The scene in Germany - just like in the Netherlands - was not monolith. It was varied, fragmented, with multiple tendencies, styles, groups, players, movers, shakers. Some were into more Acidic or Technoid stuff. Others into fun party Gabber. Maybe even into Rave- Trancecore music. And Speedcore, Breakcore, all-out terror. But regardless of that - there are some common descriptions and motions we can attribute to this scene - even if it is not a "one size fits all" thing.
Because compared to the Dutch scene, there was much less focus on a cheerful, "happy", or dance sound. Instead - an affection towards brutality, violence, mayhem and things bleak, nihilist, and depressive.
So instead of dance-y hoovers you had trash metal samples; instead of pitched up female pop singers you had monologues by robert de niro or sergeant paula about death and war; instead of MCs calling you to get down and join the dancefloor you had the most heart-rending screams by people of all genders sampled straight out of "video nasties" and similar media; and instead of a "bouncy drum", the bass kick more often resembled the sound of a pile driver or other heavy duty machinery.
Oh, despite of all this darkness and obliteration, these producers, fans, and underground "party" people were not violent maniacs "in real life". Those that I met were often amongst the most friendly, elated, optimistic people I know. It's just that they were seriously messed up in their heads. In the most positive way! Like we all are. Likable freaks.
Ah, and on the topic of parties: the Dutch had big stadiums, arenas, small or large-size clubs and discos... And in Germany the parties were often in squats, abandoned buildings, under a bridge, in a hole, in the mud.... No ventilation, no lights, just ~150 people cramped in a pitch black room with fog, strobes, and 120+ decibel of killer bass frequencies.
Like one of the Hateparade / F**kparade creators once said: "You know it's a good party when your clothes are covered in mud afterwards".
There are certainly similarities to the scenes of other countries - like USA, UK, France, Australia... but we will look at that at another time.
Instead we will look at 11 tracks of the 90s German Hardcore scene - right here, and right now!
Do you like Psytrance? Goa? yes? (Although I've been told these are actually two *different* genres). It's so-so for me. Yeah there are some "hits". Really good stuff. Also among the oldschool. LSD, Hallucinogen, Astral Projection, Trust In Trance, that kind of stuff. But let's face it. There are too many "fillers"; endless clones with perpetual "woob woon woob" bass drums and eternally rising and descending cut off frequencies. Yet, there is one thing that is very interesting to me - that I love a lot. Psycore. A pocket genre, a miniature style. That, I think, so far managed to elude and evade the gaze of the "mainstream eye".
It's a combination of Psytrance and Hardcore... no wait... this dry description that does not do this genre judgement at all. It's amongst the most deranged, nihilistic, and sanity-shattering music I ever heard. You take some sounds of psytrance, maybe goa - and speed them up, until 200 bpm, 300 bpm, even 1000 and beyond. everything becomes psycho, the basslines become the walls of a lunatic institute, the sonic structures just rush by, you fall into an endless chasm of fluctuating sounds, until your mind goes into vertigo (and starts to scream).
I'm not certain how popular / attached to the general psytrance scene this psycore pocket genre actually is. Is it just some freaks who do it? is it played at a lot of psytrance parties? is it like some obscured black metal or synthwave genre that noone really knows - except a few insiders?
I don't know - but i know the scene and sound is vital and alive, has its dedicated fans and followers, and is going strong since years.
Oh yeah, it's also interesting how psycore gives the "psytrance" tropes and topics the hardcore treatment. these tracks no longer talk about 'being one with the universe', or hoping for a happy future of humanity, or attaining a state of calm, mindfulness, and serenity - the plates on their menu are the end of the cosmos, the destruction of logic, chaos, disorder - just sheer cosmic horror, basically.
so better take care!
now here is a selection of 10 notable psycore tracks:
1. Dravna inxtibhiothic - aokigaravna - 280BPM
2. Dravna - Dimension at C - 137 (220-240 BPM)
3. Paranoise - We Are Freaks
4. Black Phillip - Triunfo de Venus
5. Infra - Series No. 1 {260bpm}
6. Arcek vs HyperActive 25 - Wicked 210bpm
7. Intraception - Occult Frequencies (250)
8. Omnipresent Miscreants - The Warped Quantum Holes
Fresh developments in the world of music are within sight - and in the world of Hardcore Techno, too!
