Breakbeat hardcore (
Rave music) is a derivate of
acid houseAcid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed by mid-1980s DJs from Chicago who experimented with the Roland TB-303...
that combines 4-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with UK
RaveRave or rave party is a term first used in the 1980s and 90s to describe dance parties with fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties DJs and other performers play Electronic Dance Music...
scene.
The scene revolved around the
M25 motorwayThe M25 motorway is a 117 mile orbital motorway which encircles Greater London, United Kingdom except for the tolled Dartford Crossing where it crosses the River Thames to the east of London...
(
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
's orbital motorway), and its audience was mainly urban teenagers and lower middle-class suburban teenagers with cars. The audience was very much multi-cultural, with black and white influences resulting in a unique sound.
Breakbeat hardcore (
Rave music) is a derivate of
acid houseAcid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed by mid-1980s DJs from Chicago who experimented with the Roland TB-303...
that combines 4-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with UK
RaveRave or rave party is a term first used in the 1980s and 90s to describe dance parties with fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties DJs and other performers play Electronic Dance Music...
scene.
The rave scene
The scene revolved around the
M25 motorwayThe M25 motorway is a 117 mile orbital motorway which encircles Greater London, United Kingdom except for the tolled Dartford Crossing where it crosses the River Thames to the east of London...
(
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
's orbital motorway), and its audience was mainly urban teenagers and lower middle-class suburban teenagers with cars. The audience was very much multi-cultural, with black and white influences resulting in a unique sound. The scene expanded rapidly in 1991, with large raves of 30,000 to 50,000 people attending in open air venues around
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, put on by
Spiral TribeSpiral Tribe is a free party soundsystem which existed in the first half of the 1990s, and became active again in 2007. The collective originated in west London and later travelled across Europe and North America. According to one member, the name came to him when he was at work, staring at a...
and other free party sound systems held at numerous locations up and down the length of England. This scene spawned the idea of holding huge parties rather than small clubs.
Effect and fragmentation
The early 90s saw the shifting of the underground sound become more prevalent in the mainstream. Even without any radio play, many hybrid and regional styles made their way into Top20 charts. However, during 1990, the two main subdivisions of this underground rave movement was primarily either house or techno (although often interchangeable or vaguely used to define a multitude of styles). However, between 1993 and 1994 the scene fragmented, and forked off into two distinct styles -
JungleOldschool Jungle is the name given to a style of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, techno, rare groove and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is significant debate as to whether Jungle is a separate genre from Drum and Bass as some use the terms...
(later giving rise to
Drum and BassDrum and bass , is a type of electronic dance music which emerged in the mid 1990s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy sub-bass lines...
) and
4-beat4-beat is a breakbeat style of music that emerged around 1993. It evolved from breakbeat hardcore emanating from the United Kingdom rave scene...
(alternatively known as
happy hardcoreHappy Hardcore is a form of dance music typified by a very fast tempo , often coupled with solo vocals, and sentimental lyrics. Its characteristically 4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of breakbeat hardcore, which tend to be "darker"...
). Jungle's sound was more focused on basslines, whilst 4-beat retained the rave synths, the 4/4 kickdrum, and happier piano elements. By 1996, most 4-beat had dropped its breakbeats (in-part due to
bouncy technoBouncy techno gabber, funcore, tartan techno- see terminology) is a rave hardcore dance music style that developed from around 1992, mostly emanating from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands...
), whilst drum and bass had long dropped the techno style synth stabs, thus further separating the two styles. The almost independent evolution of styles created distinct sounds of "bleep and bass", brutalist techno, hardcore jungle, pop-rave, hip-house, and ragga-techno sounds.
Record labels
786 Approved, Absolute 2, Awesome Records, Basement Records, Boogie Beat Records, Chill, Contagious, FFrreedom aka FFRR,
Formation RecordsFormation Records is a Leicester-based drum and bass label that was founded in 1989 by DJ SS and his partner Eidris. The label came to prominence from 1992 onwards releasing countless classics of darkside hardcore/jungle over the next couple of years...
