HQ Recordings: ‘The Home Of Harder Trance’ is the brainchild of Gary Chartier (Ganesh), Peter Miskelly (Pete Delete) and Amanda Vanderheyden. This new indie record label has been making a splash in the more underground trance circles since launching last September so Northern Ireland Trance Addicts got in touch with the HQ squad to find out more. Read below or check out the visual version!
Published by Jen Boyd (4/30/20, North Ireland Trance Addicts)
How did you guys all meet?
P • It was quite random actually, I haven’t even met these two legends yet in person even though we talk almost every day. I first spoke to Gary when I was intrigued by his track “Emergent” on FSOE Clandestine, last summer. It didn’t take long to notice he was one of the good ones, we had a lot in common in our music tastes and beyond, we instantly hit it off and the idea for our own label was mentioned within the first conversation! Amanda was introduced to me by Gary, shortly after as a designer first before we asked her to be a co-owner as she is invaluable to all things HQ. Both have been an absolute pleasure to work with and I can call them good friends now.
G • Well, Amanda and I have had a business relationship starting in 2018 when I needed graphic work for my EDC Las Vegas set, and we became fast friends right after. Bringing her in as a partner in HQ only seemed natural as she has given HQ a face and an image to our label in a way that can’t be replaced. Pete summed up how he met me pretty well. ‘Nuff said.
A • Gary included me to be part of the initial label concepts since I had designed his logo and podcast artwork. After being introduced to Pete, we all collaborated so well with one another that HQ came to life immediately! Aside from the artwork, I contributed my Marketing background to propel HQ into early success and was humbled when Pete and Gary invited me to become a co-owner of the label. I consider these two family, even though I have yet to meet Pete in person!
How did you find setting up your first ever record label?
G • The experience has been equal parts maddening and rewarding. It was pure DIY. We had no idea what we were doing. We just started looking about and pooling our collective resources. We really do, all each one of us, bring very key key elements that are complementary.
P • It’s been a learning curve and a very exciting ride so far. I had done A&R work before and kinda knew how things worked in that area but regarding the distribution and business side we went in pretty much blind and worked it out as we went along, we still are! Thankfully things have developed quite organically and there has been no massive headaches yet, touch wood!
A • Still learning daily, the biggest challenges were in the beginning while establishing our presence Online and getting the word out on HQ’s existence! Despite the many learns along the way, each milestone (big or small) is that much more rewarding. The immense amount of communication between us three (with each of our separate vital contributions in skill or knowledge) has been essential to building, sustaining and growing our label.
I’m not calling you old but you guys have been about the scene for a long time, why did you feel it was time to start a new label?
G • Oh you can certainly call me old! My own reasons for starting to DJ in the 90s was my feeling that I just wasn’t hearing the music that I wanted to hear being played out so I felt I needed to be that conduit. To bring the underground sounds to light. Especially in America. There just wasn’t any real hard stuff getting played. I would find myself in an odd spot. Too hard for the trance stage and too soft for the hardcore (90s and ‘00s hardcore, mind you) stage. And that’s still what I find myself being drawn to. That sweet spot between Trance and Hard trance. That’s our goal with the label. To fill that void. Bring back the energetic and driving trance that Pete and I cut our teeth on.
P • Middle aged thanks Jen! I’ve always wanted to have my own label, trance is my biggest passion in life since a teenager and I love finding producers and tracks that do it for me and promoting them. So yeah mainly to put out the sounds I’m into and to develop talent which was what I enjoyed the most when I owned and ran two trance artist management/booking agencies previously. Also it’s handy when bigger more established labels don’t want your stuff, they aren’t always as open to new ideas until you get bigger so you can promote your own music in your own way on your own time schedule etc.
What are each of your roles within the label?
P • Amanda is the unofficial boss we call her ‘the cyborg’ as she balances her workload so perfectly and does so much to make the label work efficiently.
Gary is the dad and tells me off when i misbehave, no in all seriousness he’s been a bit of a mentor and calming influence in a scene that can be frustrating. We cross over a lot but I tend to focus on the music side mostly, especially the more weird, modern and classic euro hard trance influenced stuff while Gary does his driving UK Hard Trance flavoured thing which I also love.
Gary and I both help write track descriptions, help Amanda with merch ideas, post a bit of social media content and lots of sharing, write up and send the contracts and deal with remixers and deadlines etc.
G • All kidding aside, Amanda is the hardest working member of our little family. Her media knowledge and graphics are the face of HQ. Secondly, I’d say Pete. He is the artist liaison, in a lot of cases, chasing down deadlines. A bit of an enforcer. I have my go to artists and sounds that I try to push. I’m always going back to my heroes and trying to get them involved and Pete will temper that with his very modern and impressive group that he pulls from and I’m never short of amazed.
