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snerkler Senior Member
United Kingdom
461 posts Joined: Aug, 2008
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 11:29:49
Time after time there's arguements on here about which era of Hardcore is/was the best, and inevitably someone will argue that those who weren't around from back in the day can't really comment. So it got me to thinking, who on here has been around from the dawn of Hardcore?
Well there's me for one. I've been out clubbing/raving since it all started (albeit I was under age for the start, but hey we've all done it ;-)) Although technically it is argued that Hardcore started in the late 80's (which is when I got into the scene), Hardcore as we know it didn't start for me until the 90's (open to a barage of abuse here).
I've seen the music and the scene change again and again. I've seen it die off, and be reborn again several times. I've been there through the Criminal Justice Bill of 1994, and I've seen the sad transition from Vinyl to CD to MP3 (vinyl will always be best in my eyes. Just for the feel of putting the vinyl on the platter, putting the needle on the record, the ability to read the grooves, the sound etc etc, things you just don't get with CD and MP3)
I know a lot of people who have been there from the start prefered the illegal raves in the middle of muddy fields etc, but for me the best time was the mid 90's. The events were amazing. The production was awesome, and the general vibe was the best I've known it. Although I have a soft spot for my 'local' rave, Vibealite @ Venue 44, the best parties I ever went to were definaltely at Helter Skelter in Milton Keynes. !0,000 people in 2 warehouses, funfairs, laser shows, stilt walkers, fire dancers/eaters, dancers etc etc, the attitude of the people was amazing, and the most important thing, the music was epic. Another amazing event that springs to mind was the one off @ Sheffield Arena; Andromeda vs Pandemonium. What a venue, and what a sound system, I don't think it can be topped.
Going back to the oldskool, who from the UK remembers the TV programme "Hitman and Her", with Pete Waterman and Michaela Strachan going to all the different clubs bringing you up to date with the latest tunes?
Anyway, just wondered who else on here has been there from the start? For those that appreciate the sound of the early 90's here's a mix I ran off one day using some software (yes I understand the irony of me using this technology rather than vinly, but this was at a time I was without decks) http://www.mediafire.com/file/ndd0gwxm2qj/Oldskool%20mm%20final%20edit.mp3
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Hard2Get Advanced Member
United Kingdom
12,837 posts Joined: Jun, 2001
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 11:42:13
Probably very few people here (although i know Brian K is one of them); generally the older ravers are over at ush.net or just don't post here anymore. Most people on these forums today are generally recent comers to the scene as far as i can see.
I wish i could have been there when it started but i'm only 23 so it's obviously impossible! The thing i would have liked to have experianced most is the atmosphere/people. Even when i went to my first big rave the people were really freindly compared to now, so i can't imagine what it would have been like back then. Finding a rave where everyone is there just for the music is such a rare thing these days, and non-existant where major raves are concerned.
I've not seen that programme but the thought of Pete Watermen presenting that kind of thing amuses me.
snerkler Senior Member
United Kingdom
461 posts Joined: Aug, 2008
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 12:04:41
quote:Originally posted by Hard2Get:
Probably very few people here (although i know Brian K is one of them); generally the older ravers are over at ush.net or just don't post here anymore. Most people on these forums today are generally recent comers to the scene as far as i can see.
I wish i could have been there when it started but i'm only 23 so it's obviously impossible! The thing i would have liked to have experianced most is the atmosphere/people. Even when i went to my first big rave the people were really freindly compared to now, so i can't imagine what it would have been like back then. Finding a rave where everyone is there just for the music is such a rare thing these days, and non-existant where major raves are concerned.
I've not seen that programme but the thought of Pete Watermen presenting that kind of thing amuses me.
Haha, it amuses me that both of them were doing it, especially as Michaela was also a kids TV presenter, but at the time I didn't think anything of it.