The meager years of "Mainstyle" and "Uptempo" seem to be finally over, the "Millennium" bullsh*t is finally being laid to rest. There is a wholly new generation on the block that is embracing hardcore, gabber, acid, doom, and all that comes with it - and this is very, very welcome, as there was a dire need for fresh sonic blood. But these new artists and DJs do not merely copy the old - no no! - they twist it around and smash it apart and throw everything in the faces of old.
This is a very boundary-crossing activity, as hardcore now bleeds into former taboo territories such as pop, rap, punk... (i.e. beyond mere 'hardcore with pop samples')
And on the other side of the realm, artists and musicians from pop, rap, and all the other genres have begun using sounds and concept from hardcore, too.
Purists will say these hybrids are far from "pure hardcore", but who cares about purists anyway?
Embracing pop aesthetics and the capitalism that comes with it is not something that makes me very comfortable either, but I hope it's just one step on the way to real cultural subversion.
So, time to take a closer look at this and a few sonic examples, too.
Note: of course, not all these are gen z musicians - other people with fresh ideas are very welcome, too!
some of the things that are occurring are...
1) that new emerging scene of producers from a variety of backgrounds (techno, rap, punk, non-western music...) that is encompassing hardcore beats and sounds in their productions.
2) these new young angry artists that drop a hardcore bass in their tracks now and then, but are usually closer to a weird mixture of metal, punk, or, gasp, hyperpop (date: from a few years ago-until the future)
ebm, aggro-tech, horror rap? but going very hardcore, too!
3) new artists using various sounds i associate with hardcore and its sub-genres in their music (for example artists who use very oldschool - doomcore-like synths in some of their tracks), even though they are closer associated to genres such as witch house, dark ambient, synthwave, or gothtronica (date: from a few years ago-until the future)
about the above music... others might say "but this... this is not hardcore anymore at all!"
Yeah, maybe it isn't, maybe it is. the whole point here is to show that hardcore is not an enclosed area. it is fluid, divergent, and spills out into the world, into other genres, and vice versa.
maybe some of these artists never heard a hardcore record in their life. and came up with these sounds by other sources, or on their "own".
that's what parallel evolution is about. it was the same in the 90s. some people started doing tracks without even knowing about the rave / techno evolution, and it still sounded the same.
in the end, this does not need to be termed "hardcore" if you don't like this term. because the power of this music should speak for itself.
Even though Breakcore came from Hardcore Techno and was entwined in it, it eventually split off and grew into a scene of its own (a bit similar to other former "Hardcore" genres like Gabber, Speedcore, Doomcore...).
It could be argued that the global world of Breakcore was at one point even *bigger* then Gabber or Tech-Hardcore...
And for sure it evolved into something more varied and multiplied than its roots...
But lets stay at these very roots for a while (and maybe let an apple fall on our heads)...
Because the earliest output that was considered to be breakcore was often not *that* rough or extreme yet... still very much tied to pre-existing breakbeat, jungle, drumnbass, even techno sound... It one upped the brutality, yes, but still..
"Is The Prodigy related to Breakcore?" was an ongoing discussion in 90s internet forums; an example of this perceived ambiguity.
So because of this, we are gonna take look at a few early compositions that really stood apart in experimentalism, extremity, surrealism and kick-you-in-the-butt-ism.
Tracks that would have scared the mainstream drumnbass or "*-step" crowd away off any 90s dancefloor...
Christoph Fringeli & DJ Scud - Body Snatcher https://youtu.be/96ArxhH3SYITakingsome techstep methods used for an own track... but turning them totally insane. "There is no need for hate now."
Hanin - Nizza It's nice that one of the hardest early breakcore tracks was released by a girl.https://youtu.be/Vop0OUFU77I
Aphex Twin - Come to Daddy Richard D james contribution to the emerging breakcore scene. Pogo-dancing to this track at the Widerstand Records truck on the ****parade in berlin 1998 - were you there?https://youtu.be/TZ827lkktYs
Patric Catani - Still Wanna Win (I Can't Lose) Giving your mind the full on treatment https://youtu.be/ysRs1E_-25c
The French Maestro in the history of hardcore techno: meet Guillaume Leroux - aka Lunatic Asylum, aka Dr Macabre, aka Renegade Legion... well, the list is endless!
Very influential in the development of techno music, and a creative powerhouse right from the start. His first releases were still tied to the emerging techno, acid, and trance scenes - released on legendary french label FNAC in 1993. Eventually, the PCP crew discovered his core-y talent, put their mental grip on him, and added Monsieur Leroux to their artist rooster. And as far as I know, beyond Marc, Miro, and Thorsten, he has the most releases in the PCP catalogue - so I guess he could be considered to be a type of core member of PCP.
