The Hardcore Overdogs: Hardcore and Gabber around the world

Monday, January 5, 2026

Hardcore and Gabber around the world - Looking back at the 90s (Part 1)

Hardcore Techno started somewhen in the 80s and 90s. Then it quickly became a worldwide phenomenon.
The media focus is usually on the scene in the Netherlands. Maybe because that scene produced the most media material compared to the others (clips, music videos, tv interviews, live rave footage, videos...).
Yet in other countries, millions attended Gabber and Hardcore parties, too. For example, 2 of the most notorious Hardcore-Only clubs in the 90s were actually in Germany (The "Bunker" in Berlin, and "The Box" in Hamburg). And let's not forget the underground parties in London (hello, "Dead by Dawn")... or Paris... my oh my!
Yet in other nations the scene might have been smaller and more underground... but still deeply dedicated!

But I don't want to compare different "nations" or who had the best scene or clubs or whatever...

Instead, I want to point out that Hardcore and Gabber was, and is a community, a scene, a state of mind... beyond borders, worldwide, and it connects Gabbers and Hardcore-Heads around the world, too!

And as a little "documentation", here are some tracks in Hardcore (or Hardcore-adjacent genres...) from a number of very different places. Released in the 90s (or early 2000s).

1. Belgium

Jones & Stephenson - The First Rebirth