In the Hardcore Techno Overdogs magazine we usually focus on the underdogs... well, maybe that term is not entirely correct. Let's say we focus on the under-appreciated labels, that still duly deserve their spotlight.
Because of this, we neglected the "motherland of gabber" a bit so far - The Netherlands.
After all, every boy and his dog was raving to the wicked hardcore beats of gabber madness in the 90s - right?
So gabber from holland is hardly hardcore of "underdog" quality... and everyone already knows it, right?
well, while that was true for the 90s, it might not be so true anymore. We maybe could define a kind of "temporal overdog". Stuff that indeed everyone knew in the 90s, but in today's media culture, is shadowed and under-appreciated because everyone else focuses on the "big" labels mostly.
So let us look at the various interesting dutch gabber label from the 90s.
And this time, we want to tell you about 7 very interesting releases on the label Hard Stuff Records.
Mental Hardcore Associates - Let's Get Wappie (Hard Stuff 021)
Gizmo played this at the mayday rave, hey hey! 50,000+ ravers getting wild to this track.
There are also two other mixes that do not feel too different to the original.
It's an interesting mix of very, very hard "dutch oldschool" with hoovers and all, and "guitar terrorcore" like the americans did.
Thomas E - Datastorm EP (Hard Stuff 14)
Thomas Elers is a bit like the forgotten man of acidcore. also from denmark, like zekt or choose.
He did some wicked acid/techno on german labels like labworks.
But also did some gabba-acidcore, like on this release.
And this one is very, very crazy. Just as over the top as the best stuff by e-de cologne or bse dj team.
Wasteland - Ibiza (Hard Stuff 12)
Ibiza is an interesting tune, as it sounds one half hardcore, one half hardtrance, and one half arcade video game music (yes, three halves).
There is also a "boom boom remix" that make me feel as if the venga boys went gabba (even though the melody is completely different).
Yet the killer tune on here is "First Time On This Planet". Gabba with one of the fastest use of a T99 like sound I ever heard. I guess the sampler had a meltdown towards the end.
Brainblower - Mental Hangover (Hard Stuff 10)
a good release to show how varied gabber house and hardcore techno were in the "beginning".
a1 is a very fast oldschool tune with the typical "rave" stabs.
the next track on the other hand is almost slow, with an industrial sounding drum and an interesting groove.
plus there is lots of acid to be found here, and other madness.
Cellblock X - Secrets Of Nutrition E.P. (Hard Stuff 11)
A project by Thomas Elers that is closer to pure "acid" techno. but very hard acid. and, unlike batteries, a few gabber-speedcore sounds are included as well!
Charley Lownoise & Mental Theo - The Bird
Have you heard about the bird? Yup, the trash men's 60s garage song was already a well known cult classic long before an american cartoon series adopted it in their episodes.
this time, our favorite birdsong get's the gabber treatment, and it get's it good.
at a time when charly & theo were still very wild & hardcore, before their european chart success.
there is also a kool acidcore test as the b side.
Illegal Alien - Frankfurt vs. Den Haag (Hard Stuff 016)
’s-Gravenhage (or "The Hague" for english people) is such an idyllic european megalopolis, placed neatly near the ocean at this side of the atlantic... and they got a hot gabber scene too.
the track here is actually by gabber legend "3 steps ahead" using one of his akas.
hardcore drum... check... repetitive "hoover" melody... check.... hyptnotic acid lines... check!
there are also three alternative mixes to the original track on the record.
What other dutch labels are underrated in your opinion? let us know!
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