Everyone should be free, welcome, and allowed to love who they want to love, and to be who they always have been. Yet hatred against humans that are "queer', lesbian, bi, trans, gay, non-binary, asexual, etc. is on the rise again... Just like the hatred against women is on the rise again... sadly.
This is a release in support of everyone who feels, is, or wants to "queer", or just wants to be who they want to be.
The tracks on this release are in different electronic styles of music. Usually the darker and more hardcore kind. Gabber, Acid, EBM, Hard Trance, Rave, Industrial... Speedcore.
The LGBTQIA+ community needs all the support they can get right now, so they shall receive it! credits
Tracklisting:
Hardcore & Techno against Misogyny & Queerphobia by Diverse Artists
1. Fight for your Right - La Revolución del S*xo 02:43 2. FeminGabberist - Not Necessary 02:57 3. Trans Hardcore Project - Trans Acid (New Derivate) 03:36 4. DJ Gender - Acidcore Pleasure Release (Special Edit) 04:47 5. Ace of Hardcore - Space S*x (Revisit) 05:28 6. DJ Gender - Androgyny (3rd Phase) 02:55 7. Trans Hardcore Project - As*xual Bis*xual C-s*xual 03:08 8. FeminGabberist - You Wish You Had A C!it (Extra Extended Version) 05:22 9. Ace of Hardcore - (F**k) the (P*rn) Industry (Extended Instrumental) 10:37
Omnicore Records 82 Doomcore Records 236 Slowcore Records 70
In our mission to research the history of electronic underground culture - especially centered on techno, rave, hardcore... we set ourselves a new objective:
To shine a light on the context of its popular, re-occurring, "meme" like vocal samples.
Why did these occur in the first place?
Music that existed around the 1st heyday of Techno - late 80s, early 90s - was not as sample heavy, most of the time. Like glam metal, pop-rock, the first boybands...
Vitamin - My House is your House
Well, the reason is that most of the productions were made by low-budget, low-brow (and sometimes low-life) producers.
The other "dance" epigons of those times were able to hire professional singers, or whole orchestras to layer over their dance grooves (hello S.A.W.!)
Just sampling something else was a much cheaper method.
There were other, more high-brow reasons, too:
Techno dismantled the way music was supposed to be, to sound, to be produced.
No more real guitars and "real" percussion. To exchange the human voices made of flesh that dominated recent decades - from the Beatles to Madonna - with the digital croaking of the sampler, made perfect sense.
And sampling was a new tech, could be used in ways that are out there, psychedelic, zany. The right soundtrack for the jilted generation.
Let's stop right here. And get to our first exhibit.
"We wanna be free"
One of the earliest samples in one of the earliest "rave" hits. Later it has literally been used in 1000s of other tracks.
I assume only a minority of the sweat and smoke-drenched ravers were aware of the actual origin of the samples.
It's from a 1960s movie called "the wild angels".
So let's talk about it:
The Wild Angels (1966) - On Hippieploitation, Peter Fonda, and an iconic movie of 90s Rave Culture (that most Ravers never actually watched)
The movie stars a still very young peter fonda - a few years before his role in "easy rider". Other actors to note are Nancy Sinatra and Bruce Dern.
The movie is on the fringes of the "hippieploitation" movie fad of the 60s and 70s.
These movies were often marketed as exposing the horrors, s*x, and violence (and music) of the 60s counterculture to the boomers and squares of the precedent generation.
Of course, these horrors to the most part only existed in the imagination of the boomers.
They often ended up attracting the very counterculture generation they warned about. The hippie youth was interested to see some wild exploits of bikers, hippies (i.e. themselves), revolutionaries and drop-outs too, of course.
And I guess most directors and studios knew this.
And, despite this pulp / schlock framing, some, or rather, most of the hippieploitation movies are quite well-made, deep, and sincere work of arts. They just had a smaller budget than the "big hollywood" productions.
#1 Primal Scream - Loaded (Official Video)
Peter Fonda seems to have been a central star of this movie-wave; apart from the wild angels he also starred in other movies with a similar concept, like "The Trip", or the abovementioned easy rider.
I said this one is borderline hippieploitation, as the topic is not directly hippies, but real rough outlaw bikers.
The outlaw biker culture is somewhat lumped into the 60s "counterculture" media perception lens. Bikers play prominent roles in other iconic counterculture flicks as well, like fritz the cat or - "Easy Rider" again.
The bikers serve as a channel for a lot of "hippie" vibes in this media creation. Like the concept of "free love", living outside society, job or work culture. And there is quite a lot of talk by Fonda and his friends about sticking it to "the man" and otherwise dodging and fighting boomer-based authority figures.
It's not totally lovey-dovey all the time. They are a brutal and violent gang despite this. And the plot contains a "redemption" arc for the Fonda character, leaving the nihilism and mindless violence behind.
Hardsequencer - We Wanna Be Free
Before this happens, the movie actually ends on a real downer, with a scene that even I, as a life-long horror and "outrageous" movie consumer, find very hard to stomach or to watch.
I guess the hippieploitation / exploitation concept shines through here. The idea to "shock" the audience.
