Digital hardcore
Encyclopedia
Digital hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk incorporating influences from electronic music
. Digital hardcore fuses elements of hardcore punk with various forms of electronic music. The style developed in Germany
during the early 1990s, and often features sociological or left-extremist lyrical themes.
and abrasive, combining the speed, heaviness and attitude of hardcore punk
and riot grrrl
with electronic music
such as hardcore techno
, jungle
, and industrial rock
. Some bands, such as Atari Teenage Riot
, incorporate elements of hip-hop music, such as freestyle rap
.
The use of the electric guitar
is retained and it is played in conjunction with samplers
, synthesizer
s and drum machine
s. While the use of guitar and electronic instruments is a requirement, traditional bass guitar
s and drum kit
s are optional. Vocals are more often shouted than sung by more than one member of the group. Typically, the lyrics are highly politicised and espouse left-wing or anarchist
ideals.
, who formed in Berlin
, Germany
in 1992. The band's frontman, Alec Empire
, coined the term "digital hardcore", setting up the independent record label
Digital Hardcore Recordings
in 1994. German bands with a similar style began signing to the label and its underground popularity grew, with small digital hardcore festivals being held in several German cities. By the mid-1990s, a number of new record labels specializing in the genre were formed around the world. These included Gangster Toons Industries (Paris), Praxis (London), Cross Fade Enter Tainment (Hamburg), Drop Bass Network
(U.S.), and Bloody Fist (Australia). DHR also had some kinship with the Frankfurt labels Mille Plateaux
and Riot Beats. Alec Empire's work subsequently set the template for breakcore
.
Other prominent digital hardcore musicians of this period include Christoph De Babalon
, Cobra Killer
, EC8OR
, Hanin Elias
, Lolita Storm
, Nic Endo
, The Panacea, and The Mad Capsule Markets
.
included contributions from digital hardcore musicians, along with metalcore
bands. James Plotkin
, Dave Witte
and Speedranch
's project Phantomsmasher
combined digital hardcore with grindcore
. French Group La Phaze started to play a heavy drum 'n' bass influenced noiseless digital hardcore called pungle. 21st century digital hardcore groups include Ambassador 21
, Left Spine Down
, Motormark
, Phallus Über Alles
, DJ JMS, Schizoid, noCore, The Shizit
, Rabbit Junk
, Psycheya (Психея) (from Russia http://psy.psyfull.com/) and Moshpit.
Related musical styles
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. Digital hardcore fuses elements of hardcore punk with various forms of electronic music. The style developed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
during the early 1990s, and often features sociological or left-extremist lyrical themes.
Characteristics
Digital hardcore music is typically high-tempoTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and abrasive, combining the speed, heaviness and attitude of hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and riot grrrl
Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement based in Washington, DC, Olympia, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest which existed in the early to mid-1990s, and it is often associated with third-wave feminism...
with electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
such as hardcore techno
Hardcore techno
Hardcore techno is a type of electronic music typified by the rhythmic use of distorted and atonal industrial-like beats and samples...
, jungle
Oldschool jungle
Jungle is a genre of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is debate as to whether jungle is a separate genre from drum and bass as many use the terms interchangeably...
, and industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
. Some bands, such as Atari Teenage Riot
Atari Teenage Riot
'Atari Teenage Riot' is a German digital hardcore group formed in Berlin in 1992. The name was taken from a Portuguese Joe song 'Teenage Riot' from the 'Teen-age Riot' album, with the word 'Atari' added as an Atari ST computer was used to create compositions...
, incorporate elements of hip-hop music, such as freestyle rap
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
.
The use of the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
is retained and it is played in conjunction with samplers
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s. While the use of guitar and electronic instruments is a requirement, traditional bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
s and drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s are optional. Vocals are more often shouted than sung by more than one member of the group. Typically, the lyrics are highly politicised and espouse left-wing or anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
ideals.
