Gearing up for one of the biggest Halloween-themed parties on the planet, HARD Day of the Dead has released its first mixtape featuring Brazillian trio, Earstrip & Torha.

The Rio de Janeiro natives are best known for their G-House style, which completely consumes the following mix. With strictly original compositions and remixes, it’s easy to see why HARD founder Gary Richards has been playing so much of these guys within his sets.

HARD Day Of The Dead Mixtape #1: Earstrip & Torha

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TRACKLIST:
Earstrip & Torha – Ya’ll Buzzin (Original Mix)
Earstrip & Torha – Our Business (Original Mix)
Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal (Earstrip & Torha bootleg)
Earstrip & Torha – Don’t F*** With Me (Original Mix)
Icy Sassaki ft Yves Paquet – Like This (Earstrip & Torha remix)
Earstrip & Torha – Gangsta Hood (Original mix)
Earstrip & Torha – Keep On (Original Mix)
Destructo ft YG – Party Up (Earstrip & Torha remix)
Earstrip & Torha – Make a Move (Original Mix)
Earstrip & Torha – S.W.A.G (Original Mix)
Earstrip & Torha – 4 Tha’ Club (Bitch Don’t Kill my CLUB mash’up)
Earstrip & Torha, Vintage Culture ft Ashibah – Sure Things (Original Mix)
Earstrip & Torha – Start Bugging (Original Mix)

One of the best things about this mix is that it continues to prove that Destructo and the rest of the HARD crew are all about bringing their followers the best, unheard of talents in the world. Very excited to see what these guys can do at this year’s festival.

HARD Day of the Dead 2014 will take place Saturday, November 1st and Sunday, November 2nd at the Fairplex in Pomona, California.

Earstrip & Torha

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Problem is, Detroit-based electronic-metal group Phuture Doom refuses to take that lying down.

Phuture Doom is the embodiment of all the best parts of your old metal phase; their intense, rage-face inducing double bass rhythms, deep, gritty guitar riffs, and head-banging breakdowns bring you right back to your friend’s mom’s basement.  In a good way.

Their recent performance at HARD Day of the Dead was their first ever live performance, and as we’ve been following the mysteriously eerie trio for a bit, we were excited to see just what Phuture Doom is all about.

I saw a drum kit.  Guitars.  No one knew quite what to expect.  The guy next to me leaned over and belted “DUDE.  I heard that one of these dudes is Kill the Noise!”  At that point, the show hadn’t started and his yelling into my ear was pretty unjustified, and as I turned to give him a sarcastic “Oh really?”,three people (Guys? Girls? Who knows?) walked onto stage in black cloaks, and this happened:

So, iphone-quality video doesn’t quite do their performance justice, but believe me, it was awesome.  I think I even threw up the devil horns a couple times.

Seeing a live band playing alongside a DJ was one of the most fresh and exhilarating experiences; instead of a repetitive drum track, some nameless badass behind a kit ushered in the drops.  Instead of the “press play” type of sets that we’ve been growing accustom to, three live musicians tore it up for a crowd that was unjustifiably small.

Phuture Doom, as it seems, is on to something completely new.  Their perplexing visuals, genre-defying sound, and cryptic outfits are unlike anything we’re seen previously in the EDM scene, and, by the looks of the crowd after their 30-minute set, it seems like these guys are on their way to the top.

Phuture Doom is your metal phase grown up a bit, matured, and refined.  Hopefully, their originality in their sound will inspire other artists to follow suit.

In the meantime, Phuture Doom’s first (and self-titled) EP is out on OWSLA Records. Give it a listen, and, if you’re up for it, try to decode the crazy hieroglyphics all over their webpage.  We haven’t quite cracked it yet, but I’m sure there’s something awesome in there.

Phuture Doom: Facebook // Twitter // SoundCloud

Did you see Phuture Doom at HARD Day of the Dead? Tell us what you thought on our Facebook page. 

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We caught up with Zak to find out a little bit more about one of our new contributors.

JNTM: Who are some of your favorite producers right now?

Zak: I’m really into GRiZ right now, Breakbot is a favorite of mine, [as well as] Oliver.  Anything with some funk in there.

JNTM: If you could see any DJ/artist perform live, who would it be?

Zak: I missed Gesaffelstien at HARD Summer, and I’ve been getting into him lately. So, that’s the first thing that comes to mind.  Wouldn’t mind seeing Dillon Francis again soon either.

JNTM: What’s the last show/festival you went to? Who was your favorite artist there?

Zak: HARD Day of the Dead.  And this is a tough question; with so many artists, it’s tough.  However, Pretty Lights really vibed with me in a surprising way.  The groovy subtleties in his set really got me moving.  Jack Beats was also surprisingly heavy.

JNTM: What are some genres you really like and some you really hate? Any that you hate you like?