By the way, I fixed the link to my mix
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snerkler Senior Member
United Kingdom
461 posts Joined: Aug, 2008
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 13:08:05
quote:Originally posted by DjTriquatra:
depends where you mean by "there"
obviously i wasnt in any fields next to any motorways in 1991...as i was 7 years old.
ive always been listening to music though..hardcore though...1996ish, so when happy hardcore was kicking off
1996?, Happy Hardcore kicked off 2-3 years before then. Many think SMD was the start of Happy Hardcore (released 1993), others Gotta Believe (released 1993). I'd say 1995-96 was the height of Happy Hardcore.
By there, I mean were part of the scene, this can just mean listening to the tunes at the time, but ideally clubbing/raving, producing, DJing.
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CDJay Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,049 posts Joined: Nov, 2001
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 13:28:25
I was entirely familiar w/ "rave" music in the early 90s, albeit with an commercial leaning ( I actually bought Hit the Decks 3 at my local library!!!! ) but really got into it with the 93 happy hardcore stuff.
Lots of Strictly Underground CDs, eclipse tapes, my first vinyl was "DJs in Full Effect". I moved to China in late 94, and met up w/ some europeans who were into "Hardcore" which over the next year introduced me to the dutch happy stuff, so when I came back in late 95 it wasn't a complete shock
Went to my first actual rave around then, and repeatedly afterwards, following the music religiously throughout the 90s. Although I owned a LOT of vinyl, I'd already begun with the digital fetishism and I can safely say I own nearly every UK Hardcore CD single, and a bunch of the euro ones. Now I'm with Chwhynny, who owns pretty much every euro/dutch happy hardcore CD single ever, and a few UK ones. Our combined CD collection is frightening, rest assured.
Never really stopped paying attention, but felt the gap in the scene between late 99 and 01 as you'd expect, was very excited when the RB stuff first came along, loved what Scott Brown was doing, everyone really seemed to raise their game and have fun with it in the early 00's. You had the "big" DJs playing truly diverse stylistically and in terms of producers. It was a golden era.
I "started" RFU Recordingz in 2002, although only really started to take any involvement on my part seriously when I hooked up with JAL and got a core artist roster together. We then looked at doing WOW ( What a Rush 10 ) as a double CD. I won't get into the details, suffice to say that project and partnership ended badly for myself and arguably the wider scene.
I Nearly called it a day in early 2006, the combination of increasingly loaded compilations and seeming exclusive focus on the more "accessible" music and DJs was both disheartening and ominous. Darwin had, around this time, stopped doing music full time and taken a job at Index. Fracus was working in a rail management role.
At a Vibealite in early Summer 2006, we all met up, and after the event discussed how we felt about the state of albums, main rooms, and the likely future of the music. I cannot stress enough how precisely my personal predictions have played out at this point, LoL.
Despite the disappointment of WOW10, which was essentially an ambitious "in house" album, we figured we could put together an actual "compilation" album that capitalised on all the excellent material and potential already well on the path to being ignored and squandered. Fracus and myself went to Vibealite, and Hardcore Underground started to gestate.
Fast forward to late 2009 and depending on my mood, either a lot has changed or nothing has. The potential is still there though, perhaps now more than in a long time.
snerkler Senior Member
United Kingdom
461 posts Joined: Aug, 2008
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 14:58:54
quote:Originally posted by CDJay:
looked at doing WOW ( What a Rush 10 ) as a double CD.
I think I got that free on the front of a magazine. Did the Darwin Remix of Musical Foundations ever get released, great track? I absolutely love the Austin Reynold's remix on Just Another Label 12 (Love the tone of the piano)
, and the other side "Sweet in Pocket" (very moody/emotional track)
Both these are listed as remixes on JAL 12 but I've never heard the originals. Does anyone have them? If so can they post em on youtube and then put a link on here?
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latininxtc Advanced Member
United States
7,307 posts Joined: Feb, 2006
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 16:29:43
quote:Originally posted by Hard2Get:
The 97 mix of Sweet In Pocket is by far the best version :P
you mean this one? this one is simply badass!
it's the 1st song of the 2. the older version that was put up was pretty damn good, but i like the 97 version better as it is full of more energy and just sounds much happier and cheesier!
