Primary Stylistic Influences:
- Techno, New Beat
Secondary Stylistic Influences:
- Industrial, House Music, Harsh Noise (sometimes), Trance and Pop (for Happy Hardcore, Makina and their derivatives), Dubstep and Drum and Bass (in the case of Crossbreed)
Hardcore Techno, also referred to as "Hard Dance", is an umbrella term used to describe the Darker and Edgier variants of Techno, although some people argue that it has evolved into a separate genre of its own. It is mostly distinguishable from its parent genre by a faster tempo (with the BPM often lying above 150), very powerful bass, and a preference for abrasive samples and beats. The genre originated from Western European countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy and the UK, but it also spawned a small but extremely fierce scene in Japan. Hardcore techno had its heyday in the mid to late nineties when the more commercial Lighter and Softer Happy Hardcore sound spread to popularity.
Like with many other genres of Electronic Music, there's many different kinds of subgenres and artists (with numerous aliases).
Subgenres:
- New Beat
- Considered to be the Ur-Example of the genre, this slow and often sinister-sounding style had its origins in Belgium during the late 1980s, pioneered by Praga Khan and others. It is characterized by its fusion of rhythms borrowed from tech house, disco, and hip-hop with dark-sounding synthwork and TB-303 riffs. A largely underground phenomenon, it nonetheless influenced later developments in the genre, and sound samples such as the "Anasthasia" synth were derived directly from it. The most well-known song in this genre is The Immortals' "Techno Syndrome", the theme for Mortal Kombat.
- Old school gabber (also gabba)
- This genre is credited as the one that gave birth to the hardcore techno genre, and subsequent styles of hard dance music draw inspiration from it. It is believed to have originated in Detroit (the birthplace of techno music in general) from acid house and tech house, but it rooted itself in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where it became popular on account of being perceived as an affront to the Amsterdam scene which was perceived to be snobby and pretentious. As a result, its sound used to be a pretty simple and straightforward, with the sole goal of making you go crazy without even having to take any drugs. The "gabber" moniker is believed to have originated from an interview with Amsterdam DJ K.C. the Funkaholic, where he was asked how did he felt about the Rotterdam scene; his answer was "Oh, they're just a bunch of gabbers having fun" ("gabber" being an Amsterdam slang word that can be more or less translated as "dude" or "mate"). Eventually, its harder sound and its simplicity ended up dominating the early Dutch techno scene, and by 1995 it started mutating into its mainstream, commercialized variant known as "happy hardcore". Example: Bertocucci Feranzano - XTC Love
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- This genre is credited as the one that gave birth to the hardcore techno genre, and subsequent styles of hard dance music draw inspiration from it. It is believed to have originated in Detroit (the birthplace of techno music in general) from acid house and tech house, but it rooted itself in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where it became popular on account of being perceived as an affront to the Amsterdam scene which was perceived to be snobby and pretentious. As a result, its sound used to be a pretty simple and straightforward, with the sole goal of making you go crazy without even having to take any drugs. The "gabber" moniker is believed to have originated from an interview with Amsterdam DJ K.C. the Funkaholic, where he was asked how did he felt about the Rotterdam scene; his answer was "Oh, they're just a bunch of gabbers having fun" ("gabber" being an Amsterdam slang word that can be more or less translated as "dude" or "mate"). Eventually, its harder sound and its simplicity ended up dominating the early Dutch techno scene, and by 1995 it started mutating into its mainstream, commercialized variant known as "happy hardcore". Example: Bertocucci Feranzano - XTC Love
- Nu-style gabber (aka Mainstream hardcore)
- After the rise, dominance and fall of early gabber in the late 90s to hardstyle and trance techno, the gabber scene returned to the underground, where it basically tried to distance itself as hard as possible from the old days of happy hardcore and gained a more distorted, pounding bass drum driven rhythm, more elaborate productions, often samples from American rap and hip-hop, and actually comprehensible lyrics usually about drugs, street fights, police violence, and many swearwords. The most recent Dutch productions as of 2016 start to show influence from the more melodic Japanese style, which gained a die-hard following on the internet since around 2010. Western techno fans simply call it "hardcore" — the "gabber" moniker is nowadays more common among fans of Japanese techno. Example: DJ Paul Elstak - One day we kill em all (nu-style) NeLIME - Codename: Zero (nu-style but with old-style Indecipherable Lyrics)
- After the rise, dominance and fall of early gabber in the late 90s to hardstyle and trance techno, the gabber scene returned to the underground, where it basically tried to distance itself as hard as possible from the old days of happy hardcore and gained a more distorted, pounding bass drum driven rhythm, more elaborate productions, often samples from American rap and hip-hop, and actually comprehensible lyrics usually about drugs, street fights, police violence, and many swearwords. The most recent Dutch productions as of 2016 start to show influence from the more melodic Japanese style, which gained a die-hard following on the internet since around 2010. Western techno fans simply call it "hardcore" — the "gabber" moniker is nowadays more common among fans of Japanese techno. Example: DJ Paul Elstak - One day we kill em all
- Speedcore
- Hardcore on steroids. Speed is the main emphasis for this subgenre, with a tempo going 300 BPM at the lower end, and even as high as 1000 BPM. The bass drum can become so fast that it becomes a tone, and unless it's Japanese there are typically very few melodic or even musical elements. Example: Moby - 1000.
