‘Pushing Extremes’ – Noisekick on the rise of TERROR!

Relentless, daring and concerted are just handful of words that can accurately sum-up the genre Terrorcore. With this fast-rising phenomenon sweeping through The Netherlands during the 90’s, this underground, yet devoted movement has slowly, yet steadily risen to prominence, especially over the past couple of years in which Terror has also gained its reputation abroad.

Representing this niche crusade is none other than the masked genius Noisekick, who’s unquestionably paved the way for the growth of Terrorcore. We’re totally honoured to have had the opportunity to catch up with this long-standing figurehead for an exclusive interview, where he speaks more about Terrorcore, his infamous ‘Noisekick’s Terrordrang’ concept and much more!

– Yo Noisekick! We’re honoured to have you on Alive At Night for this exclusive interview. First of all, how’s 2017 been treating you so far?
Hi, it’s a pleasure! 🙂 So far 2017 has been going really good; I’ve already experienced a lot of nice bookings at great parties around the world. Next month I’m flying to Colombia to perform – it’s amazing to see that the Terror ‘virus’ is spreading to all shores.

– Speaking of travelling abroad, I saw that you recently took a little trip down under! How was Australia? (And what did you get up to in my beautiful country? :D)
Over New Year’s Eve I’ve played in Sydney at a great event run by Sydney Hardcore Network. I combined that booking with a nice trip, where I travelled over the Great Ocean Road and further up to Coober Pedy. It was a nice experience and great to see these parts of Australia!

– Let’s take a little trip back in time! When and how did you first get in touch with Hardcore/Terror and how did this initial experience inspire you to begin DJ’ing and producing?
When I was 13 years old Hardcore became really big in Holland, however I found that it was a little too slow for me so I began listening to Terror instead. When listening to Terror, I got the feeling that maybe I’d be able to produce it in a more innovative way myself, so I gave it a shot and by 1995 when I was 14 years old the alias ‘Noisekick’ was born. By 1999 I scored my first release and first performance.

– What was the Hardcore/Terror scene like back when you began your career?
The scene is changing all the time, however back when I started the Terror movement was really small and niche; and of course, all of the fans were wearing Aussies and had bald heads. That was a funny time!

– For those who aren’t familiar with Terrorcore, can you explain the genre a little further?
It’s the most extreme form of Hardcore. Fast kicks, fewer melodies and a lot of ‘raw’ sounds.

– It seems as though Frenchcore and Terrorcore are closely intertwined; can you explain this relationship between the two genres a little more?
Frenchcore and Terror ain’t intertwined at all; although there are many event concepts that program Frenchcore and Terror artists on the same stage, they’re completely different styles of music. It’s the same comparison as Hardstyle and Hardcore – or Hardcore and Terror.

– What are the biggest misconceptions that ‘outsiders’ have about Terrorcore?
They think that the people who listen to this fast, aggressive music are also aggressive people. It’s totally the opposite. Terror music is love and Terrorheads are among the friendliest people on earth.

– Terror is quite a niche movement and is predominantly popular among the Dutch audience. Can you speak a little more about some of your experiences spinning Terror in other countries?
My experience is that Terror is becoming more prevalent all over the world. It’s nice to see that each of these countries has special things within the Terror scene, however the one thing they all have in common is that the people are extremely dedicated – they really live for Terror music!

– Through the use of the mask and your artwork, you’ve created quite the image for yourself! What’s the idea behind all of this?
I just wanted to do something different. In 1999 nobody was wearing a mask, however after a while it just became part of my image and I was no longer able to perform without it. The people (the crowd and the promoters) expected Noisekick with a mask.

– As an artist, what’s the importance to have a strong marketing tactic and image?
The importance is that promoters will book you more often at their events.

– Your ‘Noisekick’s Terrordrang’ concept has become huge! What was the whole idea behind this movement and did you ever anticipate for it to grow this much?
Well, a couple of years ago the Terror scene experienced a bit of a dip. Frenchcore took over the Terror stages at parties and barely any promoters wanted to organise Terror events anymore. It got me thinking: if I don’t do something about this, then the Terror scene will die. So I started my ‘Terrordrang’ parties with the goal to keep the scene alive and it worked!

I was soon booking the biggest names in the industry, had the loudest sound system in Holland and all of the Terrorheads were extremely happy with the concept. With each edition of “Noisekick’s Terrordrang” more visitors gathered from all over Europe. There are now busses that come from France, Germany and Belgium and fans even fly (or drive) from the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Denmark! In two years the concept has grown by 50%, which means that the Terror scene is also growing. I’m really happy with this result!

– You are also the proud owner of Noisekick Records; how are things going for the label?
Last year I did eight releases, and this year I’ve also got a lot in planning, so it’s going good.

– For our readers who aren’t quite into Terror (yet), can you recommend some artists, tracks or albums to check out?
For sure; check out every release at Noisekick Records at www.noisekickrecords.nl

– What are your opinions on the resurgence of Thunderdome?
Thunderdome is a legendary event and I think it’s nice that they’re doing another edition this year. For sure, many of the ‘older gabbers’ don’t normally attend parties anymore, however they’ll definitely come out or this special edition. I’m also really looking forward to it.

– Before we wrap this interview up, can you let us in on any exclusives or tell our readers what you’re working on in the studio?!
I’ve just finished a collab with my colleagues Sjammienators; this track will blow you away, so watch out!

– Finally, it’s time for our signature question – what did you eat for breakfast today?
Organic eggs with quinoa, vegetables and cheese. I’m vegetarian and I always (try to) eat very healthy.

Cheers!

A huge thanks to Noisekick for taking the time for this interview! We hope that all our readers have learnt something new about TERROR! To stay updated on Noisekick’s gigs and music, shoot him a follow at the social links below.

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