I won't say too much on it, but the sequence involves trespassing, booze, an *rgy, a priest, swastikas, and a coffin.
This "final segment" (that slams the lid on the coffin, so to say) is preceded by a speech of the Fonda character, that became a countercultural symbol in itself.
The priest asks the unruly bikers "But, tell me, just what is it that you want to do?".
To which our young Fonda replies:
"We don't want nobody telling us what to do. We don't want nobody pushing us around.
We wanna be free! We wanna be free to do what we wanna do. We wanna be free to ride! We wanna be free to ride our machines without being hassled by The Man. And we wanna get loaded. And we wanna have a good time. And that's what we're gonna do. We are gonna have a good time. We are gonna have a party."
Defcon 2 - To Be Free
And I guess this is good evidence that the movie really is not "just" about a criminal gang on motorcycles.
Like I said, they serve as a vessel for countercultural values, within the narrative and metaphor of the movie.
And the following generations seconded that motion.
The speech became iconic and was used, re-purposed in a myriad of media, which is impossible to count or keep track of.
Most importantly it found its home in the techno, rave, acid house, hardcore and gabba scenes of the mid-80s to mid-90s.
An early example is the Primal Scream track "Loaded" (the title should give a hint, right?"
But it kept being re-used, re-purposed.
Tempest 2000: Future Tense
I suppose one could trace a kind of countercultural continuum there.
The values of the early hardcore ravers and acid house punters were not that far away from those of the 60s (free love, free substances... having a party).
So they felt "understood" by this 60s movie, even though it belonged to the earlier generations.
But plotting such a continuum would bust the scope and scale of this feature.
Maybe at another time, in another place, in another world.
It's my birthday today, so I feel like writing about things *I* want to tell (instead of catering to others).
I wrote a lot about hardcore techno, history, subcultures, in relation to politics, political ideas, political movements. And a lot of people got angry and yelled "Hardcore was not political in the 90s. People were against politics".
And it's not true. Outside the "big commercial" labels and events, the movement was very political, it was run by political people, anarchists communists, and so on, manifestos were written, leaflets were handed around. gabber basses hit home next to anarchist bookstores.
i know it, because i was there, because other people who were there confirmed this. but more than that; even the non-hardcore and / or mainstream press described the hardcore techno movement as radical, political, and anarchist.
but that is not what i want to talk about! because, yes. you are right. not everyone was political who listened to hardcore, gabber, and speedcore. not everyone owned a book by kropotkin or had a shirt with a socialist slogan. very true. some even despised the thought of politics, or could not care less.
but, and that's the big "but". the scene was accepting. it was tolerant. to all kind of weirdos and freaks and bizarre people. and no one was really judging each other. everyone had his / her / their own things. maybe someone never wore shoes and walked around in socks everywhere. or someone was into occultism and talked about rituals all the time. or someone had poor personal hygiene (well, a lot of us did, right?) we were all into this together, and we accepted that everyone is different and had their own strange things they were enthusiastic or hell-bent about.
so if someone was a card-carrying communist. and talked about politics all the time at parties or other music meetings. then even those who hated politics or thought that this guy or girl or they was completely off their minds. was accepting this and thinking "well yeah that's just how they are. we can't help it". no-one called for a removal of people like this, from social circles, from parties, or even from the scene (like it is done today!).
then, over the years, something happened. opposition to the "freaks" began to grow. people really tried to go against the political types. (and later, against others, too).
and not because they thought that left wing and radical politics would be "really dangerous". they argued that these humans were on the wrong track, deluded, out-of-their minds, talking bullshit, weaklings. and if they were allowed to "roam" the hardcore scene, they could weaken it, like a virus, like vermin.
it reminded me a bit of the "fascist" monologue towards the end of the movie videodrome... how "we" (as the scene) needed to be bold and clear and direct... and could no longer accept weakness and weaklings and "soft" people with "strange" ideas...
and yeah. i think all of this is an expression of a kind of "non-political" fascism. that one somehow needs to be strong-willed and "sane" in one's mind and behavior, and not be a "weirdo".
i mean, yes, it's true. there were, and there are a lot of cliché characters in the subculture, people who run around, talk about socialism and revolutions, while still not living in a home of their own, "who never had a partner", who will never start an actual revolution... likely...
but, i ask you, what is so bad about that? seriously? why would you judge?
if you think such human beings are disgusting or worth despising... well then you have the completely wrong picture.
the HC sub-culture was always accepting of all kind of weirdos, freaks, outcasts, "as long as they harm no other". accepting of "softies" and "pseudo-intellectual wanna-be revolutionaries", too.
regardless of whether you feel "political" or not... let's keep it this way!
DHR Limited holds a special place in my heart. The label once described this sub as the "trashcan" of DHR. Every release is limited to 1000 copies (which, I think, was still pretty much for an electronic label in the 90s). And - according to the label - the destiny for discarded projects, try-outs, experiments, one-off stuff, half-finished projects, drafts, abandoned cubase sessions. I.e. for all output that did not seem fit to be put on a "proper" release. I'm not sure this is the case for every track here, because a lot of them sound full-fledged and finished. But even if it were... despite of this, or rather, because of this, here is the place where the real experimentation, research, and adventure takes place. I mean, the main label by DHR was already pushing limits and breaking grounds, but this one is breaking through all barriers and shattering all fences (and mirrors, maybe).
