Gabber
The Dutch fast hardcore style with distorted kick drums, dark themes and a large youth scene.
History
Gabber is a Dutch style of hardcore techno and the youth culture around it s1. It was developed in Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the early 1990s s1. Producers such as Marc Acardipane, Paul Elstak, DJ Rob and The Prophet made the music s1. The word gabber comes from Amsterdam slang meaning 'mate' or 'friend' s1. An Amsterdam DJ used it to describe the hard Rotterdam crowd s1. Paul Elstak put the words 'Gabber zijn is geen schande' on an early Euromasters record in 1992 s1. DJ Rob had a Friday night at the club Parkzicht in Rotterdam from 1989 s2. Paul Elstak started Rotterdam Records in 1992, the first hardcore label in the Netherlands s1. The Thunderdome compilations and parties began in 1993 and made the sound known across Europe s1. Gabbers dressed in tracksuits and shaved their heads, and they danced a fast step called hakken s1. The scene faded in the late 1990s s1. It became popular again in the late 2010s s1.
Sound
- A fast, pounding beat
- A heavily distorted kick drum
- Dark or shouted vocal samples
- Simple, hard melodies
- Very little quiet space
Key figures
- Paul Elstak — Rotterdam DJ; founder of Rotterdam Records
- DJ Rob — Rotterdam DJ with a residency at Parkzicht
- Marc Acardipane — German producer who worked with Dutch gabber labels
- The Prophet — Dutch gabber producer and DJ
Labels
- Rotterdam Records — Rotterdam , 1992
- Mokum Records — Amsterdam , 1993
- ID&T — Amsterdam , 1992
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Hardcore Techno , Acid House , New Beat
Led to: Hardstyle , Frenchcore , Mainstream Hardcore , Terrorcore
Sources
- Gabber — Wikipedia
- A Brief History of Gabber — Google Arts & Culture (2020)