Bounce
A bouncy UK and Irish hard house style built on a sharp offbeat 'donk' bass.
History
Bounce is a fast, bouncy form of hard house from Britain and Ireland s1s2. It is also called donk, scouse house or hard bounce s1. The style is built on a sharp, pitched 'donk' hit on the offbeats over a fast four-to-the-floor kick s1. It began in towns in North West England, including Wigan, in the 2000s s1. The Wigan Pier club and its compilation albums helped the sound spread s1. In 2008 the Blackout Crew released 'Put a Donk on It', which made the word donk widely known s1. The band Ultrabeat and the DJ Alex K also made popular records s1. The music is usually about 140 to 160 beats per minute s1. The word 'bounce' has other meanings too s1. In Australia it can mean a more commercial club style, and in the Netherlands it can mean bubbling s1. This entry is about the UK and Irish donk sound s1.
Sound
- A sharp 'donk' bass on the offbeats
- A fast four-to-the-floor kick
- A bouncy, playful mood
- Simple vocal samples
- Loud, compressed drums
Key figures
- Blackout Crew — British group behind 'Put a Donk on It'
- Alex K — British DJ and producer in the scouse house scene
- Ultrabeat — British bounce and hardcore act
- Bad Behaviour — British scouse house producers
Labels
- All Around the World — Blackpool , 1991
- Wigan Pier — Wigan , 1997
- Kontor Records — Hamburg , 1996
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Hard House , Hard NRG , Bouncy Techno
Sources
- What Is Donk? The Northern Hard-Dance Sound Back in 2026 — Mneemo (2026)
- UK hard house — Wikipedia