New Beat

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"New Beat" is a music term that was used twice during the 80s. It also refers to an underground 80s Belgian music style.

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[edit] The term "New Beat"

The term New Beat, first used in the U.S.A. during the early '80s. At the time, this New Beat music was a contemporary genre to techno and house music from Detroit and Chicago respectively, although not intrinsically linked. The Americans at the time used the term to describe those music styles that they never heard before. It was the new beat of the time, the new sound, very different from Hi-NRG disco, New Wave, Synth Pop, Rap or whatever. The term was soon replaced by other terms, so virtually any USA hits once described as "New Beat" are today considered a part of another music style, most of the time simply House or Techno.

The second time that the term New Beat used, was in Europe. First, appeared in Belgium, around 1987, to describe a local music style that mainly developed out of 'Bodybeat' heralded by the early formation of Front 242. When MTV Europe began in the summer of 1987, it bring the term to the UK. In the UK, the term New Beat was used in 1987-1988 for various local Acid House / Techno Rave productions, to point out that this was a new sound of dance music and a less commercial alternative to UK's Eurobeat. Eurobeat was at the time used in the UK for the Stock Aitken Waterman productions. Eventually, the term became mainstream, especially between the summer of 1989 and the summer of 1990, but faded fast after Euro House took over. Because of the relation of the "New Beat" and Acid House in the UK during 1988, the later commercial "New Beat" European productions, sported the Smiley as symbol of love in the British related markets. Various British "New Beat" productions, eventually migrated to the 'Bacalao' scene in Valencia Spain.

Before the term New Beat began to fade (during 1990-1991), it was used one last time to describe many Belgium and German dance groups like Technotronic, Snap, Confetti's, The adventures of Stevie V, McSar & the Real McCoy and Twenty4Seven on the minor European (and related) markets (Greece, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Israel, Southern France). The term in this case used again like the way it used in USA almost a decade before to describe the overall "new" dance sound of the time and not so much a music style. It was generally used to fill the "gap" between 80s Eurodisco and the 90s Euro-House).

USA fans of 90s Eurohouse (in the USA the term "90s Eurodance" is used), testify that the term New Beat was also used for a short while during the early 90s, to describe various early 90s imports on the USA market, like 2 Unlimited, Quadrophonia, T99, etc.

[edit] The New Beat Sound

The New Beat sound, mostly originated in Belgium and the productions date in the late 1980s and especially between the years 1987 and 1988. The British labeled it "Agreppo" for not confusing it with their local version of the term. "Agreppo" comes from "Aggressive Pop". The Belgium New Beat', was an underground danceable music style, well known at Clubs and Discos around Europe. It is a local crossover of EBM, Acid & mid 80s underground House music. The 80s Dark Wave also became an aesthetic influence (especially the "Depeche Mode"'s videos from 1985-1989). At the time, EBM was popular in German speaking countries & The Netherlands, Acid / Acid Trance was popular on the UK and House Music (in a 80s Eurodisco French twist) was popular in France. Belgium, a small land in the Center of all those areas, influenced from all and created this unique music sound, with huge underground success all over Europe.

Legend has it that the Belgian New Beat genre was invented in the nightclub Boccaccio in Destelbergen near Ghent when DJ Marc Grouls played a 45rpm Electronic Body Music (EBM) record at 33rpm, with the pitch control set to +8. The track in question was Flesh by A Split-Second.

In addition to A Split Second, the genre was also heavily influenced by other EBM acts such as Front 242 and The Neon Judgement, as well as the likes of Fad Gadget, Gary Numan and Anne Clark.

In 1989-1990, the genre spawned some short-lived sub-genres or successor genres Hard Beat and Schizzo - the latter being a techno-influenced style, considerably faster than the original slow new beat style.

There was two popular New Beat groups, with some commercial success: "Confetti's" and The Lords of Acid. Those groups are among the very few New Beat ones, that produced Music Videos and during the late 80s, they had a heavy airplay on the original MTV Europe, through the show "Party Zone". MTV Europe's VJ Steve Blame was a great fan of New Beat and through his position on MTV News, promoted the Belgium's New Beat sound through his reports.

Many Europeans consider New Beat as a forerunner of European house music (Euro-House). Others, consider that "New Beat" was the first true European dance music style, without any Euro Disco (Italo Disco - Euro Beat) influences. New Beat incorporated more techno and acid house influences. Euro House had Euro Disco influences and for sure is not a New Beat / "Euro Disco" crossover. So for them, "Euro Beat" was a music style, that faded in 1990, for unknown reasons.

[edit] Artists

[edit] Record labels

[edit] Video clips

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Interviews and Information about New Beat. On the 1.15 sec, V.J. Marcel Vanthilt from MTV Europe talks about New Beat and take interviews in English. The rest clip is in Flamish.