The 90s have faded, but Guillaume is still around - creating wonderful music, and wonderful AI art!
Check these links if you are interested in a few of his new projects:
But for now, let's take a look at some of his past marvels:
1. Lunatic Asylum - The Meltdown
Released under the Lunatic Asylum moniker, this was his break-out hit, and became a worldwide success. Adjacent to the techno-trance-rave sound of the 90s (especially it's german variant), it's actually quite hardcore already. Mr. Leroux once told me the sales of this release still "fills his fridge" to this day.
one of his earliest outputs, and i never heard a track like this elsewhere. it's techno, yes, but it also reminds me of french surrealist / fantastic art - think jean giraud or rené laloux turned into soundscapes.
reminiscent of a star wars walker moving ahead on the battle fields, each step creating a thunderous sound, while the fight goes on. but then, again... "we are not alone. someone out there likes us!"
if the term "bittersweet" ever made sense, it's on this track. heavenly, redeeming, lush ambient and trance pads meet kicking drums - and everything drowns in the most wonderful melancholy. "i haven't been human for 200 years", indeed.
a gabber stomper of the highest degree! when did the bass ever hit so hard (and low?). the psychotronic love commandos have come and are here to stay - because "anything is possible!".
ouch! leaving the four to the floor pattern for a while, this track is sure to land a straight blow on your face with its sheer distortion and aggression. we love it, and the dark synth melody adds to the doomed adrenaline.
the first, but surely not the last wave? this track is defined by alien, extraterrestrial sounds... almost like "outer space trance" - until the hardcore bass comes in after all. (A collaboration effort with Manu le Malin).
his biggest hit! it actually turned the gabber scene around. released at a time when 180-200 bpm core was the norm, it helped start a move towards slower sounds again. it's also a track that focuses on atmosphere and mood for once - and not just sped-up rap samples, guitars, and hoovers, like a lot of other producers did.
"Otherworldly, wailing synths drown the mid-ranges while reverberated drums puncture the sub-bass."
a sort of an anecdote as an intro: a friend was on a business trip from germany to los angeles, related to a computer game exposition event. while in LA, he noted that a gabber party was going down, so he paid it a visit. when talking with the local gabber maniacs, he mentioned that he was originally from hamburg; apparently, this sent everyone into awe:
"You come from the city of Hamburg Hardcore? Nordcore? Fischkopf?".
Nordcore Gmbh - Hartcore City
So, it seems hamburg actually has a reputation in the globally connected world of hardcore and gabber. This came as a bit of a surprise to me. Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, are known "hot spots" in the geography of hard(est) electronic music - but hamburg?
So, let's take a closer look at this city in northern germany.
I was born in hamburg and grew up in it, and joined the "hamburg hardcore scene" in my early teenage years. I always had the expression that this city was special and some of its almost magical ambiance sipped into its hardcore sound.
low entropy - hamburg hardcore anthem
But I initially shrugged this off - leaning more extremely towards the left wing, i felt hostile to any form of nationwide or more "local" patriotism. But even beyond politics, I felt that being overly proud of your city / hometown was more fitting for soccer fans and their rivalries, than for the 'real world'.
Yet the left, and especially its more anarchist and / or surreal contingent had its own history of being fascinated by cities, towns, and other places, too. Just think of the (post) situationists and their various psycho-geographies of urban agglomerations.
So, I came to the conclusion that one could see it this way: Certain cities are not "better" than others, but special in their own way.
metatron - new urbanist
Thus, what makes hamburg special?
One point to note is the liminality which is ingrained into the city's history.
Maybe a bit similar to berlin in the cold war era, hamburg was a city which was torn apart in its geography and occupied places in, and in between, different nations and political structures.
Part of it belonged to denmark, part of it belonged to the various, often hostile mini-nations that were eventually united into "germany" in the 19th century.
Allfix - Sound of hamburg
There was the story that in those days, criminals and robbers that were pursued by the police could just run towards the hamburg district of altona, as this part was under danish administration - and the "german law" had no power over there. Maybe this story was more of a joke; but the truth is that you could literally "walk between worlds" in hamburg, with different nations and different (political) realities being separated by merely a few footsteps.
This is barely known, but Hamburg, in its modern, current form, is a creation of the nazis which was never reversed after the war.
