Frenchcore
Fast French hardcore with a loud, distorted offbeat bassline, popular at freetekno parties.
History
Frenchcore is a French style of hardcore techno s1. It began in the rave and freetekno scenes in the middle of the 1990s s1. The act Micropoint was founded by DJ Radium and Al Core in 1992 s1. Radium later worked alone and became the style's well-known producer s1. He started the label Psychik Genocide s1. For many years the music stayed underground in France and Italy s1. Its tempo is usually above 180 beats per minute s1. It is known for a loud, distorted offbeat bassline s1. In the second half of the 2000s some producers added melodic and psychedelic sounds s1. In the 2010s the style became popular in the Netherlands s1s2. Dr. Peacock and his label Peacock Records led the change, and Sefa became a young star s1. Frenchcore gained stages at large festivals such as Defqon.1 s1. A melodic form is sometimes called euphoric frenchcore s1.
Sound
- Tempos above 180 beats per minute
- A distorted offbeat bassline
- Hard, heavy kicks
- Simple melodic hooks
- Live instruments on some modern records
Key figures
- DJ Radium — Founder of Micropoint and Psychik Genocide
- Al Core — Co-founder of Micropoint
- Dr. Peacock — Dutch producer who led the modern frenchcore sound
- Sefa — Young Dutch producer who brought frenchcore to festival crowds
Labels
- Psychik Genocide — Paris , 1994
- Peacock Records — Tilburg , 2016
- Audiogenic — Rennes , 1994
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Hardcore Techno , Gabber
Sources
- Frenchcore — Wikipedia
- International Artist Series: Meet Dr Peacock — Relentless Beats (2024)