Breakbeat hardcore (also referred to as hardcore rave, oldskool hardcore or simply hardcore) is a

music genre A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. Genre is to be distinguished from musical form and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometim ...

that spawned from the UK

rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...

scene during the early 1990s. It combines

four-on-the-floor Four-on-the-floor (or four-to-the-floor) is a rhythm used primarily in dance genres such as disco and electronic dance music. It is a steady, uniformly accented beat in time in which the bass drum is hit on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4)."The Dance ...

rhythms with

breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that uses drum breaks, often sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as Florida breaks, hip-hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat ...

s usually

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...

from

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

. In addition to the inclusion of breakbeats, the genre also features shuffled

drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...

patterns,

hoover Hoover may refer to: Music * Hoover (band), an American post-hardcore band * Hooverphonic, a Belgian band originally named Hoover * Hoover (singer), Willis Hoover, a country and western performer active in 1960s and '70s * "Hoover" (song), a 201 ...

, and other noises originating from

new beat New beat is a Belgian electronic dance music genre that fuses elements of new wave, hi-NRG,Simon Reynolds: ''Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture.'' Routledge 1999, , p. 124. EBM and hip hop (e.g. scratching).Timor ...

and

Belgian techno Belgian hardcore techno (also referred to as Belgian techno or rave techno) is an early style of hardcore techno that emerged from new beat as EBM and techno influences became more prevalent in this genre. This particular style has been describ ...

, sounds from

acid house Acid house (also simply known as just " acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synt ...

and

bleep techno Bleep techno (or simply bleep) is a regional subgenre of techno which developed in the late 1980s in Northern England, particularly Yorkshire. Named after its minimalistic synthesizer sounds, bleep techno combined influences from American ...

, and often upbeat

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

piano riffs and vocals.

History

Early 1990s: origins

The

scene expanded rapidly in the very early

1990s File:1990s decade montage.png, From top left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American jets fly over burning oil fields in the 1991 Gulf War; the Oslo Accords on 13 September 1993; the World ...

, both at

clubs Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Club (magazine), ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands a ...

up and down the country including Labrynth,

Shelley's Laserdome Shelley's Laserdome was a night club in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was at the heart of the house and rave scene in the early 1990s, helping to launch the career of DJ Sasha and featuring regular appearances from Carl C ...

, The Eclipse, and

Sanctuary Music Arena The Sanctuary Music Arena was a 22,000 sq ft, 3,500 capacity music venue in Denbigh North, Milton Keynes in the UK, and most well known for its connection to the rave scene. Origins The site was originally intended for industrial use, as par ...

, and large raves in

Warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...

s and in the open air attracting 20–50,000 whether put on legally from promoters such as Fantazia and Raindance, or unlicensed by

free party A free party is a party "free" from the restrictions of the legal club scene, similar to the Free festival, free festival movement. It typically involves a Sound system (DJ)#Free party, sound system playing electronic dance music from late at ...

sound systems Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

such as

Spiral Tribe Spiral Tribe is an arts collective and free party Sound system (DJ), sound system formed in 1990. It organised free party, free parties, festivals and raves in the UK and later Europe in the 1990s. Spiral Tribe was involved in the Castlemorton ...

. Breakbeat hardcore drew its melting pot of sound from a vast array of influences – from

and

that had for a short period been prominent in the UK

scene, to

and

, and furthermore drawing on

and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

culture. Amongst the influences from within the rave scene itself upon which this strain of hardcore drew were such acts as Manix, The Hypnotist,

CJ Bolland Christian Jay "C. J." Bolland (born 18 June 1971, Stockton-on-Tees, England) is an English-Belgian electronic music producer and remixer with British roots. Born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Bolland's family moved to Antwerp in Flanders ...

with his "Ravesignal" series, and T99. The huge increase in producers was also driven by the increasing availability of cheap home computer-based studio setups, particularly

Cubase Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg for music and MIDI recording, arranging and editing. The first version, which was originally only a MIDI sequencer and ran on the Atari ST computer, was released in 1989. Cut-do ...

for the

Atari ST Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the company's Atari 8-bit computers, 8-bit computers. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985, and was widely available i ...

