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Vladel
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,514 posts
Joined: Feb, 2008
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 Posted - 2017/01/02 : 13:36:29
Well might as well give some thoughts on this past year like i have the last couple of years. It goes with the same disclaimer as always which pretty much points out that despite only being on this site since 2008 ( I have seen it pointed out by someone before that you couldn't possibly have liked hardcore registering on this site, it's like you get sent the link the first time you buy a track), I haven't been to a rave in over a decade. I have not been in a public place playing hardcore in over a decade and i have no friends who still follow the music remotely so aside from the internet, i am utterly detached from the scene which means my judgements come from what i read, what music is released and what ends up on my iphone. When people talk about mcs, i hardly know any of them because the last live set i listened to was on live at rehab and i found Obie & the other one wasn't too bad. If that means that my opinion is lessened by anyone that reads this, then it is fine, i don't profess to be an expert.
I have been into the music since the turn of 1997 when a lot of the 96 tape packs were floating around and hardly anyone used the internet. I would say that since then, 96/97 and 06/07 have easily been my favourite eras for the sound and 06/07 may just pip it for availability but following on from that pattern i was rather hoping that 16/17 would be equally epic. It wasn't so far That isn't to say that 17 may be a bit different but like i say i'm not the outdoors type these days. Here are the reasons why.
I don't think the releases have been slow, i just think they have been poor for the most part and a lot of big players just are not releasing. The last TWR release was 4th july which is pedestrian even by their standards.
HU pretty much taking the year off didn't help! (please, please i am literally joking so don't go mad!) compared with previous years things were slower and there are reason for that i have read and it's not like it's their job to carry the whole scene. Hardcore Heaven was great by the way.
Something i mentioned at the time of the whole Ham idea was music going premium which wasn't taken very seriously at the time. Yet if you consider the raft of lethal theory releases that come out every year of the HU store have been somewhat muted coupled with the premium release service Kurt is doing, i also read Joey Riot is starting one too where you pay an upfront fee to get all their upcoming music in advance. It seems to me that it's pretty much get any music at all at the mo because those guys seem to have not released much at all. I thought it would spread and it looks like it has but i guess time will tell.
As for TWR, Hixxy is producing again so we might see some of that come 2029 or thereabouts but when Gammer started TWR with the all the fanfare he had cited the lack of ability to get music out as a reason for binning futureworld and yet here we are again with no releases for half a year and yet we know the tracks are out there.
On a brighter note i have even purchased two styles tracks this year as either i have just accepted the new sound, or he's just made some stuff a bit away from the usual rubbish which i think is more likely.
Other positives include an immense Scott Brown who has been making great vocal hardcore, i was getting tired of the instrumental stuff. To me he seems the perfect model, make music and release it at a good steady rate. It's the same with M-project who sticks more to CDs but we had Makinastomp (epic) and project powerstomp 3. Detonated is on it's way and he's featured on some more stuff i wouldn't point out right now but if anyone carries my collection right now it is those two guys!
Fracus & Darwin have been great as always
I miss Al storms productions (the non dark shadows stuff)
I think unknown must be dead (not a bad thing if you have listened to his music post sy)
Someone needs to start collabing with Sy (Al Storm perhaps?)
More Hardcore is getting on itunes which is great because it's cheaper!! Lets just hope things take off again.
Best Producers:-
1- M-project by a mile
2- Scott brown by another mile
3- Fracus & Darwin
Best label:- not sure that even matters these days but i'd have to say evolution.
Best tracks:-
1- M-project - laugh with your heart (Scott Brown Remix)
2- M-project - before your eyes
3- Gregor le dahl - Change (original mix)
Here's to a reasonable year, not the worst since 2010 but not the best either. Although it could be worse if you like celebrities!!
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remain calm do not be alarmed do not attempt to leave the dancefloor
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Samination
Advanced Member
Sweden
13,072 posts
Joined: Jul, 2004
195 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2017/01/02 : 15:35:01
I don't know what to feel about this year.
Music-wise, I feel like it has regressed rather than progressed. Freeform has almost completly died for me (I'm like a USHer when it comes to the 2002 styled Hardcore in that regard  ), and M-Project, even though it seems like he's experimenting with more brittish styled Hardcore, has lost his uniqueness when he started doing that. If it's just a phaze, and he will still produce his brand of makina, thatn that is fine by me.