- Hardcore on steroids. Speed is the main emphasis for this subgenre, with a tempo going 300 BPM at the lower end, and even as high as 1000 BPM. The bass drum can become so fast that it becomes a tone, and unless it's Japanese there are typically very few melodic or even musical elements. Example: Moby - 1000
- Crossbreed
- A genre that can be best described as gabber with dubstep and drum & bass influences. Usually noisier, slower and with a much greater emphasis on distorted basses, giving the music a synthetic, industrial feel. Example: this hour-and-a-quarter long crossbreed mix.
- A genre that can be best described as gabber with dubstep and drum & bass influences. Usually noisier, slower and with a much greater emphasis on distorted basses, giving the music a synthetic, industrial feel. Example: this hour-and-a-quarter long crossbreed mix
- Frenchcore
- Born in France, Frenchcore is a lot like gabber but lighter and less violent, faster (sometimes bordering on speedcore), a more "muffled" kick drum, and thick offbeat bass. Example: this 10-minute mix from Argentinian producer Round Wave Crusher.
- Born in France, Frenchcore is a lot like gabber but lighter and less violent, faster (sometimes bordering on speedcore), a more "muffled" kick drum, and thick offbeat bass. Example: this 10-minute mix from Argentinian producer Round Wave Crusher
- Happy Hardcore
- The Lighter and Softer form. Still very fast, but the bass drum is less pounding, the music is notably more "happy" sounding (achieved through the use of major keys), occasional use of piano, and high pitched vocals that frequently sound like they have been inhaling helium, with lyrics about subjects such as love, partying or the love of partying. Example: Blümchen - Boomerang.
- The Lighter and Softer form. Still very fast, but the bass drum is less pounding, the music is notably more "happy" sounding (achieved through the use of major keys), occasional use of piano, and high pitched vocals that frequently sound like they have been inhaling helium, with lyrics about subjects such as love, partying or the love of partying. Example: Blümchen - Boomerang
- Mákina
- Literally "machine" in intentionally misspelled Spanish. A Spanish genre of hardcore techno that sounds like Eurobeat mixed with hardcore. Related to (but distinct from) Happy Hardcore. Example: kors k - SigSig
- Literally "machine" in intentionally misspelled Spanish. A Spanish genre of hardcore techno that sounds like Eurobeat mixed with hardcore. Related to (but distinct from) Happy Hardcore. Example: kors k - SigSig
- Freeform/UK Hardcore
- Evolved from Happy Hardcore. It is a bit less childish and sappy, uses supersaw synths more, and often features heavier basslines. UK hardcore artists often make many remixes of pop songs. Nightcore, a great majority of j-core and modern happy hardcore are derivatives of this style. Example: S3RL - Dopamine
- Evolved from Happy Hardcore. It is a bit less childish and sappy, uses supersaw synths more, and often features heavier basslines. UK hardcore artists often make many remixes of pop songs. Nightcore, a great majority of j-core and modern happy hardcore are derivatives of this style. Example: S3RL - Dopamine
- Powerstomp
- A more recent derivative of UK hardcore with a greater emphasis on rhythm and groove. It has a recognizable "stomping" pattern of deep kicks and fully resonant offbeat bass, uses less "happy" melodies, and often features rapped vocals. Example: M-Project ft. Jonjo - Pure Powerstomper
- A more recent derivative of UK hardcore with a greater emphasis on rhythm and groove. It has a recognizable "stomping" pattern of deep kicks and fully resonant offbeat bass, uses less "happy" melodies, and often features rapped vocals. Example: M-Project ft. Jonjo - Pure Powerstomper
- Darkcore/Terrorcore
- Darker and Edgier hardcore, basically. Faster (200+ BPM), more low pitched sounds, and less melody.
