History
Hardgroove is a form of techno that puts the groove first s1. It uses fast, looped drum patterns and short samples, and the drums are played with a funky, swinging feel s1. The style grew in Britain in the late 1990s around producers such as Ben Sims s1. Ben Sims's 'Manipulated' (1999) is one of the records most often named with the style s1. Mark Broom and the duo Technasia also made hardgroove tracks s1. The word hardgroove comes from the name of Ben Sims's label, Hardgroove, which released many of these records s1. Some writers now use the word loosely for any techno with a loop, which producers say is wrong s1. The sound returned to fashion in the 2020s, especially in Europe s1. The style is often played by DJs who mix quickly and use several records at once. Many of the records are made mainly for other DJs to play s1. It remains a British club sound rather than a radio one s2.
Sound
- Fast, looped drum patterns
- A funky, swinging rhythm
- Short vocal or drum samples
- Little melody, lots of groove
- A hard but danceable feel
Key figures
- Ben Sims — British producer and founder of Hardgroove
- Mark Broom — British producer of hardgroove tracks
- Technasia — Hong Kong-French project that made funky techno
- Paul Mac — British producer in the hardgroove scene
Labels
- Hardgroove — London , 1998
- Prime — London , 1996
- Technasia — Hong Kong , 1996
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Detroit Techno , UK Techno , Funk and Boogie
Sources
- Exploring the hardgroove genre — MusicRadar
- Techno — Wikipedia