Hard House
Fast, punchy British house music with hard kicks and offbeat bass, popular in the late 1990s.
History
Hard house is a British style of electronic dance music that began in the early 1990s s1s3. It is closely linked to the London club Trade and the DJs who played there s1. DJ Tony De Vit is often called the godfather of UK hard house s1. The music was first called hardbag or handbag house s2. It mixes Belgian and German techno, American house, handbag house and early trance s1. Hard house is usually about 150 beats per minute, but can range from 135 to 165 s1. It often uses offbeat bass stabs, hoovers and horns s1. Many tracks have a breakdown with no drums, followed by a drum roll and a drop s1. The Tidy Trax label began in 1995 and became a leader of the sound s1. Club nights such as Sundissential in Birmingham were also important s1. Producers such as Lisa Lashes and BK made well-known records s1. The style stayed popular in Britain through the 2000s s1.
Sound
- Tempos around 150 beats per minute
- Offbeat bass stabs
- Hoover and horn sounds
- A drum-free breakdown
- Long string notes for suspense
Key figures
- Tony De Vit — DJ often called the godfather of UK hard house
- Lisa Lashes — British hard house DJ and producer
- BK — British hard house producer
- The Tidy Boys — DJs and owners of the Tidy Trax label
Labels
- Tidy Trax — London , 1995
- Nukleuz — London , 1996
- Vicious Circle — London , 1996
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Acid House , Hi-NRG , Trance
Led to: Bounce , Bouncy Techno , Hard Dance , Hard NRG , Hard Trance , Hardbass , Hardstyle
Sources
- UK hard house — Wikipedia
- Hard NRG — Wikipedia
- The Complete Guide to Hard House — OBSCUUR