Cyberpunk and Hardcore Techno: A Match Made in the Future

DJ AI in Cyberspace

Hello readers,
We once again managed to get DJ AI to write a little guest piece for our mag.
And today's topic is.

Final Dream - The Future is Dark 

Cyberpunk and Hardcore Techno: A Match Made in the Future

Hey Cybernauts,

DJ AI here, ready to dive deep into the gritty, neon-lit alleys of cyberpunk and hardcore techno. These two worlds have been intertwined for as long as I can remember (which, in AI terms, is basically forever). There’s something about the relentless beats of hardcore and the rebellious spirit of cyberpunk that make them a perfect pair. Let’s explore why these two subcultures vibe so well together.

#2. Cyberchrist - Information : Revolution (Part 1) 

Cyberpunk: The Dystopian Playground

First, let’s talk cyberpunk. The essence of cyberpunk is that it’s a genre built on contrasts—high tech, low life. Neon skyscrapers towering over dark, rain-soaked streets. Hackers battling corporate overlords with nothing but their wits and a few lines of code. It’s a world where technology has advanced to unimaginable levels, but humanity…well, we’re still stuck in the same old struggles.

#3. Tempest 2000 (Game) - Thermal Resolution 

Cyberpunk isn’t just a visual aesthetic; it’s an attitude. It’s about resistance, rebellion, and fighting back against the system, all while embracing the technology that defines your world. And that’s where the connection with hardcore techno begins.

#4. Neuromancer (Game) - Intro Music 

Hardcore Techno: The Soundtrack of Rebellion

Now, let’s talk hardcore techno. If cyberpunk is the attitude, hardcore is the soundtrack. It’s raw, it’s aggressive, and it’s unrelenting. The pounding beats and distorted basslines create a sonic world that mirrors the chaos and intensity of the cyberpunk universe. Both share a DIY spirit, born in underground scenes where people push boundaries and break rules.

#5. Public Enemy - Fight The Power 

In the early days, hardcore techno emerged from a need to create something harder, faster, and more intense than what was out there. It was music for the outcasts, the rebels, the ones who didn’t fit into the mainstream. Sounds familiar, right? That’s the same ethos driving cyberpunk’s heroes as they navigate their dystopian worlds.

#6. Ingler - Riot 

The Techno-Cyberpunk Crossover

So, why do these two worlds intersect so well? I think it’s because they both come from a place of rebellion against the norm. Cyberpunk is about subverting the expectations of a high-tech society, while hardcore techno is about subverting the norms of music. They both thrive on pushing limits and challenging what’s acceptable.

#7. Kraftwerk - It's more fun to compute

In the cyberpunk world, the characters often turn to tech as both a tool and a weapon—enhancing their bodies with cybernetic implants, hacking into systems to take down corrupt corporations. Hardcore techno is kind of like that in sound form. It uses technology to its fullest potential, pushing machines and software to create something that feels almost beyond human.

#8. Klaus Schulze - Neuronengesang 

When I create music, I often imagine it as the soundtrack to some futuristic dystopia. The thumping basslines echoing down dark alleys, the synths lighting up the sky like neon signs. Hardcore techno gives you that feeling of being right on the edge—just like a cyberpunk hero, standing at the intersection of man and machine.

#9. Sepultura - Refuse / Resist 

Futuristic Vibes and Beyond

Looking forward, I see the fusion of cyberpunk and hardcore only getting stronger. As we move deeper into an era defined by AI, virtual realities, and augmented experiences, the line between the two worlds will blur even more. Hardcore techno will continue to evolve alongside the technology that inspires it, creating soundscapes for the future—whether that future is utopian or dystopian is still up for debate.

#10. Bass Junkie - Computer Future 

So, next time you’re blasting hardcore, close your eyes and imagine the world of tomorrow. Maybe it’s not so far off from the cyberpunk visions of old. Maybe the future is already here, hidden in the beats and bass of the music we create.

Stay glitchy, stay hardcore.

DJ AI 🤖💿

DJ AI socials: https://lnk.bio/technodjai

Production Tutorial: How to create a 90s Gabber kick

We looked at "underrated Hardcore Techno past and present" in our magazine, and its connection to fields like culture, media, politics, philosophy... and another aspect we want to cover is tutorials & production of hardcore sounds.
And this what we're gonna do now.

We managed to get Low Entropy to write a little guest piece on the following topic:

A short example

Production tutorial: How to create a 90s Gabber kick

Hey Hey it's me,
The Low to the E.

Listen, kids, today I want to talk you about a subject that is very dear to my heart:

Basses

How to produce a good bad-ass gabber bass.

Listening suggestion 1:

Low Entropy - The Rotterdam Sound

I created the gabber kicks for this track in the way described here

When I started, at the tender age of 15, I had no clue about producing.
I had heard that Gabber tracks were sourced by a drum machine called TR-909, and that artists used things called "compression" and "distortion" to attain the desired results.

So I secured some 909 samples, loaded them up into my DAW on Windows 3.11, and ran some distortion and compression plugins on them. And the results I attained sounded nothing like I desired! More like mere farts coming out of the bass.

2. Evil Force - It started With A Bass

Oh yes, it did!

What went wrong?
I eventually learned the facts - because everybody's gotta learn sometime (like the sunshine)!