Even though the danish and the intra-national split had been long gone, the nazis tried to "fix" and "clean up" any remaining rifts and fractures in the geography of hamburg.
So this was the purely political and municipal liminality of hamburg.
Abwärtz - Affentanz Hamburg industrial punk pioneer band from the 80s
But wait, there is more Only topped by rotterdam (another important hardcore city) hamburg is host to the second most important commercial port of europe. Which means that a large quantity of goods that pop up in other european places, like france, vienna, or prague, have passed through hamburg at some point of their "delivery route" - food, tech, furniture, medicine, everything, even drugs.
This is quite a feat, as hamburg is actually a few hundred kilometers away from the atlantic ocean. Which actually is another quirk of hamburg; even though it's an inland city, it somehow feels like a seaport, too. With seagulls, the constant blowing of marine horns, the occasional sounding of flood sirens. One can almost feel the taste of saltwater on ones lips. Or is this another illusion of hamburg? Because there has been some "scientific" debate whether hamburg's port is made up of a larger quantity of saltwater, or a larger quantity of freshwater.
The Mover - Over land and sea
And hamburg is a watery town indeed; host to "more bridges and channels than venice" (a popular claim), the presence of water and waterways is ubiquitous in hamburg.
Add to that the regular and seasonal "flooding" which makes the sight of marketplaces, streets and cars totally submerged in water a known occurrence.
This actually inspired the band Sisters of Mercy to write and title it's album Floodland.
Sisters of Mercy - This Corrosion
Andrew Eldritch, the band's leader and singer, stayed in hamburg for the production of the album. The sighting of this water-submerged city somehow led to a feverish vision on his part; the imaginal mirage of a city that exists both on dry land and amongst the far away ocean at the same time; perpetually floating on the seven seas. And this, it seems, was a well enough inspiration to create a wonderful album.
These are two of the many examples for the "liminal" nature of hamburg.
marc acardipane - chaos a.d. Marc Acardipane lives in Hamburg now.
It's a city that's "neither here nor there", a heisenberg field perpetually on the verge of collapsing (but it won't... or will it?), with uncertain and uncanny boundaries, geographically and informally fractured, split apart, contra-dictionary, and also united at the same time.
And I think it's not too far-fetched to draw some connection to the hardcore and techno scene of the 90s here. As this music scene thrived on the crossing of boundaries too, going beyond limits, ventures into the uncertain, trespassing into undefined territories - and back again. Smashing things up, fracturing them, only to finally mend these fragments into a new whole. Moving between structures and (sonic) architecture.
fm einheit, john caffery - riots FM Einheit was a member of hamburg band abwärts - and of einstürzende neubauten
I think if you look at other cities that were important in the history of hardcore (and other) music, such as rotterdam, berlin, new york... you will find similar issues, rifts, and fractures.
We will further explore these ideas and connections in the next part in this series of articles.
10. e-man - entering the unknown E-Man aka Miro Pajic lived in Hamburg for some years.
Our sister organization / label Doomcore Records has this to say:
Right in time for November's supermoon: Dave Doom with a music video to their track "The First Moon". Reminiscent of a walk through a forest during a doomed night in late Hamburg Autumn, this video easily accompanies the mood to this cold and freezing track. "Doombient" is a style in music that utilizes the synths, sounds, and sensations of Doomcore Techno - but without the drums and percussion! Doomed Ambient through and through - and that's what you gonna get!
Voila, here is a new video feature by us. As the title implies, this is all about Hard Acid, Acidcore, Acid Gabber... and related music from the 90s era. To give you a lil introduction to these styles, or to refresh your memories a bit. Either way: Enjoy!
Acidcore takes Acid music to a Hardcore level. 303-like bassline modulation and thundering bassdrums are the foundation for this genre. While actual acid music was already seen as somewhat atonal and abrasive upon its advent (todays listeners might perceive it differently), with Acidcore, the prominent basslines frequently get distorted, manipulated, EQd, and burnt beyond recognition. The tracks often have a hypnotic, monotonous, entrancing, repetitive quality; there are tracks that literally drone on for 10 minutes and more, with nothing but manipulation of the same loops of bass sounds, percussion, and a drum. This makes them ideal for long sets in festivals or underground settings. Despite the generally minimalistic setting of most tracks (303+drums+maybe one or two synths), there is a lot of variety in the genre. Ranging from ~150 BPM "Dancefloor" smashers to 200+ BPM aural assaults, or slow and calm tracks on the other side of the filtered spectrum. Indeed, together with Doomcore, Acidcore is one of the few Hardcore genres that often uses non-distorted, Techno-like drums. Some Acidcore artists push the distortion so hard that their tracks bleed into the genre of Noisecore; the results are then some of the most extreme and blood-thirsty Tracks of the whole Hardcore circuit.
