Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Feral Sounds go Ferocious Again: The Hardcore Techno Revival Outside of "Early Gabber"

This has been alluded to in several features on here:
The Hardcore revival is "in like Flynn" again; yet even though there are myriads of producers pouring out track and releases, most seem to focus on a very limited range of styles, or style, rather: that typical mid 90s Thunderdome / Ruffneck sound. I.e. distorted 909s ("Deng kicks"), very fast hoover riffs, samples from Horror and SciFi movies, or rap vocals. You know what I mean.
But the 90s had a way more vast array of styles and genres; and it would be nice to see a revival of those, too!

And, indeed, things seem to be changing: there is definitely an "Early Terror" revival (dumb name - maybe call it 90s Speedcore or something like that) in full swing now. Carried by labels like Aneurysm and No New Style, and artists like Pardonax or James F.

Now the question: What else is out there?

Here are some things that I am aware of:

-"Happy" is making a comeback, and I noticed some Pengo, "Happy Rave" etc. type tracks being released lately.

-Probably related to this, 90s "novelty" Gabber is being produced again.
With "Novelty Hardcore" i mean tracks based on odd, silly, bizarre samples and sounds, often with low production values and quite simple in structure. "Joke tracks" - but unlike Happy Hardcore!
In the 90s, Euromasters or Ilsa Gold was known for that style.
I was always very fond of this genre so it's nice to see it getting revived.

For both of the above, Rotjecore and Gabbaret are some labels to check out. But it's "hidden" in between tracks in a variety of other styles. So there might be some digging required.

-90s Acidcore seems to make a comeback. There are people doing stuff in direction of Lasse Steen, Drop Bass Network etc. again.

-90s Doomcore is coming back (yay!)

-I think Industrial type Hardcore from that era is slowly coming back again, too. Often in cross-over with that dreaded "Industrial Techno" trend.

-There seems to be more interest amongst producers in that Fischkopf / Anticore-style again, as I heard some new tracks going in that very direction.

So, what else? Who knows more? Questions, questions, questions.


And here are also some examples of stuff that The Hardcore Overdogs themselves are involved in through some corners (via the U.M.A.N. Group, to be exact):

Hardcore Fury Volume 1
https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/hardcore-fury-volume-1
Terror & Speedcore stuff like in the old days.

Omnicore Records - Best Of 2023
https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/best-of-2023
Many different styles, but the center is on terror all the way.

Doom Terror
https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/doom-terror
Some "early terror" tracks of the darker variety

Shatterdoom
https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/shatterdoom-oldschool-style-doomcore-compilation
Oldschool Style Doomcore Compilation

Vive Le Doom - This Is Doomcore From France
https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/vive-le-doom-this-is-doomcore-from-france
Doomcore-centered, but with plenty of heavy "France Style" Industrial Hardcore influences like in the past days.

Experiments Of Doom
https://doomcorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/experiments-of-doom
A bunch of tracks in the style of early somatic responses or pcp electro (amongst others).

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