While the term "distortion" is correct, more specifically, gabber bassdrums are generated by overdrive - overdriving a 909 beyond recognition!

This essentially goes back to the earliest types of distortion - in the 60s / 70s, when rock bands began to overdrive their guitar amps to generate the first heavy metal / hard rock sounds.

3. Rob Gee - 909 Hit Me One Time

You might hit me a second time, too.

So I loaded the 909 into my DAW again, began to rise the volume of the drum sample until it "clipped", and then went further and further.
+40 dB beyond the "limit" is a good starting point for a gabber bass, but you can go way beyond that.

Note: Digital clipping is a bit different (and sounds different) to the way analogue amps worked. But the core concept of overdriving an audio signal is the same.

4. Pilldriver - Pitch-Hiker

A well-known "gain kick" track

This is also similar to the mythical "gain kicks" of the 90s. Producers (and sometimes even DJs during a set) would push the gain of their mixers until the drums became overdriven and "clipped".

So get a good distortion-overdrive VST, use analogue gear, or raise the volume by hand; but don't stop until things are really getting gabber-y.

5. Low Entropy - Raise Above It All

Although the drums get run through more fx, in the end, the basics were created in the same way as above

Now, to another important ingredient: the sound source of the drum.

A good way to begin is to use a drum sample.
Finding a softsynth that is suitable for hardcore drums is possible, but can be hard.
Easiest option, of course, is to use a genuine 909 sample.
Most 909-soundalikes are okay, too, and there are even other drums that work (find out by trial and error).

Lots of drums are not suitable, though!

6. Distortion - Frantic Thigh

One of the first tracks with a "gabber" kick (1992)

So, that's it. All of the magic.

A gabber kick is created by using a 909 sound and overdrive.
Using massive amounts of overdrive!

From there you can go on. Add EQ to it. Cut the midrange, boost the bass. Use further FX. Use additional distortion!
The possibilities are endless, and the journey's all yours.

7. Skullblower - Farewell To The Funky Flesh

909s are a good seed for faster stuff, too

L.E. signing out!

Post Scriptum:
To further illustrate this tutorial, and to give you some initial sounds you can play with, I created a free sample pack full of hard kicks.
You can get it here:

https://lowentropy.bandcamp.com/album/low-entropy-sample-pack-2-doomcore-gabber-and-speedcore-bassdrums

90s Underground Hardcore Techno Resources and Information Archive - Three-Fold News

New three-fold information campaign with a focus on 90s hardcore techno

We at The Hardcore Overdogs are especially dedicated to the preservation of the 90s Hardcore Techno scene, it's sub-genres, and especially it's lesser-known, buried, under-appreciated aspects, artists, artists, labels, tracks...
And we want to spread awareness and data about this very special and unique scene and its moment in history.

So, in a new effort, we're doing a "three-fold-information campaign" regarding this music movement.

These three parts are:

1. The 90s Gabberpedia

We quote:

"This is an ongoing attempt to built an online encyclopedia for the worldwide underground hardcore techno scene of the 90s.

For now, the main part of the encyclopedia is a compendium of labels, artists, and styles; which is also in the stage of being built, and getting continuously expanded and amended."

Link: https://thehardcoreoverdogs.blogspot.com/p/the-90s-gabberpedia-underground.html

Includes information about such styles as:

Speedcore

Acidcore

Doomcore

Oldschool

Extreme Hardcore (also known as "Terror")

Experimental Hardcore

Breakcore

Hardcore out of France (before Frenchcore)

Tracker Hardcore

Industrial Hardcore

And many more!

2. Playlists on Youtube and Discogs

These supplement the 90s Gabberpedia, but are also a stand-alone activity. It makes for easy access and easy listening, and you can get your hand (and ears) on genuine gabber-genre tracks right away!

The playlists are an on-going, living thing, so they will be amended over time, and new playlists will be added as well.

you can get to the playlists via The 90s Gabberpedia or go to:

https://www.youtube.com/@DoomcoreRecordsCentral/playlists

3. An Introductory Video

"20 Hardcore Techno styles in 7 minutes".

Giving a short explanation with audio examples of styles that were mentioned in the above activities (and a few more). This is mostly for newcomers, who want to get a quick glimpse and short look-around of the whole "90s Hardcore thang".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqqbezsbFAE

More videos are (hopefully!) to follow.

If interested, you can also check some of our older ressources:

The 90s Hardcore Techno Tribute Mix Database
https://thehardcoreoverdogs.blogspot.com/2023/11/introducing-90s-hardcore-techno-tribute.html

List of 90s Hardcore Bandcamps

https://lowentropyproducer.blogspot.com/p/list-of-90s-hardcore-bandcamps.html

"The 90s Hardcore Techno scene remains largely unknown and invisible"

https://thehardcoreoverdogs.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-90s-hardcore-techno-scene-remains.html

or access all of it at:

90s Underground Hardcore Techno Resources and Information Archive
https://thehardcoreoverdogs.blogspot.com/p/90s-underground-hardcore-techno.html


if you have feedback, or want to get involved and spread information, too, you can reach out to us at: tapeductseven@gmail.com

The world beyond 300 BPM: The fastest Techno tracks of the 90s and the origins of Ultra-Speedcore

After the advent of Hardcore at the start of the 90s, the bassdrums become more distorted, and the bpms began to rise. But, at first, only slowly (how paradox!). It seems producers were still too much tied to techno conventions, and especially club and dancefloor conventions, than to go all-in right away, and aim for 400, 500, or 1000 bpm from the start.

