This week on Hard House History, Paul sits down with Irish hard house pioneer Mark Kavanagh, a name woven deep into the fabric of the late-90s scene. From pirate radio and underground raves in Dublin to chart positions, Trade club connections and releases that helped define the harder sound, this episode is less an interview and more a living archive of how hard house actually spread beyond the UK.

Mark explains how the early Irish rave scene evolved from tiny gatherings into packed venues like the Olympic Ballroom, where hundreds quickly became thousands, and where he eventually went from playing records to producing them. He recalls documenting the scene in magazines and fanzines because, at the time, nobody else was capturing what was happening. 

The conversation dives into the real history of the genre, the pre-digital era of DAT tapes, mailing lists and white labels, and the moment Irish dance floors embraced the harder, faster sound years before UK media took it seriously. Mark also shares how his productions took off after pirate radio repeatedly played his records, turning a studio shed project into a national booking schedule. 

Paul and Mark also unpack Trade’s influence, the origin of the term “hard house”, and how radio, clubs and DJs together created a movement rather than a marketing genre. It’s a fascinating reminder that scenes weren’t built by algorithms, they were built by people travelling, sharing music and handing records directly to each other.

If you want to understand how hard house actually grew internationally, this episode is essential listening.

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