- Noisecore/Industrial Hardcore
- Hardcore fused with noise and industrial music. Bass drum driven rhythm is still there, but there are few melodic elements, and harsh samples are frequent.
- Digital Hardcore
- Hardstyle
- One of the biggest genres, if not the biggest subgenre of hard dance music, hardstyle is similar to and developed alongside gabber in the '90s and early 2000s. It has its origins in the Dutch and Italian hard dance scenes with the term originally applying to various mid-tempo dance music styles with downpitched kicks and faded or reversed basslines. A characteristic of virtually all hardstyle is its drop-buildup-drop structure, use of screeching "hoover" synths and a big, booming sound that incorporates sidechaining and reverb effects that emphasize the sound of the kick drum. The evolution of hardstyle has resulted in a number of microgenres emerging throughout the years.
- Early hardstyle arose from the 90s hard dance scene and features bass-boosted kicks, sparse instrumentation, and gabber-esque sampled lyrics. This would continue to evolve into the mid-2000s, thanks to the advancement of computer technology and DAW software allowing for more complex yet still "classic" sounds. Example: Brain Ovulation - Kick & Bass (Acid Step Mix)
- Nu-style/Jumpstyle arose in the late 2000s as early hardstyle began to wane in popularity, and new sounds that were conducive to Dutch hakken dancing began to be phased in. It is faster than early hardstyle (at 150 BPM) and is more polished in its production, with the now-distinctive layered kicks (colloquially called "toks") being a defining feature of the sound. Furthermore, compositions became more complex, with a greater number of samples, harsher screeches, cleaner melodies and some songs written in Uncommon Time. Examples: Hyperdrive - Brain Confusion, Headhunterz - Power of the Mind
- Early hardstyle arose from the 90s hard dance scene and features bass-boosted kicks, sparse instrumentation, and gabber-esque sampled lyrics. This would continue to evolve into the mid-2000s, thanks to the advancement of computer technology and DAW software allowing for more complex yet still "classic" sounds. Example: Brain Ovulation - Kick & Bass (Acid Step Mix)
- The hardstyle sound continued to evolve, and eventually seep into the mainstream, in the early 2010s, spawning even more subgenres.
- Euphoric hardstyle is defined by a focus on musicality, with less harsh kicks and flowing melodies that evoke a livelier and more soulful mood while still sounding "hard". Vocal tracks are fairly common. Example: Max Enforcer - Lost in Paradise
- Raw hardstyle focus on the "hard" aspect of the style, and features more abrasive sounds with harsh hoover screeches and loud, punchy kicks. An interesting development in rawstyle is the "kickroll" - a drum fill made by creatively varying the pitch, rhythm, and tempo of the kick drum that is often used to spice up the hard drops. Example: Unresolved & Jason Payne - Nuclear
- Reverse-bass hardstyle ditches the now-typical punchy toks in favor of deep, bassy kicks and faded/reversed basslines to create a steady, booming sound reminiscent of early hardstyle tracks. Occasionally, gated kicks will be used to create a darker and more "underground" feel. Examples: Audiofreq - Warcry, DJ Isaac - Party People
- There are other "fusion" subgenres of hardstyle, such as psystyle/hardpsy (fused with psychedelic trance), tekstyle (fused with techno and industrial), and dubstyle (fused with dubstep)
- Euphoric hardstyle is defined by a focus on musicality, with less harsh kicks and flowing melodies that evoke a livelier and more soulful mood while still sounding "hard". Vocal tracks are fairly common. Example: Max Enforcer - Lost in Paradise
- One of the biggest genres, if not the biggest subgenre of hard dance music, hardstyle is similar to and developed alongside gabber in the '90s and early 2000s. It has its origins in the Dutch and Italian hard dance scenes with the term originally applying to various mid-tempo dance music styles with downpitched kicks and faded or reversed basslines. A characteristic of virtually all hardstyle is its drop-buildup-drop structure, use of screeching "hoover" synths and a big, booming sound that incorporates sidechaining and reverb effects that emphasize the sound of the kick drum. The evolution of hardstyle has resulted in a number of microgenres emerging throughout the years.
