In the realm where the underground’s most unyielding boundaries meet, Rebekah’s ‘GO HARD OR GO HARDCORE’ is a movement that pays homage to a 30-year legacy of Hardcore whilst fusing the raw intensity of Hard Techno’s most futuristic sounds.
For over 15 years, Rebekah has relentlessly championed the sounds of the underground’s most ferocious elements. As an outlet for releases, events, mixes, and exclusive collaborations, GO HARD OR GO HARDCORE embodies Rebekah’s unyielding artistic vision and carves a path for future generations of artists to further delve into Techno’s most unrelenting subgenres.
Landing on 4th July, the ferocious 2nd volume of the VA series is built strictly for the warehouse. The new release turns up the heat to another level, featuring 12 uncompromising hard techno tracks from a global mix of veterans of the genre, artists returning to the label, and space for supporting the up-and-coming producers who are creating waves with their productions.
“The second instalment of GHOGH Vol.2 is a selection of tracks tried and tested on the dance floors this past year. With the BPM and intensity still rising, Go Hard or Go Hardcore delivers the next various artists’ EP, including some veterans from the scene, returning artists to the label, and up-and-coming producers who are making waves with their productions,” – Rebekah.
How to listen: There are a couple of ways to proceed. First, you can listen to the whole album, which you will find below, and then read the notes. Or, read the notes as you listen to each track. This will completely change your perspective on the whole release itself and bring you closer to the artist and their work.
Malke & Mr. Madness – ‘Outta Here’
We made Outta Here in one feverish afternoon at Malke’s studio in Barcelona — literally, he had a fever. Working in Ableton Live, we started from scratch, designing heavy Hard Techno kicks using a custom-built analog distortion pedal, carefully recording and measuring loudness for maximum punch. We finalized the kick sound with iZotope Trash for added grit. The rumble tail of the kick was reshaped into a dubstep-style bassline, which sparked the direction of the breakdown.
A groovy triplet-section breakdown added swing and sat perfectly with the vocals.
Later, Mr. Madness added a clever fake drop inspired by some of Malke’s earlier productions, giving the track a modern, playful twist. Malke then mastered the track, as he did with most of the release.
PXM – ‘Hurricane Sound’
Hurricane Sound is pure chaos in motion. I wanted to capture the raw, destructive energy of a storm. That moment when everything breaks loose and there’s no turning back! The idea came during a late-night session where I pushed distortion and layering to extremes, balancing aggressive kicks with hypnotic rave stabs and glitchy vocal hits. The breakdown is the eye of the storm, eerie calm before the drop tears through like wind on steel. This track is my love letter to the apocalypse on the dancefloor.
Candy Cox – ‘Keep On’ (Original Mix)
This track channels the spirit of the new generation, bold, dynamic, and defiant. It synthesizes elements from Hardstyle, Hardcore, Hardtechno, Drum & Bass, Trance, and House into a hybrid form I define as “Ultratech” or “Post-Hardtechno”. Featuring aggressive drum programming by Malke, 90s Chicago-inspired synths, 2000s-era vocal fragments, and a raw, rolling bassline from my personal Hardtechno archive, the composition marks both a conclusion and a reinvention of my artistic direction. Releasing it on Rebekah’s GHOGH label felt like the perfect statement for this pivotal moment in my sonic evolution.
RUTHLESS – ‘Fuck The Club Up’
I made “Fuck The Club Up” to be loud, aggressive, and impossible to ignore. It’s not subtle—it’s a track that kicks the door in. I went all in on gritty synths coming from my MS20, drums that sound like they’re tearing through concrete, and an infectious vocal sample. The idea was to create something that feels strictly physical. There’s a sense of tension throughout, like it could collapse at any moment—but that’s the point. This track is my take on what club music becomes when you strip it down to adrenaline and instinct. It’s rough, messy, and real—exactly how I wanted it.
Ed ET – ‘XTC’
‘XTC’ fuses the raw energy of modern hard techno with the powerful drive of early hardstyle. Inspired by the genre’s 2000s roots, I set out to modernize that era’s signature synth stabs and distorted kicks using today’s production techniques. The creative process focused on layering aggressive, rolling basslines with old-school reverse bass and energetic synth lines, blending nostalgia with a contemporary edge. The kick design underwent several iterations, emphasizing distortion and saturation. Percussive elements and FX were used to keep the momentum high. The result is a peak-time hybrid weapon, balancing rave chaos with tight, professional sound design.
Esoxxx – ‘Abduction’
‘Abduction’ was born from the idea of a nearly mystical experience, where reality bends and leads us to an unknown place, as if we were abducted by a mysterious force. We aimed to translate this feeling into a track that blends raw energy with unsettling atmospheres, much like a mental journey that takes you beyond the known.