This is the peak moment of the Digital Hardcore movement to me. The tracks are tethered to no rule or concept in the mainstream world of music anymore. Anything goes, weird noises, surreal trips, start-stop structures, a little bit of funk and vintage kitsch, musique concrete and musique électronique, blastbeat breakcore and gabba drums.
I can't praise this nasty little sub enough. If you really want to experience music that is completely "out there" and out of its mind as well - take a taste of this one.
Death Funk – Funk Riot Beat (DHR LTD 001)
The ep that kickstarted that label. Imagine the destroyer album... and then imagine things got twice as hard and rough. Because this is what you're gonna get here.
Fav picks:
Crystal Moon Explosion New World Order
No Safety Pin S*x – No Savety Pin S*x E.P. (DHR LTD 002)
People wondered who might be the producer behind this one, there were rumors it was Alec Empire, and then it turned out it was indeed Alec Empire! I think this release could accompany the DJ 6666 album. The style is somewhat close: splatter breaks, and all distortion units set to eleven. Only interrupted by passages of machines hissing, growling, then clawing at you. Sweet!
Patric Catani – Snuff Out (DHR LTD 003)
This release happened at an interesting period in the creative life of Patric Catani. His first tracks were often more on the ironic / silly side (but cool!), with the pitched up pop and schlager sampled tracks of E-De Cologne's early works. Then, with Ec8or, Eradicator, Test Tube Kid et al, things became dark, grim, experimental and political (but cool!). He transitioned to Breakcore by the Millennium, which led to more fun, ironic tracks, and now he's mostly a video game music producer with tiny-cute jingle-like tunes (but cool!).
And I guess this release resides in the gap between these periods: Breakcore, but still super dark, weird, and surreal. And I love it.
Give Up – Fuck Step '98 (DHR LTD 004)
This release almost feels like a "breakcore jam session"! Quick, raw, and dirty.
Carl Crack – Black Ark (DHR LTD 005)
Each member of DHR had their solo projects, and this is the one by Carl Crack. Very exciting indeed, there is nothing with the same sound on DHR. The minimalism of Shizuo comes to mind... but it almost feels like it isn't even an electronic-driven, logic, sequenced release, more like a live jam, improvised on real and raw sounds, that just by accident resembles a "breakcore" record.
Or a voodoo ritual, haunting you through the edges of time.
Patric Catani – 100 DPS (DHR LTD 006)
My favorite breakcore album by Patric C. This is him at the highest height of his art. The breakbeats never were more slamming, the distortion never was as loud, the lo-fi amiga buzz never cut as hard (not sure if this was done entirely on amiga - but it resembles its sound).
There are fascinating breakcore experiments on here as well, like the cyber-valkyrie transfigured opera singing on track 6, or the short-cut political agit-prop screams of Still Wanna Win (I Can't Lose).
Makes you wonder how things would be if breakcore continued to walk this way - instead of descending into pop chatter drooling.
Sonic Subjunkies – Live At The Suicide Club 8-7-95 (DHR LTD 007)
SSJ are really fascinating. At first glance, there is the two official EPs they did for DHR... and subsequent post-DHR albums and releases. But as you dive deeper, you will find the "Sounds From The City Of Quartz" tape on Midi War, and yeah, that one blows the competition out of the water, so to say. Even though it never got a proper release. This one here has a proper release, but I think even for DHR fans it's a slightly overlooked release.
Which ain't correct, because there are hidden marvels to be found here, too. The live version of the known tracks are so much more aggressive and primal. And there are Hardcore gems like "Destroy" which, to my knowledge, have never been released elsewhere.
Nintendo Teenage Robots – We Punk Einheit! (DHR LTD 008)
Do you like chiptune? Retro? Vintage game units and computers such as game boys, famicoms, amigas, c64, and other "commies"? This is quite the hype now. But you know what? DHR did do this thing you like so much - already 30 years ago!
There's the flex busterman release, and then there is this one here.
Very creative and bold use of the game boy's very-limited-but-quite exciting sound capabilities.
Expect no super mario moon song here and poppy harmony. It's noisy, it's atonal and, within its abstract way - it's super funky.
Alec Empire – Miss Black America (DHR LTD 009)
With Alec Empire's massive output, it's hard to say "this is *the* best". regarding any single release. So let's just say: this is *one* of the best. At least it's the most varied.
We got the aggro electro-punk of "df0". The very strange electronic sounds of tracks like "The Robot Put A Voodoospell On Me" or "They Landed Inside My Head While We Were Driving In The Taxi Up To 53rd Street And Took Over!"
And then there is "It should be you not me". What genre is this...? It's almost as if dub had become possessed by an Egyptian God and gave birth to an enchanted track. There is even the recitation of a bible verse about Satan hidden (entombed?) within the track, after all the laments that "It should be you. Not me". (And that's correct. All that shit should have happened to *you*. And not to me.)
But I digress... "Black Sabbath" is totally mental messed up breakcore, with an odd reference to "Milwaukee". "The Winds of Saturn" almost feels like a chilled track compared to these... the cold chill of minus 140 degrees.
