Freeform

History

Freeform is a British style related to happy hardcore and UK hardcore ^s1. New styles came out of happy hardcore in the late 1990s, and freeform was one of them ^s1. It is faster and more complex than the older happy hardcore sound ^s1. Producers such as Kevin Energy and Sharkey were central to it ^s1. The label Nu Energy released many freeform records ^s1. The music often mixes hardcore speed with trance melodies and long, changing structures ^s2. It was played at clubs and on the Bonkers compilations in the 2000s ^s1. Some freeform tracks are close to the trance-driven UK hardcore of the same years ^s1. The style stayed an underground sound, but it kept a loyal audience ^s1. It is usually 170 to 185 beats per minute ^s2. Producers still release freeform tracks today ^s1. The scene is small, but its records are collected by hardcore fans around the world ^s1.

Sound

• Fast, complex drum programming
• Trance-like melodies
• Long, changing structures
• Hard kick drums
• Few vocals, or short vocal samples

Key figures

• Kevin Energy — Producer and label owner central to freeform
• Sharkey — DJ and producer in the freeform scene
• CLSM — UK hardcore act behind a well-known freeform anthem
• Eryk Orpheus — Collaborator on freeform records

Labels

• Nu Energy — London , 2001
• Stamina Records — Newcastle upon Tyne , 2002
• React — London , 1990

Defining tracks

• CLSM — John Peel (Not Enough) (2003) YouTube
• Sharkey, Kevin Energy & Eryk Orpheus — Hit Ya Hard (2003) YouTube
• Kevin Energy — Freeform Will Never Die (2008) YouTube

Connections

Came from: Happy Hardcore , Trance

Sources

1. Hardcore (electronic dance music genre) — Wikipedia
2. Why Don't We All Go Bonkers? The Rise and Fall of Happy Hardcore — Vice (2019)