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Review Qore 3.0 2-CD

Qore 3.0
Label: Q-Dance
Catalogue number: QDACM2011006
Release Date: 28-10-2011

Artists and DJs like The Outside Agency, Mindustries, Counterfeit, Tymon and Ophidian (and a few more) have always had their own style of producing. You can try guessing how records by these guys might sound, but it’s always a surprise until the actual release date. Their style is not your ordinary ‘cup of hardcore tea’, but rather a combination of Mainstream, Industrial, IDM, Breakcore, Dubstep and Drum and Bass.

Until the end of 2010 most compilation CDs were divided into standard formats with a Mainstream and Early, Industrial or Terror cd. But with the Breaking Barriers edition of Thunderdome last year, all styles were combined into two mixes for the first time, as if the time was right for a change.

The same trend could be seen during this year's festival season. More and more events had an extra area with harder drum & bass combined with dubstep compared to 2010.

Q-Dance must have felt that the time for another step was here, as they decided to organize “Qore 3.0” in the Heineken Music Hall last 5th of Nov. This was their new vision of hardcore. More energy; raw; varied and untamed.

During the last months they released a whole series of mini mixes of artists who would perform at Qore. They were creating expectations for the public and showing a slight glimpse of the inevitable mayhem which was to come shortly after. Besides the mixes, 3 anthems were produced by Sinister Souls, Kasparov and Ophidian, representing all styles within the two areas. These tracks can, of course, also be found on the tracklist of the CD.

Speaking of the CD, it’s a wall of sound crashing into your living room.

The first disc starts with “Beat the Drum Hard” by Sinister Souls. This newcomer hits exactly the right drums, creating a sick vibe to start this CD with. A lot of new, yet for some unknown, producers were chosen to create an original and diverse tracklist on both discs. Besides Sinister Souls we can add Igneon System, Embrionyc, Dub Elements, AK-Industry and Innovative to the newcomer list.
After Armageddon Project's “Like Serpent Tears” and Tymon's “Step Up” it’s time for the new release from Igneon System on Third Movement; “Fuck God (Mindustries Remix)” which has a great, nasty pounding kickdrum and an excellent dark synth flow. It really takes you away to a torn out, wasted place. The same can be said about the new collaboration between Hamunaptra and Ophidian. We haven’t heard from Hamunaptra in a while and were surprised to see his name once again. That can only mean one thing: “Banging Industrial”.

After The Outside Agency & Ophidian starts a block with more mainstream kind of tracks. The new Art of Fighters with Endymion, Day-Mar and Kasparov with the first anthem “Raw & Uncut” and Mad Dog & Amnesys.

With “D-Passion – Indestructible” we return to the mechnical sounds of Industry, followed by Counterfeit, Embrionyc and Dub Elements. The break in “Clubwalker” is one of unknown beauty; uplifting and subtle.

Ophidian has contributed a lot to this CD with many different tracks in as many different styles. But one of his best would be without a doubt “Inception by Sound”. He has created a magical atmosphere with his typical basslines and diverse samples.

After the second track of Igneon System, the aggressive “Crisis Stuation”, we are treated to one of the best tracks of the last few months, “On the Edge”. The last two tracks take up the tempo once more to finish this mix with a bang!

CD2 starts with another master piece of Embrionyc. This time his sound lets you float away in a short daydream before the bass hits ya, but even then the track stays quite mellow for a hardcore track. The tracks are mixed really closely which brings us quickly to “Sinister Souls & Erre – The Namek” with its low streched synthesizer melody and heavy drum & bass lines.

After the return of Hamunapra, Void Settler has returned also with a new project called “Swamprat”. “Swamprat Indeed” is the first track we encounter on a compilation. It's just as freaky and stomping as his old tracks and therefore the ideal cement for “Dep Affect – Seperation Anxiety” to build on. Both tracks are not extremely hard, but have a lot of small significant noises, which make them somewhat funky.

After Sei2ure, it’s Ophidian who claims all the attention with his ‘iron nails scratching on raw steel plates sound’ combined with a firm bassdrum in “The Sound of the Machine”.

