Hardcore Rave
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Hardcore Rave is the fast breakbeat side of early rave: chopped breaks, sped-up samples, sub-bass drops, hoover riffs, piano rushes, cartoon hooks, and abrupt edits. It is more frantic than acid house and less codified than later happy hardcore or jungle. The best records feel like the scene splitting into several futures at once.
History
Hardcore rave grew from UK acid house, hip-hop sampling, Belgian techno, reggae sound-system pressure, and pirate radio. The Prodigy, SL2, Acen, 2 Bad Mice, Altern-8, NRG, Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era, Urban Hype, Smart E's, DJ Seduction, Hyper On Experience, and Ratpack became core names. As tempos and break programming intensified, the style branched into jungle, darkside, happy hardcore, breakbeat hardcore, and drum and bass.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Charly(1991) — The ProdigySpotifyYouTube
- On a Ragga Tip(1992) — SL2SpotifyYouTube
- Trip II the Moon(1992) — AcenSpotifyYouTube
- Bombscare(1992) — 2 Bad MiceSpotifyYouTube
- Activ-8(1991) — Altern-8SpotifyYouTube
- I Need Your Lovin'(1992) — NRGSpotifyYouTube
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- Far Out(1991) — Sonz of a Loop Da Loop EraSpotifyYouTube
- A Trip to Trumpton(1992) — Urban HypeSpotifyYouTube
- Sesame's Treet(1992) — Smart E'sSpotifyYouTube
- Hardcore Heaven(1992) — DJ SeductionSpotifyYouTube
- Lord of the Null Lines(1993) — Hyper On ExperienceSpotifyYouTube
- Searchin' for My Rizla(1992) — RatpackSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Guardian hardcore-rave ranking
- breakbeat-hardcore histories
- pirate-radio and UK rave retrospectives
- Discogs release listings