Mid-1990s: fragmentation

By late 1992, breakbeat hardcore started to fragment into a number of subsequent

genres Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other form ...

darkcore Darkcore (also referred to as darkside hardcore) is a music genre, music subgenre of breakbeat hardcore in the UK rave scene, that emerged from late 1992. It is recognised as being one of the direct precursors of the genre now known as drum and ...

(piano rolls giving way to dark-themed samples and stabs),

hardcore jungle Jungle is a genre of electronic music that developed in the 1990s out of the UK rave scene and Jamaican sound system culture. Emerging from breakbeat hardcore, the style is characterised by rapid breakbeats, heavily syncopated percussive loops, s ...

(where reggae basslines and samples became prominent), and

happy hardcore Happy hardcore, also known as 4-beat or happycore, is a subgenre of hardcore dance music or " hard dance". It emerged both from the UK breakbeat hardcore rave scene, and Belgian, German and Dutch hardcore techno scenes in the early 1990s ...

(retaining piano rolls and more uplifting vocals).

2000s: revival

In the 2000s, the style experienced a revival as part of the nu-rave scene. Hardcore breaks is a style of breakbeat hardcore that appeared in early-to-mid 2000s as part of growing

nu-rave New rave (also typeset as nu-rave, nu rave or neu rave) is a genre of music described by ''The Guardian'' as "an in-yer-face, DIY disco riposte to the sensitive indie rock touted by bands like Bloc Party." It is most commonly applied to a Britis ...

scene. The style is inspired by the sound and characteristics of old school breakbeat, while being fused with modern production techniques that distinguish the genre from the classic hardcore breakbeat sound. The music is composed of looped, edited and processed breakbeat samples, intense bassline sounds, melodic piano lines, staccato synthesizer riffs, and various vocal samples (mostly taken from old house records). The speed of this genre typically fell between the range of 145–155 bpm, while the speed may variate on live sets. Originally being produced by a small group of artists with the vision of carrying on where oldskool hardcore left off before the

jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

and

split using new production techniques and technology, its appeal has now expanded to include artists from the original breakbeat hardcore scene creating new productions. By the late 2000s, hardcore breaks tend to be produced and played at a bit faster tempos, often between 160–180 bpm. Therefore, it is often played at

UK hardcore Happy hardcore, also known as 4-beat or happycore, is a subgenre of hardcore dance music or " hard dance". It emerged both from the UK breakbeat hardcore rave scene, and Belgian, German and Dutch hardcore techno scenes in the early 1990s ...

, freeform hardcore and

drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...

events.

Notable releases

Notable releases include: * "

A Trip to Trumpton "A Trip to Trumpton" is a song by the English duo Urban Hype. It was released on 29 June 1992 as the lead single from their debut studio album, ''Conspiracy to Dance'' (1992). Songwriting credits were shared by Freddie Phillips, the composer of th ...

" –

Urban Hype Urban Hype were an English breakbeat hardcore group. The group was formed in 1988, consisting of Bob Dibden (Robert John Dibden) and Mark Lewis (Mark Louis Chitty). They are best known for their toytown techno single, "A Trip to Trumpton", ...

(Faze 2, 1992) * "Baptised by Dub" –

The Criminal Minds The Criminal Minds are a British hip hop group first formed in Milton Keynes, England in 1985, who would later have success with breakbeat hardcore music during the peak of the early-mid 1990s British rave scene. History The Criminal Minds were ...

(White House, 1992) * "Be Free" / "Breakage #4" -

Noise Factory was a Japanese video game developer and publisher based out of Osaka, it was one of the developer companies of SNK, established in 1998 by former Atlus staff members who previously worked on '' Princess Crown'' for Sega Saturn. Its more known ...

(Ibiza, 1992) * "

Charly Charly may refer to: People * Charly (name) Places * Charly-sur-Marne, in the Aisne department * Charly, Cher, in the Cher department * Charly, Rhône, in the Rhône department * Charly-Oradour, in the Moselle department Other * Operation ...

" / "

Everybody in the Place "Everybody in the Place" is the second official single released by the British electronic dance band the Prodigy from their debut album, ''Experience'' (1992). It was released on 23 December 1991 through XL Recordings in the UK. The single ...

" –

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured Rapping, MC and vocalist Maxim (musician), Maxim, dancer and occasi ...

(

XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been run and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. It releases an average of six albums a year. T ...