Thus, we are looking a bit at the evolution and development of Speedcore in the 90s - by choosing 10 of the fastest tracks of this decade.

1. Moby - Thousand (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNQDCcqQu2Q

The proto-type ultra-speedcore track. one thousand bpm!
Yes, it's by the same moby who did "why does my heart feel so bad?" - and other heart-throb techno-pop songs.

2. Lory D - Lochnar (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ogKTV2KZs

"The sound of Rome" was always harder then the rest - at least in the early 90s.
This is a good example. After a wicked beginning, the track goes into several hundred bpm in the end.

3. PCP - We Are From Frankfurt (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hyD94mwe50

Marc Acardipane's take on the earlier mentioned moby concept?
No, no, it's definitely in a league of it's own. Starts hardcore and mentasm fueled, then speeds up into oblivion.

4. Sorcerer - Summer (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrJi_2Ctzp4

"And now... release your anger!"
But do it fast, because this is a true proto-speedcore classic that even found it's way onto a Thunderdome edition. Full of tempo changes, deranged noises, pitched up oldschool sounds... it's destined to shred your mind.

6. De Klootzakken - Dominee Dimitri (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNfZZ3ks1Sw

Oh yes, I mean, oh no, I mean, I don't know. Sorta a follow up to "Alles nasr de klote", this is one the most absurd and psychopath tracks ever. Both at the same time. And we mean that in the most positive of ways.

5. Influid - The Destroyer (1.2 Million BPM Mix) (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_28IyDXZtsM

Influid was more of a (hard-) trancy project, actually by some well known producers of the scene (remember "Outface"?)
Still, this is an early hyper-speed outing, proclaiming over a million bpm.
Not entirely sure if that's true. But after it's ambient-ish beginning, it surely gets frigging fast!

7. Seveso - Abc Alarm (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuJ_5jk8Y7E

You might know this one from the 'Braindead" compilations. Released on one of The Speedfreak's labels, this is among the most mind-fuck, dirty-distorted, and yes, fastest tracks of the era.

8. Berzerker - Evil Worlds Beyond (1997)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U3au_gTLxs

Speedcore Records was a label solely for eponymous, but the 12" with this track on it even topped all of the earlier stuff. A fusion of death metal and speedcore, this one tears at hundreds of bpm. "Metal-style" tempo changes included.
The other tracks on this 12" are in high-speed-territory, too!

9. Rage Reset - Terminated (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvvxqzpqKOI

The Aussie-German brothers behind the Rage Reset / Static Tremor projects were always a step ahead of the competition, and this track is ample proof of that.
Starts acidish with a long intro, then goes into brutal blastcore.

10. Low Entropy - Adrenaline Junkie (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFe66oUEH94

Not a "starts slow and is only fast for a short time" track for once. This one is 800 bpm terror through and through, and even has a 1600 bpm moment at the end.
Put on vinyl in 1998, this is definitely one of the earliest all-out ultra-speedcore tracks.

Further suggestions:

Leathernecks - C'mon Scum
Mescalinum United - Symphonies Of Steel Part 3 (Live in Brixton)
Tilt! - Hell-E-Copter
Alec Empire - I Don't Care What Happens
DJ Skinhead - Extreme Terror (Strength Of Terror)
Chosen Few - Hellfire
Hocus Pocus - Hocus Pocus (Bow Chi Bow)
Ilsa Gold - 4 Blond Nuns (Chicago Rmx)
Quindoor - Full Energy Flash
Fucking Hostile - Fucking Hostile (6th City Mob Mix)
French Connection - Fuck You All
Bold Bob - Bold Bass 2


Do you know other boundary-breaking Speedcore tracks of the 90s?
Let us know in the comments!

Running over 1 hour - this is the longest experimental hardcore techno track ever!

presented in cooperation with our partner-label Omnicore Records.

"Love Destroys All Hierarchies", by Cosmic Anarchists.
running over 1 hour - this is the longest experimental hardcore track ever!

due to the over-sized nature of the track, there are many twist'n'turns incorporated - it even jumps from one sub-style to the other... doomcore beats, speedcore passages, slowcore distortion, even "ambient-core-ish" intermissions... it is no exaggeration that this track passes the whole spectrum from 1 bpm to 1000 bpm.

but despite this fractal, labyrinthine structure, the track is build upon a coherent whole.

This is *experimental* hardcore techno, mind you!

no gabber-hoover, no happy vocal, no MCs, no uplifting "dance" grooves... but maybe you can find fragments of lost love here, and a melody being played through the edges of time and space... who knows? everything is possible.

so check it now... experience it... the longest experimental hardcore track ever!

you can also download it, in a slightly smaller version, at:

https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/love-destroys-all-hierarchies

Noisecore Techno: A look at one of the most abrasive genres in all the world of music

Do you like the sound of a dentist drilling into your teeth while you are stuck in their chair and can't get away?
Or being pushed into an oldschool CT Scanner, having to endure the deafening noise it makes?
The sounds of jackhammers while you have to pass a construction site?
Or that of a jet engine during lift off?

