Although he has been DJing for the last decade, it’s never quite been determined what type of DJ Scott Hardkiss is. Is he a techno DJ? A house DJ? A funky breakbeat DJ? Hardkiss himself is happy not to be categorized and is the chief perpetuator of the mystery.

“I like a lot of different styles of music,” he explains. “I’ve been one of the pioneers of the funky breakbeat thing when everyone was doing 4/4. But at the same time I [have been] supporting trance since ’92, house music since the late ’80s, hip hop since the early ’80s, funk, rock-n-roll, soul, reggae, Latin, blues. When I DJ, I like it to reflect my taste, so I try and mix it up.”

Much like his original productions—that predominantly go under the God Within moniker—Hardkiss’ DJ sets are varied and all encompassing without sounding disparate. “When I started out I was very much, ‘This is my thing, this is what I do and people can take it or leave it.’ But as I’ve gotten a little older, I try and meet people halfway. That doesn’t mean [play] something that I like that they’re a little more comfortable with, and then bring them something that they wouldn’t have experienced before or wouldn’t normally think they’d go for. Try and be more seductive rather than beat people over the head. If it’s a big rave, I try to keep somewhat of a flow with what’s going [before me] and then kind of take them into my territory.

“Some promoters and people in the dance music industry want you to pick a side and stick with it. That’s not true to me personally at all because I don’t listen to one style of music all day long. I know those other DJs don’t either, because I go in their cars and I hear what they’re playing, but that’s rarely reflected in their sets. I’m not criticizing anyone for not playing Lynyrd Skynyrd in the middle of the jungle set, all I’m saying is I would like to reflect a little of that diversity.”

Diversity was the key phrase for Hardkiss Music, which Scott Hardkiss was a part of from 1992 to1997. The San Francisco-based label ceased operation after the signing of the three core members of the label (in addition to Scott, Robbie and Gavin Hardkiss as well) to a major record deal in the “electronica” feeding frenzy. No music was ever released, but it did put Hardkiss in limbo for three years. Gavin now works on his Sunburn imprint, which originally started out as a side project, but Scott has no involvement in the label and has since moved to New York City.

For his first mix CD, 1996’s Yes (Hardkiss Music, 1996), Hardkiss used samplers, CD players and synthesizers. For his second and latest compilation, United DJs Of America Presents: Scott Hardkiss (DMC), he has gone back to basics of simply using two turntables and a mixer, trying to re-create the club experience as best as possible. His mixer of choice is the Pioneer DJM-500 with all the effects for creativity, but not for sound. For that, he prefers UREIs. However, when faced with a choice between effects or sound, Hardkiss will take effects.

“Now that the mixers can figure out the tempo of the records and apply effects in time with the tempo of the records, that’s really interesting,” he says. “Using samplers is something I’ve done on and off for years while DJing, that’s all part of it. I have a CD burner and I make up pieces and tracks and things and I’ll burn it and I’ll just get the promoter to set up a little CD player at the gig and I just really like that idea of doing something for the people. I customize a lot of my sets. I’ll create tracks and mixes just for me to play out that people can’t hear elsewhere like [Elton John’s] ‘Rocket Man.’ I’ll also try to bring not only the latest, greatest, newest records, but expose people to a history of dance music from the past few decades and work in obscure older stuff they might not have heard, a few classics and mix all that up together.”

His divergent musical taste is apparent on this CD. Mixed expertly and smoothly, Hardkiss brings together the sounds of Electric Skychurch with Tom Chasteen and Jark Prongo without a hitch. Ananda Project sits alongside Steve Lawler and Static Revenger easily. Armand Van Helden, Bipath and Raoul Zerna share comfortable space with C-Mos and the Heartists. Even Salt N’ Pepa turn up with a teasing hook.

“This CD reflects more of me as a DJ now, especially when I’m playing a bigger club or a rave,” says Hardkiss. “Compared to my productions, it’s a littler harder, faster, more in your face. It’s not as tripped out and it’s a little more straightforward cruise for the dancefloor. It has an overall feel to it, but within that it has different flavors and elements. A good deal of it is 4/4 rhythms where a lot of people think I only play breakbeats. But within that it’s blended in Latin music, hip hop and rap. There’s a blues vocal, there’s house, there’s a lot of different sounds that are fused within that overall sound. That’s what I like to try to do. I hear DJs who play one type of record all night and sometimes I get real jealous ‘cause I know that’s a lot easier to do. I’m not saying that people are bad if they choose to do that but I’m saying that I try to put different things together. And sometimes I fall on my face, but other times—and hopefully more and more as I progress—it comes together and blends together. That’s what I’m trying to do with this CD.” – Lily Moayeri