Zak: For a long time, I was the guy who fully denounced electronic music.  I saw a lack of live instruments as a huge weakness in the music, like so many people do.  It wasn’t until I discovered the emotion and creativity that can be unlocked with the limitless sort of potential that EDM provides that I fell in love.

That being said, I still have an affinity for live instruments fused with electronic music.  GRiZ’s Rebel Era is a perfect embodiment of this.  Funk, groove, soul.

But hey, who doesn’t like to go hard?  Dog Blood, Bassnectar, Zomboy, ect…

Hate?  I’d have to go with trance.  I can stick with it for a few minutes, but 8 minutes into the same beat, and I get bored.  Maybe that makes me an uncultured neanderthal, I don’t know.

Hate that I like? I’ve heard it called “brostep”; That slow, 1-2 beat that Skrillex is all about.  Entry-level? Maybe.  Dope? Probably.

JNTM: If you could produce a track or DJ with any producer who would it be and why?

Zak: As far as him musical prowess, I’m not sure, but It’d be an absolute riot to spend a day with Dillon Francis. Ooh, or Gary Richards (Destructo).  That guy knows everything.

Want to join Zak on the JNTM team? Send us a message on Facebook and we’ll be in touch!

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Gary Richards’ (AKA Destructo)’s renowned EDM festival returned with a bang this fall, bringing with it a devastating lineup, improved security procedures, and much more, making it one of the most enjoyable and powerful HARD experiences to date.

Following HARD Summer, it seemed nearly impossible that Live Nation Entertainment could compose a rivaling set of DJs and artists for Day of the Dead, but the return of veterans to the scene such as Skrillex, Nero, Zeds Dead, Calvin Harris, and many others brought the same jaw-clenching intensity that we’ve all grown to expect from the festival.

While the big names dominated the later time slots of the weekend, some of the biggest surprises and most impressive performances took place before the sunset.  Lesser known artists such as David Heartbreak, Solidisco, and GTA provided a refreshing variety of sounds, including head-banging drops, groovy beats, and in-your-face-style trap, respectively.

Getting to the venue early in the day isn’t a priority for most, but those who made the effort this year were treated with stellar performances from the newcomers of the scene.  Them Jeans, Dusky, and a first-ever performance by Phuture Doom ensured that everyone was dancing from their first steps into the park.

While all the performers definitely proved themselves worthy of playing under the HARD logo, the buzz on everyone’s lips was the monumental finishing set by the iconic A-lister Deadmau5.

New tracks, unexpected remixes of old ones, and soulful piano breaks made the mau5 the must-see set of the night that left many leaving the festival in tears (despite his sound cutting out, which he justified by announcing “I meant to do that, I’m like…the 12^th best in the world at this…”).

The music aside, Day of the Dead 2013 was the most neatly put together and least problematic HARD Presents… event to date.  Long gone were the winding barricades that left event-goers in a riot-like frenzy last year, as well as the nonrefillable $5 waters that quickly emptied everyone’s wallets.

Instead, a more succinct and speedy trip through security put guests in the festival within minutes, and several water-refilling stations kept them hydrated through the day and into the night (although they did seem to have a tendency to break down during peak hours).

Gary Richards and Live Nation Entertainment really pulled it together this year for HARD Day of the Dead, putting together one of the hottest lineups around, fixing issues with previous events, and keeping legions of sweaty dancers safe and hydrated.  As the L.A. Historic Park returns to its normal state, we’ll all be marking our calendars in anticipation for the next one.

Photos via official JNTM photographer and contributor Quinn TurtleGravy Tucker

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It’s Halloween, which means we get another RL Grime mix tape! RL Grime was also able to give us an exclusive drop from ‘Goosebump’ author RL Stine. Full of trap and bass songs for everyone to enjoy, this is a must hear hour long mix. This mix tape once again proves RL Grime’s dominance in hip-hop/trap mixes and sets. The flow and vibe he creates with these tracks is fully unstoppable for the entirety of the hour long mix tape. Tops everything off with a free download.

Happy Halloween! Catch him at HARD Day of the Dead this weekend in Los Angeles.

RL Grime – Halloween Trap/Bass Mixtape | Free Download

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RL Grime

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One thing that sets this festival apart from any other Halloween-themed EDM festival, or any HARD Presents… festival is the fact that this one actually showcases some otherwise hard-to-see and lesser known acts. Artists like Them Jeans, Tokimonsta, Henry Krinkle, and Thee Mike B are just some of the artists that are, unfortunately, most likely under most people’s radars this fall.

This increase in lesser-known artists could also create a problem for the festival as a whole, as most attendees will choose to start arriving later in the evening to see the more popular artists (like Skrillex), creating a massive line and an increase in waiting time. Last year, this resulting in complete chaos as concert-goers began literally throwing barricades and trampling over people to get in faster. There was also an incident involving an angry mob tipping over a golf cart on it’s way to deliver more water.