Ec8or – Gimme Nyquil All Night Long / I Won't Pay (DHR LTD10)
7" release with two tracks that were also on The One Only High And Low.
Heartworm – Bleeding In Circles (DHR LTD MCD011)
One of the very final releases on DHR, before the label came down. And this would be a suitable soundtrack for a controlled demolition indeed! Noise, Acid, Breakcore, deranged samples... nihilism served with a vicious smile.
Alec Empire Vs Merzbow – Live CBGB's NYC 1998 (DHRLTDCD12)
A live recording. By alec empire (the inventor of breakcore). And merzbow (the champion of noize). At cbgb's (the birthplace of punk). Could it be more legendary?
I remember some contemporary folk said, after this triangulation, they expected more and felt underwhelmed, but no no, this is as good as it gets. It cuts like a laser cuts through diamond.
Fav track: Enter The Forbidden Space, a rare meeting of sweet and dark ambient with harshest noise.
Various – DHR LTD12 CD
A compilation of tracks from other DHR (Limited) releases, remixes, obscurities and rarities.
Alec Empire – The CD2 Sessions - Live In London 7 12 2002 (DHRLTDCD14)
I always assumed that "Intelligence & Sacrifice" was janus-faced, or even schizophrenic (in the most positive senses!)
Because, the question is: what part is the actual album, and what is "side 2" or the bonus disc? Most hardcore-breakcore-gabba ruffians would probably claim that CD1 is the proper release, with an extra CD of bittersweet électronique attached to it; but to me, "CD2" feels like a full-fledged album too that could have been a complete release on its own. So it was only the logical conclusion that Alec did not just tour with his band and the tracks of CD1, but also did live shows based on this one here.
You probably know what to expect with this - and it's exactly what you get!
Tuareg Geeks – Introduction To Global Stupidity (DHRLTDCD15)
The last release on DHR Limited. And it at parts feels like a retrospective of the Digital Hardcore catalogue: All your favorite sounds are here, gabba drums, disto-breaks, burnt-chiptunes, clenched fists screaming... And then the lid gets closed and the coffin gets lowered into the ground.
The cultural tides are turning against us, and LGBTQIA+ people have become the target and scapegoat for hypocritical politicians, religions fanatics, and the common idiots once more.
I think it's time that the Hardcore, Techno, Gabber (and all other) scenes take a stand and help to defend the rights of queer people, and other groups that might become marginalized again.
My own little effort is this new logo which, I hope, represents solidarity and unity.
You can download it in 3 different variants, and also with a transparent background, so that people are able to add to their own artworks and design.
The inception, the evolution, and the continuing evolution of techno and its subgenres is deeply entwined with LGBTQIA+ subcultures. This is openly known; the reasons that are usually given for this are that 1. LGBTQIA+ people generally "liked dance music", that 2. subcultures spill over into each other, or that 3. in days of social pressure on queer people, house and techno clubs were a more or less "safe" spot to hang out at. All this and more might be true. But I think it goes deeper than that. It's not just that techno and house culture is "LGBTQIA+ friendly". I think queer politics are deeply engraved in the sound of techno itself.
Because in music, certain tropes are often associated with certain "genders". Aggressive genres, like hard rock and metal were seen as "testosterone fueled", masculine. More "mellow" pop or soul was marketed to women.
Techno crosses over these gender boundaries - not just in its social and dance culture, but in its very sound. Techno and its subgenres combine, blend, and mend aggressive elements with dreamy, romantic ones; violent sounds with euphoria and ecstasy; power and play; dominate the rhythm and surrender to the bassline.
And this appeals to those human beings who find themselves placed in between the polarity of "masculine" and "feminine" as well. So you had women going mad and raving to hardcore techno beats. And on the other hand men who danced to pitched up love songs and mellow synths on top of breakbeats. Both are not very "gender conforming" types of behavior, at least not according to the mindset of the rest of society.
After all, squares always complained that techno music would sound quite queer.
Even hardcore and gabber people never were as "ultra-masculine" in image, fashion, and behavior, as in other brutal music genres such as metal.
The association of sound with gender might seem quite abstract and esoteric, but it is done by culture (see the examples above - how "aggressive guitars" are usually linked with a certain type of "maleness").
False gender norms and ideas of "expected behavior" are forced on everyone in society. "Men should not be softy and emotional". "Women should not be bold and belligerent".
But within Techno culture, you can be everything you desire to be.
"Imagine surveying earth after nuclear destruction and enjoying what you see, that's how it feels when you listen to it." Marc Acardipane aka The Mover, talking to the Alien Underground magazine about his Techno music
The latter half of the 80s and the first half of the 90s were very strange days in the history of humanity. But I think even many individuals who lived through this era are not aware of how strange everything was.
Looking back, most people think "ah, the second half of the 20th century had the Cold War, two superpowers facing each other, the threat of nuclear war; but thankfully everything was resolved peacefully in the 90s and folks could live on happily then".
Slightly correct, but not the full picture. Because no-one in the 80s or the decades before thought or believed it would happen this way - that the Soviet Bloc would just go bust, and everything comes to a more or less peaceful resolution - without a major war, and without nuclear Armageddon.