Ken Masters Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,447 posts Joined: Feb, 2007
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 16:56:58
as much as I love all this early Happy Breakbeat stuff, to me this isn't the only foundations of early Happy Hardcore. In the early 90's the Scots were bouncin about mad to 10,000 people filled Raves such as Rezzurection to, what I would call proper bouncy Hardcore. OK, it was called Bouncy Techno but that's just a name that's been lost in translation.
Lets take a look back @ what Clubscene Records, Shoop & other labels were pushin around 91'...
For tunes like this to be out on 92/93 they really were pathing the way for harder, faster, more uplifting "Happy Hardcore' & then we have the legends that are QFX, also pushing harder edged 4/4 beat bouncy Hardcore with their first release 'Hypnotic' out in 92 on DC 1 Records & the monster track 'Feel For Your Love' out the next year 93' on Shoop
*1993* QFX A1 Feel For Your Love, A2 I Just Can't Rave Enough, AA1 Virtual Reality, AA2 Feel The Rush
This is the more well known tracks that came out at that time & the buzz of the scottish scene about this time was something I really wish I could've experienced. I grew up listening to this stuff but only from tapes supplied by my big brother.
I feel this stuff played a huge part in forming the Happy Hardcore sound we have today & it always gets over looked on this site because basically no-one on here was part of this thriving Scottish scene. I think if there's any links to new Happy Hardcore, proper driving beats & basslines, then this is the closest you'll get IMO
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snerkler Senior Member
United Kingdom
461 posts Joined: Aug, 2008
Posted - 2009/09/21 : 17:35:40
quote:Originally posted by djkenmasters:
as much as I love all this early Happy Breakbeat stuff, to me this isn't the only foundations of early Happy Hardcore. In the early 90's the Scots were bouncin about mad to 10,000 people filled Raves such as Rezzurection to, what I would call proper bouncy Hardcore. OK, it was called Bouncy Techno but that's just a name that's been lost in translation.
Lets take a look back @ what Clubscene Records, Shoop & other labels were pushin around 91'...
For tunes like this to be out on 92/93 they really were pathing the way for harder, faster, more uplifting "Happy Hardcore' & then we have the legends that are QFX, also pushing harder edged 4/4 beat bouncy Hardcore with their first release 'Hypnotic' out in 92 on DC 1 Records & the monster track 'Feel For Your Love' out the next year 93' on Shoop
*1993* QFX A1 Feel For Your Love, A2 I Just Can't Rave Enough, AA1 Virtual Reality, AA2 Feel The Rush
This is the more well known tracks that came out at that time & the buzz of the scottish scene about this time was something I really wish I could've experienced. I grew up listening to this stuff but only from tapes supplied by my big brother.
I feel this stuff played a huge part in forming the Happy Hardcore sound we have today & it always gets over looked on this site because basically no-one on here was part of this thriving Scottish scene. I think if there's any links to new Happy Hardcore, proper driving beats & basslines, then this is the closest you'll get IMO
We actually had clubs in England that played a lot of this stuff too, and were as you said referred to as Bouncey Techno or Bouncey Hardcore clubs. I actually really liked a lot of this stuff. However, I did never get the chance to experience it in Scotland, although the Scots them ventured down to the Bouncey Techno clubs down here did say it was very similar, just the Scots are a bit crazier ;-) I'm not so sure that this music was or ever has been overlooked as you can hear elements of this sound in today's hardcore.
At the time I did prefer the breakbeat though, and still do. To me it's just more interesting to listen to, I could just listen endlessly to those rolling breakbeats and basslines. Then add some uplifting strings and sexy vocals and oh my god. The bouncey techno stuff had its place for me as well though, and I'd often venture into these rooms to have a good old bounce around. I do have quite a lot of the bouncey stuff on vinyl as well.
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Posted - 2009/09/21 : 11:29:49
