Hardcore techno
Hardcore techno (also known as simply Hardcore) is a type of electronic music typified by the rhythmic use of distorted and atonal industrial-like beats and samples. The tempo of various kinds of hardcore techno ranges from about 95 beats per minute (Belgian "New Beat" and rave/techno), to over 300 bpm ("speedcore"), with the more popular styles ranging from about 150 bpm to 200 bpm.
Production techniques
Hardcore techno is usually composed using music sequencers, and many earlier tracks were produced on home computers with module tracker software. Some examples of the software used are FL Studio, Ableton Live, Cubase, Logic, Nuendo and Reason. The wide availability of computers, combined with the absence of financial remuneration, means that many hardcore musicians write for their own enjoyment and the pleasure of innovation.
Styles of hardcore
Hardcore has also spawned several subgenres and derivative styles including:
- Breakbeat hardcore (Also known as Old School Rave music) - This retrospective term is usually reserved for tracks produced in the early 90's, a large period of growth for the UK Rave scene. These tracks are characterized by piano sections, bouncy basslines, breakbeats, and high-pitched vocals.
- Happy hardcore - Form of dance music known for its high tempos, usually around 165-180 bpm, often coupled with male or female vocals and sentimental lyrics. Popular in the UK, Australia and Spain, amongst other countries.
- Makina - Fast electronic dance music from Spain, fairly similar to happy hardcore.
- UK hardcore - Modern form of happy hardcore, characterized by a less childish feel and supersaw leads.
- Freeform hardcore - Hardcore with strong influence of Trance, mainly instrumental.
- Hardcore Breaks - A genre written in the style of breakbeat hardcore and produced using modern technology and production techniques.
- Gabber
- Early hardcore - Popular in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium & Scotland, characterized by a heavy bass drum sound, usually distorted, and generally 150-220 bpm.
- Mainstream hardcore aka New style - Modern form of gabber, often melodic, with more complex sounds. Generally 160-180 bpm.
- Darkcore (Not to be confused with Darkcore Jungle) - Broad category characterized by dark musical themes. Emerged in response to the happy party sound of UK hardcore.
- Doomcore - Specific microgenre of downtempo darkcore. Characterized by reverb, basslines, eerie synth pads and a brooding atmosphere reflecting melancholy and apocalyptic expectations. Usually 130-160 BPM.
- Industrial Hardcore - Hardcore influenced by industrial music, characterized by harsh beats and technoid programming.
- Digital Hardcore - Hardcore punk/hardcore techno fusion. Closely related to Noise music.
- Breakcore - Uses distorted, fragmented breakbeats and sampling to create a hectic effect.
- Speedcore - A genre of Gabber that's usually 300 bpm-500-600 bpm, often with heavy distortion. Not to be confused with Thrashcore or Speed metal. Faster forms of speedcore are: splittercore, speedcore of 700-800 BPM, and extratone, when the tempo exceeds 1000 BPM and the beats become tones.
- Terrorcore - refers to a faster and more extreme version of gabber, with a highly aggressive theme, modern tracks using same bass drum sound as gabber.
- Frenchcore - Originated in the French rave scene of the early 90's. Involves the re-creation of a distorted bass drum sound with a synthesizer. It is also considered a type of Free Tekno.[1] Frenchcore achieved wider recognition in 1998 with the release of Micropoint's first album Neurophonie.
Often, certain subgenres of hardcore are classified by the city or country in which they are produced, such as the Frankfurt sound, the French sound, the Tokyo sound, etc.
Notable producers
See also
References
External links