UK Hardcore
The British hardcore style that mixed happy hardcore with trance sounds after 1999.
History
By the late 1990s happy hardcore had stopped changing and was losing popularity s1. At the same time, trance was becoming the main sound in clubs and the charts s1. Producers such as Darren Styles began using trance synthesizers and kick drums in hardcore s1. The name 'happy hardcore' had a bad image by then, so the new version was called UK hardcore s1. In 2000 the label Slammin' Vinyl held a meeting in London to save the scene s1. Labels and events such as Raver Baby and Hardcore Till I Die brought large crowds back s1. The Clubland X-Treme Hardcore compilations reached a new, younger audience s1. Producers such as Darren Styles, Breeze, Hixxy, Gammer and Dougal made the music s1. The style is usually 170 to 180 beats per minute s2. It has the energy of happy hardcore with the build-ups and leads of trance s1. In the 2010s the UK scene declined as EDM grew, but the music is still played worldwide s1.
Sound
- A fast four-to-the-floor kick
- Trance-style lead synthesizers
- Long build-ups and breakdowns
- Pitched, emotional vocals
- Bright, melodic hooks
Key figures
- Darren Styles — Producer and DJ named as a leader of the trance-influenced sound
- DJ Hixxy — DJ and co-founder of Raver Baby
- Gammer — Producer and long-time UK hardcore act
- DJ Dougal — DJ and producer at the centre of the scene
Labels
- Raver Baby — London , 2002
- All Around the World — Blackpool , 1991
- Slammin' Vinyl — London , 1994
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Happy Hardcore , Trance
Sources
- Why Don't We All Go Bonkers? The Rise and Fall of Happy Hardcore — Vice (2019)
- Happy hardcore — Wikipedia