Ophidian [C. Hoyer]
Real Name:
Conrad Hoyer
Profile:
Using keyboards and cassette recorders Conrad Hoyer started recording his first songs and mixes in 1993, 11 years old at the time. By 1995 hardcore music had become very influential for the Dutch youth and he started using computer software to write hardcore songs. With the artists of the Ruffneck label as main lead he worked on perfecting his technique, specializing in fast, breakbeat-oriented juno-sound hardcore. In 1998 DJ Ruffneck was convinced of Conrad's talent after receiving a 4 track cd-demo, and asked him if he would like to join his labels Gangsta and Supreme Intelligence. And thus at 16 years old Conrad became the youngest artist to join the crew. The period '98-'00 can be seen as a learning period in which Conrad released a few records as Trypticon and a few more tracks as Ophidian, but was still struggling to be consistent and to find an own place within the hardcore scene.
Things changed in 2001. In this year Conrad joined Enzyme Records, started building his own studio and started his studying Music Technology at the Utrecht School of Arts. He decided to drop the Trypticon-project and concentrate on producing as Ophidian, focussing on slower hardcore, with more techno and electronic music influences. Enzyme started a sub-label called Enzyme X on which more experimental hardcore could be released, which came as a blessing because it provided exactly the space that Conrad needed to define himself and his style. From this moment on progression was fast, and he released quite a number of tracks including his first solo-album, Ophidian - Blackbox, in 2003.
In 2004 Conrad finished his study, earning the degree of Bachelor of Music Composition and Production and started his work in the music business, as a producer mixing and mastering, as DJ and live performer, and producing audio for the game industry, but still mainly as artist exploring the more experimental areas of hardcore, techno and electronic music.
In the summer of 2005, Ophidian started his own label called Meta4, in collaboration with DJ Ruffneck and Cardiac Music BV. From 2008 onward he runs it independently.
Things changed in 2001. In this year Conrad joined Enzyme Records, started building his own studio and started his studying Music Technology at the Utrecht School of Arts. He decided to drop the Trypticon-project and concentrate on producing as Ophidian, focussing on slower hardcore, with more techno and electronic music influences. Enzyme started a sub-label called Enzyme X on which more experimental hardcore could be released, which came as a blessing because it provided exactly the space that Conrad needed to define himself and his style. From this moment on progression was fast, and he released quite a number of tracks including his first solo-album, Ophidian - Blackbox, in 2003.
In 2004 Conrad finished his study, earning the degree of Bachelor of Music Composition and Production and started his work in the music business, as a producer mixing and mastering, as DJ and live performer, and producing audio for the game industry, but still mainly as artist exploring the more experimental areas of hardcore, techno and electronic music.
In the summer of 2005, Ophidian started his own label called Meta4, in collaboration with DJ Ruffneck and Cardiac Music BV. From 2008 onward he runs it independently.
Sites:
Aliases:
Variations:
All |
Ophidian
| Ohidian
| Ophidian AOphidian As Raziels Raziel
| Ophidian as Raziel
| Ophidian [C. Hoyer]
| Ophidiom
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Reviews & Discussion
Conrad Hoyer is in no uncertain terms a genius. He can make thunderous distorted techno to melodic party gabber to thoughtful beatless pieces without anything sounding lazy or contrived. He can throw in a uplifting piano section (a piano for crying out loud!) into a track like 'Butterfly' or Angel without it coming across as cheesy. He can combine subtlety with stonking great kick drums which pick you up by the lapels and throw you around the room
But despite all the musicality and high concepts of his release, there none of the po-faced chin-stroking pretentiousness that infect most techno producers. I saw him DJ at a club in Scotland where he finished a set of Enzyme/Gangsta/Supreme Intelligence/Ruffneck tracks by playing 'Jiieehaa' by Diss Reaction, at which point he jumped off the decks and came to have a dance with the punters.
Everyone with the most passing interest in hardcore or gabber should feel grateful and humble for the music Ophidian makes.
But despite all the musicality and high concepts of his release, there none of the po-faced chin-stroking pretentiousness that infect most techno producers. I saw him DJ at a club in Scotland where he finished a set of Enzyme/Gangsta/Supreme Intelligence/Ruffneck tracks by playing 'Jiieehaa' by Diss Reaction, at which point he jumped off the decks and came to have a dance with the punters.
Everyone with the most passing interest in hardcore or gabber should feel grateful and humble for the music Ophidian makes.
If you like hard stuff, do yourself a favour and give it a listen - you won't regret it.