Posted - 2023/03/26 : 07:14:00
I have took a long break from music and have the following questions:
1. I am wondering is UK Hardcore still a thing? Is it still alive?
2. What are some big UK Hardcore record labels that are still around and looking for songs to sign? Can one still produce UK Hardcore and make money from it?
3. What happen to all the big UK Hardcore events like HTID, HTID IN THE SUN and etc? Is there still any big events around and what are they called?
Vladel Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,520 posts Joined: Feb, 2008
Posted - 2023/03/26 : 19:03:43
1- It is still a thing but there's a strange tendancy to call it happy hardcore again and I think that is to appease americans. The scene isn't in the best of states as most of the "legends" have long since not given two shits about the music but there is hope in a very talented new generation coming through although not many are actually based in the UK anymore.
2- Hardcore underground & 24/7 are probably the most reputable games in town these days but there's no money in the scene from my understanding.
3- unfortunately I can't really advise on this as I'm out of touch in this regard.
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remain calm do not be alarmed do not attempt to leave the dancefloor
warped_candykid Advanced Member
United States
3,963 posts Joined: Jan, 2004
Posted - 2023/03/28 : 03:00:48
I would say it's still alive and well, depending on where you live
With the world of mp3s, there are labels for every taste. You'll just have to hop on Beatport or Junodownload and start sifting through all the tracks.
I think reoccurring smaller events have come back in style instead of once a year massive events.
Craig Cairney Junior Member
United Kingdom
143 posts Joined: Nov, 2016
Posted - 2023/03/28 : 14:52:36
It's still a thing, but it's a very small thing. I wouldn't even necessarily call it a scene anymore. There's a handful of artists pushing new music and doing their thing (Brutal Kuts, 24-7, Future Breakz, Hecttech) but most of the old guard don't give a monkeys. Just keep popping up for classic gigs playing the same shit over and over again. The genre never recovered after that Dubstep debacle and the amount of talent that left around that time was staggering. People get older, tastes and circumstances change.
You still get events, but it's a far cry from what it was in the 90's and 00's. When guess what, the genre was at its' most vibrant when people produced and pushed new music.
Society/culture has changed. Are the youth into UK/Happy Hardcore? I'm not sure. I'm 40 and still enjoy the music. I can confidently say I don't think we'll ever get a boom period again (96 or 2005) but hey ho!
Big new release coming soon and back cat fixes and re availability happening lees soon. But still soon.
quote:Originally posted by Craig Cairney: It's still a thing, but it's a very small thing. I wouldn't even necessarily call it a scene anymore. There's a handful of artists pushing new music and doing their thing (Brutal Kuts, 24-7, Future Breakz, Hecttech) but most of the old guard don't give a monkeys. Just keep popping up for classic gigs playing the same shit over and over again. The genre never recovered after that Dubstep debacle and the amount of talent that left around that time was staggering. People get older, tastes and circumstances change.
You still get events, but it's a far cry from what it was in the 90's and 00's. When guess what, the genre was at its' most vibrant when people produced and pushed new music.
Society/culture has changed. Are the youth into UK/Happy Hardcore? I'm not sure. I'm 40 and still enjoy the music. I can confidently say I don't think we'll ever get a boom period again (96 or 2005) but hey ho!
rafferty Advanced Member
United Kingdom
644 posts Joined: Feb, 2012
Posted - 2023/04/01 : 03:40:18
The UK Hardcore scene had kind of split into all different sounds. Some guys are doing Hardstyle Hardcore crossover stuff. Others are doing the old UK Hardcore sound of the 2000s. Then others are refreshing the 90s Happy Hardcore sound.
Main Labels these days
Justice Hardcore
Contagious Records
Future Breaks
Music Blocks
OneSeventy
Brutal Kuts
Electric Fox
Scarred Digital
Bionic Bear
World of Obsession
Hardcore 24/7
Hecttech
Budda Beats
While the music is more international than ever now. I can't see the Hardcore scene in the UK ever reaching it's peak of the mid to late 90s. Like back then I remember people were using Helter Skelter bags for their school bags. Happy Hardcore djs were playing 7 giggs on a weekend. Parties like United Dance, Helter Skelter, Dreamscape, Hardcore Heaven, Fusion, Rez were getting 10,000 plus at some events. A lot of people were making a good living. That all kind of went out the window now days as digital downloads are not very profitable and parties are held in much smaller venues with less people. Rave tapes and vinyls are no longer sold. I am not even sure if record stores exist.
Parties were even being shown on club music tv shows.
UK is a very different place culturally now to the 90s too. So could be why the Hardcore scene is almost non existent.
Archefluxx Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,117 posts Joined: Sep, 2011
Posted - 2023/04/08 : 19:12:08
My take on this, and it might be a little extreme.
Hardcore is flagging quite badly, and it's underperforming catastrophically against genres that have grown immensely in Hardstyle, Frenchcore, and those more raw UK Hardcore structured tracks.
1. I am wondering is UK Hardcore still a thing? Is it still alive?
Yes, but it's being choked out. The existing audience is shrinking, and it's not getting bigger. Hardcore as a keyword points to competing genres, and UK Hardcore is a geo-exclusive phrase which doesn't make it accessible globally. For the genre to have a new lease of life, and new name needs to be coined, and it needs to happen quickly. This is a marketing strategy question, and it would need unilateral support to start energising the community again.
I would be very keen to know what established players in the scene make of this take.