, Full Effect Recordings, Great Asset, Pranged, Ibiza Records, Kickin Records,
Kniteforce, Little Giant Music,
Moving ShadowMoving Shadow is a UK-based jungle/drum and bass record label that was started in 1990 by Rob Playford. Alongside such labels as Suburban Base, Formation Records, D-Zone, Reinforced and Metalheadz, Moving Shadow has grown to become one of the best-known and well-respected labels within the genre,...
,
Network RecordsNetwork Records was a Rave music label based in Birmingham, England during the late 80's and early to mid 90's.The label concentrated on bringing Garage music to Britain & taking UK House music to a new level as well as playing a massive role in the development of Early Hardcore and British Techno...
,
Production House RecordsProduction House Records was formed in 1987 by Phil Fearon. Laurie Jago and Raj Malkani. Phil enjoyed a string of hits in the 1980's as producer and frontman of British soul/dance/pop collective; Galaxy....
, Rabbit City recordings, Reinforced Records,
Suburban BaseSuburban Base Records was one of the biggest British jungle/drum and bass record labels based in Romford, Havering, UK. It was established by Dan Donnelly and operated in the UK from 1989 to 1997 and in the United States from 1994 to 1997.- History :...
, Triple Helix,
XL RecordingsXL Recordings is an independent record label which was launched by Tim Palmer, Nick Halkes and Richard Russell with Beggars Banquet Records in 1989 to release its rave and dance music...
, Soapbar Records, Liquid Wax, Impact Records, Unnatural Light
Notable Releases
- Foul Play - Finest Illusion (Section 4, 1992)
- Harmony & Extreme - Music (Lucky Spin 07, 1993)
- Joint Project - Total Feeling (Soapbar Records 001, 1992)
- The Scientist - The Exorcist (Kickin Records, KICK 001, 1990)
- Altern-8
Altern-8 is an Early UK Rave music duo band featuring Mark Archer and Chris Peat. They wereone of the UK rave bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s whose trademark was loud electronic tracks with a heavy bass line. Altern-8's members wore facemasks and chemical warfare suits...
- Frequency (Network Records, NWKTR 34, 1991)
- SL2
SL2 was the name of a hardcore/rave music act in the early 1990s from London, England. They also recorded, remixed or produced under the names Slipmatt & Lime and T.H.C.-Background:...
- DJ's Take Control (Awesome Records, SL002, 1991)
- Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era - Far Out (Suburban Base
Suburban Base Records was one of the biggest British jungle/drum and bass record labels based in Romford, Havering, UK. It was established by Dan Donnelly and operated in the UK from 1989 to 1997 and in the United States from 1994 to 1997.- History :...
, SUBBASE 008, 1991)
- Wax Doctor - A New Direction (Basement Records, BRSS 0011, 1992)
- DJ Seduction - Hardcore Heaven (FFrreedom, TABX 103, 1992)
- DJ Seduction - Come On (FFrreedom, TABX 101, 1992)
- Acen - Trip to the Moon (Production House Records
Production House Records was formed in 1987 by Phil Fearon. Laurie Jago and Raj Malkani. Phil enjoyed a string of hits in the 1980's as producer and frontman of British soul/dance/pop collective; Galaxy....
, PNT 42, 1992)
- The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex, England. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method, as well as other acts they are pioneers of the big beat electronic dance genre which achieved mainstream popularity in...
- Experience (XL Recordings, XLCD 110, 1992)
- Nookie
Nookie may refer to:* a slang term for sexual intercourse* "Nookie" , a 1999 song by Limp Bizkit* Nookie Bear, a puppet handled by British ventriloquist Roger De Courcey...
- Return of Nookie (Reinforced, RIVET 1239, 1993)
- DJ Krome & Mr. Time - The Slammer (Suburban Base
Suburban Base Records was one of the biggest British jungle/drum and bass record labels based in Romford, Havering, UK. It was established by Dan Donnelly and operated in the UK from 1989 to 1997 and in the United States from 1994 to 1997.- History :...
, SUBBASE 26, 1993)
- DJ Red Alert & Mike Slammer - Slammin' Vinyl (GUMH 011, 1995)
- Nebula II - Seance / Atheama - Reinforced Records - 1991
External links