Hardknox

Assuming Fatboy Slim’s beats are sped up happiness for the cocaine masses, than Hardknox’s sounds are the nasty mescaline speedball variety. To say their fantastic music is hardcore wouldn’t do them justice — this debut would give Prodigy nightmares. The duo of Lindy Layton and Steve Proctor have layered their superior aggressive electronica sounds with enough industrial noodling to satisfy both industrial and electronica lovers. Actually, this combination is what make Hardknox truly appealing. “Come In Hard (I Don’t Like Rock & Roll)” will fog up your brain long after it has been played, ensuring your body will keep moving to the beat that no longer exists. Whether it’s the industrial backbone or the electronica stretched over it that turns you on, this song is an instant classic. The message spit out by rapper Schooly D is plain and simple — he don’t like rock’n’roll and you shouldn’t either. Both DJs have honed their skills working on various projects — Lindy was teamed with Norman Cook for Beats International, while Proctor was doing that drum and bass thing as Skycutter and Immortal Minds. You can hear these influences being seamlessly combined by the two. Hardknox’s hardcore sounds have attracted the attention of Crystal Method, ORGY, Faith No More and the Jungle Brothers who have had the band do remixing for them. With two popular singles behind them, their debut album is forcible enough to blow minds and bodies with its loud hostile catchy vibes.