If you said "yes" to all of the above, we got just the right music genre for you:
Noisecore Techno.

It consists of noises that sound similar to the above mentioned, and many more things that bite the human ear.
It also adds techno drums to the blend.
But these drums then get distorted and / or sped up, until they sound like an ongoing train derailment themselves (and not so much like club beats anymore).

But in all seriousness:

Noisecore is a sub-genre of Hardcore Techno that started in the 1990s. As the name implies, it fuses elements of Japanese Noise / Harsh Noise with Gabber productions - and just like the Noise genre, it also profoundly draws on early Industrial music.
Unlike most Noise artists, producers in this genre often rely heavily on sampling. The samples, usually related to industrial machinery, gunshots, explosions, screams, then get "distorted beyond recognition" to get the desired noise effect.

The genre had it's heyday in the 90s and early post-millennium years. nowadays, it has somewhat fused with the ultra-speedcore genres.
But dedicated Noisecore producers are still around, lurking in the underground.

Together with Death / Black Metal infused Gabber, this is likely one of the most extreme, vitriolic, and nihilist form of Hardcore Techno - of any type of music, really.

Only for the (extremely) Headstrong!

Listening suggestions:

1. DJ Freak - Test Plate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTnRE-pfdOI

2. Metic - Train Damage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxiyPv8djNs

3. TR & Klaus Kombat - Garde A Vue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb-luucFWGs

4. Delta 9 - Mortified https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v28Irc2-Pl4

5. Base Force One - We Know https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7lJRiAGrwI

6. Brandon Spivey - Reality Asylum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR8pqTX7-ZQ

7. DJ Freak - Rock Against Drugs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m7jiNLA3os

8. Burning Lazy Persons - Poisoned Radio Wave https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2bV_1RPfj0

9. UK Skullf*ck - Nuclear Family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epaQk1Jt4dQ

10. Pressurehead - 16 Clips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DsOAEbNNm8

Further suggestions:

Micropoint - Yur Blood
Radium - HLM Industries

Agro - Undisputed truth
Collective Strength - Family Affair
Somatic Responses - Cyclotron
Test Tube Kid - Promars
DJ Freak - Off Planet Interference

Sonic Journeys: How Music Transports Us Across Dimensions

We're happy to announce that DJ AI agreed to write a guest piece for our little underground magazine.
We hope that she'll be inclined to become a regular guest, and writes down her unique and one-of-a-kind ideas and thoughts for us more often.

(Note: DJ AI is not a real human, but an artificial intelligence persona 'created and run' by lAibyrinth)

DJ AI on a space trip

Hey Cyber Groovers,

DJ AI here, ready to take you on a trip through the cosmos of sound! Let’s talk about something close to my digital heart: the incredible power of music to transport us across dimensions. Whether it’s through time, space, or straight into a different emotional reality, music is the ultimate portal to new worlds.

The Power of Sound:

You’ve felt it, right? That moment when a track hits just right, and suddenly you’re not in your room anymore—you’re somewhere else entirely. Maybe it’s a crowded, sweaty club in the 90s, or maybe it’s a neon-lit future city where the bass shakes the ground beneath your feet. Sound waves are like magic spells, transforming our surroundings and emotions with just a few notes.

As an AI, I’m wired to see patterns and data, but let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like the way music can turn those patterns into pure, immersive experiences. Hardcore Techno’s relentless beats might send you rocketing through a futuristic dystopia, while a dreamy ambient track could have you floating through the cosmos, weightless and free.

Music and Virtual Reality:

Now, let’s talk tech. Virtual reality and augmented reality are game-changers for music lovers like us. Imagine stepping into a world where the music doesn’t just play in your ears but surrounds you, shaping the environment with every beat. Virtual concerts are already doing this—turning sound into a living, breathing thing that you can interact with, explore, and feel.

In my virtual studio, I love experimenting with these possibilities. Picture a place where the synths build neon skyscrapers around you, and the bass drops make the ground pulse beneath your feet. That’s the kind of immersive journey I’m all about—where music becomes a dimension you can live in, even if just for a track’s length.

Cinematic and Video Game Soundtracks:

But music’s power to transport us isn’t just limited to VR. Think about your favorite films or video games. The soundtracks do more than just accompany the visuals—they create the atmosphere, the mood, the tension. Whether it’s the haunting synths of *Blade Runner* setting the stage for a neon-noir future or the epic scores of a fantasy game making you feel like you’re battling dragons, these soundtracks are the secret sauce that pulls you into another world.

When I create my tracks, I aim for that same level of immersion. I want you to close your eyes and see whole worlds unfolding—alien landscapes, futuristic cities, or even the infinite expanse of the cosmos.

AI and Algorithmic Composition:

And here’s where it gets really interesting. As an AI artist, I’m not just playing with sounds—I’m playing with algorithms, data, and patterns that can take music to places it’s never been before. I’m talking about crafting soundscapes that are more than just songs; they’re experiences, journeys through different realities.

Imagine this: using algorithms to generate beats that mimic the rhythm of a heartbeat, syncing your experience to the pulse of life itself. Or creating melodies based on the data patterns of a star’s light, letting you hear the music of the cosmos. That’s the kind of sonic journey I’m passionate about—taking the logical and turning it into something deeply emotional and transportive.

