Hard NRG

Infobox Music genre
name=Hard NRG
bgcolor=silver
color=black
stylistic_origins=Techno - House - UK Hard House
cultural_origins=Late-1990s, United Kingdom
instruments=DAW - Sequencer - Synthesizer (Hardware) - Synthesizer (Software) - Drum Machine - Sampler - MIDI controller - Mixing Desk - Studio Monitor
popularity=Low, with its largest following based in the UK.
other_topics=Electronic music - Computer music

Hard NRG is an electronic music genre similar in structure (with regards to sequencing & programming) to UK Hard House. The main difference is in the musical/thematic content of each style.

Where UK Hard House has uplifting, playfully fun and tough elements, NRG is ominous, dark, aggressive and relentless with its distressed, menacing and gritty sounds on a slightly faster BPM (150 - 155 average) than UK Hard House (140 - 145 average).

In regard to the mechanics of the scene, many of the labels have made a shift from purely vinyl releases to CD single relases and digital downloads.

Record labels which produce the genre include Vicious Circle, Flashpoint, Tidy Trax, Kaktai, Tonka Trax, Tinrib Digital, Noir Records and Noir Digital [http://www.noirrecords.com] .

History

"Roots in UK Hard House & EU Techno"

Acid House of the late 80s was the 'happier' (playful/fun) side of dance music exemplified by Italian piano-house (Italo-Disco/Hi-NRG of the early 90s) and this began to progress into a scene of its own. Throughout the first half of the 90s, House music which was more akin to the soulful, disco influenced dance music of the 80s, continued to flourish. By the mid 90s, uplifting House music in this vein was in abundance and producers in the UK such as The Sharp Boys were providing their own interpretation of the sound. They upped the BPM's a little, chopped up the disco samples into bite size loops, chucked a load of filters in and created music that was pure dance floor business. This was the sounds that provided the basis for the origins of UK Hard House. At the time, it was exclusive to the gay scene in the UK and for a while known as "Hand Bag House" or "Hard Bag" . Hard House as a style was epitomized in the early days by producers such as Paul Janes, The Tidy Boys, Pete Wardman, Steve Thomas, Ian M, Alan Thompson, Captain Tinrib, DJ Ziad & Tony De Vit. Some of the above mentioned names were heavily involved in the club night " [http://www.tradeuk.net/about.shtml Trade] " which is widely regarded as the home and birth place of UK Hard House with Tony De Vit as the God Father of UK Hard House.

In the early 90s, producers like Joey Beltram had transposed the sound of US Techno to Belgium, and added their own twist to it. This new brand of Techno was darker, harder, and generally nastier than anything that had preceded it. The Techno that had emerged from Detroit in the US had the seemingly paradoxical quality of somehow being soulful while at the same time being 100% electronic. The Belgian Techno sound ripped out this soul, and replaced it with something altogether more sinister. It was this style of music that gave birth to the sound of the "Hoover". A gritty sound produced by the Roland Alpha Juno 2 synthesizer and so called because of its apparent similarity to the noises made by vacuum cleaners.

"From Nu-NRG to Hard NRG"

By '96-97 there was a steady flow of UK based Hard House that threw away the fun & uplifting parts to incorporated the "Hoover" & other gritty, menacing sounding elements at a slightly higher tempo than the conventional Hard House and thus, the style effectively became known as "Nu-NRG" when Blu Peter coined the phrase in a magazine interview. Doug Osbourne (Sourmash/Razor' s Edge/Illuminatae), Gordon Matthewman (DJ Edge/ Illuminatae), Jon Bell (Captain Tinrib), Jon Vaughan (Jon The Dentist), Jon Truelove (Lectrolux/Hyperspace) Pete Davis (Baby Doc/Hyperspace), Owen Swinard & Dom Sweeten (OD404), Paul King, John Newell (RR Fierce), Ben Keen (BK) & Nick Sentience all had a heavy hand in shaping this sound in the UK specifically. Outside the UK, producers such as DJ Misjah (Dyewitness), Ramon Zenker (E-Trax/Phenomania/Exit EEE), Commander Tom, Nuclear Hyde etc, all dabbled with the sound from time to time.

The late 90s & early 2000s saw NRG expand a little further when the sound became even fiercer, darker and much more serious than Nu-NRG. DJ Kristian then coined the phrase "Hard NRG" while Jon Bell (Captain Tinrib/Dr. Base /Fierce Base), John Newell (RR Fierce/ Rim 'N Chop/Fierce Base), Karim Lamouri (Karim/Rim 'N Chop) Chris Payne (Casper) & Barmak Hatamian (The Alien Thing/Max & Amino) were instrumental in the development of Hard NRG.

At present, Nu-NRG & Hard NRG is known simply as NRG throughout the scene since it has become extremely difficult to draw a line of distinction between the two styles. There is however, a monumental difference between UK Hard House & NRG.

Record Labels

Operating

A selected list of active labels currently supporting & releasing Hard NRG.

