Breakbeat Hardcore
A fast, colourful British rave style that mixed breakbeats, piano riffs and sampled vocals.
History
Breakbeat hardcore grew out of the British rave scene at the start of the 1990s s1. Producers took the fast, chopped drum breaks of hip hop and added piano riffs, sirens and cheerful vocal samples s1. The music was played at large illegal parties and became the sound of the early rave years s1. Lennie De Ice's 'We Are I.E.' (1991) is often named as the record that set the pattern s1. The Prodigy's 'Charly' (1991) became a chart hit and brought the style to a huge audience s1. Sonz of a Loop da Loop Era's 'Far Out' (1991) was another well-known rave record s1. The mood was often happy and energetic, and the tracks were full of sudden changes s2. By 1993 the style had split into two directions: the darker jungle sound and the faster happy hardcore sound s1s2. The records were often pressed in small amounts and sold in specialist shops. Many of the tracks used samples from soul, funk and reggae records s2.
Sound
- Fast, chopped breakbeats
- Loud piano riffs and stabs
- Cheerful sampled vocals and shouts
- Sirens, whistles and sound effects
- Sudden changes and drops
Key figures
- Lennie De Ice — Producer of 'We Are I.E.'
- The Prodigy — Essex group behind 'Charly'
- Danny Breaks — Producer behind Sonz of a Loop da Loop Era
- Shut Up and Dance — London duo important to early hardcore
Labels
- Suburban Base — London , 1991
- XL Recordings — London , 1989
- Reinforced Records — London , 1989
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Hip Hop Breaks , Chicago House , EBM
Led to: Darkcore , Jungle , Ragga Jungle , Warehouse Techno
Sources
- Breakbeat hardcore — Wikipedia
- Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture — Picador (1998)