- Subground
- Similar to hardstyle and gabber, but significantly slower (around 120-140BPM, the same tempo range as techno), with a greater focus on minimalism and sub-bass frequencies. Few melodic elements are present, and the kicks are less harsh and more bouncy overall. Often considered as a fusion between hardstyle, gabber, and Electro House. The genre was pioneered by Italian DJ Manuel Tessarollo, better known for his subground aliases ACTI and T78. Example: ACTI - The Sound of QULT
- Similar to hardstyle and gabber, but significantly slower (around 120-140BPM, the same tempo range as techno), with a greater focus on minimalism and sub-bass frequencies. Few melodic elements are present, and the kicks are less harsh and more bouncy overall. Often considered as a fusion between hardstyle, gabber, and Electro House. The genre was pioneered by Italian DJ Manuel Tessarollo, better known for his subground aliases ACTI and T78. Example: ACTI - The Sound of QULT
- Breakbeat Hardcore
- Often simply called "breaks". A style of hardcore that largely revolves around the eponymous "breaks" used as rhythm elements. Songs tend to sit at slow yet danceable rhythms (around 110-140 BPM) and make frequent use of distorted "Reese" basslines, hoover synths, ominous pads, and voice snippets sampled from hip-hop or punk rock. The genre later evolved into Jungle, which was a predecessor to Drum and Bass, and reemerged in the 2010s as Breakcore (see below)
- Breakcore
- Derived from, but not to be confused with the abovementioned Breakbeat Hardcore, breakcore is a style that changes beat every 2-4 seconds and every now and then introduces random beats, giving the sense of a jumbled yet coherent chaos. Usually takes rhythms from other genres, especially drum and bass and extreme metal. Example: BOB the Builder - Words
- Derived from, but not to be confused with the abovementioned Breakbeat Hardcore, breakcore is a style that changes beat every 2-4 seconds and every now and then introduces random beats, giving the sense of a jumbled yet coherent chaos. Usually takes rhythms from other genres, especially drum and bass and extreme metal. Example: BOB the Builder - Words
- Schranz / Hardtek / Hardtechno
- A primarily German subgenre of hardcore with a huge emphasis on rhythm, usually with a fast and galloping beat, booming kicks and sub-bass, repetitive drum loops, and the use of compression to create a raw, lo-fi sound. Melodies are used sparingly, though some producers incorporate trance-like breaks and arpeggiated synths to add variety and flow to their tracks. As the name suggests, the genre is considered to be a Darker and Edgier variant of modern techno and thus takes more direct influence from it than other recent hard dance subgenres. Example: this live session from Fernanda Martins.
- A primarily German subgenre of hardcore with a huge emphasis on rhythm, usually with a fast and galloping beat, booming kicks and sub-bass, repetitive drum loops, and the use of compression to create a raw, lo-fi sound. Melodies are used sparingly, though some producers incorporate trance-like breaks and arpeggiated synths to add variety and flow to their tracks. As the name suggests, the genre is considered to be a Darker and Edgier variant of modern techno and thus takes more direct influence from it than other recent hard dance subgenres. Example: this live session from Fernanda Martins
- Hard NRG
- Hardcore with a heavy Hi-NRG influence. Recognizable for its emphasis on very fast, flowing supersaw melodies, harmonized synths, and layered production. Tempo can range from 160-180 BPM.
- J-core
- Japanese hardcore techno, usually with a greater emphasis on melody. Its birth is credited to DJ Sharpnel in his album Sharpnel vs. Project Gabbangelion, often thought to be the first one to mix anime samples together with mid-90's Rotterdam hardcore techno (although it wasn't his first release, some albums such as Early Style Of Otakuspeedvibe 1996→1998 predate it). Still a very much niche scene dominated by doujin circles who sell their stuff at Comiket, or indies composers who make music for rhythm games. Japanese works tend to be much more melodic than their Western counterparts, often feature sound samples from anime, and are more aimed at listening rather than dancing. J-core has also influenced some foreign artists whose works can be perfectly classified as j-core despite not being Japanese, like British producer JAKAZiD, Ukrainian ensemble Reizoko CJ and Argentinian producer Shingo DJ/Round Wave Crusher, and some recent Dutch hardcore productions have begun incorporating an influence of Japanese techno. Examples: xi - Freedom Dive (happy hardcore) moro - ppppyyy (UK hardcore), RedOgre - Zelkova (speedcore), moro - A one of mathafucker (gabber), moro - akatsuki (hardstyle), siromaru + cranky - conflict (schranz), LeaF - Calamity Fortune (happy hardcore/makina)
- Japanese hardcore techno, usually with a greater emphasis on melody. Its birth is credited to DJ Sharpnel in his album Sharpnel vs. Project Gabbangelion
- Touhou j-core
- Basically, hardcore techno arranges of Touhou Project songs. It has grown into a genre of itself due to the j-core scene being very largely underground, and due to Touhou's creator being OK with underground artists doing derivative works of his series. Their main distinguishing feature is a decidedly melodic sound, much more than other variants of hardcore techno, and being often performed in an upbeat major key. Examples: a gabber arrange of Sakuya's song, a speedcore arrange of Yuuka's song, a hardstyle arrange of Kaguya's song.