Either way, we’ve taken the time to map out some must-see acts, scheduling surprises, and acts to pass:

HARD Day of the Dead 2013 Must-See Acts

Phuture Doom: This will be Phuture Doom’s first live set EVER. No one knows anything about these guys, so it would be a huge opportunity for anyone to get to see the group in the flesh. We predict they’ll play their audio book “Phuturism: The Book of Nightfall” for the most part…

Gaslamp Killer: By far one of the most unique artists on the lineup this year, Gaslamp Killer is a must see for multiple reasons. This guy brings an energy to the stage most DJs probably think is a little much. To fans, however, Gaslamp Killer is one of the funnest performers to take the stage anytime, anyplace. Plus, he was the star of the HARD Day of the Dead trailer!

Them Jeans: With his high energy and incredible mixing abilities, Los Angeles based producer Them Jeans is on our list a must-see at this year’s Hard Day of the Dead. With multiple remixes of artists like Bloc Party, The XX, and Rihanna, you’ll definitely want to catch this artist on the rise before he gets to high!

Baauer b2b RL Grime: Two of the biggest names in trap music right now, Baauer and RL Grime return to LA State Historic Park but this time as a team. This pairing is going to be one of the coolest sets of the entire weekend for seemingly obvious reasons.

Deadmau5: What might seem as an obvious choice, Deadmau5 is our absolutely must-see artist of the entire festival. Playing his first live show in quite sometime, the mau5 will no doubt return with some incredible visuals and will most likely be debuting some of the tracks he’s been previewing online.

HARD Day of the Dead 2013 Scheduling Surprises

Nero // Boys Noize // Zeds Dead: It’s totally understandable that the main stage would be the hardest (no pun intended) to schedule, but you would think that the minds behind the program would think to at least spread out these acts across a few different stages. The most unfortunate thing is that this stage is going to packed for the entire night, though with good reason.

Paper Diamond // Pretty Lights: This is more of a pleasant surprise, mainly because most attendees will want to see both Pretty Lights and Deadmau5, which would not have been possible if the order had been switched. This could be unfortunate for Paper Diamond, but with such a killer set at this year’s HARD Summer, it’s possible he’ll still have a packed crowd at the HARDer stage.

Cirez D // Bloody Beetroots: Bloody Beetroots not headlining the night? This might be another switch up created so people can see Skrillex.

HARD Day of the Dead 2013 Acts to Pass

Skrillex: Unless you haven’t seen Skrillex at any show, festival, tour, or anywhere else, there’s really no point in seeing him again. Yes, he’s been putting out some new remixes and collaborations, but seriously? Another HARD event with Skrillex as a headliner? Go to Lunice! Go see Master at Work! Skrillex is a great DJ and a fantastic producer, but you can spend your time

Agree? Disagree? Let us know what YOU think on our Facebook page! For more on HARD Day of the Dead, click here. 

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HARD has just released the stages for this year’s Day of the Dead taking place at the LA Sate Historic Park, November 2nd – 3rd.

From the looks of it, HARD has set up the stages pretty much the exact same as last year’s event, with the addition of the Underground stage which was birthed from this year’s HARD Summer.

As always there will have to be some pretty tough decisions made by concert goers, as the stages are all pretty equally stacked, depending on what type of genre you’re more interested in.

Check back soon for set times and more!

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With HARD Day of the Dead 2013 only a month away, many were excited to see the newest updates from Gary Richards, aka Destructo, about this year’s Dia de los Muertos themed event. The initial lineup was released only a few days after the end of HARD Summer 2013, but now HARD Presents has released the official lineup along with an amusing trailer featuring some of the big names set to appear at Day of the Dead this year including Skrillex, Jack Beats, and the Gaslamp Killer.

UPDATE: Just Noise to Me favorite Phuture Doom has just announced their first ever live appearance will be at this year’s HARD Day of the Dead.

If this video is proof of anything, it’s that Gary Richards and his team at HARD Presents are definitely raising the bar with their promotional videos. Their promo video for this year’s HARD Summer, featuring dogs (and one cat) dressed up as the featured DJ’s, was a smash hit on the internet and definitely proved to gain some interest by those who wouldn’t normally know about the event’s existence.

The HARD Day of the Dead 2013 trailer is a little more dramatic: The Gaslamp Killer, after finding out he’s “not booked” for this year’s show, starts killing off the DJ’s who are actually on the bill, bringing the “missing DJ’s” campaign Destructo has been pushing for the past few months to a close — almost. More surprises are more than likely on the way.

HARD Day of the Dead will take place on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd at the Los Angeles State Historic Park in Downtown Los Angeles from 12AM to 12PM. Click here for tickets and more information. 

Check back for updates on set times and more!

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