Phoenix from the Flames - The Resurgence of Hardcore
Reported by benz
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Submitted 18-11-04 13:29
Hardcore music. What is it exactly? It’s quite a broad term, but the first rule of hardcore is that it entails rapid tempos – in excess of 165bpm for the most part. Other than that, it encompasses quite a wide variety of styles.
November 27th sees one of the biggest events of the year, Frantic vs Wildchild at the SeOne, incorporating a hardcore arena (hosted by Hardcore Til I Die) into its mammoth line-up. What lead to hardcore becoming incorporated in hard dance events? I investigated the return of hardcore music to the forefront of hard dance music, why the music almost killed itself, and its immense growth in popularity in the last couple of years. Think hardcore is all cheesy pianos and chipmunk vocals? Think again…
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The easiest way to explain what hardcore is and how it came about is to take a chronological look at what is generally known as hardcore music.
Towards the end of the eighties, acid house music was starting to branch off into two different directions – there was the housier side that evolved into club house music as we know it these days, and the rawer, breakbeat-filled sound of what became soon known as hardcore (which would soon faction off into jungle and hardcore…confusing isn’t it?!). The sound of Italian piano-house that was so popular in the early nineties was combined with breakbeats to form what is now known as ‘old skool’ – early Prodigy, SL2 ‘On A Ragga Tip’, tunes like that - these were the sort tracks that paved the way for jungle and happy hardcore. Hardcore music pushed the BPMs higher, and by about 1993 often took a more sinister tone to the ‘peace & love & ecstasy’ approach so synonymous with traditional acid house. It was the soundtrack to drug-fuelled parties of hedonistic nature. As time went on, the BPMs got faster and faster, and the breakbeats became more and more prominent. Around 1992, with tunes like LTJ Bukem’s incredible ‘Atlantis’, it was clear that something new and exciting had arrived. The prototype for jungle music was born, and this paved the way for drum ‘n’ bass as we know it.
The BPMs were pushed faster and faster, up to the 170s, and soon 4/4 kick drum beats were underpinning the hectic breakbeats, in part thanks to rising Scottish star Scott Brown’s early bouncy techno, and by about 1995 cheesy piano led hardcore was in full swing, with cheddar-tastic tracks like Hixxy & Sharkey’s ‘Toytown’,. The ethos was simple – fun, happy, silly, fast music accompanied by a diet of pills and poppers. This happier side of hardcore no doubt came into existence as a lighter alternative to the darker jungle music that was being produced en masse - it was a more natural progression from the peace, love and unity vibe of rave music, and utilised the euphoric Italian house pianos to their fullest effect. UV clothing, face masks, glowsticks, and fluorescent workers jackets were the uniform.
Many see the 1995-1996 period as a golden age for hardcore – the breakbeats were still there, but were by and large backed by a 4-beat kick drum, with bouncy basslines and uplifting piano chords punctuating the tracks. Its popularity peaked around this time. A new style began to emerge around 1996 - trancecore. Billy ‘Daniel’ Bunter was one of the leading exponents of this new sound with his label GBT, taking the simple formula of traditional trance melodies and marrying them with hardcore beats. Apart from trancecore though, there was little to be excited about in the latter half of the 90s - things were starting to go downhill. Inspiring material was thin the ground, and producers and DJs deserted the scene in droves. Happy hardcore was getting far too cheesy - the music became stale, repetitive, and hardcore was heading for a musical dead-end. People soon became uninterested and disillusioned with hardcore. There were too many naff rip-offs of non-hardcore tunes being produced, reflecting the laziness and lack of imagination that was devouring hardcore productions. Things looked pretty bad.
‘The market became very narrow, with not much diversity, and new DJs could not break through.’ Jon Doe (CLSM)
‘I think hardcore became less popular as the scene became stale with everyone trying to write the next anthem, rather than coming up with something new. More often than not these tunes would be hyper-cheesy and people left in their droves, also fed up with the never changing line-ups!’ HB
For me it is difficult to say when exactly things started getting better. It seems that Scott Brown was consistently producing exciting and interesting material, and the trance motifs brought to the forefront of the music by trancecore were becoming increasingly popular, replacing the classic piano sound for something a bit more modern and less cheesy. I think that Scott Brown’s influence has been undeniable, and he has definitely been one of the main people in the scene to help the sound of hardcore to mature. The availability of new music-making software packages and hardware will no doubt have helped too raise the production standards too. By 1999, things were starting to get there - Bonkers 7 was the compilation that really got me into hardcore, and although the production still had a long way to go, the overall energy of the music on it was incredible. I was hooked, and began to investigate the scene (although this was in 2001 bear in mind!).