Hard Acid
The more savage side of Acid
A bit softer than full-blown Acidcore, and more on a Techno tip. Connected to the wider underground Acid scene.
Another issue in our series on emotions and how they are used as tropes in hardcore music.
Sentiments, moods and sensation that are often considered "taboo" within mainstream society are very prominent and visible within the hardcore scene.
Amongst other "moods" such as anger and lust, one of these is fear - in all its varieties. Anxiety, nightmares, terror, panic, mortal fright... all these are expressed and can be felt within hardcore tracks.
This is further enhanced by the wide-spread use of samples taken from "scary" horror, sci-fi, war, or noir movies (hellraiser, taxi driver, full metal jacket...). So the hardened, head-strong gabber community seemingly is a frightful lot - at least partly.
But, as always, let us be aware that the healthy expression of such "sickened" emotions can be quite healing and beneficial.
And now, let's turn to some hardcore tracks that are related to "fear" in intent, track title, feel of the composition, or other and similar ways.
In the last years (or decades?) it felt as if no new groundbreaking innovation in (electronic) music was possible anymore; as if everything "had been done before". But now there is a wholly new genre on the block: Slowcore Techno. Usually defined as Hardcore, Doomcore, Techno, Acid etc. music that is slower than 130 bpm. And as much research as we did, it seems there really was no movement or genre that fit these criteria, until recently. There were maybe a handful of tracks (from 1990 until now!), but beyond this - nothing; the pure void.
It is astonishing (and unexplainable and irrational really) that techno and hardcore producers thoroughly explored the world of 130-230 bpm (and even much faster ventures - with genres like ultra-speedcore) but left the realm below this tempo almost completely unexplored.
And Slowcore Techno can get *really* slow - 60 bpm tracks are not unheard of, and some have a meager tempo of 30, 15, or even 1 bpm.
So, in terms of sheer tempo, Slowcore is the opposite of styles like Gabber or Speedcore.
The scene originally was mostly centered around the internet label Slowcore Records (and yeah, we admit that we have personal ties to this label) but eventually many other artists and labels started to pick up this sound and make it their own - and slowcore tracks can even be found on vinyl and other physical releases nowadays.
While this movement has its dedicated producers and fanfolk, it mostly stays invisible and underground, like other "obscure" genres such as lofi black metal or some strains of synthwave music.
But what better way to introduce this label than by its own special movie?
This is essentially a showcase of slowcore music with some intricate videos enhancing the audio/video experience. The whole thing sees itself in the tradition of similar 90s rave/techno audio-visual conglomerations, or even 80s experiments like the "state of the art" (later continued as the more well known "the mind's eye") VHS tapes. So don't expect too much narration or rational coherence - because "this was designed to open your mind" (sorry, oldschool hardcore quote ;-)
As a bonus, there are even some faster tracks at the end.
But now, enjoy this wholly new Slowcore Experience!
It's widely established that acid house gave rise to the techno explosion of the 90s, and all that followed - trance, breakbeat, gabber, jungle.... Yet, acid never really went away. Acid or Acid Techno were major subgenres of the whole techno thing throughout the 90s and had their loyal fanbase and dedicated "floors" on parties and raves.
It's interesting to see that there was always a crossover between acid and hardcore; acid gave rise to a lot of the first really rough techno tracks; many hardcore producers did acid on the side or vice versa. This was especially the case in Germany with mono tone records, the "hard noize from cologne" thing, Hamburg, Berlin, overdrive, and so on. but even a lot of the early "Dutch Gabber" releases are close to acid.
and when "the man" tried to get all traces of rebellion, rough- and dirtiness out of "techno" - the meager decades of minimalist techno or retro-disco influenced house - acid parties were often the only place where you could still get a grip on a good, distorted 909.
Thus, there is acid - there is harder acid - there is hardcore acidcore even (we talked about that in the past).
But, some of the artists within the acid / acidcore circus really took it to the extreme. there is little trace left of the funky acid house boom from the 80s in their productions. the drums get distorted to mere squarewaves - the 303s get manipulated until they sound closer to an exploding jet engine; the percussion and cymbals become walls of noise; and often an insane amount of reverberation "drowns" the whole track until you wonder whether this is still a techno production, or a secret supergroup composed of members of einstürzende neubauten, ken kesey, and albert hofmann.
now, let me not waste any more words. check these tunes yourself. and heed our disclaimer: these sounds might corrode your mind.
