Bouncy techno
Encyclopedia
Bouncy Techno is a rave
hardcore dance music subgenre that was developed in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It was originally influenced by the northern United Kingdom scene music (Scotland, North East England and Northern Ireland), where European-produced techno
(mostly from Belgium and Italy) was widely popular.
Bouncy techno is characterised by a combination of staccato
riff
s with off-beat
stabs
at a fast tempo. It is a lighter and more melodic form of gabber. The genre was popularised by record producer
Scott Brown
, and soon became prominent in the northern United Kingdom (and, later, the Dutch rave scene). By the mid-1990s, the genre had driven the English happy hardcore
breakbeat-influenced style away from its breakbeat hardcore
origins, turning it into a happier variant of bouncy techno.
of around 150 to 180 BPM
(beats per minute), and use a 4/4 signature. Drum instruments are usually kept to a minimum, usually including a bass drum
, sharp open hi-hat
, hand clap
, snare drum
, ride
and a splash cymbal
, generated by drum machines such as TR-909
or DrumStation. Bass drum kicks are sometimes lightly distorted
, and are arranged in a strict four-to-the-floor pattern.
The style's most distinguishing feature is its off-beat stabs (the "bouncy" part). This is often supplemented with similar off-beat snare patterns, claps, and hi-hats. Despite the genre's name, this part is only briefly heard during most tracks (and may not exist at all). This off-beat note and off-beat drum combination has been said by Simon Reynolds
to remind of klezmer
or oom-pah
music.
A techno-sounding staccato riff (the track's key feature) is used as the track's hook. This feature is the only major difference between songs, many are structured similarly. Another type of variation may occur when the melody is altered through the use of resonance
filters. Tracks can be instrumental
, or they can use a short sample
, cut and repeated through various points of the track. Overall, tracks largely resemble each other in terms of layout structure and techniques.
Apart from the south-based DJs who performed in the north, the south-based breakbeat hardcore style received little to no coverage on the radio or the magazines dedicated to the Scottish rave scene. The few Scotland-based breakbeat DJs found it very difficult to promote their music, with Scottish ravers going to extremes to shun them (even using petitions). DJ Kid, the original Scottish breakbeat stalwart said that "when trying to introduce the all new breakbeat sound to Scotland - nobody liked any of the records I played. I constantly pushed the breakbeat sound whilst the other DJs played underground techno". DJ Kid once stormed offstage at a Scottish rave when objects were thrown at him by disgruntled ravers during his breakbeat set.
Much like other rave scenes, the emerging Scottish scene created its own network of DJs and artists (including Scott Brown
), eventually creating a sound catering to the particular tastes of its own listening audience
. Cumbernauld
based Brown had formed various acts including Bass X, with their Hardcore Disco (Shoop!, SHOOP 2, 1993) release considered to be amongst the first bouncy techno releases from early-1993. The track was hugely successful in the northern United Kingdom, and was soon followed by many similar-sounding tracks from Brown, while other local artists followed his formula. Music released by pioneering labels such as Shoop! was exported into mainland Europe and beyond.
As the music proved popular at Dutch events, various Dutch producers such as Paul Elstak
picked up on the hardcore sound made popular by Scott Brown. New Dutch labels such as Babyboom Records, Dwarf Records, Pengo Records released their own similar sounding material. Dutch artists were highly demanded at Scottish raves and vice-versa. The two scenes ran in tandem with each other.
As the Scottish scene grew, the Rezerection promotion - synonymous with the rave scene - threw its weight behind this north and south musical diversity, stating that "New Year's Eve 1993 proved to be a watershed event for Rezerection, as 1994 saw the demise of the traditional London style breakbeat sound favored by regular Rez DJs like Grooverider, SS and Seduction... as hard trance, bouncy techno and gabba dominated the Scottish scene." The hardcore music scene peaked in 1995, with Rezerection drawing 17,000 people in Edinburgh
for their 20-hour Event 3: Equinox rave extravaganza on September 2 (primarily a bouncy techno dominated event).
