Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Berserker
Introduction of the project
Born in Marseille (South of France) in 1986, Berserker (From his real name Yann David) is a French Artist DJ & Producer of Hardcore music: Darkcore / Doomcore / Industrial Hardcore
He brings and shares his own vision of Hardcore music with a dark and hybrid style that mixes multiple sounds of these sub genres and releases his tracks through his own Label “Berserker Music”.
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I remember there was music all the time in the car with my parents, and also often at home on the stereo and their vinyl & audiotape collection in various styles.
In the beginning of the 90’s I started to listen by myself Electronic Music and more particularly House, Dance, Techno, Trance and of course Hardcore & Hard Music when I discover the “Thunderdome” and “Bonzai” compilations and the DJ’s mix on the station radio then I recorded on audiotape.
But today I listen and I really love all kinds of music, Electronic or not.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
When I was younger, my father had a little keyboard and I’ll take this in secret for playing with it and record myself on audiotape to try to make like my favorite artists.
Of course the result looked like nothing, but I loved it and step by step I had an interest in how the music I loved made it create.
Later on the computer of my father, first on Atari and after on PC, I discovered and tried some demos of software music with magazines and at this moment I know what I make: create my own music.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Only a guy who is really passionate of music and who has produced Electronic music and Hardcore during many years with many projects and who in 2024 decide to restart from scratch in music and Hardcore for start a new project “Berserker” for share his own vision of Hardcore with the idea to purpose something of different then made it actually on this scene and who also make the choice to wear a mask because for him the music had not need a face.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
The primary style of my music is Hardcore (Techno Hardcore not Metal Hardcore because it is not the same style) but I make essentially sub genres like Darkcore, Doomcore and Industrial Hardcore.
My style is a dark and hybrid mix of all these sounds at various slow tempo generally between 100 & 150 BPM but sometimes more slower and under 100 BPM.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
There are 2 things than I learned:
First, this is the sound design because this is the only way to create his proper sound identity.
And secondly, this is the concept of “Less is more”, because sometimes deleting some elements on arrangements it’s better and cleaner than adding more elements which mask others and make frequencies conflict.
These two points are important for me and I have had many years to understand that.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I have worked on a PC and essentially with FL Studio in DAW for 20 years now, the rapidity and the workflow of this DAW is just perfect for me.
Otherwise, I use a master keyboard M-Audio Oxygen 49 for compose and in terms of VST, I use Serum 2 who is a real game changer in terms of sound design because we can literally make all kinds of sounds and synthesis, I use also Nexus 5 because there are much of cool presets in great quality what we tweak and sometimes I use other VST too.
And to finish, for the part mix and mastering I use the FabFilter suit which isn’t useful to present to people who make music and audio.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
At this moment I love Flora Rose who is a really very talented French Indie Pop artist Songwriter/Composer/Singer.
And in hardcore, the track “The Search For Surge” by Embrionyc is one my favourite actually.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Since my chillhood I’m a real passionate of Dark & Gothic Fantasy, Sci-Fi and his Dystopic universes, Paranormal and Horror (Movies, series or literature) who feed my imagination and influence directly all my music and my artistic vision (This is the pure essence of my project).
There are also the bad things of life that I lived these last years like the grief or depression which influence so much my music and make it much darker.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope they feel just as much pleasure at listening to this than me at composing it and why not feel strange emotions in a deep journey in the heart of an imaginary dark world.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Sadly beyond one passion, the music industry is just a monkey bizness where the people with bad intentions want their profit in exploitation of artists and nothing else.
All these methods make me sick and I’m happy to be an indie artist and have the chance to choose with whom I want to work.
But on a more positive note, the music also taught me that she’s a good therapist.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
My ultimate dream will be one day if I had the opportunity to perform at the big events such as Thunderdome, Dominator or Masters Of Hardcore, but perform also in a very little unknown club or scene, I’ll be the happiest.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
If I must name artists from the past, I think then my collaborations will be with the genius of classical music like Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi or Bach for the symphonic and melodic side.
For the artists of the present, in the Hardcore scene: Angerfist is named just him but in reality there is an unfinished list of names, and in other kinds of music artists like Era, Rammstein or Depeche Mode because I really love their universes and sounds.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
My music is available on all streaming/download portals and you can follow me across all the social medias.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerserkerHardcore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berserker_hardcore
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/artist/3DE2w22xBMtH5uy3gjj6y0?si=Yqv8clS6TQiu4FOZXzkO8Q
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/berserker/1744762488
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/berserker_hardcore
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@berserkerhardcore
Bandcamp: https://berserkerhardcore.bandcamp.com/
But anyway all the links are here => https://linktr.ee/berserker_hc
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
In first, find dates for bookings because in more to be producer I’m also DJ and that be cool of can share my music with public, and in second take the opportunity of make collaborations with artists I loved the music.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I hope they discover behind my “scary mask” and my “dark universe”, there is a real human with emotions not an AI and also a good guy who is really passionate for music not for fame.
