Evil Activities: “Every human being walks his own path and for a long time our path coincided with Neophyte Records”
“Evil is here. We ain’t going nowhere!” After a few years without releases, Evil Activities is more than back with the new track ‘Mental’. We talked to Kelly and Elvis about the split with Neophyte Records, why they are joining the brand-new Q-dance label QORE and all we can expect in the future.
Evil Activities has been a well-known and loved part of the hardcore scene ever since ’99. These (more than) 20 years have been filled with iconic releases like ‘Sick Of My Life’, ‘Nobody Said It Was Easy’, ‘Broken’, ‘Evil Inside’ and ‘Never Fall Asleep’, three successful albums among which Extreme Audio and of course countless of huge performances. Where Kelly represented the act on his own at first, Elvis (E-Life) has been a part of Evil Activities for many years now.
“Because I was taking a step back, the dynamics in the company changed”
Kelly spent a lot of these 20 years playing a big role in the Neophyte Records label. Even though this period created the Evil Activities as we know it today, the men have now decided to part ways with the label. “Every human being walks his own path and for a long time our path coincided with Neophyte Records. But, because of the growth of the scene and careers, visions, beliefs & personal needs, things change”, Kelly explains.
Furthermore, Kelly noticed the music started to suffer from the amount of time he was putting into the company, which resulted in certain things not working out as he wanted them to anymore. “Because I was taking a step back, the dynamics in the company changed. Communication worsened and in the end the situation became not sustainable. This is when you have to start making choices, and so these were made.”
“If you look at the legacy that has been built from the past, it hurts. But I am happy the page has been turned”
Elvis never really got involved with Kelly’s personal and working relationships within Neophyte Records. “That wouldn’t be right, those relationships have been there long before I came into the picture.” Of course, Elvis did experience how the situation was affecting Kelly, and “how heavy and pressuring a toxic situation can be. If you look at the legacy that has been built from the past, it hurts. But I am happy the page has been turned and we can look ahead again.”
Because of this situation, there hadn’t been an Evil Activities release since 2018. Nevertheless, it took a little while longer before the gentlemen could come out with their decision to part ways. “First, business needed to be handled the right way in order to move on. You can’t dance with the devil on your back”, so both men explain.
“We can do much more than creating a nice track or playing a good set, we are both entrepreneurs”
We don’t have to wait to find out what Evil Activities will do next, because the duo has already joined the brand-new Q-dance label QORE. The men have had a great relationship with Q-dance, so this was a logical choice to them. “Mutual respect, an open mind and a long-term vision is just what works best for us”, so Kelly explains.
Also on a business level the collaboration with QORE was a logical choice according to Elvis. “We can do much more than creating a nice track or playing a good set. We are both entrepreneurs and that’s why we’re always thinking about the next step and how we want to take it. If Q-dance feels the same way and wants to be a part of this journey, only great things can come from such a collaboration.”
“Hardcore is the basis, so QORE is a path destined for Q-dance”
Of course, hardcore plays a huge role within Q-dance, “but this only really showed in events. The potential growth was in music, in which we saw a great role for ourselves”, so Kelly explains. Elvis adds: “Hardcore is the basis, so QORE is a path destined for Q-dance. QORE is a new adventure on which both Q-dance and Evil Activities are building, and in which we want to play our part in the scene with creativity, courage and craftsmanship.”
Therefore, it’s no surprise there are more than enough Evil Activities releases planned on the QORE label. By now the first one is already out: ‘Mental’, “which stands for the constant evolution of our sound. High level production, great vocals and keep trying to find that area of tension that comes about when you start to unite the accessible with hardcore. Don’t go for the ‘easy win’, but find that edge on which you might feel a little uncomfortable, but you are being challenged.”
“Time is money… We’re all millionaires now!”
Right now we’re all facing a difficult situation due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Kelly tries to handle things as positive as he can: “I can get more rest than before, and see my kids and wife more than they’d like! I have had the studio in my backyard for a while now, so I was already getting used to seeing less people during the week.” Also Elvis is looking at things from a positive perspective: “Time is money… We’re all millionaires now! Maybe this is great time to start doing or learning new things.”
The Evil Activities duo can’t wait for that moment we can all come together and party. “But for now: stay home, stay at least 2 meters away from each other, step up your hygiene game and help the ones that need you right now. Think of it as an investment for the future. If we say the future is ours, it’s also up to us to take our responsibility for it… See you soon!”
You can now listen to the first Evil Activities release on new QORE label ‘Mental’ on all platforms via this link. To be kept updated on the latest news you can keep an eye on the socials of Evil Activities and Q-dance Records: “There are good things coming up… Stay tuned!”
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“Every human being walks his own path”
Totally agree, women are not humans, mere animals.
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