A • I prepare all of the artwork for HQ, including each album cover with accompanying video previews and social media graphics. I built and manage our website daily which is the epicenter for all things HQ including information on each release, the artists, previews, news circulating on our label, etc. I ensure our social media is always fully up to date for the trance community. Marketing ourselves as a new brand / sound has been picking up momentum each week so the challenge is to stay creative and different from all of the other well-known labels out there! I also keep the boys organized but they bring in the fun when I get too serious about my own workload. Gary is my biggest motivator, he keeps me encouraged daily and calms me down when I stress myself out. I appreciate Pete’s input and vast industry knowledge, I’ve learned so much from him in such a short time. I respect those two highly, together we made HQ possible due to our unique contributions.
From the US (L.A. and Oregon) to Northern Ireland, how does it work in the trans-atlantic sense?
A • We each have our own unique involvement in the Trance scene and label. Together we communicate, collaborate and input our ideas to ensure HQ continues to grow.
G • It’s great. The distance really gives us all a really unique and individual take on the scene. It does make phone calls awkward but it’s really just 3 people with a passion for exposing music to the masses.
P • Mainly its those two poor sods waking up every day to messages from me as they are 8 hours behind, then we have group chats on messenger and do the odd video call, the time zones haven’t really been an issue at all. It’s cool as we have one of the best trance scenes here in NI and its big in California too with Dreamstate etc, who Gary is resident for, so we are surrounded by great artists and from both sides of the pond.
Can you tell us more about what #hardertrance is ?
P • Firstly we aren’t being pretentious thinking we can create a new sub genre it’s just an idea which Gary first came up with to bring something different to the table.
Harder Trance is basically something harder than generic normal trance but maybe not as aggressive as the out and out reverse bass Euro/German sound that hard trance is mostly known for.. “Harder” to us means harder feels too, more grooves, big melodic drops, tracks that are full of blistering energy. I suppose we are a bit of a throw back to the classic sounds and although we do embrace modern production we feel a lot of current stuff is very production focused and while production quality is very important we prefer tracks that are more composition driven.There’s been a lack some of that 90s and early 2000s club vibe that we first fell in love with. Sometimes you have to go back to go forward and for us it’s about having fun with euphoric music that makes you dance like nobody’s watching! Harder trance can be anything from classic UK or Euro style, modern hybrids, tough tech/techno driven, harder edged uplifting, psy/acid influenced, it’s more about a feeling than a specific sound.
G • I couldn’t have said it better.
What’s been your favourite HQ release so far?
G • I’m terrible at this sort of thing. The re-release of “Lover Man”, HQ001, was such a pleasure to be instrumental in. Getting all of those artists together there was probably close to 100 years experience in that one release alone. Let’s go with that.
P • That’s a tough one as i’ve enjoyed every track or I wouldn’t have signed them but my top 5 are Binary Finary – Salvation, The Sixth Sense – Rogue Planet (Darren Hall Remix), Reynolds & Thatcher – One Hit, ,Phazer – This Is My Design, Adrenaline Dept. – U Got 2 Be There.
A • Wavetraxx – Gates of Eternity, the Adrenaline Dept. remix (HQ:002), no question!
Tell us about your DIG DEEPER EP
G • I’m a “crate digger”. I always have been. I usually find myself avoiding what’s at the top of the charts for the most part. Quality is quality, regardless of chart position but you will find incredible stuff that is by people you never heard of on a label you’ve never heard of if you just “dig deeper”. We wanted to shed light on some lesser known tallent and keep pushing the ethos.
P • This is an EP based on digging deeper (vinyl crate digging reference) to find more raw and up and coming producers we hope to help develop.
What other labels are you into?
G • It varies so much. Sounds can change so rapidly that I very rarely just buy a track just because it’s on a particular label. I’m like a trance hipster. I’m always on the hunt for the bleeding edge. The label is less important to me than the individual track.
P • I’m into all sorts, have to respect what VII have done, especially their branding, Askew is a genius. My fellow Irish lot are smashing it with Subculture, Kearnage, Afterdark, Skullduggery.
I usually find stuff I like on FSOE main label, Fables and Clandestine, Outburst, Nocturnal Knights, Anjunabeats, Regenerate, Armada WAO 138, Reaching Altitude, Flashover Trance, Mental Asylum, In Trance We Trust, Techburst, Dolma, Drumcode, Aukektone, Respekt, plus plenty of smaller labels such as Redrive, Projekted, Radiation, HTE, Hyper Reality, Phoenix, Suanda Dark, State Control, Joyride, Tidy Two etc
A • Too many! VII is definitely a favorite along with Blackhole Recordings and Nocturnal Knights (Fusion). I’m also involved with “Nocturnal” as a graphic artist, but genuinely love their roster of talented artists. Pharmacy Music is also on the top of my list as Psy is one of my favorite sub genres of Trance.
Any cheeky exclusives on future music to expect this year?
G • We managed to organise new mixes of Pro-Tech – “Cosmic Vision”, the alias from German hard trance pioneer DJ WAG, 2 new mixes from S5 (USA),BLACK XS (Argentina), 2020 remasters of the original DJ WAG club mix and original 1994 Generation Lost In Space Mix, plus a competition winner remix.
P • We have got the legendary Swiss hard trance outfit S.H.O.K.K remixing the iconic Australian duo Binary Finary, the tracks called ‘Invada’ and it will blow your socks off!