, 1991) * "Close Your Eyes" / "

Trip II the Moon Trip may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books Fictional characters * Trip (''Pokémon''), a ''Pokémon'' character * Trip (Power Rangers), in the American television series ''Time Force Power Rangers'' * Trip, in the 2013 film ''Metallica Th ...

" –

Acen Acen Razvi is an English breakbeat hardcore/techno music producer. Acen was known for tracks such as "Close Your Eyes", "Window in the Sky" and "Trip II the Moon" (the latter two both 1992). He worked for the Production House Records stable, w ...

(

Production House Records Production House Records was formed in 1987 by Phil Fearon, Laurie Jago and Raj Malkani. Fearon enjoyed a string of hits in the 1980s as producer and frontman of British soul/dance/pop collective, Galaxy. Production House Records is best know ...

, 1992) * "Cookin Up Yah Brain" –

4hero 4hero (sometimes referred to as 4 Hero or 4-Hero) are an electronic music group from Dollis Hill, London, comprising producers Mark "Marc Mac" Clair & Denis "Dego" McFarlane. 4hero are known for being pioneers of breakbeat hardcore, jungle/drum ...

(

Reinforced Records Reinforced Records is a British breakbeat hardcore, jungle, and drum and bass record label, first founded in 1989 by 4hero and based in Dollis Hill, London. Reinforced is one of the groundbreaking record labels of the genre.Reynolds, S. (1998) ...

, 1992) * "Dancehall Dangerous" - Hackney Hardcore (Strictly Underground, 1992) * "DJ's Take Control" / "

On a Ragga Tip "On a Ragga Tip" is a song by British breakbeat hardcore group SL2, released as a single in 1992. The song contains samples of Jah Screechy's "Walk and Skank" and Kid 'n Play's "Gittin' Funky (UK Remix)". The song was a success, peaking at 2 ...

" – SL2 (XL Recordings, 1992) * "Far Out" – Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era (

Suburban Base Suburban Base Records is a British breakbeat hardcore, rave and jungle/drum and bass record label. It is based in Romford, Havering, England. It was established by Danny Donnelly and operated in the UK from 1990 to 1997 and in the United Stat ...

, 1991) * "Frequency" / "Infiltrate 202" –

Altern-8 Altern 8 is a British electronic music act, comprising Mark Archer and Chris Peat, until Peat left the group in 1994. Best known in the early 1990s, their trademark was electronic rave music with a heavy bass line. Notable Altern 8 tracks inc ...

(

Network Records Network Records (formed out of Kool Kat Records) was an independent record label founded in Birmingham, England, in 1988 by Neil Rushton and Dave Barker. It was instrumental in first introducing Detroit techno to a British audience, through it ...

, 1991) * "Homicide" / "Exorcist" / "Frequency" –

Shades of Rhythm Shades of Rhythm are an English electronic dance music group most active from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, still performing live today and hailing from Peterborough in 1988. They are best known for being a part of the early '90s rave scene. ...

(

ZTT Records ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by the record producer Trevor Horn, the businesswoman Jill Sinclair and the ''NME'' journalist Paul Morley. They released music by acts including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, the ...

, 1991) * "Hurt You So" –

Jonny L Jonny L, real name Jon Lisners, (born November 1970) is a British drum and bass producer. He has also released music under the alias of Mr. L and was one half of the UK garage duo True Steppers. Biography Early career (1992–1995) Lisners ...

(Yoyo, 1992) * "

I Feel Love "I Feel Love" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. Produced and co-written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, it was recorded for Summer's fifth studio album, '' I Remember Yesterday'' (1977). The album concept was to ha ...

" –

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

(Kickin Records, 1992) * I Want You (Forever) -

Carl Cox Carl Andrew Cox (born 29 July 1962) is a British house and techno club DJ, radio DJ, motorsport team owner and record producer. He is based in Frankston, Victoria, Australia. Cox has won and been nominated for numerous awards. He has perfor ...

(

Perfecto Records Perfecto Records is a British trance record label, founded by Paul Oakenfold in 1989. Perfecto was also a remix team consisting of Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne and in its later years, Osborne was replaced by Andy Gray. Perfecto Records ha ...