We started with the idea of a very dark and eerie vocal, seeking to create an intense and immersive emotional foundation. From there, we built the track around this theme, introducing atmospheric elements and psychedelic synths that create sequences that feel ‘suspended’ in time. We love the idea of a track that pulls you in without giving you an escape. It’s like an ever-evolving hypnotic flow, maintaining the sense of an endless journey. We used various virtual instruments to create that sense of distortion and spaciousness, while keeping the mix dynamic. A key aspect of the production was the use of reverbs and delays to craft a truly immersive experience, allowing each sound to expand and interact with the others in a fluid and continuous way. This helped build growing tension, maintaining a suspended and hypnotic atmosphere, as if the track itself was constantly in motion.
Rebekah – ‘Never Minus’
The idea was to create a hard techno track reflecting on the earlier parts of my set. The percussion parts are a mixture of my own premade kicks, ones that I developed from the classic 909 drum machine, effected using overdrive and slight reverb, and 808 drum machines that have been overdriven to create a bigger sound. I mixed this with a 707 to add the mid pop of the kick. Here I use overdrive and the BBE Sonic Maximiser, which has stayed in my arsenal for the last 19 years; their Mach3 Bass is also great for kicks. These were then layered with some sample kicks from an industrial hardcore pack to speed up the process, some will say this is cheating but if someone has created the desired sound you are looking for then why waste time using a wave shaper and distortion peddle to arrive back at the same place 3 hours later, don’t get me wrong I love noodling with sound and my modular but it seems the busier I have become the faster my workflow needs to be.
For the musical elements, I worked with Serum, and as the tracks were made before the Serum 2 release, unfortunately. For Never Minus, as the title implies, I went for a more minimalist approach and a sound that would be a throwback to those days; it also had to be epic in a big room, warehouse, or festival. As always, I layered the lead, distorted and EQ’d the duplicate to make it fuller, and used a slight stereo sample delay to spread both signals to fill the space, as it is the only sound playing in the breakdowns. The voice I use is my own, and as I am a very basic b=tch, I recorded this straight into my laptop mic as I know I will use heavy effects and pitch to disguise the voice, it seems I can get away with being this DIY. Update: I have now invested in a mic stand, SM58, and a shield for my future recordings, as I currently have a few new inspirations lyrically that I am recording for new music. I try to keep things simple and fast in the studio, I use my DJ energy for the arrangement to make sure it works and is effective, it came out slightly more industrial than hard techno but I think this is my signature and an element i can never truly free myself of, if its too clean I can’t get a groove going with it!
XOOX – ‘Sinful Soul’
‘Sinfoul Soul’ is a high-intensity blend of hard techno, psy-techno, and hardcore, driven by pounding kicks, piercing synths, and hypnotic energy. Crafted in Ableton Live, the track channels a dark and relentless atmosphere, designed to hit with full force on the dancefloor. Behind the project is XOOX, a secret artist who remains in the shadows, unknown, unseen, and purely focused on sound. With no identity revealed, XOOX lets the music speak through raw power and surgical precision. ‘Sinfoul Soul’ is not just a track—it’s a violent ritual of noise, pressure, and tension, designed for those who thrive in the underground.
Stoltenhoff – ‘Future Star’
With “Future Star,” I wanted to explore something a little different while keeping that hard-hitting, catchy vibe I’m known for. The backbone of the track is a hypnotic, moaning female vocal that brings a sensual edge to the driving feeling and pounding techno groove. It’s hard techno at its core, but with a hook that sticks. I aimed to capture the energy of peak-time festival moments — raw, bold, and unforgettable. The track fits perfectly into the VA, but also feels tailor-made for the summer season and hard techno festivals around the world.
BOTL – ‘Im Not A Snitch’
‘I’m Not A Snitch’ was entirely produced with just my laptop and headphones — no studio, no gear, just raw intention. I wanted to capture the tension between silence and impact, using the break as a space of isolation, pierced only by a distant screech. The fact that the screech is only present at the beginning of the break is comparable to being all alone, and is weighed against the intensity of the drop, which sounds like a comeback. Every kick hits like a statement. This is more than just a track; it’s a personal statement shaped by the experiences of my past. It’s my way of turning pressure into sound, and silence into noise. The drop then explodes with distorted kicks, aggressive textures, and saturated low-end, like a violent comeback. The vocal line “you’re mad, I’m back” sparked everything — it felt like a restart, and a comeback for everyone. Each sound was shaped to reflect that energy.
Reevoid – ‘Trapped’ feat Rebekah
It is a dark-tinged Hardcore track, built on pounding rhythms and an oppressive atmosphere. The intense and almost anguished vocals evoke the feeling of being trapped in a mental vortex, while the aggressive kicks and distorted sounds keep the tension high, fusing the most gabber style with the rawest. The production is 160 bpm, with transitions that amplify the feeling of claustrophobia and urgency. “Trapped” is a descent into a dark and relentless sound world, perfect for those looking for a strong and cathartic emotional experience on the dancefloor.
Grab your copy here.