Rave-wise, Sweden has started to up the ante! Usually there are clubs that plays Hardstyle and the occational Dutch Hardcore/Gabber, UK and Happy Hardcore seems to have gotten more attention. Atleast close to my region. Already this year, I've been to 2 raves at one club in Malmo, where Scott Brown (and Nanobii) played the first time, and then with Fracus & Darwin playing the 2nd (with Nanobii visiting as a raver this time). I was also in Finland this summer and it was quite nice to rave on a boat on a summer day when the sun never really left the sky :P
I also went to my 2nd ILHB and finally got around to met Cyrax, and have a little talk with Sharkey (who really loves talking).
Personally, I think I was more grumpy this year. I've definitly given Freeform some bad attention for the last couple of years, but that's probably because I really miss the hard kick driven sound of the 2002-2009. I think I've fallen back to my 2006-2008 years where I basicly hated everything (and created about 3 "apologies for being a prick" threads).
Anyways, my toplists for this year are like:
Top Producers (/label):
Scott Brown: someone that never really left, but didn't really do much, until this year. That could probably be because he spent most of 2014 and 2015 restoring some of his older DATs so we could get the classics in higher digital format. :)
(I'm actually having problems naming more producers that I liked, but I will name a few that still stood out)
Greg Peaks: even tho I didn't like his track on his album, the album itself was kinda good.
Crash: for his Northern Lights album aswell as cohosting the Finland raves I have visited twice already (and he's Irish).
Top Tracks
yuki. - Feel Me: Definitly the best track I have heard this year. thankfully I was listening to HSB when this track was aired or I would've completly missed it >_<
Da-paka - Free Your Energy: A real good intro song.
Gammer - Gratuitous Grind: love him or hate him, he still makes good freeform, though I wish it should've been longer.
Alex Bassjunkie - Fireball (Does it sound good at 170? edit): First ABJ track I like, and it defintily takes alot of inspiration from 2004-2006.
Top "I should hate them because of all my rants, yet I still like them" Track
Gammer - Pig>:<Face (D&G edit)
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Samination, Swedish Hardcore DJ
Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber
http://samination.se/
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Cyrax
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
623 posts
Joined: May, 2012
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Posted - 2017/01/03 : 11:20:10
Nice to meet you aswell Sam
Hoping the Ham album is going to be good, looking forward to potentially remixing some of the tracks from it as well.
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Edited by - Cyrax on 2017/01/03 11:20:35 |
warped_candykid
Advanced Member
United States
3,934 posts
Joined: Jan, 2004
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Posted - 2017/01/03 : 22:16:20
I don't know where to start about the current affair of Hardcore.
I feel songs have become so soft. There is no hard to the the core anymore in those bass lines, Many tracks have that mushy, smooth drum that has very little kick to it, and many tracks have that same watery-synth, or the gritty hi-pitch synth.
It's hard to believe how many tracks don't even reach 5-6 minutes, and how bland the intros/outros have become.
Gammer posted the other day that 2017 will be the year for Happy Hardcore...Someone please tell me where this happy hardcore is at, because I haven't heard ANYTHING from TWR sounding like happy hardcore. Al Storm & Scott Brown, now that's another thing: Their releases actually have some happy hardcore memories to them.
Fracus & Darwin...Pretty much the 'underground' equivalent of Gammer and Styles. Their productions are also starting to flow down this 'same-sounding' slope. You would think two artists who have so much influential power would try to bring back the harder cheese to this genre, especially Darwin, who use to write some great raw-sounding material.
Which brings me to my last point: Where did all the cheesy hardcore go? Where did all the happy mid-sections go? Where did the vocal effects go? Will 2017 see the return of these things?
Big Thanks to Al Storm for keeping the core alive, & Scott Brown for keeping tracks released at a steady pace!
