Happy Hardcore
Fast, happy breakbeat rave music with pianos and pitched-up vocals, popular in Britain in the mid-1990s.
History
Happy hardcore came from the British breakbeat hardcore rave scene and from hardcore techno in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands s1. By late 1992, breakbeat hardcore was splitting into darker styles, jungle and a happier '4-beat' sound s1. The happy side kept piano rolls and uplifting vocals s1. DJs such as Slipmatt, DJ Sy, DJ Seduction, Wishdokta, DJ Dougal and Billy Bunter played it s1. Slipmatt's 'SMD 1' is often named as the record that started the style s2. Labels such as Kniteforce, Hectic and Impact released the music s1. The rave events Dreamscape and Helter Skelter hosted it s1. In 1995 Hixxy and Sharkey released 'Toytown' s2. The 'Bonkers' compilation series began in 1996 and sold very well s2. The music was popular with a young, suburban audience s2. Its tempo is usually 160 to 180 beats per minute s1. The style faded at the end of the 1990s and was later reworked as UK hardcore s2.
Sound
- Fast breakbeats with a four-to-the-floor kick
- Happy piano melodies
- High, pitched-up female vocals
- Uplifting, major-key chords
- Cartoon and rave samples
Key figures
- Slipmatt — DJ and producer often named as a founder of the style
- DJ Hixxy — DJ and co-founder of the Bonkers compilations
- Sharkey — DJ, MC and Bonkers co-founder
- DJ Dougal — DJ and producer at the centre of the scene
- Force & Styles — Producers behind several happy hardcore anthems
Labels
- Kniteforce Records — London , 1992
- Hectic Records — London , 1993
- React — London , 1990
- Impact Records — London , 1993
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Breakbeat Hardcore , Hardcore Techno , Italo House
Led to: Hands Up , Freeform , Makina , UK Hardcore
Sources
- Happy hardcore — Wikipedia
- Why Don't We All Go Bonkers? The Rise and Fall of Happy Hardcore — Vice (2019)