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Hardknox Biography
"Furious, brutal and heavier than Metallica in a bad mood" - NME
"Crackly Hardcore and skin-roasting Acid Breakbeats that The Prodigy were too darn scared shitless to use." - NME
"Woofer-rattling, evil as f***" - Muzik
Hardknox is a band that doesnÆt believe in subtlety. Since their inception,the group has been driven by a singular desire to stir things up. Armed with only a small bedroom studio set-up and a bad attitude, they recorded a pair of singles for influential British independent label Skint (whose roster also includes Fatboy Slim and Lo Fidelity All-Stars) that made people stand up and notice.
NME bestowed Single-Of-The-Week honors on both, DJs wore out their copies,and everyone who wanted to put out a compilation with attitude needed them on their tracklisting. Such varied artists as Crystal Method, Orgy, Faith No More and the Jungle Brothers came calling, begging for a little Hardknox remix magic. Their aggressive live shows have won fans and promoters both across the UK and the European Festival circuit, while their international DJ gigs and residencies at LondonÆs "The End" and BrightonÆs "Big Beat Boutique" are nothing short of thrilling. They are the only pair that dare follow Fatboy Slim, and manage to take the crowd higher in the process.
When they started work on Hardknox in 1996, the chemistry between Steve P and Lindy Layton was instantly evident. Stevie had been grinding out tearing Drum & Bass monsters as Skycutter and Immortal Minds, appearing on such respected labels as Reinforced and Blood. Layton had been in-between projects after the disbanding of Beats International (in which she was partnered with Norman Cook, and scored a handful of international Gold records). It soon became apparent that the blend of Lindyfs vocals and ideas, StevieÆs production skills and their shared ethic was going to work.They both have a love for hip-hop, Drum & Bass, distortion, hooks, mayhem and the good groove.
Hardknox have now surpassed everything theyÆve ever done on their self-titled debut for Jive Electro. The techno gangsters seem to have found a unique formula that draws from the best of what hip-hop, electronic dance and future rock have to offer. Whether its the over-the-top breakbeat madness of the debut single "Come In Hard" (which features the original gangster rapper Schoolly D), the 21st Century metallic blues of "Fire Like Dis," or the bludgeoning beats-and-guitar duel of "Attitude," Hardknox come on strong with pummeling rhythms and an undeniable point-of-view. ThereÆs an extremely potent feminine thread running through the record, but whether its newcomer Jane Blaze on "Resistance is Futile," agitator Linda X on "Just Me & You," or Lindy herself on "Coz I Can," "Whose Money" and "Attitude," the women on this record are not likely to be pushed around without serious consequence.
This is the type of record that the powers-that-be are trying to warn you against. ItÆs loud, nasty and empowering. ItÆs dark, hard and catchy. And like the most deadly weapons, it lures you in and infects you before youÆve had time to figure out what the hell happened.
The self-titled debut album, ôHARDKNOXö is out 9.28.99
"Crackly Hardcore and skin-roasting Acid Breakbeats that The Prodigy were too darn scared shitless to use." - NME
"Woofer-rattling, evil as f***" - Muzik
Hardknox is a band that doesnÆt believe in subtlety. Since their inception,the group has been driven by a singular desire to stir things up. Armed with only a small bedroom studio set-up and a bad attitude, they recorded a pair of singles for influential British independent label Skint (whose roster also includes Fatboy Slim and Lo Fidelity All-Stars) that made people stand up and notice.
NME bestowed Single-Of-The-Week honors on both, DJs wore out their copies,and everyone who wanted to put out a compilation with attitude needed them on their tracklisting. Such varied artists as Crystal Method, Orgy, Faith No More and the Jungle Brothers came calling, begging for a little Hardknox remix magic. Their aggressive live shows have won fans and promoters both across the UK and the European Festival circuit, while their international DJ gigs and residencies at LondonÆs "The End" and BrightonÆs "Big Beat Boutique" are nothing short of thrilling. They are the only pair that dare follow Fatboy Slim, and manage to take the crowd higher in the process.
When they started work on Hardknox in 1996, the chemistry between Steve P and Lindy Layton was instantly evident. Stevie had been grinding out tearing Drum & Bass monsters as Skycutter and Immortal Minds, appearing on such respected labels as Reinforced and Blood. Layton had been in-between projects after the disbanding of Beats International (in which she was partnered with Norman Cook, and scored a handful of international Gold records). It soon became apparent that the blend of Lindyfs vocals and ideas, StevieÆs production skills and their shared ethic was going to work.They both have a love for hip-hop, Drum & Bass, distortion, hooks, mayhem and the good groove.
Hardknox have now surpassed everything theyÆve ever done on their self-titled debut for Jive Electro. The techno gangsters seem to have found a unique formula that draws from the best of what hip-hop, electronic dance and future rock have to offer. Whether its the over-the-top breakbeat madness of the debut single "Come In Hard" (which features the original gangster rapper Schoolly D), the 21st Century metallic blues of "Fire Like Dis," or the bludgeoning beats-and-guitar duel of "Attitude," Hardknox come on strong with pummeling rhythms and an undeniable point-of-view. ThereÆs an extremely potent feminine thread running through the record, but whether its newcomer Jane Blaze on "Resistance is Futile," agitator Linda X on "Just Me & You," or Lindy herself on "Coz I Can," "Whose Money" and "Attitude," the women on this record are not likely to be pushed around without serious consequence.
This is the type of record that the powers-that-be are trying to warn you against. ItÆs loud, nasty and empowering. ItÆs dark, hard and catchy. And like the most deadly weapons, it lures you in and infects you before youÆve had time to figure out what the hell happened.
The self-titled debut album, ôHARDKNOXö is out 9.28.99
Hardknox All Music Guide Biography
The British big-beat duo Hardknox formed in 1996 when DJs Steve P. (a.k.a. Skycutter and Immortal Minds) and Lindy Layton (formerly of Beats International) joined forces. They released their debut single "Coz I Can" that year on the Skint Label, also the home of Fatboy Slim; NME gave it Single of the Week honors, which they also bestowed on the group's second effort, the Psychopath EP. The duo's hard-hitting, dancefloor-friendly style made them in-demand remixers, tweaking songs from diverse acts like Orgy, the Crystal Method and Faith No More. 1998 found Hardknox appearing on compilations like The Big Beat Conspiracy, Vol. 1 and Monster Breaks: A Collection of Big Beat Finery. The following year the duo appeared at Woodstock '99 and released their full-length debut, Come in Hard. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
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