The Transformative Power of Music: AbsturctA's Inspiring Journey
Welcoming in, AbstructA, personally known as Mike, has been a driving force in the hard dance scene for eight years. Their Music productions, spanning from hardstyle to uptempo, resonate with a wide audience. Hailing from Maine, AbstructA has performed at numerous gigs statewide and nationwide, including a memorable show in Amsterdam, NL. Let's delve into the intricacies of their artistic project, their journey, and their profound impact on the scene.
How did you get the gig in Amsterdam, NL?
As a precursor, every year, the day before Defqon.1-weekend starts, a collective called QSA (the Q implies Q-Dance in place of the U in USA) brings Americans together at a bar in Amsterdam for a pre-party organized by Isaiah, aka Levenkhan. They always flavor their DJ lineup, getting the perfect hype and tone set for Defqon.1. AbstructA got on stage with Tryptid and The Ripper to throw down an epic uptempo set following Nightcraft.
AbstructA states, "I was originally booked for a boat pre-party, and then that budget got cut in half. So, half the lineup got scrapped. But, before that, I actually got Tryptid and The Ripper in contact with Levenkhan." They were confirmed to play, so AbsturctA asked to go b2b (back to back) on stage with them. "They pulled my chain for like a day or two, but then, yeah, we got that all squared away. It was really cool to support Nightcraft and to support Levenkhan's event," AbstructA expresses. Just with the pictures alone, this was clearly the biggest QSA pre-party thrown ever! Check out QSA's Facebook page here: QSA Facebook Group
What's the best way to promote our local scene to nearby residents who might not know about it?
"The biggest I've seen other than Ben's [Bass of Spades] amazing pushes with actual physical marketing and hand out flyers . . . has been purely through social media, and just talking and reaching out to those people," AbsturctA asserts. Flyers have always been a traditional way of promoting, and with the increase of global networking, social and digital platforms have proven to increase visibility for sustainable outreach.
What brought you to transition from euphoric hardstyle to rawstyle to uptempo?
Around 2016, AbstructA reached out to the second half of Heatwavez before the duo split. They asked Thomas (from Heatwavez) to help them refine and evolve their sounds and kicks. AbstructA notes that Thomas’s kicks, while euphoric, carried a weight that caught their attention. Thomas, in turn, became a significant mentor and inspiration, guiding him towards a more raw-phoric sound.
They divulge, "Through that, I discovered BENGR, old Aversion, and older Warface, [and] the beginnings of End Of Line [records]." These newer influences led them into contact with Kolizion and then Krowdexx, who led AbsturctA to raw sounds. Their release, “Gear Lock,” was a beautiful byproduct of this journey. They eventually joined Black Reaper Records, started releasing uptempo, and became the first and only American on that label through their 'talent-finding label,' Young Guns Records! One can take note of the evolution of AbstructA's sound with these tracks in order: Destination of the Willing > Transcendant > Hall Of The Machine > We Got No Fear
Do you ever want to return to producing rawstyle or euphoric releases occasionally?
"Oh yeah! Oh God! All the time! I am still all about it. A lot of my melody inspiration is drawn from the entire career of Demi Kanon. He's been one of my melodic inspirations from the beginning!” AbstructA exclaims. After repeated sessions with the DAW (Digital Audio Workshop) from Abstructa's beginning, they set the example of an artist who always has their heart rooted in where it all started.
AbstructA mentions a sneak peek of some future creations:
"Currently what I'm sitting down [on]... what I'm solely working on [right now] is uptempo/ DNB (Drum & Bass) fusion," AbstructA exclusively shares!
"What goals and achievements are you looking to make for the future?"
When asked about their future goals, AbstructA shares, "I want to set up something at a lot of the rookie stages . . . to have an actual dedicated show schedule [for runner-ups at European hardcore festivals]." AbstructA is dedicated to pushing the platform and movement that many festivals like Dominator, Toxicator, or Thunderdome are doing by setting up rookie stages to allow upcomers to showcase their talent and sounds. AbsturctA’s ultimate goal is to get an O-visa, work with Dutch artists, and facilitate cultural exchanges between opposite sides of the globe. They believe interchanging global talent is critical to expanding the hard dance scene.
Can you touch on how you came up with your name and how the growth of your artist project started?
AbstructA proceeds, "About 7-8 years ago, I tried to kill myself by throwing my car off of I-95. My mom caught me at a gas station, threw me into a hospital, I went into detox, blah blah blah…" They were in a mental health program and an alcohol abuse program. They continue, "When I was actually in the detox, in the rehab center . . . there was a communal boombox, and my dad had brought me a bag with a bunch of clothes and stuff, and there was a Zatox CD in it. So I played it. I played it the whole time I had any chance in the communal room [and] held onto the boombox as long as I could." Repeating the track "Oxygen" by Zatox got them thinking about seriously attempting to produce music. They started creating a logo on paper; they included two A's in the logo and thought of words to connect them, like 'abstract' or 'obstruction.' They concluded to go simple with AbstructA. The critical point of why the raised A's is to represent the AA program that helped sober them up and for a reminder to uphold the values learned from sobriety.
*Disclaimer* This content shared by Mike in the preceding is profoundly personal from his life journey and growth. We believe in the importance and priority of mental health, and there are always people out there willing to help in self-harm situations.
The hardstyle community and the sound it provides are beacons for many to keep striving for another day and stay connected to life in the most powerful ways. Is your heart really in the music? Many find a stronghold for this passion; it's only about the music for many artists! Whatever the desire, hold on to it and keep it close to your heart.
AbstructA expands on what the scene has currently evolved into:
They postulate, "The heartblood of the scene has got to be that the newer generation has always been grown, taught and educated to be the best in the scene as they can by the old guard." 'The old guard' represents a long-standing member of an organization to keep in its traditional ways. The music will always accept change and evolve, but the ethical values and morals of the hard dance scene will always stand the same. Community, inclusivity, passion-driven mindsets, and humble connections are central. Mike mentions the prevalence of innumerable discord channels that include fans with top artists whose engagement is always at the forefront and makes this scene stand out. AbstructA proclaims, "A fan has the same ability as me to make those same [artist] connections of those same levels, and that's what's wild! That's the coolest part! The fans are involved with all the same stuff, too."
We all concluded that this scene and music have made the most universal impacts, life-long friendships, and life-sustaining hope for many.
Check the full interview here where we expand on shoutouts, details of significant journeys from the scene, other exclusive information, and ways to perceive the hard dance scene: AbstructA's Full Interview
If you want to listen to or know more about AbstructA, check them out at:
Instagram: AbstructA
TikTok: AbstructA
Facebook: AbstructA
Spotify: AbstructA
Soundcloud: AbstructA
Apple Music: AbstructA
YouTube: AbstructA
__________________________________________________________________________
Marcus is one of the leaders of San Diego Hardstylerz. As a kid, he listened to house, trance, Eurodance, and freestyle. After a friend showed him hardstyle in 2010, Marcus became passionate about the scene and music. He hopes to help the hardstyle scene throughout the states to the best of his ability.
Writer: Marcus
Co-writer: Ivan
Editor: Linda
Follow San Diego Hardstylerz:
LinkTree: SDHZ
Donation support: Venmo
Comments
Post a Comment