The rave era of the '90s would not have been nearly as impactful on the West Coast without the Hardkiss Brothers. For the parachute pants-and-pacifier set, Gavin and Scott Hardkiss were the DJs of record. They oversaw thousands of tribal gatherings, both legal and illegal, set to a soundtrack of thumping, 4X4 beats. Just don't blame them for the subsequent rise of techno-house as scores of less-innovative imitators rushed to copy the Hardkiss blueprint.
It's a little hard to comprehend why Scott Hardkiss hasn't followed other electronic music luminaries like Carl Cox and Paul Oakenfold into the realm of artistry before, but whatever. Hardkiss--who will always be identified with San Francisco, though he's relocated to Zoo Yawk--has just announced he's releasing his debut artist album, Technicolor Dreamer, due July 28th on Hardkiss' label, God Within (no, that title doesn't sound pretentious at all). The album features musicians who have played with everyone from George Clinton to Bruce Springsteen, as well as Naked Music vocalist Lisa Shaw. According to the PR, Technicolor Dreamer is "A kaleidoscope of sounds that are sprinkled with themes of stars, transformation, and celebration in the face of darkness... a bubbly, groovy retro-futuristic funk ride that every man, woman and child is sure to enjoy."