- Basically, hardcore techno arranges of Touhou Project songs. It has grown into a genre of itself due to the j-core scene being very largely underground, and due to Touhou's creator being OK with underground artists doing derivative works of his series. Their main distinguishing feature is a decidedly melodic sound, much more than other variants of hardcore techno, and being often performed in an upbeat major key. Examples: a gabber arrange of Sakuya's song
- Denpa / Akiba-pop
- A cross between J-core, happy hardcore, and anime music that began in the 1990s and exploded into notoriety in the 2000s and 2010s. It features breakneck tempos bordering on speedcore, major-key melodies, abrupt changes to song progression, and cutesy female vocals about surreal, humorous, or nonsensical topics that are often laced with references to Moe culture and issues relating to social isolation and mental health. Like its parent genre, it has a loyal fanbase consisting of Comiket enthusiasts and Rhythm Game players, and has influenced mainstream anisong and idol music beginning in the 2010s.
- Hardbass
- A Russian breed of hardcore techno that appeared in the late 90's, drawing inspiration from hardstyle, UK hardcore, and hard house. It has a highly characteristic "donk" bass tone that is used as part of the melody, often features rapping lyrics, and its accompanying dance style ditches Dutch hakken moves in favor of That Russian Squat Dance. The best known act is XS Project. It has been appropriated as part of the recently developed Eastern European gopnik subculture.
- A Russian breed of hardcore techno that appeared in the late 90's, drawing inspiration from hardstyle, UK hardcore, and hard house. It has a highly characteristic "donk" bass tone that is used as part of the melody, often features rapping lyrics, and its accompanying dance style ditches Dutch hakken moves in favor of That Russian Squat Dance. The best known act is XS Project
- Funkot
- A primarily Indonesian style of hardcore techno that emerged in the 2000s. Funkot is characterized by very high tempos (usually 180-220 BPM), its triplet bass kick pattern, use of cowbell, and heavy usage of the Amen break. Sampling is very frequent, with vocal slices taken from anime, Western rap songs, or early hardcore tracks. It is somewhat related to the Japanese denpa style and is often played alongside it during live sets.
Notable Artists
- Advanced Dealer
- Alien T
- AniMe
- Annoying Ringtone
- Angerfist
- Art Of Fighters / Mecanno Twins
- Atari Teenage Riot (invented and popularized Digital Hardcore)
- Blümchen
- Camellia
- Chaotic Hostility
- Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo
- Diabarha
- DJ Kurara
- DJ Sharpnel
- Dune
- Flamman & Abraxas
- Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
- Force & Styles
- Gammer
- goreshit
- HACKD
- Hard Driver
- Hatari
- Headhunterz (Trope Maker for euphoric hardstyle)
- Hellfish
- Hixxy
- Igorrr
- Imil
- Kayzo (mixes hardstyle with Trap Music and dubstep)
- Korsakoff
- Machine Girl
- DJ Mad Dog
- The Mad Capsule Markets
- Marc Trauner (Marc Acardipane, Mescalinum United, The Mover, Pilldriver, Marshall Masters and Resident E)
- Manule Malin
- The Melodyst
- m1dlet
- m1dy
- Minus Militia
- Miss K8
- Nasen Bluten
- Neophyte
- Party Animals
- Paul Elstak
- Placid K
- Rotterdam Terror Corps
- Scarphase
- Scooter (Trope Codifier for happy hardcore and by far the genre's most popular group)
- S3RL
- Scott Brown
- Sharkey
- Shingo DJ, alias Round Wave Crusher
- The Sickest Squad
- Slipmatt (combines Happy Hardcore with Trance)
- Speedcore Dave! (also simply known as Dave!)
- The Speed Freak
- The Stunned Guys
- Styles (also part of Force & Styles)
- 3 Steps Ahead
- Venetian Snares (Known for his chaotic breakcore tracks which abuse the Amen break to ludicrous extremes.)
- Vinylgroover (known for the Happy Hardcore remake of Time After Time)
- Wasted Penguinz
- The various folks at Bemani, particularly for the beatmania series - kors k / Strip E, DJ Technorch, Sota Fujimori, LV.4...
- The various folks sold at Comiket and Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai conventions - Roughsketch, t+pazolite, REDALiCE / ALiCE'S EMOTION, USAO, Spineliar, Cirwo, Red Ogre...