Amnesia - Hysteria
Instead, people thought the Soviet Union would last. Major political players in the "West" planned for a world in which the Soviet Union and the conflict between the superpowers would go on for decades.
More than that, in the 80s it seemed as if this conflict had entered a downward spiral of nuclear stockpiling, political threats, lingering disputes that would inevitably escalate into full blown thermonuclear war sooner or later - or rather sooner.
Hence why you have movies like "Terminator" which dates nuclear war to the late 90s - this was not some bizarre idea for movie fans of the 80s, but the more realistic part of the franchise (unlike the terminators and time travel plot etc).
Konzept – Last Night (N.W. Remix)
But the dice did not roll this way. Instead we got the most favorable scenario - the Soviet Bloc dismantles itself, without any major and / or nuclear war.
Please think about how strange, almost unimaginable these events were. When ever did an empire, with immense power and a giant army, disappear as "peacefully" as this?
The KLF - America: What Time Is Love?
Of course, the Eastern Bloc had begun to topple a few years earlier already. But, a few defecting countries do not mean an empire has to end (Great Britain did not end after it lost its colonies, for example). More so, the crumbling, chaos and collapse of the Soviet Bloc could have easily led to a situation where someone "in control" decides to let the nuclear hammer hit down on the nail of humanity.
What happened is nothing short of a miracle.
Part 2
Dreamscape - Nuclear nightmare scene
Needless to say, in the present day we can look at the larger picture, and clever archivists and analysts might give this or that explanation. and maybe some of it is true.
But the people who lived in those years did not know this and had no access to these "facts". They lived in a period where every outcome was possible. Grim Cold War for decades on. Or escalation of the conflict. Nuclear death. Or possible peaceful resolve. No one could know what would happen, or how things would turn out. "Are they gonna drop the bomb or not?"
If all this had happened in a movie or comic book, maybe one could say that it was a period in which multiple future timelines and worlds did collide, for a few years, for a short moment in history.
Pop Will Eat Itself - Def Con One
During these "liminal years", another thing happened, on a more cultural level. the emergence of new sounds that we now call "Techno music".
Just like in the political realm, in the underworld of the subcultures, various things were happening at once. Newbeat / EBM in the European territories of the "Blue Banana". Detroit Techno in the eponymous city. Acid House in the UK and on idyllic islands. Chicago House, New York and LA dance scenes, Synth Pop / Dark Wave was still strong, too.
Oppenheimer Analysis - Cold War
All these were slowly blending together and forming a new scene and youth culture, and I think even the synthesized "Disco" music of the 80s had its part in this.
Now the interesting thing is: the "liminal" situation we talked about above is mirrored in these cultural events and the emergence of "Techno".
The major strains of the techno scene were apocalyptic, dystopian, bordering on the nihilist. The first ravers danced under the nuclear threat, and they were aware of this.
Space Trax - Atomic Playboy
Early techno parties were full of "World War III" imagery such as gas masks or military gear.
New Beat is often considered to be the other "major player" in the development of techno - next to Acid House. And one of its focal points was Belgium and the capital of Brussels. Where the NATO headquarters were located. The home of the command centers that would send the warheads to the skies - should the nuclear scales begin to teeter.
And Detroit Techno? Full of dystopian tropes, too; resistance against future police states, tyranny, the misery of the present day and yes, nuclear danger as well.
Underground Resistance - Your Time Is Up
What then happened was one of the biggest U-turns in the history of a music culture. "Techno" dropped the darkness, the pessimism, the nihilism. Instead the happy sounds of newer genres like Trance or Breakbeat took the scene.
Techno became synonymous with the desire to enjoy life as an everlasting dance party, fueled by happiness, ecstasy, and a few other emotions (or substances).
Defcon - Brainwasher
To have a good time, to get on the dancefloor - the celebration generation.
And just a few years earlier, the Techno clubs were filled with tracks about world war iii and all the other shady things in life!
Again, all this can be seen as the mirror of the political events that happened parallel to this: the "peaceful" resolve of the cold war crisis, and the prospect of future decades without the threat of the apocalypse and major wars or tragedies.
Hocus Pocus - Postcard From Armageddon
Hence, if we look back, these "turn of the century" years - the last turn before the new millennium - were highly bizarre, peculiar, surreal, and the world could have evolved into any direction.
But, despite all expectations, the world did not "go bang", and most of us survived these years.
The importance of these events might seem feeble and faint for today's eyes. But they left their mark in the formative years of the techno movement - and its tracks.
Nuclear War (16 bit computer game from the 80s dealing with nuclear war)
A while ago I ran into something. A fascist synth pop song from the 80s. At first I thought it was maybe ironic, a joke, a parody... but no, it was of real fascist intent. This took me by surprise. I didn't expect that .
I wondered... why did it surprise me... ? The fascist idiots are everywhere... they can be teachers, preachers, businessmen, presidents... but then I realized something. Nope. They are *not* everywhere. The original Synth Pop scene, 70s to late 80s, was *very* clear of fascist songs, messages. And this really is a reason to be surprised. Because synth pop was centered on Great Britain, and Britain had a large fascist contingent in that period - enhanced by that awful mean lady at the top of the government. Why did this not creep into the synth pop scene too, then?