Earlier this year you held your first ever HQ event in Orange County, how was that?
G • Unreal. Such an incredible vibe and energy all night. Getting to have 3 HQ artists as well as K90 on the decks was a bucket list moment. Special thanks to Bakari Deal and Intricacy Nights for hosting us and making it possible.
P • Unfortunately I couldn’t make it this time but i’m really hoping to get over to California this year to hang with Gary and Amanda, some of the US HQ artists and experience HQ in the live environment. I’ve been promised the ultimate LA experience, from a small town in Northern Ireland to Hollywood baby, now that will be something else!
A • Remarkable! A dream come true, really. I thought it would take years to bring an HQ-themed night to life, but Bakari from Intricacy made it a reality for us in such a short amount of time. The energy and support from the crowd was unforgettable, we are already looking forward to the next one!
Tell us about the debut HQ compilation you have planned?
G • We want to showcase all the releases each year by putting out a physical compilation every Christmas as a stocking filler. The first edition will be 3 cds mixed by me (Ganesh), Pete Delete and Phazer plus a special guest HQ artist mixer from our stable. The compilation that will be called ‘HARDER TRANCE 1’ is also a little reward for the dedicated fans and artists on the label!
P • We both came from the non digital era where you held something in your hand, we miss that, physical compilations are a thing again and we are right into that. Growing up i collected albums and compilation cds such Gatecrasher, Godskitchen, In Search Of Sunrise, Resonate, Slinky, Clubbers Guide To Ibiza, Ministry and Mixmag comps such as Bosh and i want to be able to hold all our hard work and music tastes in my hand.
A • A physical HQ compilation piece is going to be a representation of all the hard work year-round from the HQ staff and our talented artists! The design (inside and out) will reflect our trademark artwork which will undoubtedly stand out in any collection.
Who is your dream artist to have on HQ someday?
G • Scot Project, which almost goes without saying. K90, Shock:Force, Tempo Guisto, as I think he is making what I think is almost modern Hard House. Lost in Noise would be incredible! To be completely honest getting Baby Doc, Jon Doe and Phil Reynolds, three of my absolute favorites on HQ was already a dream come true. Just blown away by that. There are a ton of artists that have gone off the radar a bit like Vandall, James Lawson, Commander Tom, etc. the list just goes on and on.
P • Kai Tracid for sure I love his trance and acid combo or even his new acid techno. Derb, Warmduscher, any of the Tracid Traxxx crew. Scot Project, he brings the groove, the funk, the vocal, the energy, the impact, the soul and the melody, a living legend nuff said! Or if we’re talking about the UK sound, Guyver!!!
A • I think all three of us are hoping for Scot Project! Without question.
Outside of HQ what are you guys up to?
G • I’ve got EDC Vegas, this year again, which is an absurd sentence all by itself! Working on more music with my production partner, RJ VanXetten, and just being a husband and a dad. That is more than enough on its own!
P • Busy as always, currently in the process of launching Pete Delete & Phazer, a new Northern Irish trance duo with my great friend and studio partner Aran Gillan, making new music and trying to get as much as we can signed for release later in the year. Also gave up alcohol since Christmas and trying to be as healthy as possible. I’m looking forward to getting back into my wildlife conservation work this Spring and balancing both of my passions. Phazer is showing me around the CDJ set up so we can start ramping things up on the DJ front from the summer onwards. We’re doing a monthly mix called MEGAMAZE (blatant plug) and i’m also doing a few separate collabs as Pete Delete meets.. as well as writing lyrics for some vocal tracks. Apart from that i still do some writing for the music industry, artist biogs/press releases when i find the time and patience to sit and write.
A • My involvement with HQ has catapulted my career as a graphic artist in Los Angeles, I’m now supporting the artwork requests (logos, podcasts, websites, etc.) of several local DJs in the scene. When I’m not working around the clock, I do try to catch a show every other weekend when my favorite Trance (and occasional hardstyle) artists are playing! I’m disciplining myself to meditate more often (daily) to balance my crazy LA lifestyle.
As veterans of the electronic music scene with over 40 years combined experience … what are your tips for young blood who are starting out?
G • Hold your tongue. Play what you love and not what you think will get you gigs. If that is the same thing awesome but never pander . If you are going through the motions it will show. Be genuine and honest. It sounds like the same old thing because it is. There is no easy path.
P • There’s loads to be wary of in this scene, im by no means an expert or id be living the dream not still chasing it but i have either witnessed or experienced first hand most of the pitfalls along the way. Keep your ego in check, stay humble you aren’t saving sick babies here! Be careful not to party too much as there’s a fine line between having fun and self destructive behaviour. Be VERY patient. Stay out of online drama. Dare to be musically different, help others as much as you can and it should come back to you in the end. Never forget the people who were there for you in the beginning. Learn a bit about the history of the scene.If you get frustrated or in a rut take a break but never give up, self belief is everything and there will be more people saying no than yes until you get a bigger profile, be grateful for anything that comes your way we aren’t owed anything in this scene or life.