this crazy, fun music scene that we call UK Hardcore? Were you a raver first before getting involved from the music side?
I was so young when I first got into the music, and none of my mates were really into it, so I never made it to a rave. I could have always gone on my own and met up with fellow ravers, but I was just way to shy at the time. I just started DJing at home and then got straight into production. I was just obsessed with the music. The first time I heard Hardcore was when my cousin handed me a couple of tapes. The tapes had all kinds of weird and wonderful rave music on, but I was drawn to the really fast paced energetic stuff. I think a DJ Brisk tape from Club Kinetic was one of them.

Also, I was a big fan of Scooter, but didn’t really know what Hardcore was at the time. It was really the “Bonkers 4” album that cemented my love for the genre. The wacky TV advert was instantly appealing to my 12 year old brain. I was totally sold on it and continued following the Bonkers album series as well as getting rave tape packs from my local record store (R.I.P. Melody House, Blackpool).

 – You are widely acknowledged as one of the top new generation producers in UK Hardcore. How would you describe your sound and the direction you are moving in with music?
I’ve actually never been asked to describe my sound. It’s been called “Piratecore” and “Halloweencore” before haha. It’s a tough question, as I like to do quite fun themed music as well as more serious melodic stuff. When it comes to riffs and melodies, I’m pretty tough on myself. I go through hundreds before I land on the final one for a track usually. I feel like a track should still be good even when broken down to its most basic elements. If you can play the track on a guitar/piano and it still sounds good, you’ve got a winner.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Synthwave and ‘80s music in general, and whilst I haven’t really explored it much in my previous releases, a few of the tracks I’m working on at the moment definitely have an ‘80s flavour. Also, you can definitely expect some more “Halloweencore” this year, maybe even some “Christmascore”!

 – What’s your favourite track that you have produced to date?
Probably my remix of “The Other Side” by Joey Riot & Reflux. In terms of production, it’s probably the track I’m most happy with. Also, it’s the one track that really got the attention of the big DJs in the scene. I haven’t actually played it out that many times myself, but I played it two weekends ago and I was kind of overwhelmed with the reaction to it. It really does go down well.

– Which artists have been your biggest inspiration, and who would you like the opportunity to work with in the future?
I’d say Hixxy and Scott Brown have inspired me the most. Hixxy was a big part of me wanting to become a DJ. Ever since hearing that “Bonkers 4” mix, I just became fascinated with his style and the variety in his sets. He was always playing obscure European stuff before anyone else and that really excited me. It would honestly be a dream come true to work with Hixxy.

In terms of production, it was Scott Brown who really inspired me to produce. I always loved how you could spot his production a mile off. I would just sit there and listen intently to his tracks, paying attention to every little detail. That really helped me understand the structure and arrangement of dance music. The first vinyl I ever bought was actually his track “Brain Basher” in 1999. I would absolutely love to work with Scott.

Outside of Hardcore, Ferry Corsten was a huge influence. 1999 will always be a special year in music for me, partly down to the now classic Trance sound that he pioneered. Also, I’m a huge Mauro Picotto fan. His genius dates way back to the late ‘80s but the music he was making around 1999/2000 really did it for me. His ability to knock out main room Trance and Hard Techno simultaneously was seriously impressive. I actually went to see him play for the first time recently and it was honestly one of the best DJ sets I’ve ever seen.

Andre catching up with Hixxy at UK rave Mood Swings

– Can you tell us a bit about your studio set up? What’s your preferred music production software?
My “studio” set up is just a laptop, some old Blue Sky monitors and some Sennheiser HD650 headphones. It’s a very small operation. Oh and FL Studio Til I Die.

