What hardcore should do.

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For the last couple of years, I have been concentrating on my label, KFA (Knite Force Again) and traveling around the world Djing. In that time, the scene has changed in some interesting and important ways. For example, when I started KFA the sound was predominantly trance style, and I was told that breakbeat hardcore was dead. Now its not, and its becoming more widespread. In fact, as I write this, hardcore is more diverse than it has been since 1993. Labels such as CLSM are creating new and exciting soundscapes, while Raw Elements are using old skool sounds and bringing them up to date in superb fashion....and more and more I am hearing "is the trancy hardcore dying?" or "Is breakbeat hardcore the future?"...and so I thought I would respond to these questions and also explain the thoughts I have had over the last year or so.

Because I am concerned with the future of the scene...and my main concern is the desire that everyone seems to have to put everything in a neat little bracket, ie "this is new skool gabba" or "trancy breakbeat hardcore". Or rather, I am concerned with the damage that this does to the scene, and the people in it.

Already I am pigeonholed as a "breakbeat" dj, which I am not.

I play and make hardcore.

That means I, and KFA, play and make tracks which are breakbeat styled, and kick drum styled. I play fast and slow, piano and trance, drum'n'bass and gabba. I play hardcore.

And in the same way, we don't play or make freeform. Because for us, freeform doesn't exist. Its just another name for hardcore, so if the track is good, we use it.

This is not just a matter of semantics, this is not just a question of names. In seperating freeform from hardcore, you are immediately restricting what the artist can do with his music, and also seperating an essential part of the scene into a smaller scene. Likewise breakbeat or any other division you care to name.

In almost any other scene, this seperating of sound or style is okay. Indie rock and Nu-metal are different, and thats fine because there are hundreds of rock groups in both genere's spread all over the world. But in hardcore, it is positively dangerous. Because our scene is tiny in comparison, and it couldn't afford to loose, say, Next Generation and Raverbaby because they decide they are not hardcore, they are "vocal hard dance". Likewise, the last thing I want is hardcore to become all breakbeat styled - god how boring! Everyone on KFA love's breaks, but we dont want to listen to 8 hours of it in a night, any more than we want to hear 8 hours of gabba, 8 hours of D'n'B, or 8 hours of freeform. All these musics have something to offer, and it is time we stopped acting like they are seperate musics and started to embrace them all as our scene, our music. People are always saying "hardcore died because of" and then stating one of many reasons...but if you step back and look at the entire dance scene, and at the continuing decrease in its popularity, I would suggest that it is because of its continual segregation, making the party experience more and more bland as time goes by.

And the question needs to be asked - why do people refrain from saying "I listen to hardcore"? I think the answer to that is that for many, hardcore has become like a dirty word. As a whole, many have become ashamed of the music, or rather, the terrible image it has had. We are regarded as people who listen to or create either rip off chart tunes, rip off trance tunes, or make childish throw away music. And all of us are guilty to some degree of these things - I certainly am. But this needs to change. Until we start having some real integrity within the scene, until the way we present ourselves changes, our scene will remain one that rests on the fringes of society, outcast and small, and it will deserve the terrible reputation it has. As a whole, everyone has to take responsibility for the scene, from the labels to the party goers.

I believe it is important that we address this, and its important we do so NOW. I believe we should reclaim the name "hardcore" and be proud. Because despite the problems, our scene, unlike the majority of dance scene's, is growing...we are at the beginning, but beginnings are fragile and it can collapse as easily as it can grow.

I want to present 2 examples. The first is Drum'n'Bass. In my humble opinion, the way that scene has grown should be hardcore's model. Within the scene there are many different factions - Bukem doesn't sound like Hype, Andy C is different to Metalheadz. BUT, and its an important but, all of it is proudly under the Drum'n'Bass banner. And within the scene there is a distinct feeling of "self made". There are no major labels involved...none of the artists have "sold out" to acheive commercial success. They aren't relying on a single major compilation to fund and promote the scene. Its independent, and its strong. But most importantly, there is a huge amount of musical diversity within the scene allowing for development and experimentation, allowing for progress. And its image? Take a look at any D'n'B release and see the care thats gone into its artwork etc. All this gave the scene strong roots from which to grow into the powerful and diverse scene it now is.

Now look at Hard House. While I have nothing against this music (I even like some of it!) it has given itself no room to grow. It cant get more vocally or it becomes house...it cant get trancier, as it becomes trance. Cant add breakbeats, or it becomes Nu Skool Breaks...on and on...it has limited itself to such an extent that its death is not in question, its a certainty. And its image? Marginally better than hardcore but many of the releases seem to lack the care and attention to detail that any good music deserves.

And its not just Hard House - trance and nu skool breaks will also suffer from the fact they are seperated from the other musics of the same speed, and lets face it, many of the same listeners.

But these scenes have established themselves, and its almost too late for them to step back and say "oh, okay, lets start to combine our scenes" .

Hardcore is in a unique position at this point in time. We can merge as a scene and become more than the sum or our elements...or we can all go our own way, I can be the "breakbeat" dj, Sharky can be the "freeform" dj and so on...basically sign our own death warrants, playing at tiny venues for a clique crowd.

So to the Dj's and producers, I say its time for us to unify under the banner of diversity. We all need to put aside our petty squabbles and start backing each other, supporting each other, and respecting each other as part of a single scene with a single purpose. To the ravers, I say its time for you to open your minds to everything the scene has to offer. You breakbeat heads need to dance to the trance, and vice versa. And all of us need to protect and respect the scene. Its OURS. We dont need help from outside labels and money men. We can do this without them and have a better scene for it. The future is ours - everyone from me in my studio to you at the party, we all make it what it is. And so it is your responsibility as much as it is mine. What will we make of the future? Where will we be in 3 years, or 5? There is no reason in the world that we cant be in the same position as D'n'B, but if we want to reach those levels of party attenedance and quality, then we have to take responsibility for our scene, and put its interests above our own personal gains and desires. As a label owner, Dj and producer, I have to say no to short term money and exposure, and look to the greater goal of securing a strong and vital hardcore scene.

As a whole, each individual needs to support the scene. If you buy hardcore tunes, buy them from hardcore outlets, not HMV. If you are going raving, go to the raves that genuinely support the scene, not the ones that are just after your money. Its not hard so tell which are which. In this day and age, its easy to feel that as a single person in a big world, that your actions don't count - but they do, more than you can imagine. You may have to pay a little more if you buy from a hardcore outlet, but you can be sure that money is going back to the scene and increasing its strength, instead of just making some rich people richer. Every action you take has effect. Make sure that the effect you want is what you get. You get what you accept in this world, and a lot of things that are happening and will happen to our scene should be unacceptable, but are left as they are because as individuals we cant change them. But as a group, we are invincible. For myself, I will do everything in my power as a producer/label owner/dj and artist to promote the values and ideals mentioned here through KFA. I ask everyone to join me in this, for the good of our music. Strength in Unity. Unity in Diversity. Power to our people...all of us.

Peace,



Luna C

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If you buy hardcore tunes, buy them from hardcore outlets, not HMV. If you are going raving, go to the raves that genuinely support the scene, not the ones that are just after your money. Its not hard so tell which are which.

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So to the Dj's and producers, I say its time for us to unify under the banner of diversity. We all need to put aside our petty squabbles and start backing each other, supporting each other, and respecting each other as part of a single scene with a single purpose. To the ravers, I say its time for you to open your minds to everything the scene has to offer. You breakbeat heads need to dance to the trance, and vice versa. And all of us need to protect and respect the scene.

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