Hardcore Techno Day 2021 for Club Music Lovers! - Intense Hardcore Techno

This is the 3rd post of my Special Feature: HARDCORE TECHNO blog that I started two years ago. In the previous two posts, I featured catchy pop tunes but this time I’d like to change the taste and mainly focus on the tunes that will make you say, "Now this is HARDCORE TECHNO!!".

*Check out my past articles!!↓↓

• 2020 Edition (HAPPY HARDCORE)
• 2019 Edition (UK HARDCORE)

   

THE DAY OF HARDCORE is not happening this year so this summer sounds so sad... But don't give up!! We can still liven up with HARDCORE TECHNO and make this summer even hotter!

■TERRORCORE

I'm speeding up the beat already! When the BPM of hardcore exceeds around 240, we call it SPEEDCORE, and the kick (bass drum) sounds like a construction site. DJs often play as if they are in a live performance rather than connecting tracks, and the audience enjoys it as if they are jamming to thrash metal music. In particular, tunes with 200-300 BPM are categorized in a genre called TERRORCORE. When it gets faster, it's called SPLITTERCORE and EXTRATONE (in fact, there is a little more precise criterion).

Diabarha - Convicted for Subreality (2014)
BPM: 275

■INDUSTRIAL HARDCORE

INDUSTRIAL HARDCORE features a snare drum that sounds like hitting a metal, and a kick that emphasizes and distorts the bass tones. Usually, it doesn't have many melodies, and it's similar to a type of music to dance with rhythm as the body. A similar genre is MAINSTREAM HARDCORE, but it's a bit more melodious.

eDUB - Muerte y Destruccion (2016)
BPM: 190

(Since it is a sample video by the record company, the label name is mentioned in the video)

■GABBER (GABBA) / ROTTERDAM TECHNO

GABBER (GABBA) is the genre that I introduced last year as well. When the hardcore tune is at a tempo of around 160-180 BPM, it is sometimes called NU STYLE GABBER. This music is characterized with a kick that has a lot of bass tones, and it was re-imported and has been used a lot in GABBER in recent years.
Also, a "GABBER kick" refers to the sound of a so-called kick (bass drum) that is heavily distorted. It is difficult to make a cool sound just using distortion; it's about how to distort the sound or add the noise, and the groove of the bass. "Humanity" below includes the part that can be said to be a historic event of the advent of the GABBER kick (from around 1:14) and I want you to listen to it! GABBER kick in the early years has also influenced HAPPY HARDCORE, so you can't miss it since it's an important part of HARDCORE TECHNO history.
I talked a lot about how to handle distorted sounds in my past article, so please check it out!

[Must-Read for Club Track Creators!!] How to Make a Hardstyle Kick

Broken Minds – Humanity (2020)
BPM: 180

■HARDTEK

It may not be very appropriate to include HARDTEK in hardcore sub-genres. It's because HARDTEK has the essences of various music genres: house, trance, breakbeat, jungle, drum 'n' bass, dubstep, hardcore, acid techno, hip hop, trap, reggae, funk, soul, rock and metal. It is difficult to precisely categorize the HARDTEK genre because it often uses sampling, but I included it in this Special Feature about HARDCORE music for the fast tempo in HARDTEK music.

Floxytek & Tanukichi & USAO – Cobra (2021)
BPM: 200

■EXTRATONE

EXTRATONE is a genre that is extreme SPEEDCORE. HARDCORE is called this way when it exceeds 1000 BPM. This is the equivalent of thirty-second notes at 125 BPM. It's so fast. EXTRATONE is a genre closer to noise music than hardcore techno, but it's also similar to GABBER since they share the distorting the kick. In fact, GABBER creators often compose EXTRATONE music. It's really a construction site.

Diabarha – Storm (2021)
BPM: 4800

The HARDCORE subgenres I have talked about so far can be roughly broken down according to separate tempo and how upbeat or stoic the sounds are as it is demonstrated in this chart. This is not absolute because you may categorize them differently. However, I believe this chart can help when you want to look for new genres similar to your favorite!
(By the way, we reject messages that say, "HARDSTYLE is TRANCE, not HARDCORE!")

I have introduced a lot of tunes through my Special Feature blog for HARDCORE TECHNO so far, but after all of that you will want to stick to a nice listening environment, won't you?
Do you know that Pioneer DJ has recently released a new monitor speaker? You must've heard of the brand if you're a DJ.

Pioneer DJ / VM-50 Active Monitor Speaker for DJing

You can quickly switch it to a low-pitched DJ speaker from a flat sound monitor speaker with the DSP control knob on the back. The sound quality is further upgraded by the rear port with the mysterious ridges! These ridges also make you wanna just rub your hands all over them. The playback frequency range is wide from 40 Hz-36 kHz, and there is no doubt that your home DJing will be more exciting! The VM series speakers are also available in different sizes, the VM-70 and the VM-80 with output around 35 Hz, so you can produce a real club feeling without a subwoofer.

Speaking of subwoofers, this is also recommended!

JBL / LSR310S Subwoofer

The LSR310S is a subwoofer from the JBL 3 Series MkII, popular powered studio monitors. Staring at this subwoofer and it starting to look like the popular Among Us online game characters. This is the authentic subwoofer with a 10" driver and a low frequency extension of 27 Hz! You can create the club sound with a bass that can vibrate the floor!! Now, I'm sure home DJing will be exciting enough with the LSR310S subwoofer.

Let's listen to HARDCORE tunes with good speakers and enjoy your summer!!
See you soon!