Terminal V Podcast 104 || HARD CANDY
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In the vibrant heart of Berlin’s electronic scene, DJ Cringey and TOXIMAMI, known collectively as HARD CANDY, are redefining musical boundaries. This dynamic duo, rising stars in the music world, are celebrated for their unique ‘Polygenre’ sound—a high-energy fusion of Donk, Psytrance, Techno, and Bailefunk, infused with Bootleg elements, all delivered at a pulse-racing BPM. Their distinct sound is characterized by DJ Cringey’s high-pitched, playful vocals, offering a delightful contrast to TOXIMAMI’s rough, sex-positive lyrical style. HARD CANDY’s talents have illuminated stages at prominent festivals like Feel Festival, Splash, Fusion, and Bipolar Day Festival, and their presence is a staple in the famed Berlin club circuit with notable performances at Watergate, RSO, Aeden and across Germany. Their sets promise a journey of unexpected surprises, showcasing their fresh and contemporary approach to sound. Beyond their DJing prowess, both artists are deeply involved in the music industry. TOXIMAMI, a community event organizer and label manager,
complements DJ Cringey’s creative flair as a graphic designer for musicians and brands. HARD CANDY stands as a testament to their shared vision, a synergy of creativity and friendship, paving the way for a new era in electronic music.
Important things first – what’s your favourite hard candy to eat and why?
Definitely lollipops. You just get more out of them — they last long, they’re sweet, they look cool, and they’ve got that little bit of swag. So yeah, we’d both go for lollies. One of us is more into cola flavor, the other one’s a strawberry girl. We’re always happy when there’s a free lollipop somewhere — maybe also as a little cigarette replacement, who knows.
When did you first meet, and why did you decide to team up?
We first met seven years ago in Mannheim at an afterparty by the harbor. We ended up having the same group of girlfriends and got closer over time. During Covid, a room in my (Cringey’s) flat became free, and Sabrina (TOXIMAMIi) moved to Berlin. We lived together for about a year and a half — it just worked perfectly.
We both loved electronic music, and many of our friends were making tracks too. One day we spontaneously got together with Mathis Ruffing and made a song that actually did really well. That gave us a push to start DJing. We had a lot of time during lockdown, a friend gave us a mixer, and we just started playing together — it was way more fun and less intimidating than doing it alone.
How different does Hard Candy sound compared to your solo work as DJ Cringey and Toximami?
What’s the sound of Hard Candy, and what are your influences? What do you want to bring to the club when you play?
We want to bring good vibes, energy, and a killer selection to the club. Our biggest influences are probably ourselves — we constantly inspire each other. Whenever we play together, each of us brings the wildest new tracks we’ve found, sometimes stuff that might be too crazy for a solo set. We mix those in with our own tracks and just create our own kind of chaos — fun, fast, and full of personality.
When you DJ together, do you have a rule — like one track each or 30 minutes each — or how does it work? And how long did it take to find your sound?
We usually go one track each, unless one of our own tracks fits next — then maybe we’ll play two in a row. There’s no strict rule. We still like to prep our sets beforehand because we haven’t been doing this that long, and we love being ready. But of course, there’s always room to freestyle.
I wouldn’t say we’ve found our “final” sound yet — we love too many genres. That’s the beauty of Hard Candy: it’s pure freedom. With our solo projects, we think more about signature sound; with Hard Candy, we can just do whatever feels right in the moment.
Tell us about your mix the aim you had with it, and what you wanted it to say.
The mix is the perfect blend of both our styles. It starts groovy and shaky, then goes a bit Latin, includes two of our own tracks, and later turns more acid. Toward the end, it’s just a fun, wild club trip. It really shows every corner we want to explore musically.
What gear did you use? Is that important to you?
We both love playing on Pioneer mixers — honestly, any model works. The effects just hit better; they fit our sound perfectly. We love using them for drops and transitions — it keeps the energy up. Hard Candy isn’t about layering deep textures or super-technical sets; it’s all about fun, impact, and drive.
What are you working on for the rest of the year?
We just released our track Fitness with Odymel, which was a lot of work — including the video and everything around it. Now we’re ready for the next projects, both as Hard Candy and solo. There’s definitely more coming soon.
Thanks for having us! 💋
…………………………………………………..kristan j caryl