- Digital hardcore
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Digital hardcore Stylistic origins Hardcore punk, techno, anarcho-punk, industrial rock, jungle, thrash metal Cultural origins Early 1990s, Germany Typical instruments Electric guitar - Bass guitar - Drum kit/Drum machine - Keyboard - Synthesizer - Sequencer - Sampler - Groovebox Mainstream popularity Mostly Underground Derivative forms Breakcore, cybergrind, pungle Regional scenes Germany Other topics Synthpunk - Electronicore 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.[1]
Contents
Characteristics
Digital hardcore music is typically high-tempo and abrasive, combining the speed, heaviness and attitude of hardcore punk and riot grrrl[1][2] with electronic music such as hardcore techno,[1] jungle,[1] and industrial rock.[1] 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, synthesizers and drum machines. While the use of guitar and electronic instruments is a requirement, traditional bass guitars and drum kits 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.[1]
History
1990s
The music was first defined by the band Atari Teenage Riot, who formed in Berlin, Germany in 1992.[1] The band's frontman, Alec Empire, coined the term "digital hardcore", setting up the independent record label Digital Hardcore Recordings in 1994.[1][3] 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.[1] 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).[1] DHR also had some kinship with the Frankfurt labels Mille Plateaux and Riot Beats.[1] Alec Empire's work subsequently set the template for breakcore.[4][5]
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.
2000s
In Alec Empire's words, "Digital Hardcore went from a local, Berlin based scene to an international underground movement."[6] The soundtrack to the film Threat included contributions from digital hardcore musicians, along with metalcore bands.[7] 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.[8] 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 [6]) and Moshpit.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Interview with J. Amaretto of DHR, WAX Magazine, issue 5, 1995. Included in liner notes of Digital Hardcore Recordings, Harder Than the Rest!!! compilation CD.
- ^ "I was totally into the riot grrrl music, I see it as a very important form of expression. I learned a lot from that, way more maybe than from 'male' punk rock." The Punk Years, "Typical Girls" [1] Access date: August 20, 2008.
- ^ Alec Empire. on the Digital Hardcore scene and its origins, Indymedia.ie, 2006-12-28. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ Alvin Chan, Music OMH, March 2008. [2] Access date: August 6, 2008.
- ^ Matt Earp, "Breakcore: Live Fast", XLR8R, July 20, 2006. [3] Access date: August 8, 2008.
- ^ The definitive Alec Empire Interview 26/02/02
- ^ Ryan Orvis, MPR, "Just a Minor Threat", [4] Access date: August 6, 2008.
- ^ The History of Rock Music: James Plotkin. [5] Access date: August 8, 2008.
Bibliography
Reynolds, Simon (1999). Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-92373-5
See also
- Related musical styles
- Nintendocore
- Anarcho-punk
- Synthpunk
- Electronicore
Hardcore techno - Bouncy techno
- Breakbeat hardcore
- Breakcore
- Digital Hardcore
- Cybergrind
- Doomcore
- Freeform
- Gabber
- Happy
- Hardcore Breaks
- Makina
- Noisecore
- Speedcore
- Terrorcore
- UK
Other electronic music genres Hardcore punk Styles Christian hardcore · Crossover thrash · Crust punk · D-beat · Deathcore · Digital hardcore · Electronicore · Emo · Grindcore · Hatecore · Melodic hardcore · Metalcore · Nardcore · Nintendocore · Oi! · Post-hardcore · Powerviolence · Punk metal · Queercore · Rapcore · Screamo · Skate punk · Sludge metal · Street punk · Taqwacore · Thrashcore · UK 82 · Youth crewRegional scenes Argentina · Australia · Brazil · Canada · Italy · Greece · Japan · Scandinavia · Yugoslavia
United States: Boston · California · Chicago · Detroit · Minneapolis · New Jersey · New York · Washington, DCOther topics See also: The punk music portalCategories:- Hardcore punk genres
- Hardcore music genres
- Electronic music genres
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