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ultraskool
Advanced Member
Australia
669 posts
Joined: May, 2002
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Posted - 2017/01/05 : 10:09:27
Last year Happy Hardcore 2016 felt really dismal overall. Warped_Candykid is quite spot-on with the 'watered-down' HHC crap. Feels like HHC 2016 just wants to remain in a teeny Disco-Club sound from the early late90s that is. I think somewhere along the lines the influences that HHC took from other genres is starting to wear thin...
e.g. Trends in HHC that I've noticed
- the Trance influence from 1998 - mid2000s and much later on creating a style known as 'UK Hardcore' - a 'new' form of 'happy hardcore'
-J-core influences creating Japanese happy hardcore from around 2003 onwards
-Freeform goes out on a limb and breaks away a bit from Happy Hardcore with its even faster tempos - with labels and acts known as FiNRG, which is Finnish NRG (Finland)?
- the dubstep/electro influence from 2008 onwards
-Nightcore and Chiptune tracks thanks to Youtube and Teen Gamers
Next Year 2017- Will HHC go back to its roots and just be itself again? or will it be influenced yet again by more Electronic Genres? stay tuned folks!
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"NO MATTER HOW, NO MATTER WHY... HARDCORE STATE OF MIND! "Respect To the Man in the Ice-Cream Van!"
http://ultraskool.weebly.com
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Gazza1712
Senior Member
United Kingdom
252 posts
Joined: Oct, 2013
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Posted - 2017/01/05 : 10:52:40
The last few years hardcore from the big boys has lost its sound, Darren styles gammer and breeze etc are making tracks that are not what uk hardcore is about, it's seems to be about making a sound that will get them booked at edm in vegas and what will fit the American market, also twr has been a complete joke for the last 6 months of 2016. Plus Gammer seems like a complete knob anyway!
I'm glad hixxy is back producing again though and so far his new bits are sounding good, and al storm still makes the type of hardcore I like,
By the way is powerstomp still a sound or has that ran its course now, kurt still making every track sound the same?
Oh and Chris unknown hasn't produced anything as he doesn't make music anymore, he now isn't reliant solely on music projects for his income so just plays the odd set here and there when booked these days.
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Samination
Advanced Member
Sweden
13,072 posts
Joined: Jul, 2004
195 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2017/01/05 : 14:45:22
Hixxy's gonna feel like a even more watered down version of DS though. He's been out of the game for a while now, and he's most likely going to take after DS and Gammer (mostly DS).
For someone who basicly created the Powerstomp sound, Kurt has been very weak ever since his Powerbounce stuff changed name to Powerstomp. Kurt was definitly much better pre-2014 with his power* stuff.
It's obvious that HHC has always taken influences from other genre's. Just remember the debacle when Bonkers 8 came out. I believe most people on USH went nuts, kinda like we did when Clubland Xtreme 6-8(?) went all electro.
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Samination, Swedish Hardcore DJ
Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber
http://samination.se/
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Captain Triceps
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
2,184 posts
Joined: Dec, 2011
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Posted - 2017/01/05 : 15:28:52
quote:
Originally posted by Samination:I believe most people on USH went nuts, kinda like we did when Clubland Xtreme 6-8(?) went all electro.
There was a huge buzz of excitement on USH around this time. The majority were very excited at the new sound.
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Some of my remixes, original tracks and mixes here:
https://soundcloud.com/bradders-tracks-and-remix
https://soundcloud.com/bradders1982
https://soundcloud.com/paulbradley1982
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CDJay
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,049 posts
Joined: Nov, 2001
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Posted - 2017/01/05 : 16:43:33
quote:
Originally posted by warped_candykid:
Fracus & Darwin...Pretty much the 'underground' equivalent of Gammer and Styles. Their productions are also starting to flow down this 'same-sounding' slope. You would think two artists who have so much influential power would try to bring back the harder cheese to this genre, especially Darwin, who use to write some great raw-sounding material.
Which brings me to my last point: Where did all the cheesy hardcore go? Where did all the happy mid-sections go? Where did the vocal effects go? Will 2017 see the return of these things?
Surely you know how this works by now? We have to take a long term view of things, and execute whatever is needed to get us where we want to be.
2016 was about survival; Our IT infrastructure got wiped out, we had a premises move, and whilst we were distracted very little else happened. The HH album was part of a push to finally legitimise HU/F&D to previously ignorant or hostile crowds, and it's worked.
