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Empyreal
New Member
Germany
78 posts
Joined: Apr, 2008
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 Posted - 2008/04/12 : 15:23:32
I have been listening to hardcore for 15 years and I a m very interested in the history and development of this music. I am a little bit confused about the role of German music.
Let's have a look back to 1993/1994. There we have two big Hardcore movements:
- European (mainly Dutch) Hardcore/Gabber
- British Breakbeat Hardcore (already known as "Happy Hardcore"
The former wasn't very happy at that time. Most European Hardcore tracks were really hard, with a heavily distorted kick and no melody. The latter already was very happy, but breakbeat based. A 4/4 kick was present at some tracks, but rather decent.
Now let's have a look at the tracks from some German artists of that time like Mark 'Oh, Raver's Nature and Marusha. They released tracks with:
- a slightly distorted 4/4 kick
- a (verrrry) happy sound
- breakbeats in the background
- the typical HHC synths
I am a little bit confused, as these tracks had many elements of the 1995 - 1999 HHC, although that genre wasn't born yet. Did anybody else recognize this anomaly?
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If you like hardcore with orchestral elements please have a listen:
http://www.soundcloud.com/mopp-B
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warped_candykid
Advanced Member
United States
4,003 posts
Joined: Jan, 2004
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Posted - 2008/04/13 : 01:29:20
Could have been that you just missed out by focusing so much on the Dutch & UK based styles.
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Brian K
Advanced Member
United States
8,663 posts
Joined: Sep, 2001
528 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2008/04/13 : 02:34:24
other tracks from other countries had those elements in them. different countries became known for a certain sound but that doesn't mean every producer from those countries had to conform to the norm.
european 4/4 were happy had breakbeats in them, and british hardcore had a dark side to the breakbeats...
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Empyreal
New Member
Germany
78 posts
Joined: Apr, 2008
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Posted - 2008/04/13 : 09:02:28
The matter, which I'm puzzling about is, that some tracks would perfectly fit on a HHC compilation of 1995/1996, but they are two years older. I'm wondering, if these tracks were classified as "Happy Hardcore" by their producers, as this term hasn't established at that time.
__________________________________
If you like hardcore with orchestral elements please have a listen:
http://www.soundcloud.com/mopp-B
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protonic
Senior Member
Hungary
297 posts
Joined: Sep, 2005
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Posted - 2008/04/13 : 15:08:55
Mark 'Oh, Raver's Nature and Marusha and all the other german artist are usually categorized as "hard trance". I like that style a lot.
At that time in Hungary we called the german style "rave" the Uk style "breakbeat" the dutch gabba style "hardcore".
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http://www.myspace.com/protonichardcore
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Smoogie
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
6,504 posts
Joined: Mar, 2006
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 Posted - 2008/04/13 : 21:07:37
I think that the style in Germany & the Netherlands lead the English ardcore move away from breakbeats. The darker breakbeat stuff because known as Jungle & (or) Drum & Bass which had been the case since 1992. Even though Happy Hardcore came around 1993 the 'happier' sound had been there alot longer! Smart E's Sesame Treat & Urban Hype's trip to Trumpton could be regarded as a forefunner to Happy Hardcore. Stuff like Lennie D Ice- We are I.E. or Omni Trio- Renegade Snares was the original Drum & Bass (I think once also known as 'Darkcore' but not too sure about that) and breakbeat in some ways was the underground & dark sound of England. Happy Hardcore was pianos, speed up vocals & bouncy sythns & 'fairground' effects, the uplifting vibe! Think of tracks like 'Feel good' by Vibes & Wish dokta, Feel free by Dougal & Vibes & SMD1-4!
Yet breakbeat was not quite the same in Scotland & they toke influences from Dutch & German Techno such as hard kicks yet kept the British Bouncy off beat stabs which was a sound which had been with the rave scene since the very early '90s or even the late '80s? This became 'Bouncy Techno' which was also popular in The Netherlands (the Babyboom label called it Funcore) and around 1995 alot of English artists staretd to take influences from Scottish Bouncy Techno & make the music not just 'uplifting' but also more stomping! Dougal & Eruption's Party Time & Hixxy & Sharkey's Toytown were some of the first new fun & fast no breabeat Happy Hardcore The UK started to take more influences from Dutch & German Happy Hardcore by adding more vocals into the tracks which became the norm after 1995. Early examples are Keep on trying by The Alchemist & Better dayby GBT Inc.
One track that is very well known is 'Silke' by Ilsa Gold which is from 1993 yet sounds very much like any UK Happy Hardcore from 95-97! I heard it in a brilliant mix & it is one youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FzfEUHYfHg I belive Ilsa Gold are Austrian & I havn't heard of any other Austrian artists...
Around 1994 & 1995 there where a few 'Commercial' happy Hardcore groups formed in The Netherlands such as Critical Mass & The Party Animals which had 'readio' edits of tracks yet the Hardcore versions where alot Harder! This wasn't un usal on the Pengo label & the Hardcore versions where quite Gabber like which was the 'Happy Gabber' sound in the mid 1990s! A cross between Gabber bassdrums & Happy Hardcore cheese but on a faster scale! Charlie Lownoise & Mental Theo's 'Wonderfull Days' could be another example of an early 'commercial' vocal Happy Hardcore track yet the 'Rotterdam' remix was alot harder!
Scotland had a few similar groups such as The Rythemic State & of course Q-tex but English Happy Hardcore was a cross between 'commercial' dance music & the more harder veriants of Hardcore. Germany had groups such as Scooter who came around the same time.
Edit: Here is the version of Ilsa Gold- Silke I was thinking of, the first like I gave is a breakbeat version... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geFQ-XAKIQM&feature=related
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Edited by - Smoogie on 2008/04/13 21:57:08 |
Brian K
Advanced Member
United States
8,663 posts
Joined: Sep, 2001
528 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2008/04/13 : 21:59:04
if you're wanting to know what they were classified as by the producers you're asking the wrong people =P
different countries classify things differently as well...most everything above 160 bpm with a 4/4 kick during the early 90s here was put in the category 'hardcore'
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Smoogie
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
6,504 posts
Joined: Mar, 2006
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Posted - 2008/04/14 : 09:44:59
One thing I would like to know is who was the first to call fast rave music 'Hardcore'? Was it the creators of Hardcore Techno or the British with our Breakbeat Hardcore (or Hardcore Breakbeat) I know that the term has been around since 1991 but I belive that Hardcore Techno was around as early as 1989!
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Empyreal
New Member
Germany
78 posts
Joined: Apr, 2008
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Posted - 2008/04/14 : 12:58:10
@smoogie:
I asked me this question either. Where did the term "Hardcore" come from? And why bore two different styles of electronic music the same name?
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If you like hardcore with orchestral elements please have a listen:
http://www.soundcloud.com/mopp-B
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