1. Age Of Love - The Age Of Love
And then I realized that there are some other music genres that are (or were) quite free of fascism. 70s disco. 80s euro pop / disco / dance. house. acid. jungle. breakbeat. happy gabber. hard trance.
If you look at genres like extreme metal, harsh industrial, and so on, you can see some fascist projects there (even if they're few). But can you name one disco song from the 70s that openly and undeniably is pro-nazi? from the jungle era? from happy hardcore?
It's almost non-existent.
2. Felix - Don't You Want Me
I started to wonder about this. And this was a quite hard cookie to crack. Because, where is the connection between these genres? Sure, there are some similarities... but they're still very far apart.
And then it hit me like a nail on the head. There was something that connected all these seemingly different genres. They were centers of subcultures, cultural scenes and movements that embraced a fun, playful, life-embracing form of sensuality. Life positive. Body positive. Intimacy positive. And even masochism and sadism were included as game only, as a form of role-play.
3. Westbam - Celebration Generation
And that's something all these nazis, racists, and fascists, don't get, won't get, and will never get. Genuine nazi music is almost never about physical love, and if it is, it's in a mean-spirited, cruel, destructive way. Because that's one of the original cornerstones of fascism. The denial of the self. The denial of pleasure. The denial of romantic pleasure.
So... could it be possible that we discovered one of the antidotes against fascism? A very powerful antidote? I think this is truly the case.
4. Mark 'Oh - Randy (Never Stop That Feeling)
So let's be life positive. Body positive. Fun positive. Intimacy positive. Let us not be afraid of the good things in life. Enjoying oneself. Relaxing. Dancing. Desire, passion, play.
And it might be a good idea to make this a central part of our music and music scenes, too.
Because life should not be about misery, tragedy, cruelty, tyrants and fascists. It should be about happiness and fun.
Fascist / Ultra-Rightwing political parties are at the doorsteps of power in many European countries. Nazi movements are gaining traction and followers. Hate crimes against immigrants, refugees, LGBTQIA+ and others are spreading like the plague. everyone who does not fit to the new authoritarian aryan scheme is in danger.
Many people are shocked, want to do something about it, but feel helpless at the same time.
So here are a few things *you*, as a fan, contributor, or producer of electronic music can do.
This may not eliminate the need for large scale activity, but at least it's a start, may lead to something bigger, and if enough people join it, it will do a visible dent to the fascist scheme.
1. Produce tracks with anti-fascist and anti-racist titles. Add "... against fascism", "...against nazis" to your tracks, for example. Use anti-nazi images on the artwork. Add similar vocals to your tracks.
2. Produce tracks in support of the marginalized and groups that are endangered by violent fascists. Make queer-positive, body positive music, tracks in support of the homeless, refugees... and so on. See 1. for further ideas.
3. If you run a label, conceive a compilation with anti-fascist and anti-racist themes. Call on other producers to join in.
4. Add tracks with a clear message to your DJ mixes, online, or at home. For a short list of possible tracks, see below.
5. Spread anti-nazi images, messages, memes, online, and in real life.
6. Do a fundraiser in support of anti-nazi organizations, or groups that are in danger.
7. Call-out rightwing propaganda, use rational arguments to refute it, online, and in reality.
8. If you are organizing a party, give it a theme against the right, or one in support of those that need protection from the rightwing.
9. Network with other fans, producers, djs, and promoters against the fascist threat and support each other.
Of course, those on the right side of things might try to get in your way. At times, they might not outright attack you, but use the well-known "strawman" arguments... statements such as "keep politics out of music", "everyone who opposes fascism must be a communist", "the left is as bad as the right", etc. Don't let that deter you!
These are some basic ideas. Not everyone wants to commit themselves 100%. I get that. Even though you should. But there are little things that literally anyone could do. Like posting an anti-nazi meme online. Adding a slogan to a flyer. Dropping a track in your mix.
Doesn't take a lot of effort, doesn't hurt anyone (except the mind numbed nazis). But it will do a lot of good.
Some classic Techno and Hardcore tracks with an anti-rightwing message of resistance:
Chosen Few - Chosen Anthem (Against Racism) DJ Freak Vs. Noize Creator - The Anti Nazi Pack Party Animals feat. Rob Gee - Nazi Scum PCP Project - N.R.N.F.O. (Nazi Rednecks F*ck Off) Micropoint - Anti-Nazi Vendetta Bazooka - Waz Gibtz Noyze ? (F*kDaNazisMix) Exit 100 - German Nazis F*ck Off Nero - Youth Against Racism
During these dark weeks chronicled in the political history of planet Earth, I listened to various antifascist tracks from the Hardcore Techno scene. While there is antifascist music in virtually every extreme musical genre, I was struck by the absence of projects within Hardcore that, on the contrary, align with hate. This is something that genres like punk, industrial, and, more recently and severely, extreme metal cannot boast about.