1. Agro - Bullen Raus
2. Agro - Undisputed Truth
3. Brandon Spivey - Acid 1998
4. Brandon Spivey - Reality Asylum
5. Tank Source - Freq. Out
6. Distorted Waves Of Ohm - Beneath The Subconcious Lies A Distorted Mind
What's the most aggressive type of music? I think noizecore techno is a contender, or some of the more deranged forms of acidcore. Yet there is another genre on the block that is definitely deserving of this title. A fusion of Black Metal and Extreme Techno, that runs by the term Industrial Black Metal or Blackened Speedcore.
Let's rewind a bit. Even the first outings of Hardcore Techno and Gabber House were eager to sample guitar riffs out of Metal songs - usually the thrash or speed metal variety of the 80s. When Speedcore emerged, these samples became an obligation. And soon, a fusion of Death Metal and Speedcore spawned, exemplified by bands like The Berzerker (which actually started as a solo Gabber / Speedcore producer project before they got signed to Earache).
In the world of metal, there were experiments with Techno drums and rhythm, too, usually filed under the "industrial metal" folder. And, of course, the first sightings of "Industrial Black Metal" were seen, but not quite as brutal yet.
In recent years, this evolution shifted around. Death Metal - Gabber fusions have become more rare. Instead, Hardcore producers have begun to fully embrace Black Metal - and Black Metal bands have begun to experiment with Hardcore, Gabber and Speedcore.
While the former often use the term "Blackened Speedcore" for their music, the latter usually run under "Industrial Black Metal". But sound-wise, these terms are more or less interchangeable.
This new genre is much more varied than the former "Deathcore" variety. We find bands that have the usual tinny, lofi sound quality of Black Metal - like it's recorded on a tape recorder in a band member's basement. or bands blasting away with huge production values and heavy basses. we got simplistic monotonous audio nasties. or complex, symphonic compositions. some add intricate synth and ambient parts to their songs / track. some screech, some growl, some keep silent. some sound like british prog rock on acid.
so, there is a lot to discover here!
similar to other subgenres of hardcore techno (and black metal), this strain remained niche and quite unknown to the masses. yet its producers, fans and supporters are dedicated to it none the less, and there is a steady flow of releases.
the themes, lyrics and titles are amongst the most nihilist, sickened and disturbing in the contemporary world of music. indeed, there are even some bands leaning towards nazi ideology - maybe for "shock effect", maybe for real - so its better to stay clear of these.
but, apart from these - it's all a truly ecstatic and wholly infernal experience, soothing and nurturing our dark minds and souls.
let's look at 10 tracks of the industrial black metal and blackened speedcore kind:
For this book, the author listed, rated, and short-reviewed all releases of all records published by PCP and their various sub-labels. This is interesting enough already - but now, that this "database of reviews" exists, it could also be interesting to look at it and ponder the question: which are the best-rated pcp releases?
This is of course, highly highly subjective, and we make no pretense to be correct in our very personal taste. *But* this listing could be boonful in the following regard: It does not look at the most popular or best known tracks for once, but at all releases on all labels equally. So for the future pcp explorer, this is a chance to learn about some very well-hidden gems in the vast back-catalogue of this label family.
But now, without further ado, let's go ahead!
Releases rated 100 out of 100 (perfect!)
PCP 961 - The Mover – Signs Of '96
The signs Of 96! Isn't this the most legendary Mover release ever? While most people go for "Over Land & Sea", I think the flip side, "Underwater Operations", is even a bit better. But, let's face it, both tracks blow all the competition out of the water (pun intended).
The Mover - Over Land & Sea
Kotz 7 - Stickhead & Don Demon - Once Upon A Time In Frankfurt
Another legendary release. Some of the most intricate, serpentine, monumental compositions in hardcore - with very high "production values". Should be the right thing for any terror-head's frightened heart.
DE 2057 E Man - XTC Express
should be in everyone's top ten of miro's (or pcp's) releases. going strong with the arpeggio-type tunes again, this composition almost reminds me a video game soundtrack gone dark. but the thundering drums make it clear you that you are at a rave. both mixes are great. i can't applaud this release enough.