1990s
The music was first defined by the band Atari Teenage RiotAtari Teenage Riot
'Atari Teenage Riot' is a German digital hardcore group formed in Berlin in 1992. The name was taken from a Portuguese Joe song 'Teenage Riot' from the 'Teen-age Riot' album, with the word 'Atari' added as an Atari ST computer was used to create compositions...
, who formed in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1992. The band's frontman, Alec Empire
Alec Empire
Alec Empire is a German musician who is best known as a founding member of the band Atari Teenage Riot. Also a prolific and distinguished solo artist, producer and DJ, he has released well over a hundred albums, EPs and singles and remixed over seventy tracks for various artists including Björk...
, coined the term "digital hardcore", setting up the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Digital Hardcore Recordings
Digital Hardcore Recordings
Digital Hardcore Recordings is a record label set up in 1994 by Alec Empire, Joel Amaretto and Pete Lawton. Most of the music is recorded in Berlin, though the label is based in London where the records are mastered and manufactured...
in 1994. German bands with a similar style began signing to the label and its underground popularity grew, with small digital hardcore festivals being held in several German cities. By the mid-1990s, a number of new record labels specializing in the genre were formed around the world. These included Gangster Toons Industries (Paris), Praxis (London), Cross Fade Enter Tainment (Hamburg), Drop Bass Network
Drop Bass Network
Drop Bass Network is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin based rave production company and record label formed in 1992 and founded by Kurt Eckes and Patrick Spencer...
(U.S.), and Bloody Fist (Australia). DHR also had some kinship with the Frankfurt labels Mille Plateaux
Mille Plateaux
Mille Plateaux is an influential electronica record label founded 1993 by Achim Szepanski in Frankfurt, Germany. It is known for mostly releasing minimal techno, glitch music and other experimental electronic music.-History:...
and Riot Beats. Alec Empire's work subsequently set the template for breakcore
Breakcore
Breakcore is a style of electronic music largely influenced by hardcore techno, drum and bass and Intelligent dance music. Its sound is largely characterized by a high-tempo, well-timed mingling of distorted kick drums , break beats arranged from samples of the Amen break, and audio samples from a...
.
Other prominent digital hardcore musicians of this period include Christoph De Babalon
Christoph De Babalon
Christoph De Babalon is a Berlin based producer and DJ, best known for his work on Alec Empire's label Digital Hardcore Recordings. He also is the co-founder of the label Cross Fade Enter Tainment .-Biography:...
, Cobra Killer
Cobra Killer
The Cobra Killer duo of Gina V. D'Orio and Annika Trost began as part of Alec Empire's Digital hardcore movement. Both were part of other bands signed to Empire's Digital Hardcore Recordings label—Gina was in EC8OR, and Annika was in Shizuo...
, EC8OR
EC8OR
EC8OR is a German digital hardcore band founded in 1995 by Patric Catani and Gina V. D'Orio and signed by Alec Empire's Digital Hardcore Recordings record label...
, Hanin Elias
Hanin Elias
Hanin Elias is a German industrial/techno artist. She was a member of Atari Teenage Riot and is now a solo artist....
, Lolita Storm
Lolita Storm
Lolita Storm is a digital hardcore band from the UK consisting of Nhung Napalm, Romy Bonilla Medina, Jimmy Too Bad and Spex.They released their single debut "Goodbye America"/"Get Back I'm Evil" in 1999 on the Rabid Badger label. NME subsequently made this their "Single of the Week"...
, Nic Endo
Nic Endo
Nic Endo is a Japanese-German-American noise musician who plays with the German digital hardcore group Atari Teenage Riot...
, The Panacea, and The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets were a Japanese band that formed in 1990 and were active until 2006...
.
2000s
In Alec Empire's words, "Digital Hardcore went from a local, Berlin based scene to an international underground movement." The soundtrack to the film ThreatThreat (film)
Threat is an award-winning independent film about a straightedge "hardcore kid" and a hip hop revolutionary whose friendship is doomed by the intolerance of their respective street tribes...
included contributions from digital hardcore musicians, along with metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
bands. James Plotkin
James Plotkin
James Plotkin is an American guitarist and producer, famous for his role in bands such as Khanate and OLD, but with an extensive catalogue outside these bands. He has performed guitar duties for bands Phantomsmasher and Scorn and continues to remix tracks for bands such as KK Null, Nadja, Sunn...