However, this absence of hate in Hardcore—though there may be rare exceptions—contrasts sharply with the ferocity found in speedcore/terrorcore or similar tracks. These sounds rival the most radical musical expressions that aim to sing hymns of intolerance and hatred. And while sonic similarities may occasionally emerge on both sides, whether in Hardcore or other extreme genres, I began to question whether this aggression stem from the same essence.
A phrase came back to me, one that caught my attention years ago: “Fury not Hate.” It appeared on a low-quality image on a website, belonging to a flyer for a Crust Punk band. I don’t even remember the band’s name; it seemed like a parody of Amebix. But this phrase etched itself into my mind: Fury, not Hate.
After years of witnessing the indiscriminate use of the term Hate in extreme music—even in bands with no ties to the far-right—I couldn’t help but reflect on the importance of the distinction suggested by this phrase.
In these times, when waves of hate are becoming tsunamis, and as musicians and projects battle against Trumpism, the Alt-Right, and purveyors of hate and misinformation like Elon Musk and the horde of right-wing extremists he has empowered with "X," this phrase resurfaces in my thoughts. Because I see and feel the anger of those resisting this toxic deluge—the frustration, the need to defend and counterattack. And with this phrase, I understand that what we feel and express in Hardcore is not the same as what they do. The difference is essential—even metaphysical.
Their fuel is hate, primarily directed toward an "other" they do not recognize as human or deserving of empathy. The root of their hate lies in disdain for those they perceive as different or inferior, discomfort at seeing these others free, empowered, and “in their territory,” and a tantrum over the loss of privileges. When their privileges are threatened, hate manifests as injustice itself, reacting defensively, attempting to corrode justice, understanding, reason, and empathy, which strive to neutralize it. And while we may believe that history moves forward, hate demonstrates its capacity to destabilize and reverse progress.
In contrast, our energy is fury. Unlike hate, fury is not directed at individuals but at a way of relating among people. Fury is a reaction to injustice, to privilege, to an oppressive relationship. Yet it does not inherently harbor resentment toward the identity of the oppressor or the privileged—only toward oppression and privilege themselves. The possibility for understanding and mutual recognition as humans remains open, as long as injustices are overcome. This reveals that fury and hate are diametrically opposed.
Martin Luther King Jr., in his iconic speech against hate and for civil rights, declared:
"And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!"
MLK was furious at the injustices of his time. Of course! But that fury had nothing to do with hate. Because the dream is to overcome hate itself and the injustices it shelters—not to despise or attack the humanity of others. On the contrary, it seeks to humanize and emancipate, to redeem everyone. It is not even hate for hate—it is fury at hate!
To some, this may seem like a trivial difference. But let us remember that, for the ancients, emotions were akin to gods. For that reason, we cannot feed the god of hate, nor feed ourselves with it. Yet we can embrace fury, letting it push us to confront what must be confronted, without being consumed by it.
And today, when clarity is needed—when we must understand what we face and how to defend liberty, equality, justice, and fraternity among all humans, whether through words, ideas, images, or music—one thing must be clear: we are not driven by the same force as they are. When we face hate, what drives us, what we feel, is fury, not hate.
Teknoland Productions released a new Electronics / Hardcore / Speedcore compilation against the rise of fascism in France and the rest of the world.
We highly support this cause!
Original info text:
"This album is against Rascim and Fascim, it was made because in France as in Europe Fascim is unfortunately progressing so we do not want them to gain power."
There is a slogan that has been pushed for a while now, and it has been highly annoying: "keep politics out of music". Not just a slogan, but a largescale attempt to clean music from "political thoughts". This has effected various genres, and the hardcore scene has been hit especially hard by this dangerous nonsense. So, let's take a closer look at the whole issue.
First
While you live inside human civilization, it is impossible to not be political. The idea that one could stay clear of politics, or evade it, is illusionary and irrational. Do you have an opinion on one or more of these things: Taxes, wages, big corporations, schools, universities, laws, the media, sexuality, the police, the military, wars, how the government treats religions, housing, rent, the dole, etc. etc.? Then, my friend, you are being political!
And if you really do not want to sound political then shut up about all of these and many more topics for the rest of your life! As we are ruled by a "political elite" (i.e. the government whose executive and legislative decisions literally effects any part of our civilized lives, either directly or indirectly) everything is tied to politics, political thoughts, and political actions.
If you move out of society, and start living alone, in some remote forest, mountains, or polar regions - maybe then you could be truly a-political!
And in the same sense hardcore techno is always political - no matter whether this is plainly visible or hidden and disguised
Second
Which people use the slogan "keep politics out of music"? I'd say there are two large groups: People who are "sincerely annoyed" by politics, and right-wing / nazi people, who are very much into political ideology, but keep this hidden and use the slogan as a "strawman" to silence those who are against extreme right wing ideologies.
It should also be noted that while the slogan apparently addresses "both" the extreme "left" and right, i hardly ever heard it being used by left radicals. To the contrary, those on the extreme left are usually very eager to keep politics inside music and art, and they'd openly "admit" it. So, there are a thousand times more people on the extreme right who use this slogan than there are on the left.
I've met many anarchists in real life - not one of them wanted art or music to be "free from politics". Nazis, on the other hand...
