Hardtrax - Hardphunk

Review by Wayeal Zhou

Hardphunk by Hardtrax: A 1994 Time Capsule of Tech House Vibes Alright, let’s talk about Hardphunk. If you’re into the early days of electronic music when everything felt raw and unpolished yet totally groundbreaking, this album is a gem. Released in ‘94 on Probe Records, it’s got that tech house-meets-techno vibe that screams underground warehouse parties and late-night drives through empty city streets. And yeah, it’s Canadian—shoutout to North America (and Mexico too) for birthing some serious beats back then. The Hard Brothers are the masterminds behind this thing, both writing and producing the whole shebang. You can tell they weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here; instead, they just wanted to make people move. The title track “Hardphunk” hits hard right outta the gate. It’s one of those tracks where you don’t even realize how deep you’re nodding your head until five minutes in, and suddenly your neck hurts. The bassline? Insanely catchy. Like, I remember hearing it once at a friend’s place years ago, and it stuck with me ever since. There’s something about its simplicity—it doesn’t try too hard, but man, does it work. Another standout is… well, honestly, most of the other tracks kind of blend together for me. But there’s this one—I think it’s called “Trax Attack” or something like that—which has these weird little bleeps and bloops layered over a super tight kick drum. It’s not perfect, but that’s what makes it cool. Feels like someone jamming live rather than obsessing over every detail in a studio. Plus, the energy is contagious. Every time I hear it, I wanna dig up my old glow sticks and pretend I’m at a rave circa ‘95. What gets me about Hardphunk is how unapologetically DIY it feels. This wasn’t some big-budget project with flashy marketing campaigns. Nope, it was two dudes messing around with synths and drum machines, probably fueled by coffee and whatever else kept them going during long studio sessions. That authenticity shines through, even if the production quality isn’t exactly top-tier by today’s standards. Here’s the random thought that hit me while listening to this again: What would The Hard Brothers think if they saw TikTok dances set to their music now? Like, imagine some Gen Z kid vibing to “Hardphunk” without having any clue it came out before they were born. Wild, right? Anyway, give this album a spin if you’re into retro sounds or just wanna hear what tech house sounded like before everyone started taking themselves so seriously. It’s messy, fun, and oddly timeless—all rolled into one.

Artist: Hardtrax
Album: Hardphunk

Electronic

1994

Rating: 4.25

Review
About Album
Download
Tracks
Video
Images
Catalog Numbers
Labels
Listen online
Formats
Companies
Credits
Notes
Barcodes
About Artist
Interesting fact
Comments
Related albums

Download

Filename: hardtrax-hardphunk.zip

MP3 size: 5 mb
FLAC size: 41.2 mb

Download

Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
Hardphunk

Video

Hardtrax 1 - Hardphunk

Hardtrax - Hardphunk (Original Mix)

Images

Album herunterladen Hardtrax - Hardphunk

Catalog Numbers

PRO19

Labels

Probe Records

Listen online

écouter en ligne
lyssna på nätet
online luisteren
kuunnella verkossa
ascolta in linea
ouvir online
online anhören
lytte på nettet
escuchar en línea

Formats

Vinyl
12"
33 ⅓ RPM
Single Sided

Companies

Role	Company
Distributed By	IntelliNET
Mastered At	National Sound Corporation

Credits

Role	Credit
Written-By	The Hard Brothers
Producer	The Hard Brothers

Notes

The label states '45' but the record actually plays at 33 ⅓ RPM.
Same track on both sides.
Label says 45, but this record actually plays at 33⅓ RPM.
Written and produced by the Hard Brothers

Barcodes

Matrix / Runout: Pro 19 Dis Side NSC

About Hardtrax

Real Name

Richard Hawtin

Name Vars

Hardtrax
Hardtrax 1

Aliases

The Hard Brothers

Members

Richie Hawtin
Matthew Hawtin

Interesting fact about Album

Did you know? The album *Hardphunk* by Hardtrax is a hidden gem from the '90s electronic scene. Released in 1994, it blends tech house and techno with raw energy. What’s cool is that it was put out by Probe Records and hit shelves across Canada, the US, and even Mexico. The Hard Brothers not only wrote the tracks but also produced them, giving the whole project a personal touch. The track "Hardphunk" itself is a standout, packing a punch that defined the underground sound of its time.

Comments

kajiharatailwood

2025-03-12

????

theambivalentagender

2025-03-11

@basementdweller1 On Terry's Cafe it is at this speed. It may be the cause for this upload on Youtube. I've seen it happen to a few other tracks on those compilations. Up and down

fabiandecepticon

2025-03-11

Yeeeeahhh

moontzvi

2025-03-10

This is what happens when Greg Beato & Brawther have sex in the studio. Only thats it's from 93

naspegadasdolobo

2025-03-09

E-Werk Berlin '94 nuff said...

tamilund

2025-03-08

Thank you John Aquaviva for introducing this masterpiece to me.

threslethor

2025-03-07

I'm incredibly happy to have both the red and green Hard Bros releases, they're fucking incredible! I'd love to hear em out in a bumping warehouse again sometime soon! Why doesn't Mr. Hawtin make tunes with his bro anymore?! They're both solid gold. Great post mate :)

anilbhate1

2025-03-06

No need for Dat-Side because Dis-Side kicked ass.

temmyreddevil

2025-03-06

Absolute classic, only needs120bpm for maximum effect, great noise with that filter. Haven't heard this for years, still sounds as great as when it first came out.

yfijit

2025-03-05

Great piece. The only hawtin track I have (well, besides the other hard brothers release). The BPM here is a faster than my copy. You would think slower would be softer, but my god does it jam when it's slowed down! Better than the increased speed, which is mostly what I see on youtube.