* Tinrib Digital Recordings [http://www.tinribdigital.com]
* Do Not Bend Recordings
* Vicious Circle Recordings
* Flashpoint Records
* Toolbox Records
* Kaktai Records
* Spinball Records
* Deprivation Recordings
* Noir Records / Noir Digital [http://www.noirrecords.com]
* NuWave Digital
* NuWave Recordings
* Tonka Trax
* Brain Damage Recordings
* Elasticman Records
* Corrupted Recordings
* Pure NRG
* Operation 9
* Volatile NRG
* Hardsounds
* Ricochet Recordings
* Infectious Recordings
* Arktik Records
* Operation 9
* Contact Recordings
* XTension Records
* Twisted Traxx
* Ultimate Filth Coalition
* Tidy Trax
* Hard Up Digital
* Spin Hard Recordings
* Dysonage Recordings
* The Beat Ranch Digital
* SlaughterHouse Records
* Beatabix Recordings
* Tripoli Trax
* Severe Impact [http://www.severeimpact.co.uk]

Defunct

A selected list of labels that were important in the development of Hard NRG.

* Tinrib Recordings
* Fierce Technic Records
* Alien Trax
* DP Recordings
* Public House
* Tuff Trax
* Unfknblvbl
* DIP
* Short Circuit Recordings
* Energy UK Records
* Banging Tunes
* Passion Records
* Ravage Records

Artists

* Captain Tinrib [http://www.captaintinrib.com]
* KNSTRKT DSTRKT (Construct Destruct)
* RR Fierce
* Karim
* Max Alien Thing
* Nuclear Hyde
* Commander Tom
* Ramon Zenker
* DJ Misjah
* Paul Glazby
* Justin Bourne
* Equinox
* Alex Penn
* Dynamic Intervention
* Superfast Oz
* Dom Sweeten
* OD404
* Ben Stevens
* DMF
* Ian M
* Ilogik
* Paul King
* Andy Farley
* Paul Maddox
* Eufex
* Masmada
* JP & Jukesy
* Sam Hudson
* Lab 4
* Ingo
* Casper
* Matt Thomas
* Nik Denton
* James Nardi
* Dave Owens
* Frank Farrell
* Rodi Style
* Kam-Pain
* Riggsy
* George E
* Jana
* Grady G
* Narc
* Jon BW
* Dan Andres
* Dan Dyson
* Karl Davis
* W.M.D.
* Evo D & Rigid
* Richard Toomz
* Daley
* A.M.G.
* Space Sentinelz
* Flymo
* Destructo
* Sebby Bozak
* Tom Urwin [http://www.myspace.com/tomurwin]

DJs

* J-Rock 1
* Fil Bray
* John Tuxman
* Karim
* Superfast Oz
* Marc Johnson
* Justin Bourne
* Ian M
* Paul Glazby
* Jana
* Ben Stevens
* Captain Tinrib Live
* Dynamic Intervention
* Identity
* Andy Farley
* Ilogik
* Paul King
* JP & Jukesy
* Nik Denton
* James Nardi
* Dave Owens
* DJ Digga
* Frank Farrell
* Evo D & Rigid
* Rodi Style
* Kam-Pain
* George E
* Sebby Bozak
* Grady G
* Narc
* Destructo
* Dan Dyson
* Dan Andres
* Karl Davis
* Cheeky Scott
* Carl Phoenix
* Richard Toomz
* Daley
* Space Sentinelz
* Proteus
* A.M.G.
* Andy Rise
* Matt Pickup
* DJ Proteus
* DJ Fadeliss
* Digital Mizchief
* Chemosh
* Chase vs Serbo

Notable compilations

* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/168392 The Sound Of The Hoover Volume 1] Mixed By Pete Wardman (TeC)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/168388 The Sound Of The Hoover Volume 2] Mixed By John Truelove & Jon Dennis (TeC)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/132545 The Captain Tinrib Live Show : Dance Valley '98] (Tinrib Recordings)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/161858 The Best Of Tinrib 96-02] - Mixed By Captain Tinrib (Tinrib Recordings)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/179632 Cyberdog : The Beginning] - Mixed By RR Fierce & Roosta (Sunny Side Up Records)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/183732 Scotland PA] - Mixed By Karim (Do Not Bend Recordings)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/527852 Karim] - Mixed By Karim (Do Not Bend Recordings)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/102318 The NRG Files Volume 1] - Mixed By Superfast Oz & DJ Kristian (Alphamagic)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/289243 In The Bag] - Mixed By Superfast Oz (DP Recordings)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/387290 The Missing Files] - Mixed By Max & Amino (Alien Trax)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/102286 One From The Hardbox] - Mixed By Paul Glazby & Andy Farley (Vicious Circle Recordings)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/230315 Vicious] - Mixed By Paul Glazby & Andy Farley (Vicious Circle Recordings)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/494781 I Love VC] - Mixed By Paul Glazby & Ben Stevens (Vicious Circle Recordings)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/603981 Industrial Strength : Volume 1] - Mixed By Marc Johnson & Jupe (Flashpoint Records)
* VA - [http://www.discogs.com/release/457610 Adelaide Energy : 100% Local Produce] - Mixed By Bongo (Volatile Digital Audio)

External links

* http://www.finrg.com
* http://www.noggins.info
* http://www.bangingtunes.com
* http://www.noirrecords.com
* http://www.ilovevc.com
* http://www.thehardheart.com
* http://www.toolboxmusic.co.uk
* http://www.tidy.com
* http://www.harderfaster.net
* http://www.nuwave-digital.co.uk
* http://www.biscuitmonsters.net
* http://www.4clubbers.net
* http://www.frenzyclub.co.uk
* http://www.hardnrg.com
* http://www.captaintibrib.com
* http://www.10inch.de
* http://www.raveadelaide.com.au
* http://www.spinhard.com
* http://www.thebeatranch.com
* http://www.twistedtraxx.co.uk
* http://hardhouse.wordpress.com