 – Something that readers may not know is that, quite separately from your work in UK Hardcore, you also work with Indian Rap/Hip-Hop artist RaOol – what can you tell us about this project?
I first met RaOol in 2010. He’s a vocalist/songwriter from Australia who was living in London at the time. We started working on demos for commercial artists and one day, with him being Indian himself, he suggested fusing Hindi rapping/vocals with western style hip hop/trap beats. We did a couple of tracks and it really took off! We ended up appearing on BBC Radio 1 with Nihal and even travelled to India, meeting various Bollywood directors to talk about potential film deals.

Although I’m focusing more on my first love, dance music, now I still work closely with RaOol and we actually just released a track in January on the major Bollywood label T-Series. I’m super proud of this work and working in different genres really helps you understand the dynamics of music better.

 – Many of our readers are outside of the UK, can you tell us three things we need to know about the UK Hardcore scene
1. – It’s very much like a family. From north to south, everyone kind of knows each other. They’ll always be a friendly face at an event

2. – There’s regular nights up and down the country, so you’re never too far away from a rave. There are loads of different style events too, from more Happy Hardcore focused raves through to Freeform nights. There’s always opportunities to check out newcomers and local talent

3. – There’s some amazing music coming from the global Hardcore community, particularly in Australia and Japan, but I still think the UK is the nucleus of the genre. We are lucky to have so many talented producers and DJs here and, because the UK is relatively small, it’s much easier for artists to travel and collaborate in person.

 – What are your favourite ways to spend your free time? (Apart from DJing, producing and raving!)
I do generally spend most of my time doing music in one form or another. I am a bit of a film buff though. I love classic sci-fi/fantasy films, ‘80s horror and anime. I like reading philosophy and “smart thinking” books too. I generally only like books that have a practical application in real life.

 – What’s coming up for you in the rest of 2017, any upcoming releases, collaborations or big events that you can tell us about yet?
I’m playing at HTID In The Sun this year, now run by HSU Events, which is a massive honour considering some of the biggest DJs in the world are on the line up.

I’m also really looking forward to the Clubland Live Weekender by Ravers Reunited. There’s actually loads of great events coming up this year.

Release wise, I’ve got a couple of album appearances coming up with some new solo originals, some free edits and indeed some collaborations. None of which I can actually tell you about though, as its G14 Classified obviously.

 – Most of us need a few shots of caffeine to get us through the day and along with many of your social media followers I’m now utterly hooked on Douwe Egberts Hazelnut Infused Coffee – when did you first try this particular beverage and why is it so dear to your heart?
I think I’d seen someone mention it online, so I marched down to my local Tesco supermarket and got a jar. It was love at first sip. If anyone reading this hasn’t tried it already, I HIGHLY recommend it. It will change your life.

 – As we always like to ask, and surely the most important question of the day, what did you have for breakfast this morning?
A cup of Yorkshire Tea, and a packet of Smarties. I don’t typically have Smarties for breakfast, but I was just rushing to get into the studio and grabbed a tube. I actually really miss the old the cylindrical tubes 🙁

 – Actually I’m not quite finished on the food questions yet….  There is one topic that is still shaking the foundations of the Australian rave scene – does pineapple go on pizza?
I have been quite vocal on this particular topic and I’d like to use this platform to put this argument to bed once and for all. Coming from an Italian family, I respect food and I respect the traditions of food, pizza especially. Pineapple has never belonged, and never will belong on pizza. It’s like putting peppers on a cake. People that like pineapple on pizza are probably the same people that dip toast in their tea and dunk chips in their milkshake. I am fully aware of the concept of sweet and sour, but pineapple on pizza simply doesn’t work. I hope we can all now accept this fact and move forward with our lives.

Macks Wolf, it’s been an absolute pleasure chatting with you, enjoy your Australian tour this month and we wish you all the best for the busy and exciting year that you have ahead!

Aussie ravers can catch Macks Wolf at the following events:
– Heaven & Hell, Brisbane, Fri 24th March
– Rocket Science, Sydney, Sat 25th March
– We Are Hardcore, Melbourne, Fri 31st March

Follow Macks Wolf at the following links

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