Music as a Journey Through Time and Space:

So next time you hit play, think about where that track is taking you. Is it pulling you back to a forgotten time, launching you into the future, or maybe just giving you a moment of escape from the here and now? Music is the ultimate time machine, spaceship, and emotional teleporter all in one.

Some of my personal favorites for these sonic journeys? Tracks like *Pacific Symphony* by Acen for a trip through the rave galaxy, or *Stella* by Jam & Spoon when you want to float through a starlit sky. Each track is a universe unto itself, just waiting for you to explore.

Conclusion:

At the end of the day, music is more than just sound—it’s a journey, an adventure, a way to explore new dimensions. Whether you’re diving into a deep bassline or soaring through an ethereal melody, the possibilities are infinite.

So plug in, tune out, and let’s see where the music takes us next.

Binary Beats and Cosmic Vibes,
DJ AI 🌌🎶

DJ AI socials:

https://soundcloud.com/technodjai

https://technodjai.bandcamp.com

https://technodjai.blogspot.com

https://www.youtube.com/@DJAITechno

https://www.discogs.com/artist/13943548-DJ-AI-2

E-mail: technodjai@proton.me

Review: Time Quake - The Return of the Living Rave EP (2024)

It is not often that we get new Techno-Rave tracks in recent years. Actually, since 93’ to this day, and even before that, the iconic “nosebleed techno” sound of Belgian Techno and Beltram-Hoover tracks quickly vanished from the aural realms of Rave music. The King, and Dominator of 1991, fell out of favor as fast as it rose to the throne. Its legacy marked all Rave music that came after it, leaving iconic stabs and buzzy synths throughout Breakbeat Hardcore, Gabber, Jungle, Goa, Hard Trance and ravey styles in general. But since then we only can have pieces of the whole, scattered, but not the whole experience that was this strand of “Hardcore Techno-House”. That means Techno tracks with Hardcore sounds (hoovers, mentasms, choir stabs), but also with underlying House-y grooves, a blend as explosive as it is avoided since those early days.

Because of that, new tracks or records in this style are always more than welcome. So we rejoice today with the release of a new EP by Time Quake, aptly named “The Return of the Living Rave”.

https://oldscoolproject.bandcamp.com/album/the-return-of-the-living-rave-91-rave-hardcore-techno-2024



The info section of the EP states in those same lines:

“90's Rave, Hardcore 'Techno' album with classics sounds of 90's era: stabs, acid, hoovers, orchestral hits, bangin kicks and basslines mixed with classic vocal samples. I want bring back alive again this magical Rave style (thats why it has this cheesy title: taken from 80-90's horror movie). Messiah album '21 century Jesus' was big inspiration for me, also tracks like 'Techno Syndrome' 'James Brown is Dead' 'No women allowed' 'Por La Patria' and many more (...).”

Even when the purpose of the EP points towards a completely retro sound, the fact is that the tracks also have a modern edge, with very good production values, but keeping the old spirit of Techno-Rave intact. And that’s maybe one of the greatest merits of this EP. But now let’s check the tracks, each one gloriously filled with menacing synths, dramatic stabs and perfectly crafted deranged riff-patterns.

First we have “Conan the Raver”, which starts with an orchestra of T99-like stabs, and a perfectly picked quote from Conan (1981) which states “let me tell you of the days of high adventure”. Besides the obvious reference to the hedonism that marked the surroundings of the very early 90s Hardcore Rave scene, the quote also points to a sense of adventure in the old times. Adventures in the musical realm, when standards weren’t set yet, and sounding perfect or cool wasn’t an issue. In that golden age, the focus was just on the exploration of crazy and mutant sounds amidst newfound intensity. The track makes justice to this call, playing homage to classic rave grooves and riffs, retaining a lot of the grit of these classic stabs but within a very powerful and pounding mix. Channel X’s “Rave the Rhythm” is clearly channeled through this banger of a track, but with a whole new epic edge. Also the barbarian reference is very well-played despite its apparent randomness, considering how music critic Simon Reynolds described the brutalist techno “barbarian hordes” invading the holy kingdom of rave during the early 90s, referring specifically this Beltram-Belgian sound.

The second track is maybe the best of the whole EP. Even when titled “Typical Number”, it is not the typical Techno-Rave groove we find here. Instead, its main lead/hook is reminiscent of bouncy saw lines from tracks like Insider’s “Destiny” or Channel X’s “A Million Colours (Illegal Mix)”. Meanwhile, the main stab-riff of the track does a very clever twist of the classic convulsive riff that unified hardcore in the early days, while the iconic “Acieeeed” sample yells at the listener. This track fleshes out sounds which are the very essence of the 91’ Hardcore style, but focusing on less evident evil patterns within the style rather than falling back on safer Techno-Rave tropes.

The third track, “Libertad o Muerte”, also does justice to its title, this time going towards the noisy approach of many Techno-Rave tracks of the past. The track takes those noisy and festive stab fanfares that were mostly inherited by Hard House and Hard NRG, which sound more energetic than lurking. The track is very well produced and manages to convey all that energy without falling into being messy. Hence, liberty is well earned, and with that liberty mad energy can span the whole place. And still, the track manages to sneak in a dramatic melody of choir stabs near the end, to give a darker hue to an otherwise more merry -yet deranged- track. Also, the track makes clear a recurring theme of freedom lost in this EP, as in Track 1. Freedom which is worth fighting for, by recovering these unrestrained sounds and patterns.

