From punk rock to heavy metal, from hip hop to techno, from jungle to dubstep, underground hardcore music has always been the voice of the underclass on the cutting edge. These scenes tend to exploded out of seemingly nowhere, and then proceed to grow at a frighteningly fast pace. After a period of a few years, these kinds of scenes tend to boil down to their essence... some might say stagnate... into a self-sufficient network of clubs, recording artists, DJs, and (largely male) fans. Everybody else seems to move onto the next thing. So it should be no surprise that what started out as the black sheep of European techno is still thriving today and going strong in and of itself. In the beginning, hardcore (or gabber), began to take root in the early hard techno coming out of The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the USA around 1990. A subset of producers & DJs began to push the BPMs and noise threshold higher and higher until a distinctly different sound had emerged by 1992 and 1993. Hardcore gabber was by this point clocking in at anywhere from 170 - 210 BPM, taking in all forms of sampledelia, pillaging every form of hardcore music that came before it for inspiration to craft the next sonic assault.
It was right around this time that I began hearing the music in it's earliest forms being played on local campus/community radio, and at parties, by DJs such as Ottawa's Teknobrat, Motomasa, and Kaos. Being a teenaged male at the time, the distilation of heavy metal, hip hop, and hard techno was instantly thrilling. The comedy of some of this music appealed to me back then, and that appeal is even more pronounced now. This is some truly ridiculous stuff. You've got to love the fact that as HARDCORE as this scene is, it can still poke fun at itself. I can't imagine Rob Gee (aka Riot Squad) taking himself seriously when assembling "Gabberkeisen". Also, check the track "No Women Allowed", by Sperminator to realize that even the people behind the music found humour in the fact that this was (and is) a scene virtually void of female fans.
Until recently, the producers, DJs, and labels that were releasing this music have eluded me. I've since sourced out some track names, and have pulled together a little collection of some of the stand-out tunes (to me) of that time period. Here they are, mixed together for short but powerful 40 minute burst of hardcore gabber mayhem. HAKKE!
KARL HAZE - Futurhythm February 9, 2011 (Hardcore Gabber)
Riot Squad - Nonshlen Tustokken (Ode To Vortex) (12 Gauge)
Fuckin' Hostile - Fuckin' Hostile (Disintigrator Remix) (Industrial Strength)
Annihilator - I'll Show You My Gun (Mokum)
DJ Rob - Boy's Interface (Rotterdam Mix) (Rotterdam Records)
DJ Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo - Direct From Brooklyn (Master Maximum)
Juggernaut - Silicium On Wax (Ruffneck)
Asylum - Mescalum (K.N.O.R.)
Wedlock - Bass For Your Face (Ruffneck)
T.O.P.D.R.O.P. - Achtung! (DJ Hooligan Remix) (Rave Records)
Hyperact - My Best Friend (Dirty Mix) (Dwarf)
Riot Squad - Gabberkeisen (12 Gauge)
King Matthew - Borock (Bloody Cow)
Cookiemunsta - Madnessinsanity (Housesucker Mix) (Mokum)
Download
Posts