November 2001, I went to my first hardcore event - Slammin’ Vinyl at the Sanctuary. The music was definitely back with a vengeance by this point, with the trancey theme still being very much the main ingredient. It was around this time that hardcore veterans Hixxy, Breeze, Styles and UFO came together to form the now infamous Raverbaby imprint - an undeniable force in helping hardcore become immensely popular once again. A combination of powerful hardcore reworkings of well-known trance tracks and stunning original anthems (see ‘You’re Shining’, ‘Freefall’, ‘Sonic’ and so on) captured the hardcore audience and made things seem really special again. More and more quality productions were being released, and soon hardcore was on everyone’s lips again. Slammin’ Vinyl, who supported hardcore even through its low points, were filling their events to the rafters once again, and dozens of new hardcore promotions sprung up across the land as interest in the music grew and grew. Kevin Energy’s Nu Energy Collective saw their popularity skyrocket, pushing an innovative mix of trancecore, breakbeats, and downright dirtiness - or freeform as it is better known. The scene had become more diverse than ever, and was very healthy as a result. Mixmag even featured a hardcore covermount CD mixed by Brisk (with MC Storm) - you know if they have jumped on the bandwagon of a style of music then it must be pretty popular / ‘trendy’  .
Even if some parties' interest in the genre hasn’t been very well maintained, it certainly has been by other corners. Slammin’ Vinyl and Hardcore Heaven continue to pack out their events, London’s fantastic Elation regularly brings one of the best atmospheres in the land to the Electrowerkz, and Hixxy’s Hardcore Til I Die night has been doing a roaring trade at Air in Birmingham.
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So why has hardcore become so popular again? The main factor has got to be the quality of the music - if great productions weren’t being made, hardcore wouldn’t be where it is today. Combine that factor with the desire of people who like music at the harder end of the scale to try something new (and faster!), and the fact that modern hardcore incorporates elements of everything from hard dance to drum ‘n’ bass, and I think you’ve got your answer.
‘It started gaining in popularity when the top brass of the scene decided to try something new and put 100% behind their projects. Also events started incorporating hard dance DJs which helped expose new people to the new hardcore sound. A couple of new acts also gave it a fresher feel.’ HB
The atmosphere at hardcore events is simply unlike anything else, and if you like hard dance, chances are there is definitely a lot of hardcore that would be to your liking. Billy ‘Daniel’ Bunter’s incorporation of a hardcore room at his Tasty events has had stunning results, and has certainly opened up a lot of people’s eyes (and ears) to hardcore. Hardcore Mornings in Brixton have also proved successful in bringing the music to a new audience, as have the excellent Nu Energy parties. If you’re going to Frantic vs Wildchild on November 27th you’d be well advised to check out the Hardcore Til I Die room - Hixxy, Breeze, and Styles represent the big-room trancey hardcore sounds of Raverbaby, while CLSM, A.M.S., Uplift, and HB & Ponder will provide trance, breakbeats and filth in equal measures for sure. Hardcore is most definitely back and it doesn’t look like it’s going away…
*PHOTOS USED WITH KIND PERMISSION BY PAUL UNDERHILL AND BEN GOMORI *
WiLDCHiLD & Frantic
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On:
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Saturday 27th November 2004
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At:
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S.E.One [map]
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From:
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8.00pm-6.00am - 10 Hours of Audio Heaven
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Cost:
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Limited Earlybird Tickets Available @ £12.50 - Next Ticket Price £16.00 - Standard Ticket Price £22.00
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Website:
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www.franticuk.com www.wildchild-uk.com
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Ticket Info:
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TICKETS:-
***Limited Edition Earlybird Tickets on sale right now priced @ £12.50 while stocks last available from www.ticketweb.co.uk or call 08700 600100
***Next ticket price is £16.00
***Standard ticket price is £22.00
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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FRANTIC & WiLDCHiLD join forces once again, after their 1st sensational outing earlier this year, to bring you the ultimate London soundclash – ladies and gentlemen WiLDCHiLD & FRANTIC arse proud to present to you:-
THE POWER & THE GLORY – THE LAST GREAT PARTY OF 2004
WHAT:-
Frantic & WiLDCHiLD – The Power & The Glory
WHEN:-
Saturday 27th November 2004 from 8pm-6am
WHERE:-
The SeOne Complex, London, Nearest Tube:- London Bridge
HYPE:-
***The Power & The Glory
***WiLDCHiLD 2nd Birthday Bosh Bash
***3000 of the UK’s maddest clubbers
***5 Awesome Arenas
***6 Exclusive Live Acts
***50 International Superstar DJs playing Trance / Hard House / Hardcore / Hard Trance / Techno / Freeform / Hardstyle / House / Breaks
***30,000 Square Foot of brand new dancefloor for you to stomp all over!
***London’s Largest nightclub
***1 Magical Night of Mayhem & Madness
***Powered By Funktion One
***After the runaway success of The WiLDCHiLD & Frantic event in March this event is GUARANTEED TO SELL OUT!
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Flyer:
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