HARD ASS SESSIONS VOLUME V

Featuring:

Kingdom/Poirier/Bert on Beats/Pocz & Pacheko

Release date – March 28 2011

The Hard Ass challenge is simple. Artists must create their own unique take on a Kuduro beat. Stepping up to the plate this time around are NYC’s Kingdom, Montreal’s Poirier, Bert on Beats from Tallinn, Estonia, and Pocz & Pocheko from Venezuela.

POIRIER
track “Vivendo Juntos”
- A little bit about yourself: I’m a DJ/producer that focus a lot on the fusion of caribean and electronic music right now. I do not fear to integrate lots of influences in the music I’m producing.
- About this challenge: I thought it was a great opportunity! I’ve been doing lots of fast soca tracks the last years and doing kuduro look likes a natural step for me even if I never did it before. The energy and the speed of it is something I’m quite confortable. I listened back some kuduro tracks I like to DJ to see why I like them so much.
- Which Kuduro elements inspired you?: I tried to focus on one or two elements when I compose a track. Or let me say it in an another way: I tried to always make it minimal, keeping just what I really, really need to make the track. Kuduro is a little bit like that for me. Also, the syncopation of the snare drum and the variations you can do with it is very inspiring.
- 5 songs you’re into lately: A.J. Holmes & The Hackney Empire – Fraudian Slip feat. Kastro (Uproot Andy Remix); L’Xtrmst.Zen – ZiggyZa ZiggyZi rigodon; Roody Man – Agrikòl Yo Ye feat. Mikaben; MaSuper Star – Airtime; Schlachthofbronx – Nasty Bass.

BERT ON BEATS
track “Bassy Baile”
- A little bit about yourself: I was lately working on my album “Antenna of Tallinn” which is out now on ManRecordings, plus there are a few bootlegs and remixes that I’m always working on. The last remixes i did were for moombathon genius Munchi, Bologna based Dj Farrapo and BandishProject from Mumbai. I’m also producing for local Estonian electropop group HU? and we have another album coming out, so lately it’s been a really busy time for me. At the same time it’s all really interesting as the clash of all these transnational styles inspire me and give me new ideas.
- About this challenge: If i remember correctly then we where talking with J-Wow about possible B.O.B. track on HAS already before the second or third release, but somehow it didn’t work out. When i got the second proposal to do track for HAS i was once again really excited to produce and be a part of these one of a kind compilations.
- Which Kuduro elements inspired you?: Well, hard to say. I can’t even bring out any particular one. I think all the elements in all frequences work for me the same way, but usually if i start doing a track, i start with the drums. I was first doing the drum sequence common to kuduro beat and added bass + few syths. Later i thought it would be more interesting to change the emphasis of the beat. So it sometimes feels like it has some carribean dancehallish moments in it, plus the additional indian flute you might find there. In my opinion, these additions make the track a really interesting global bass mashup.
- 5 songs you’re into lately: TNT – Hot Gyal (Carl Arm remix); Guerilla Speakerz&TheBobbyKillers – Tell yo Momma (dub version); Doctor P – BigBoss (Cam Jus moombahcore remix); Daniel Haaksman – Hands Up (Erick Rinkon remix); Professor ft. Oskido – Jezebel

POCZ & PACHEKO
track “Tuki Love”
- A little bit about yourself: Pocz and I work together at a music production & sound design studio called Pararrayos, in Caracas. We also host a night here called Abstractor, along with a blog and a podcast series: www.abstractor.net
Zarbak (2010) was our first collaboration track. It came out on 12¨ vinyl on UK´s Senseless Recordins and it has been supported by Djs such as Untold, J-Wow, Cardopusher, Mr Gasparov, 23Hz & Numaestro (Iberian Records) among others. After Zarbak we’ve had some other tunes out on Kid606′s Shockout (Tigerbeat6′s sister label) exploring the combination between bass heavy music + kuduro + more tropical influences. We´ve also kept on doing music independently, and I (Pacheko) have had some releases on labels such as Lo Dubs, Seclusiasis (US) and Murder Channel (Japan).
- About this challenge: We have been big fans of the kuduro scene for a while, and we love Buraka! So to be part of this with our own take on the sound makes us really happy.
- Which Kuduro elements inspired you?: For us Kuduro is all about the dance and keeping the energy high. There is a similar dance oriented scene in Venezuela called Tuki or Raptor House. It had quite a boom in 2007 with soundsystems such as La Maquina Latina, but only recently. So with this track we wanted to put a bit of that Tuki feel into Kuduro. We also added some voice samples by the legenderay Roots Reggaeton crew The Noise.
- 5 songs you’re into lately: M16 VS SLR (Lvis 1990 Remix) – Wildlife; CARDOPUSHER – Nice Up (feat. Juakali); BABY RASTA Y GRINGO – Punto 40; SPOEK MATHAMBO – Mshini Wam; DJ MUJAVA – Mshini Wam.