, Dave Witte
Black Army Jacket
Black Army Jacket was an American grindcore / power violence band. They released one full length album and many 7" EPs, splits and compilation appearances...
and Speedranch
Making Orange Things
Making Orange Things is a 2001 noise/speedcore album by Venetian Snares and Speedranch. This is also Venetian Snares' first album on Mike Paradinas' Planet Mu label.The entire album was produced over the instant messaging client ICQ...
's project Phantomsmasher
Phantomsmasher
Phantomsmasher is an experimental grindcore/electronic band led by musician James Plotkin, previously known as Atomsmasher.The band signed to Ipecac Recordings in 2002, and is reportedly currently working on a third album.-Members:...
combined digital hardcore with grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
. French Group La Phaze started to play a heavy drum 'n' bass influenced noiseless digital hardcore called pungle. 21st century digital hardcore groups include Ambassador 21
Ambassador 21
Ambassador 21 is an Industrial/Digital Hardcore band from Minsk, Belarus. Most of AMBASSADOR21's lyrics are in Russian and English languages. AMBASSADOR21 play breakbeat hardcore / industrial / hardcore techno with punk elements.-History:...
, Left Spine Down
Left Spine Down
Based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, Left Spine Down is a band that plays what they call "cyberpunk," a mixture of electronica, metal, punk, and drum & bass....
, Motormark
Motormark
Motormark were a Scottish electronic punk band formed in 2001. In early 2007 Motormark split up and members Jane and Marko founded a new band with two new members called FANGS. The band consisted of Jane Fisher and Mark Law .-Biography:Jane was in folk singing group, The Singing Kettle, with her...
, Phallus Über Alles
Phallus Über Alles
Phallus Über Alles is a digital hardcore band from Bloomington, Indiana. The group combines layered female shouts, distorted beats, and punk guitars with feminist and anarcho-political lyrical themes.-Members / History:...
, DJ JMS, Schizoid, noCore, The Shizit
The Shizit
The Shizit was a digital hardcore act from Seattle, Washington, USA, initially formed by J.P. Anderson and Brian Shrader in 1999. The music was an intense mix of gabber, breakbeat, drum and bass, hardcore techno, hardcore and heavy metal guitars, amped up with aggressive political lyrics...
, Rabbit Junk
Rabbit Junk
Rabbit Junk is a Seattle based digital hardcore band, that formed in 2004 by former Shizit frontman JP Anderson. Taking influences from such diverse music genres such as hip hop, black metal and new wave, JP has called this sound "Hardclash" -History:...
, Psycheya (Психея) (from Russia http://psy.psyfull.com/) and Moshpit.
See also
- Digital Hardcore RecordingsDigital Hardcore RecordingsDigital Hardcore Recordings is a record label set up in 1994 by Alec Empire, Joel Amaretto and Pete Lawton. Most of the music is recorded in Berlin, though the label is based in London where the records are mastered and manufactured...
- D-Trash RecordsD-Trash RecordsFormed in 1998, Canada's D-Trash Records started as an online collective by members of Cpuwar and DJ Rabies as the beginnings of an international network of electronic music artists....
Related musical styles
- NintendocoreNintendocoreNintendocore is a music genre that fuses aggressive styles of modern rock with chiptune and video game music...
- Anarcho-punkAnarcho-punkAnarcho-punk is punk rock that promotes anarchism. The term anarcho-punk is sometimes applied exclusively to bands that were part of the original anarcho-punk movement in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
- SynthpunkSynthpunkSynthpunk is a music genre combining elements of electronic music and punk rock. The term was coined by Damian Ramsey in 1999 as an attempt to retroactively identify a small sub-genre of punk music from 1977 to 1984 that involved musicians playing synthesizers in place of electric...
- Electronicore