DE 2007 - 303 Nation - 6 Tracker
This is it! The holy grail of techno music. Right here. Technically, it's an acid record - but the sounds are much more than that. With minimal instrumentation, the 303 nation manages to generate an ultra-immersive environment reminiscent of outer space colonies. I never heard something like that before, and I never heard it again.
303 Nation - Seis
Releases rated 99 out of 100 (near perfect!)
PCP 005 - The Mover – Frontal Sickness Part 1
Do I need to review this? One of the important releases of Techno ever, and if you have not dived into it yet, go for it! This is the very beginning of Doomcore. Hard hitting Techno beats and an almost minimalist use of some of the darkest synth lines you ever heard.
DE 2053 Evidence – Resist / Inspirit
this is actually miro again, using a new aka. and, in my opinion, "inspirit" has one of his best-composed melodies. apart from that, this release is a bit more on the "hardcore" side than the previous release (i.e. purple moon).
PCP 932 - The Mover – The Final Sickness
One of the most sought-after releases - at least until it's digital re-release. An album that could be seen as a follow-up to the "frontal sickness" releases (and a precursor to "frontal frustration"). It features Marc's The Mover aka at its hardest and dirtiest; Distorted drums, howling synth, shrieking percussion and noises; An onslaught of sounds, dismal and tenebrous.
The Mover - Changing Platforms
DE 2052 Miro – Purple Moon
one of the best releases, on all of pcp, ever. period. lifting off from the "blue sun", purple moon is driven by an almost hard-trancy, but much darker, arpeggiated melody and oldschool drumming. "understand" twists this pattern around a bit. a true miro classic.
Zone 1 - FFM Shadow Orchestra - D.N. Acid
Words fail me to describe this record. The chanting goes
"from here to there, from star to star, from atom to atom, i'm surfing..."
And i think that puts across the sentiment of this record very well. But if we were to use more technical terms, it's the trademark ffm shadow orchestra style blend of techno, doomcore, and hardcore. And one beatless dark ambient that is described as being the ritualized "terminator of death".
DE 2038 Inferno Bros. – Slaves To The Rave (The PCP & DE 2001 Mixes)
Ah, yes, now we can play! This is one of marc's most massive tracks ever. Intro, "female" vocals, hoovers, sub-bass, breakdowns, football stadium suitable chanting... one of the most technically complex and perfect "hardcore" productions of the 90s. The de 2001 mix induces an energetic rush with it's more "monotonous", hypnotic approach.
TF 103 - 3 From I.O. - F.F.M.-EP
Apparently members of the FFM shadow orchestra were involved in this EP. This is one of the most remarkable releases on all of PCP, imho. Not "Hardcore", but going more into the direction of "Trance" - but 'FFM Shadow' style Trance. Surreal, twisted, extraterrestrial... fulfilling a deep cosmic longing.
3 From I.O. - Fairlight
Tune 1 - New Balance - Up & Down / Kick The House
the story runs that marc produced the tracks for the releases on this label (Techno Tribe) in one long night session. twelve records. all of them. so, essentially he produced *a whole label* in only a few hours, in one go! kudos to that, mister acardipane!
of all the EPs on this label, this is my favorite.
ecstasy-inducing techno rave that makes you want to stomp you feel all night. and when the track is done, you instantly want to listen it again. "up & down" became a huge thing on the internet later, even leading to a successful remix contest led by marc.
Elastic 4 - Barracuda - Braineaters
I assume that even a lot of PCP die-hards more or less ignored Elastic records; it's a very obscure sub-label for PCP. yet this release alone would make it worth it; a mover style track in 4 mixes that are only in subtle ways different from each other. a drum, a chorus, some fx... what more do you need? this is the stuff of futuristic dreams. and you better take care... because "their brains go *pop*!"
Barracuda - Braineaters (The Mover Mix)
Lost 6 - Cold Crush City Cru – The 6th City Mob EP
yes yes, this is the one (sorry, Laura!). as it includes "stereo murder", maybe the most monumental track by PCP (and in techno history!) "t99" type samples, a thunderous, reverberated drum... guaranteed to send anyone in the huge space arena into madness. the flipside gives us another two mean and dirty tracks.
TF 105 - 69 Juice - System of love
Another alias of the FFM Shadow Orchestra on Tranceform. Even though both tracks are listed as being edits / mixes of each other, they sound quite distinct. one is filled with beautiful, sweet piano sounds, the other with celestial swirling of synth sounds. and both have a very exotic, almost oriental feel. Once more: "FFM Shadow Trance" at it's best!