The last time we did that was in the push for breakthrough in 2010. Upon achiving that, what did we do? Put out a F&D artist album which was a far cry from the casual baiting that had up until that point typified the year.
One of our next projects is "Happy Hardcore Underground 2". The next F&D album will be conceptually and musically very different to things that have come before, and absolutely nodding to roots of genre as well as further afield. There's something attached to it which should bring you some measure of joy, although I can't talk about it much yet. Suffice to say that it's a step up. I use that phrase carefully, as I try to imbue it with warranted gravitas.
Ignoring our obvious need to secure some sort of protection in the vipers nest, the popular "scene" needed something and with the latest Clubland Xtreme Hardcore album ~ 3 years late the HH album was the best we could do given the circumstances. Don't make me quote "The Dark Knight" at you 
CDJay
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Http://www.hardcoreunderground.co.uk
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Samination
Advanced Member
Sweden
13,072 posts
Joined: Jul, 2004
195 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2017/01/05 : 21:16:03
I hope you don't mean the roots, as in the early 1990's. I'd say we hav enough of that from Bunter and Slipmatt over at their label, and the seemingly return of Kniteforce. Like warped and ultra says, we'd rather want the late 90's back :P (well atleast I do, before i put too much stuff into toher people's mouths)
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Samination, Swedish Hardcore DJ
Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber
http://samination.se/
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CDJay
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,049 posts
Joined: Nov, 2001
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Posted - 2017/01/05 : 21:40:11
HHU was very 95-98 referencing, the second won't be miles off that....
CDJay
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Http://www.hardcoreunderground.co.uk
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arpz
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,267 posts
Joined: Aug, 2012
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Posted - 2017/01/05 : 22:53:43
Overall I actually think 2016 has been a pretty good year despite a lack of HU output (which seemed to be propping up 2015 entirely)
The return of Kniteforce in such a big way is great, I'm also really happy to see Legitimate Recordings (D-Lyte et al. - why don't you guys talk about that at all?) coming out with lots of good tracks through the year, throw in the Rebuild release, HH & increased Scott Brown output and it actually feels like there's quite a lot going on all over the place. It feels a lot like the 'underground' labels have gained considerable traction and it does kind of seem like the whole '**** the top tier' thing is really starting to come to pass. A++++
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soundcloud - http://soundcloud.com/arpz // site -
http://arps.io
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Vladel
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,514 posts
Joined: Feb, 2008
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Posted - 2017/01/06 : 10:52:24
quote:
Originally posted by CDJay:
HHU was very 95-98 referencing, the second won't be miles off that....
CDJay
I'd love to get hold of that al-storm re-lick of heart of gold
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remain calm do not be alarmed do not attempt to leave the dancefloor
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robertybob
Senior Member
United Kingdom
328 posts
Joined: Jul, 2005
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Posted - 2017/01/09 : 11:24:31
I spent most of 2016 waiting for Blu The Roof and HU Podcasts to materialise.. but that's only because very few other labels did anything that interested me.
I think Scott Brown and Technikore both had very strong years. Also I must mention Olly P, who produced one of my favourite remixes of the year (Sokko & Lyons, Focus Fire - Dreamcatcher).
My hopes for 2017 - Blu The Roof, Michael Mansion artist album, HU Breaks 2, Hardcore Underground Nude Calendar (for charity obvs!)
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Edited by - robertybob on 2017/01/09 11:39:55 |
CDJay
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,049 posts
Joined: Nov, 2001
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Posted - 2017/01/09 : 11:31:15
You'll be fine, then. They're all a given!
edit: Except the calendar. Charity?!?!?! Pfft!
CDJay
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Http://www.hardcoreunderground.co.uk
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Edited by - CDJay on 2017/01/09 13:55:48 |
robertybob
Senior Member
United Kingdom
328 posts
Joined: Jul, 2005
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Posted - 2017/01/09 : 15:07:12
quote:
Originally posted by CDJay:
You'll be fine, then. They're all a given!
edit: Except the calendar. Charity?!?!?! Pfft!
CDJay
I can imagine it now:
SeedyJay pres: ...
:D
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My summary of 2016.
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