Hardcore

A term for several fast, intense forms of electronic dance music. In the UK, breakbeat hardcore (or “rave hardcore”) emerged around 1990–92 on the rave scene. It combined breakbeats, heavy bass, piano riffs, sped-up vocal samples and dramatic synth stabs at around 140–160 BPM, with acts such as The Prodigy, SL2 and Altern-8. It soon split into jungle (and later drum and bass) and the upbeat happy hardcore. In the Netherlands, especially Rotterdam, hardcore techno, also called gabber, developed in the early 1990s. It is defined by extremely fast tempos (around 160–200+ BPM) and heavily distorted kick drums, and was led by labels such as Rotterdam Records and events like Thunderdome. Today “hardcore” usually refers to this Dutch-rooted sound and its descendants.