Third
Isn't it a bit extreme - to desire that all politics get removed from music? And how would that be much different from saying "keep religion out of music", "keep sex out of music", "keep violence out of music" - and then demanding that all music that remotely touches subjects like religion, sex, violence, and other "taboo" stuff like drugs, mental health problems, gets banned or removed? So no more metal songs that criticize religion or psychedelic rock sounds that describe lsd trips?
While this might sound exaggerated, i've seen internet platforms (for grown up adults) running this concept - "no content related to politics, religion, and sexuality allowed" - and worse.
If you wholesale remove politics from art - why not wholesale remove other "difficult" topics out of art, too?
So be careful what you wish for!
Fourth
So, let's look at some of the counter arguments of the a-political clan.
1. "Political content leads to controversy, strife. People might be offended, the content will be debated, there might be strong reactions / heated arguments"
Are you f*cking kidding me? Right here, right now. I mean, come on. Isn't the whole point of art *to be* controversial, to generate strong opinions, to spark heated debates? Maybe not of all art - but isn't it, to most parts, a sign of quality and grandeur, if an artist is able to fuel debates and generate heavy emotions? Why do you want to take this away from art.
2. "Right wing people / nazis caused a lot of damage to the hardcore scene (ot other music scenes) in the past, and in order to prevent this in the future, we should keep politics out of music from now on"
Well, but then the nazis are to be blamed for this, and not politics in general? Seriously, that's a bit like saying: "there was a case where tainted foods that were contaminated with bacteria got sold at the supermarket, and some people got seriously ill - and in order to prevent the same thing from happening to me, *I'll never eat any food again*.
3. "Political ideologies like nazism and fascism, but also stalinism, are despisable and should not be allowed to spread"
You're opening a huge can of worms, by trying to equate the extreme right with the "authoritarian" left! But if some ideologies should not be allowed to spread (and i wholeheartedly agree that nazi ideology should not be spread) - surely this does not apply to *all* political thoughts and ideas?
Fifth
This should have shown why it's non-sensical, even dangerous, to demand that "all politics" gets banned from music.
Thus. Let us "bring back" politics into music. And especially into the hardcore techno scene!
Textual material relating to Hardcore, related scenes, or even its subcultural and political interconnections is very hard to come by. Hence this is one of the reason we started our mag here. *But* long before us there was Datacide; an originally paper-based magazine out of London, centered around the Praxis label, its artists, and that whole social and cultural surrounding. And we got some good news here, they just put out their second almanac as an eBook!
If this spikes your interest, please consider subscribing to their magazine - as they the money helps them to continue their excellent work.
The fascist menace is on the rise in Europe and other places in the world. We are artists, DJs, producers, enthusiasts, and other members of the Hardcore Techno scene and related genres. We want to send a strong message against Fascism, Nazism, Racism.
Let's unite and stand together against this threat!
Hardcore Techno is the music of the marginalized and disenchanted - the underdogs. And Hardcore does carry the sentiment to not merely take all the nasty stuff society throws at you and swallow it - but to be angry about it, to stand up, fight for yourself, for your rights, for those of others. To not accept to be assigned as a "loser" and outcast by the majority of society.
To put your energy in the struggle for liberation, freedom, for your individuality and its unique expression. With or without a political or intellectual analysis connected to it, there's the incitement to rise up and push through the walls that society put up around you, and everyone else.
And these are some tracks that can be seen as an expression of this beautiful rage.
1. Ec8or - We are pissed
Ec8or are pissed off, and this punk / hardcore / breakcore crossover really proves their anger. "our last chance is to show that we do resist".
Praxis records is a *very* political label run by Christoph Fringeli, who is also involved in the Datacide magazine, which offers great political and intellectual insights, while also being tied to the electronic music underground. This track is from one of the label's first release, and the EP title, "Speed And Politics EP", says it all.
Brandon Spivey is a well-known and very outspoken activist who poured his political anger in his often very extreme Hardcore and Acid tracks. We love him for this. This is a track by a project he was involved in; "Bullen Raus!" is a well known chant at German riots and rallies, it's meaning is somewhat equivalent to the english language statement "all cops are bastards".
From the "Agit Prop" LP, which means "agitation and propaganda", a term used for the spread of revolutionary art. And this is exactly what we got here.
6. Christoph Fringeli & DJ Pure - Ruled By The Mob
We already mentioned Christoph; here he forms a team with DJ Pure, who was part of Ilsa Gold. The result is one of the earliest Breakcore tracks. "Chaos, mayhem, and anarchy", indeed, just as the vocal sample of the track announces.
Quote by the artist: "There was something that was very clear to many people in the last decades of the 20th century, which was that western society as we know it was heading for a complete breakdown over the next decades. This knowledge was spread in the hard electronics scene I was involved in."
There are also some tracks where the artists might have not been "hardened political warriors", but the main motivation was to use a cool sample and create an energetic track. We do not want to imply or suggest anything here. Regardless, by their themes and the use of vocals, these tracks carry the spirit of revolution.
Bardot - Viva La Revolution MC R.A.W. - We Who Are Oppressed Another Blunted Vision - Might Cause A Riot Ingler - Riot Delta 9 - Never Stop Rage Reset - Resistance Genlog - Revolution