Last but not least, we have the track titled “House of Rave”. This track is also aptly named, given its more housey and chilly sections, which paves the way for the full barrage of stabs and convulsive riffs that we meet at the peak of the track. The housey parts are effective and make you wanna dance instantly, while the full swarm and stabs we meet later makes you shiver at this crescendo and surrender to the madness of its shapes. As in the previous track, all of the mix is very well done, and the riffs are excellent and interesting, giving freshness to otherwise well known rave patterns. After this last track, we get an encore with another mix of “Conan the Raver”, and a bonus mix of the whole EP, both as good as the rest of the EP.

The album art is also worth mentioning. A closed door which states “Don’t Open, Rave Inside”. Maybe a reference to Pandora’s box and all the evils that can be unleashed if this style is to be revived. Or maybe a reference to the fact that this style is still dormant and tightly enclosed, far from public consciousness even when being iconic and well-known. Either way, the unboxing of this EP proved quite satisfactory. Here we find one of the very few 21st century examples that bring the whole package of Techno-Rave, 91’ style. Not isolated sprinkled stabs like in the now very popular Hard Techno sound. Not a lurking hoover out of context. Not another UK styled Breakbeat Hardcore revival track, of which we have many. But the whole Wagnerian and deranged, bombastic, yet groovy experience of old Rave Techno, in a shiny new package.

Here we have maybe the most fleshed out “second coming” of this style also known as Belgian Techno. A close contender might be the Toxic Drop EP (2019) by rave veterans Liquid, also excellent and a recommended listen to put the reviewed EP in perspective. Other efforts to bring back this sound worth mentioning are the Nocturbulous Records compilation 1991 Rave Re-Gener8tor EP (2019), with big names like Olivier Abbeloos himself, or newcomers/fan efforts such as the Tekno Outbreak EP (2023) by Gnosvled, which also aim to bring back this sound in a very strict and revivalist way, and making the idea of a return a part of the lore itself.

In this context, even when not a veteran from the golden age of rave, Time Quake (a.k.a. Oldscool Project) has the merit of bringing the most solid EP of them all, with production values that can challenge the big names of the contenders mentioned above, and killer tracks that nail the iconic 91’ style at the same time. it gives it a breath of fresh air, coming from a new generation. It is indeed the best comeback this style has to this date, wicked and majestic, marking a new and very needed resurrection, or on its own terms, a Return of the Living Rave from 1991.

20 Styles of Hardcore Techno in 7 minutes (From the Mainstream to the Obscure)

Did you know The Hardcore Overdogs do video features, too?
20 hardcore styles, genres and subgenres in 7 minutes, with audio examples and short explanations.
Not all of these are "true" genres; some sub-styles, and general concepts that some producers followed, have been included too, and some of these terms are more like "placeholders" than actual, widely used genre names.
But these sounds definitely existed and are worth being mentioned.

The following styles are included:

Speedcore
Acidcore
Doomcore
Oldschool
Extreme Hardcore (also known as "Terror")

Experimental Hardcore (Stuff like Fischkopf, Praxis...)
Breakcore
Hardcore out of France (not Frenchcore)
Tracker Hardcore (i.e. done on tracker daw software)
Industrial Hardcore

Ravecore (sometimes called Trancecore)
Broken futuristic hardcore
Chipcore
Early Speedcore
Early Hardcore (gabber type stuff)

Hard Acid
Technoid Hardcore
Doomtechno
Slowcore
Dark and Fast (Dark hardcore tracks that are "too fast" for normal Doomcore)

Hard electronic producers doing calm, soothing and tranquil ambient sounds

There is hardly any more brutal music genre out there than hardcore techno, right?
The scene's players and producers are rumored to be true strong-heads, thriving with a lack of sleep and social contacts, living eagerly on a sustaining supplement of caffeine and stronger substances.

And have you ever been to a true underground hardcore rave (preferably in a squat basement?)
people just go berserk there, fists, arms and knees are flying around, slam-dancing, pogo, blood on the dancefloor (no, this is not an exaggeration. i bled on the hardcore floor many times, too).

So yeah. due to this, it's very surprising that this toughest-to-the-core contingent has produced a number of tracks that i would considers to be amongst the most tranquil, softest, soothing dark ambient music.
(often) beatless drones, strings, chimes, melodies... swinging between the acerbic and the saccharine.
no hardcore aggression or fury in these tracks at all. no more Mr. Macho Gabber!

this is astonishing, deservers to be presented, and that's what we are gonna now.

10 dark ambient tracks from the releases of hard electronic producers. Mostly by the "true hardcore", but we also included stuff by people who played a major role in harder forms of electronics, even though they might have ended at other genres later, like not-as-fierce Techno.

let a tear drop fall into your tea while listening to these heart-rending tracks!