, 1991) * "

Let Me Be Your Fantasy "Let Me Be Your Fantasy" is a song by British musical group Baby D. It was written and produced by band member Floyd Dyce and the vocals were sung by Dorothy Fearon (also known as Dorothy "Dee" Galdes and Dee Galdes-Fearon). It was originally re ...

" – Baby D (Production House, 1992) * "Loves Got to Be Free" -

(XL Recordings/Ibiza, 1992) * "Mohamed's Mind" - 2 Kilos (Radioactive Lamb, 1990) * "Music Takes You" -

Blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible fo ...

(

Moving Shadow Moving Shadow is an English breakbeat hardcore, jungle and drum and bass record label which was founded in 1990 by Rob Playford. History The label began in 1990, operating from Playford's Stevenage home. Playford had become a focal point for ...

, 1991) * "NHS (Disco Remix)" –

Doc Scott Scott McIlroy (born 1971, Coventry, England), better known as Doc Scott or Nasty Habits, is a British drum and bass DJ and producer. Biography He originally started to DJ at clubs and raves such as Amnesia House and The Eclipse in 1989/1990, ...

(Absolute 2, 1992) * "

Sesame's Treet "Sesame's Treet" is a 1992 single by the English rave group Smart E's. It is a remix of " Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?", with the song's title being a pun on "Sesame Street". The song reached 2 on the UK Singles Chart in July ...

" –

Smart E's Luna-C (born Christopher Howell, 1 May 1973) 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 2 hit on the UK Singles Chart with "Sesame's ...

(Suburban Base/Atlantic, 1992) * "Some Justice" – Urban Shakedown (Urban Shakedown, 1992) * "Spliffhead" / "Hooligan 69" –

Ragga Twins The Ragga Twins, also known as RTC, are an English ragga and jungle MC duo of Deman Rocker (David Destouche) and Flinty Badman (Trevor Destouche). Originating from Hackney, England, they started out on London's Unity sound system, and are reg ...

(SUAD Records, 1991) * " Sweet Harmony" –

Liquid Liquid is a state of matter with a definite volume but no fixed shape. Liquids adapt to the shape of their container and are nearly incompressible, maintaining their volume even under pressure. The density of a liquid is usually close to th ...

(XL Recordings, 1992) * "Teach Me to Fly" - DJ Trace &

LTJ Bukem Daniel Andrew Williamson (born 20 September 1967), better known as LTJ Bukem (), is a British drum and bass musician, producer and DJ. He and his record label Good Looking are most associated with the jazzy, atmospheric side of drum and bass m ...

(Out of Orbit, 1992) * " The Bouncer" –

Kicks Like a Mule Kicks Like a Mule is a British electronic music duo consisting of Richard Russell and Nick Halkes. Their first single, " The Bouncer", peaked at No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart when it was released in 1992. Although both Halkes and Russell worke ...

(Tribal Base, 1992) * "The Green Man" / " Raving I'm Raving" – Shut Up and Dance (SUAD Records, 1992) * "The Wickedest Sound" –

Rebel MC Michael Alec Anthony West (born 27 August 1964 in Islington, London, England), better known as Rebel MC and Congo Natty, is a British jungle producer, spiritual chanter and toaster. He has also gone by aliases including Conquering Lion, Blackst ...

(Desire, 1991) * "Waremouse" / " Bombscare" –

2 Bad Mice Formed in 1991, 2 Bad Mice are an English breakbeat hardcore group, composed of Sean O'Keeffe, Simon Colebrooke, and Rob Playford who was originally the third member and the owner of the Moving Shadow record label. In the 1990s, the group had t ...

(Moving Shadow, 1992) * "

We Are I.E. "We Are I.E." is a song by British breakbeat hardcore producer Lennie De Ice. It was first recorded in 1989, but not released until 1991 when it appeared on a four-track EP from Reel 2 Reel Productions, one of a number of labels (and associated a ...

" –

Lennie De Ice Lenworth Green (May 14, 1970 – December 10, 2024), better known as Lennie De Ice, was a British musician credited with pioneering jungle music with his 1991 track, " We Are I.E.". His other aliases include Body Snatcher and Lick Down Crew. De ...

History

Early 1990s: origins

Mid-1990s: fragmentation

2000s: revival

Notable releases

See also

References

Citations

Sources

Further reading