Hardcore is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany in the early 1990s. It is distinguished by faster tempos and a distorted sawtooth kick, the intensity of the kicks and the synthesized bass, the rhythm and the atmosphere of the themes, the usage of saturation and experimentation close to that of industrial dance music. It would spawn subgenres such as gabber.
Bouncy techno is a hardcore dance music rave style that developed in the early 1990s from Scotland and Northern England. Described as an accessible gabber-like form, it was popularised by Scottish DJ and music producer Scott Brown under numerous aliases.
Paul Roger Elstak is a Dutch hardcore/gabber and happy hardcore DJ and record producer of Surinamese descent. He used to use his full name to create happy hardcore and DJ Paul for hardcore gabber, but when he started Offensive Records in 2001, he started using both names for gabber.
Luna-C is a British DJ and record producer, known for his work in breakbeat hardcore music. He was a member of the group Smart E's in 1992, who scored a No. 2 hit on the UK Singles Chart with "Sesame's Treet" which samples the Sesame Street theme song. He founded Kniteforce Records in 1992, for which he produced tracks and remixes under various aliases. The label was sold in 1997 but resurrected as Kniteforce Again (KFA) in 2001.
Greater Than One is an English electronic music band, founded by husband and wife Michael Wells and Lee Newman in 1985. They released many albums under this name, and also under the names Tricky Disco, GTO, John + Julie, Church of Extacy, Signs of Chaos, T.D.5, Salami Brothers, Killout Squad, Technohead and L.E.D.. Only a few of their singles were commercially successful. Since Newman's death on 4 August 1995 from cancer, Wells continues to release music under some of these names, and also as The Man and S.O.L.O.
Party Animals are a pop-gabber group from Amsterdam, Netherlands. The band was created by producers Jeff "Abraxas" Porter and Jeroen Flamman, also known as Flamman & Abraxas, along with vocalists MCs Remsy, Evert van Buschbach, Patrick de Moor, Dennis Adam, and Paul Grommé. They became the first act in the Netherlands to have their first three singles go straight to number one.
Thunderdome is a concept in hardcore techno and gabber music that was mainly used for a series of parties and CD albums. It was organized by the Dutch entertainment company ID&T. The first party was organized in 1992 and the party held in December 2012 was advertised as being the end of Thunderdome. The party was brought back in 2017 for the 25th anniversary with a 2019 edition announced the following year. In 2022, Thunderdome celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Jaarbeurs convention centre, Utrecht.
Dov Joseph Elkabas, known professionally as DJ The Prophet, is a Dutch hardcore techno and hardstyle DJ and producer. The Prophet is also the owner of one of the largest hardstyle record labels, Scantraxx.
Darren James Mew, better known as Darren Styles, is an English music producer, DJ, singer and songwriter from Colchester, Essex. Originally a member of the breakbeat hardcore group DJ Force & the Evolution, Styles found success during the 1990s as one half of Force & Styles. The duo were pioneers of happy hardcore and wrote several well-known songs such as "Heart of Gold", "Pretty Green Eyes" and "Paradise & Dreams".
The Gabber Mixes is the third EP by American heavy metal band Fear Factory, released in 1997 through Mokum Records. The track "T-1000" is from Remanufacture, which is a remix of "H-K (Hunter-Killer)" from Demanufacture.
React Music Limited was a British independent record label, based in London, formed in 1990 by James Horrocks and Thomas Foley. James Horrocks was initially involved with successful dance music independent Rhythm King, and React pursued a similar approach — specifically electronic dance music, house music, acid house, techno and rave, along with newer "dance" oriented subgenres which emerged throughout the 1990s. These included hard house, tech house, trance, hardbag, happy hardcore, drum and bass and chill out.
"I Wanna Be a Hippy" is a song by English electronic music group Technohead. The vocals were taken from David Peel's song "I Like Marijuana", which he sung in the 1989 movie Rude Awakening. It first appeared as the B-side to the group's Mary Jane EP, issued by Dutch hardcore techno label Mokum Records. John Peel featured the track "Mary Jane" on his show on 10 February 1995, which helped give the release recognition.
Rotterdam Records was a Dutch record label founded by Paul Elstak in 1992. It released hardcore and gabber music. It stopped in 2012 and restarted again in 2018 with MP3 releases.
DJ Sharpnel is a Japanese music duo composed of Jea and Lemmy, who are signed under their independent record label Sharpnelsound. They are credited for pioneering the J-core genre, recognized for their speedcore, gabber, happy hardcore and trance productions.
Frank Nitzinsky, better known by his stage name, Eye-D, is a Dutch drum & bass producer and DJ based in Goes, The Netherlands. He is one-half of hardcore duo, The Outside Agency, alongside DJ Hidden.
Frederick Schmid, better known by his stage name Freddy Fresh, is an American DJ, musician, and electronic music producer. Fresh has recorded for over 100 independent record labels, including major labels Sony UK, Virgin, BMG UK, and Harthouse Germany. He is also founder of the record labels Howlin' Records, Electric Music Foundation, and Analog.
Frenchcore is a subgenre of hardcore techno. The style differs from other forms of hardcore in terms of a faster tempo, usually above 190-250 BPM, and a loud & distorted offbeat bassline.
The Outside Agency is a Dutch hardcore techno duo composed of DJ/producers Noël Wessels and Frank Nitzinsky. The pair operate out of two studios based in Goes, Netherlands. They also run two record labels: Genosha Recordings and its sister label Genosha One Seven Five.
Gabber is a style of electronic dance music and a subgenre of hardcore techno, as well as the surrounding subculture. The music is more commonly referred to as hardcore, which is characterised by fast beats, distorted and heavy kickdrums, with dark themes and samples. This style was developed in Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the 1990s by producers like Marc Acardipane, Paul Elstak, DJ Rob, and The Prophet, forming record labels such as Rotterdam Records, Mokum Records, Pengo Records and Industrial Strength Records.
Make 'Em Mokum Crazy is a compilation album of music by various artists released in 1996 by Dutch record label Mokum Records. The album, which consists solely of music from the label's catalogue, displays the happy gabba or "popcore" sound that had emerged from Dutch underground raves during the mid-1990s and had partly started to reach mainstream success, such was the case with the album's lead single "I Wanna Be a Hippy" by Technohead. Upon its release, the album received critical acclaim for its upbeat, manic tone and happy spirit. Robert Christgau named it the 53rd best album of 1997, and, as an example of its acclaim had continued over years, Rolling Stone named it the 30th greatest EDM album ever in 2012.