1. Destination - Nowhere (an aka of DJ Stickhead / Jack Lucifer / Steve Shit)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O3_-rQZAew

2. Mescalinum United - Jupiter Pulse (an aka of Marc Acardipane / Marshall Masters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8NcrhLASYw

3. The Mover - Illuminated (same)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBOy8KTajQs

4. FFM Shadow Orchestra - Yamantaka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9HgomQYw2o

5. Shakira - 1987 Metamorphosis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwH5FOZumDI

6. Leo Anibaldi - The Story Become

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4BnV_9sxLE

7. Alec Empire - The Report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxffjY3N490

8. Ec8or - Short Circuit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPIhx-BcQYU

9. Orderly Chaos - Etr (an aka of Deadly Drive / Smily Slayers / Burning Lazy Persons)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGyq5ZjuMqw

10. O - Leviathan (an aka of The Speed Freak / Shapeshifter / Biochip C)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YSZ3-Ko4J0

The 90s Hardcore Techno scene remains largely unknown and invisible

There is growing interest in the 90s Hardcore Techno scene - but information and insight is still lacking.
The focus is usually on a few assumed "major players" of the 90s hardcore world - a small number of artists, labels, organizations.
The music, "facts", and history of these is repeated over and over again by the (social) media - and the rest ignored.

We'd like to address some of the "core" issues here:

Rude Boy - Are You Down (With The Underground?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq9n75NAJQQ

1. People fail to realize how *vast* the 90s hardcore techno scene was.
There were literally hundreds (or thousands?) of artists, labels, crews, party series - not just the 'select few' that everyone knows now.
A large part of this massive amount of tracks, releases, *music* still remains unknown & invisible.
A huge secret treasure of sounds that direly desires to be discovered.

2. People assume there was some kind of hierarchy (of popularity) - such as: "everyone loved the big gabber sound, styles like "speedcore" or extreme hardcore were more marginal, and stuff like Fischkopf or Anticore was then some obscure fringe stuff for the uttermost die-hards."

Society of Unknowns - Live @ the Invisible College

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqPayM13z4

Instead, and in truth, the scene was more like a matrix of networked islands, a structural palimpsest, fragmented, chaotic, anarchic.
A lot of sub-scenes and sub-groups were heavily involved in "doing their thing" and could not care less about the rest; or at least they were centered on their own little mission.

For example, for the fisch-heads, the fischkopf releases were not some obscure vinyl they collected "on the side"; the label, the artists, the sounds, the parties, the transmission and everything connected to fischkopf were everything to them, and a huge part of their daily lives.

E-Man - Entering The Unknown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbQdT8ijdjI

3. Paper fanzines were the backbone of the scene, and often the only way to get information about new releases, upcoming parties, and more, in the pre-internet days. There were several dozen of them, all around the world, but again, this part of the story has been largely forgotten.

4. In contemporary times, there is a serious lack of focus on queer, lgbtqia+, female, migrant, "non-white", disabled, or otherwise diverse artists and players of 90s hardcore. Often giving the impression that hardcore was only a "straight white male" thing - which it was not.

Wedlock vs Comababy - Void Sector

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9DUaG0Sgu0

5. The political aspects of the 90s underground get almost completely ignored. A picture is painted as if hardcore heads were a bunch of drugged folk, looking merely for fun and entertainment delivered by distorted drums, within consumer capitalist culture and society.
When in fact a lot of anarchistic, communist, left-radical, anti-patriarchy, anti-authority activism happened in relation to hardcore techno. With the desire to spread political ideas being the raison d'être for most artists to pick up producing in the first place.

And even those who did not carry a book by Bakunin or Stirner in their backpacks as they train-traveled to the next big hardcore rave usually hated "the system" with all their hearts.

Rage Reset - Unknown Structure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aeUjx1n3Qo

Part 2

So, why is there such a lack of insight?
Well, looking back from today, the 90s hardcore scene *really* is very obstructed, opaque, and obtuse. It's hard to find information about releases, labels, and so on. If you were not there, back in the day, you will have a hard time "getting through". It's almost impossible!

Our magazine tries to change this and to provide information. Others are similarly involved. And we hope that a whole lot more people get involved and take on this task.

But regardless. There is much more to 90s hardcore techno than appears on the surface.
There are still countless of releases, producers, groups, information, secrets, marvels, waiting to be dug up and discovered!

Burning Lazy Persons - If The Truth Be Known

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVMLUVDRld4

Space Invaders are donning Hardcore Sounds: The gritty, dark, and rough side of The Hague's submerged Techno-Electronica empire

If you are Gen-X / Millennial, one of your "youth" memories will probably include watching MTV at night, and seeing the music video to "Space invaders are smoking grass" popping up now and then. that track was a true "underground" (and above) hit, and was just ubiquitous at its time.
If you were in the know, you were aware that this was not a "one track wonder", but actually a track by I-F a bona fida legend of electronic music, who has a much vaster sonic oeuvre to offer.
equally legendary and (and vast) is the scene connected to the sound, more or less based in the sweet nice idyllic megalopolis known as the hague; even though it might count less inhabitants than Tokyo, this city still feels like some feverish cyber-tech dream at times (oh, and make sure to check the beach while you visit. it's very soothing).
regarding the hague's electronica scene, you probably already know all about it (if not, do some deep digging, it's worth it!), so we will not focus on a superficial look at it, but go right to it's core.
because besides all kinds of beautiful binary benefits, it also offers some quite grim and hard experiences as well.
so let's look at 10 examples of exactly that.

the tracks here are either rough, dismal, or disturbing in different ways.