A track we have seen before is “Mindustries – The Arrival”. The strings and dark kick keep you fascinated till the end.

The next track from AK Industry vs Lowroller is another highlight! With a subtle build up and a great frustrating melody line, the tempo of the mix increases slowly. The I:Gor remix of “Tymon – Gucci” is the start of a block intensive tracks. Get ready to be blown away. Jetz gehts los!! Tymon, Ophidian, Angel, The Emperator and Petrochemical give us what we like most: relentless energetic mayhem.

After “Great Violence” the industrial sound makes a place for more scattered beats and atmospheric impressions. Meander (Ophidian), The Outside Agency and Endymion make tracks that have just that little extra: hardcore with balls and brains.
Cooh and Counterstrike bring the tempo down a little again with their grinding synthesizers and slow beats. They form a nice combination with “The Outside Agency - Wait your Turn”.

The last two tracks of the mix are the third anthem by Sinister Souls and the melodic drum & bass track “Drastic” which bring us back to that daydream we started with.

Both CDs are well mixed and contain a variety of known and certainly very unknown tracks, which makes it a real joy to discover both mixes. More and more artists and DJs are experimenting with new, pure sounds and improving drum lines, making the music more alive and fascinating again. Not just 4 to the floor, but sophisticated and intelligent rhythms.

The music keeps evolving, which contributes to a better quality. And as we know, quality is better than quantity
Qore 3.0 is definitely a good one to have!

Tracklist

CD1:
1. Sinister Souls - Beat the Drum Hard
2. Armageddon Project - Like Serpents Tears
3. Tymon - Step Up
4. Igneon System - Fuck God (Mindustries Rmx)
5. DJ Lunatic & Miss Hysteria - Undisclosed
6. Hamunaptra & Ophidian - Darkness Incarnate
7. The Outside Agency & Ophidian - The Silence
8. Art of Fighters & Endymion - Freaks
9. DaY-Mar - Feel Terror Cloud Your Senses
10. Kasparov - Raw & Uncut (QORE 3.0 - OST)
11. DJ Mad Dog & Amnesys - Game Over
12. D-Passion - Indestructible
13. Counterfeit - Worship the Bull
14. Embrionyc - Clubwalker
15. Dub Elements, Gancher & Ruin - Aftermath
16. Ruffneck & Synapse - Disruption of Balance
17. Meander - Black Smoke
18. Ophidian - Abandon
19. Dub Elements - Rude Awakening
20. The Outside Agency - Primitive
21. Ophidian - Inception by Sound (QORE 3.0 - OST)
22. Igneon System - Crisis Situation
23. Tha Playah - On the Edge
24. Satronica & Unexist - Fuck the System
25. AK-Industry - The Dark Industry (Deathmachine Remix)

CD2:
1. Embrionyc - This Is Not A Daydream (Gamma Edit)
2. Innovative - A Beautiful Thing Taking Me Away
3. Sinister Souls & eRRe - The Namek
4. Void Settler - Swamprat. Swamprat Indeed
5. Dep Affect - Separation Anxiety
6. Sei2ure - The Easy Shots
7. Ophidian - The Sounds of the Machine
8. Mindustries - The Arrival
9. AK-Industry vs Lowroller – Isolation
10. Tymon - Gucci (I:gor Rmx)
11. Tymon & Ophidian - The One
12. Angel - Freak of Nature
13. The Emperator - Metal vs Flesh
14. Petrochemical & Ophidian - Inanimate
15. Igneon System vs Lowroller - Great Violence
16. DubStrangers - New Structures (Sei2ure Rmx)
17. Meander - Tainted
18. The Outside Agency & Sei2ure – Undermind
20. The Outside Agency - Cross
21. Endymion - Anger (Ophidian Rmx)
22. Dub Elements & eRRe - Pop Im (The Panacea VIP)
23. Cooh & Counterstrike - Fucking Disgusting
24. The Outside Agency - Wait Your Turn
25. Sinister Souls - The Highest Technology (QORE 3.0 - OST)
26. DJ Hidden - Drastic