NNR 02 - Destination - Nowhere
Preliminary names of the tracks of this 2 tracker release were 'the trip" and "the theme". So both are connected - yet both tracks are worlds apart. the trip is a very experimental, non sequitur electro-affair. And "the theme", now turned into "destination - nowhere", is one of the most fascinating compositions in the history of music. No beats, vocals, anything, just a movie-score like world of utter heartbreak and melancholy.
One thing we like to point out at The Hardcore Overdogs is that Hardcore, essentially, is "nothing new"; it has been around since ages; to be more specific, its sentiments, mentality, sounds, structures, existed and exist in other music and "things", too. And this should be no surprise as hardcore, more than any other techno-born genre, relies on using music that came before: by sampling old rap, metal, house songs / tracks, and more.
But not only samples, *elements* (like certain sequences, timbres, intervals...) of other genres can be found within hardcore tracks as well.
in the past we already mentioned that there are similarities between computer / video game music and hardcore techno. and that's what we will focus on again.
when people look at the history of music in the last decades of the 20th century, they often assume that "the 80s" were ruled by synth pop, new wave, disco-pop, that kind of stuff, and then suddenly, the 90s appeared, and brought techno, acid, gabber, hardtrance with them.
But it's not like that at all. there was a transitional, intermediary period, spanning from the mid 80s to the first years of the 90s, a kind of no man's land, secret zone, when music was neither here nor there, and this (quite lengthy!) metamorphosis took place.
interestingly, this was also a very fruitful and noteworthy time for computergame music. And, in my opinion, the first time computer game music evolved out of the arcades and simple bleeps and blops to creations that could be comparable to serious, deep, "professional", complex and complicated compositions.
Before we go ahead, sonic comparisons between genres can always be a bit hit and miss for the audience. there also seems to be a difference between actual musicians and general listeners. musicians often go "oh, metallica, they're doing these riffs by chuck berry" or "slayer, ah, that's howling wolf and all that 40s blues and jazz again"; while this might be technical correct, the fans often do not see it that way at all.
the following "connections" might not really be seen, heard, or felt, be everyone alike. we guess you are either there, or you are not.
so, let's look at some tracks now that use concepts, moods, or themes that feel similar to hardcore music in one way or the other.
We are not implying that these tracks *are* hardcore. from most points of view, they are not. yet it's very interesting that they possess elements that can easily be found in the world of hardcore as well.
okay this a happy tune; at least to me. but the use of arpeggios here is already very close to later rave and hardcore music, for example in raver's nature or miro tracks. (or maybe even happy hardcore, like the party animals).
2. Dragon's Lair Part II - Song 9
hey, these are like doomcore sounds already, right?
3. Perihelion: The Prophecy - Inside Tower - Song 2
darkest ambient that foreshadows doomcore and darkest industrial techno sounds.
4. The Sentinel - Start Up / Title Screen
pure psychedelic psycho waves, reminiscent of the acid- and psycore to come.
5. Speedball - Main Title
i dropped this, without any further fx, edit or ado, in the midst of a straight terror / speedcore set; everyone kept dancing, went into mania, and sweaty core ravers went up to my DJ booth and asked for a track ID. they did not even realize that this was not a regular gabber track! i guess this settles the score on this.
basslines and crazy "psycho" sounds reminiscent of later rave and techno stuff again.
7. Star Control 2 - Commander Hayes Theme
proto-acidcore. in an amiga-type mod, on a vintage science fiction game.
8. Zak Mckracken - Intro
listen to the sounds; do the tunes and melody, rhythm not at part sound very close to rave / hardcore stabs and riffs?
9. Another World - End Theme
a very sweet ambient outro to a very bittersweet game. but, upon further glance, this tune already anticipates happy hardcore / hardtrance / ravecore type arrangements.
10. Last Ninja 2 - Loading Music
very noisy: early video game music has seldomly been so rough!
11. Amiga 500 - Weird Dreams - Intro
this list would not be complete without these "weird" sounds.
further suggestions:
David Whittaker - Glider Rider Theme Song Paso - Lost Scrotum David Whittaker - Beyond The Ice Palace Turrican 3 - The Machine Star Control 2 - Druuge Theme Dreamweb - Intro Test Drive 2 - Intro Chris Hülsbeck - Rock'n'Roll - Magnetic Beats Chris Hülsbeck - Turrican 2 - Loader Bloody Money - Intro