2. What are some big UK Hardcore record labels that are still around and looking for songs to sign? Can one still produce UK Hardcore and make money from it? Smaller labels have and will always struggle. Strength in numbers works, so bigger labels with more artists do better. These are labels who's greatest asset is brand loyalty and captive audiences. Labels who have huge mailing listings of promoters who can host BIG events, contacts who can promote select tracks on their platforms (like key Spotify or Beatport curators), and user-bases on promotional platforms such as Instagram.
This, in my opinion, is why Gammer and Darren Styles are now artists on a label rather than artists with a label. To reach that next step, they are in a current of success generated by bigger acts. It's benefitted them more than being the biggest fish in a smaller pond.
3. What happen to all the big UK Hardcore events like HTID, HTID IN THE SUN and etc? Is there still any big events around and what are they called?
Hard to answer this. Too many factors and promoters are the ones who know. I would say the attitude to it has changed. I think based on my answer to question 2, the biggest artists in the scene are playing at the biggest events in a bigger scene. In that sense, the head's been chopped off the snake for the UK Hardcore events industry. But that's just an outside opinion. There are evidently infinitely more factors than that.
Hard2Get Advanced Member
United Kingdom
12,837 posts Joined: Jun, 2001
Posted - 2023/05/02 : 16:59:44
quote:Originally posted by trippnface:
Haven't heard anything good in ages, checked beatport earlier and it was all that god awful slowed down hardstyle shit.
I don't understand why this scene sucks so ****ing bad at doing good.
Thank god I love psy & dnb, going absolutely strong as ****.
Shit, I hear more hardcore in dnb remixes these days.
To be fair, this was also true 10 years ago so it comes as no surprise that it still hasn't recovered.
warped_candykid Advanced Member
United States
3,963 posts Joined: Jan, 2004
Posted - 2023/05/03 : 00:34:47
quote:Originally posted by trippnface:
Haven't heard anything good in ages, checked beatport earlier and it was all that god awful slowed down hardstyle shit.
I don't understand why this scene sucks so ****ing bad at doing good.
Thank god I love psy & dnb, going absolutely strong as ****.
Shit, I hear more hardcore in dnb remixes these days.
I would think some of the reason is that they're banking off the hardstyle/Hands-Up blend to get tracks on ZYX Record's Technobase.FM series. OneSeventy, Electric Fox have been getting tracks on there pretty frequently. Same as S3RL's slow stuff.
DJ_FunDaBounce Advanced Member
Colombia
2,021 posts Joined: Nov, 2001
Posted - 2023/05/03 : 01:08:51
Here I am, listening to happy2bhardcore chapter 1. and as I read this post it hits me...
Have you guys ever felt that hardcore is too broad a "language"? I honestly feel that when I listen to something like the anabolic frolic series, which is how I originaly got into this, it's like remembering that the reason I got into this is those cheesy toy like sounds.
I see a lot of ads promoting how to step up my production values, but you know what? I love the cheesyness!!
I love the candy vibe. I love the anime analogies to it! Now THAT gets me excited!
I've grown to like other variations of hardcore through the years but if I'm honest the more "serious/polished/Cutting edge sounds just steer away from that cartoony analogy, same as realism does in visual art in contrast with say "cartoons/anime/what have you". Can't find a better analogy!!!
Sorry, Rafferty!! lol!
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"Fun with a capital F-D-B!"
Samination Advanced Member
Sweden
13,173 posts Joined: Jul, 2004
195 hardcore releases
Posted - 2023/05/03 : 06:07:07
quote:Originally posted by trippnface:
Haven't heard anything good in ages, checked beatport earlier and it was all that god awful slowed down hardstyle shit.
You do know that Hardstyle is usually slow already?
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Samination, Swedish Hardcore DJ
Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber http://samination.se/ ---------------------------------------------
warped_candykid Advanced Member
United States
3,963 posts Joined: Jan, 2004
Posted - 2023/05/04 : 00:14:31
quote:Originally posted by DJ_FunDaBounce:
Here I am, listening to happy2bhardcore chapter 1. and as I read this post it hits me...
Have you guys ever felt that hardcore is too broad a "language"? I honestly feel that when I listen to something like the anabolic frolic series, which is how I originaly got into this, it's like remembering that the reason I got into this is those cheesy toy like sounds.
I see a lot of ads promoting how to step up my production values, but you know what? I love the cheesyness!!
I love the candy vibe. I love the anime analogies to it! Now THAT gets me excited!
I've grown to like other variations of hardcore through the years but if I'm honest the more "serious/polished/Cutting edge sounds just steer away from that cartoony analogy, same as realism does in visual art in contrast with say "cartoons/anime/what have you". Can't find a better analogy!!!
Sorry, Rafferty!! lol!
My Toadette mixes are inspired by those H2bHs. It's all about "that sound".
trippnface Advanced Member
United States
1,657 posts Joined: Jan, 2010
Posted - 2023/05/09 : 18:11:26
quote:Originally posted by Samination:
quote:Originally posted by trippnface:
Haven't heard anything good in ages, checked beatport earlier and it was all that god awful slowed down hardstyle shit.
You do know that Hardstyle is usually slow already?
another reason everything should be frenchcore influenced instead.
Posted - 2024/12/26 : 23:39:05
The scene was in a state, but hopefully I can change that soon. I'm setting up a new label called Lostwave Records, which will not only feature hardcore, but various under-rated punk rock and new wave stuff too!
Samination Advanced Member
Sweden
13,173 posts Joined: Jul, 2004
195 hardcore releases
Posted - 2024/12/27 : 09:38:53
Yes. let's confuse Hardcore with Hardcore once again...
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Samination, Swedish Hardcore DJ
Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber http://samination.se/ ---------------------------------------------
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Posted - 2023/03/26 : 07:14:00
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