Happy Hardcore
| Happy hardcore | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 1990s, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany |
| Typical instruments | |
| Derivative forms | 4-beat |
| Subgenres | |
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UK hardcore (complete list) |
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| Fusion genres | |
| Eurobeat | |
| Other topics | |
Happy hardcore, also known as happy rave or happycore, is a genre of hard dance typified by a very fast tempo (usually around 160–180 BPM), often coupled with solo vocals and sentimental lyrics. Its characteristically 4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of hardcore, which tend to be "darker". It is typically in a major key. In its original incarnation, it was often characterized by piano riffs, synthetic stabs and spacey effects. This genre of music is closely related to the typically Dutch genre of gabber. Happy hardcore evolved from breakbeat hardcore around 1991–1993, as the original house music-based rave became faster and began to include breakbeats, evolving into oldschool jungle which evolved into drum and bass. Some of the most famous artists of this genre include DJ Brisk, Scott Brown,Darren Styles, Hixxy, DJ Paul Elstak, Dune,Scooter, Critical Mass, Stu Allan (a.k.a. VISA), Dougal, Slipmatt, DJ Sharkey, DJ Gammer, DJ Sharpnel, and DJ S3RL.
Early hardcore producers such as SL2, Prodigy, Hyper-On Experience, DJ Jonny L and Sonz of a Loop da Loop Era, along with record labels such as Moving Shadow, Reinforced, XL and Formation evolved in a period where Techno was developing a harder edge, exploring the complex breakbeats that would later manifest themselves as jungle and the subsequent development of drum and bass. The stylistic influence of techno including the movie, cartoon and media samples, and powerful synthesizer-based breakdowns characterised this earlier form of UK hardcore, which some believed to have hit its first peak in 1992.
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