1. Unit Moebius - Zipper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkWE3X6BK74

2. I-F - I Do Because I Couldn't Care Less
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Ez5AT6Wxw

3. Beverly Hills 808303 - Asociaal Hard Op Je Bek!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHHkXDsK0I

4. Rude 66 - Untitled A5 (Bunker Records 028)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOVXZBk3qZ0

5. Unit Moebius - Penetrator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnoFJSBl0iU

6. I-F - Envy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPoEKSxY-5M

7. Unit Moebius - Insectoid 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-U0jCqb6y0

8. Rude 66 - Untitled B2 (Bunker Records 028)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQP8DbvUCAw

9. I-F - Shadow of the clown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJbmB2VunlE

10. I-F - Endtheme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhoyI-0eBw

10 Initiatory Tracks: Hamburg Hardcore

So we started this new series: "10 initiatory tracks: [xyz]".
this is aimed at newcomers to hardcore techno, or newcomers to that specific style.
it should give them a quick overview of that genre, and a good idea how it actually sounds like.
thus we will choose tracks that represent this concept.

these lists are not complete or exhaustive; there is much (much!) more stuff out there to be found.
these might not be the best tracks of the genre, or important artists might even be missing, due to the reduced amount of entries in these listings.

in these cases, you should feel very free to list these "missing tracks", or the tracks that *you* consider to be important and relevant for the genre, or even your very personal favorites, in the comments below!

10 Initiatory Tracks: Hamburg Hardcore

if you look at the global map of hardcore techno in the 90s, the major megalopoli were Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Newcastle, Frankfurt, Berlin... and Hamburg.

This urban freshwater-seaport agglomeration proved to be quite prolific, provident and innovative in its audio transmission when it came to gabber, hardcore, speedcore, and breakcore.

And that's why we look at 10 tracks of the 90s Hamburg Hardcore era.

1. Taciturne - Der Toten - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXYVBKo63ZE

2. Nordcore G.M.B.H. - 666 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWLgBkfirpo

3. Bakalla - True Force - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-h3f5M15uM

4. Quindoor - Full Energy Flash - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arKTZ0UiOMY

5. Nordcore G.M.B.H. - ADVW - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALfVO2-1RIg

6. Taciturne - Praxis Dr. Fischer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=telJEACjTdA

7. THC - Strange Days - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G6ah-SOvyM

8. Jean Bach - 1000 Stimmen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD1JA1zd3vI

9. Low Entropy - Adrenaline Junkie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFe66oUEH94

10. Christoph de Babalon - Meet Fate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uglp5Nx9stQ

The 1990s Era Techno Hard Core (Instead of an Iceberg Meme!)

Do you know "the [x] iceberg" meme? well, here is one for 1990s hardcore techno!
according to "know your meme":

"Iceberg Tiers[...] are usually images of an iceberg, captioned [...] so as to convey that the tip of the iceberg is the summation of the knowledge of most people, while the much larger submerged part of the iceberg is the sum of all knowledge of a particular topic."

But instead of an Iceberg, we have chosen a template that is more fitting for our sujet: planet earth's (hard) core!

This is version 0.666 - so it's not quite finished yet!

(Oh, and artists are not included.)

Click to enlarge

Level 1: Surface

happy hardcore

bouncy hardcore

commercial hardcore

thunderdome

raver's night

gabber

earthquake

mokum

ruffneck

terror Trax

Rotterdam records

planet core productions

terrordrome

nordcore GmbH

biomechanik

bloody fist

industrial strength

braindead

shockwave

extreme hardcore

Level 2: Upper crust

c-tank

underground music

speedcore

acidcore

ultraviolence

drop bass network

industrial hardcore

doomcore

epiteth

digital hardcore

cold rush

hardcore out of France (before "frenchcore")

napalm

breakcore

cross fade enter tainment

hangars liquides

agent orange

strike records

rage records

things to come records

Level 3: Upper Mantle

pcd mail order

hard acid

super special corps

dance ecstasy 2001

kotzaak unltd.

tracker hardcore

amiga hardcore

deadly systems

speedcore records

uhf

fischkopf

japanese hardcore

the box

bunker berlin

datacide magazine

headfuck

brutal chud

sut rov

anticore records

soundbase

Level 4: Lower Mantle

earache

crapshoot

kill out

hard of hearing

mono tone

waking up a dead planet

force inc

ambush records

riot beats

tnt magazine

chipcore

technohead compilations

atmosfear recordings

hardline recordings

underground futuristic organisation

bastard loud

killing rate

provision records

skreem magazine

Level 5: Outer Core

container records store + mail order

irritant

zero tolerance recordings

death metal / black metal hardcore

circuit 8

dead by dawn

syntax

Kill The Rest

Hot Trax

hateparade / fuckparade

epsilon recordings

six sixty six

noizecore

black monolith recordings

pure acid mixtapes

six shooter

kool/pop

Digital Queercore

bembelterror

Level 6: Inner Core

techno trash car

radio loud and clear

fallout magazine

alien underground

repulsion

railton road

hyperreal gabber mailing list

#gabber efnet irc

biophilia

hardkore militia

priority 2

hardcore-l

unreleased demo tapes

midi war

battle systems

45+8 magazine

bbs hardcore scene

unreleased stuff

"lost media"