In southern England, where bouncy techno music was previously normally only found in second alternative rooms, the breakbeat happy hardcore DJs started to integrate bouncy techno music into their mix sets at raves by the mid-1990s. The music soon appeared alongside happy hardcore on compilations. Happy hardcore artists started to use bouncy techno techniques in their productions. Happy hardcore's inherent breakbeats were lessened (or dropped) in favour of bass drums and off-beat techno stabs, effectively creating a hybrid
of the two styles. Several new English-based labels (including Bounce!, Digital International Techno, and Techno Tunes) promoted bouncy techno music outright, though the majority of already established labels' productions tended to be a mixed fusion style. Due to its newfound similarity, the happy hardcore music made in-roads into the Scottish scene.
During the early 90s, Ultra-Sonic, one of the various Scottish live music
rave acts, topped the Scottish record chart
s with Annihilating Rhythm (Clubscene Records, CSRT015, 1993). Their Live In UV City (Clubscene, V-CSR001, 1993) VHS
release even outsold the much hyped The Jungle Book
in its debut week in Scotland. Annihilating Rhythm was re-licensed in 1994 around Europe, selling 56,000 units in Germany. Ultra-Sonic soon became popular around the world in countries such as Australia, Japan, Hungary, Poland, and was also featured at the prestigious Mayday
in Germany of 1994. The combination of the group's energetic live stage performance, distinct music, along with high volume sales for something with no prior publicity, was picked up on by German music moguls as something they could capitalise on.
A local band specifically directed towards a German audience was sought. Annihilating Rhythm was soon re-incarnated
by the newly formed German act Scooter
with their much marketed Hyper Hyper (Club Tools, 006073-0 CLU, 1994) release. The imitation was a European chart hit -selling 700,000 units in Germany- and brought about similar Ultra-Sonic-influenced tracks by Scooter. This in turn kick-started the German scene, derived from the Scottish sound intertwined with the pre-existing commercial German Eurodance
. Ultra-Sonic said that "Annihilating Rhythm was a ground-breaking track which changed the face of dance music. You just need to look at tosspot
s like Scooter who had top 40 hits out of copying our style. I can name countless groups who copied our style..."
), the incident gave the rave scene a disreputable image in the news media, linking it to hard drugs. It soon prompted a clampdown by authorities. Hangar 13 and other clubs had their licenses suspended or rejected, and events such as the pre-scheduled Safer Dance on November 1995 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
were cancelled. Hardcore music stronghold venues including the Metro and FUBAR made the jump to supporting house music
. The influential Trevor Reilly, DJ from the Hangar 13 venue, similarly moved over to the house scene, along with others. The Rhythmic State, one of the various Scottish live performance rave acts, captured the feeling with their No DS Allowed (Clubscene Records, CSRT044, 1995) release, a tirade against the Drug Squad who maintained an intimidating presence at raves.
Radio programmes started to change their music. George Bowie's popular GB Experience on Clyde 1
moved away from hardcore and into the growing house scene. On its change, Bowie said that "the show has always been a reflection of the Scottish dance scene. I did play a lot of hardcore, although at that time the sound was really kicking off here to that 160 BPM Scott Brown sound, well, bouncy techno, really. It was rave, then techno, now house." Unlike Tom Wilson
's hardcore-oriententated Steppin' Out programme (found only on Forth FM
), the GM Experience was syndicated on five commercial radio stations
around Scotland -the first nationwide Scottish dance music show- and reached a far greater audience than Steppin' Out.
By 1996, the music being played in the hardcore scene was changing. Music allegiance
s had been switched from Netherlands to England, with the happy hardcore music scene growing as a result. Happy hardcore was introduced to move the scene away from its hardcore single-mindedness, but the music was not popular with all of the scene. Remaining events were cancelled due to the lack of interest and decline in attendance due to this new musical direction.
The hardcore scene was devastated when the almighty Rezerection rave promotion, the last remaining stalwart of a once thriving scene, went into liquidation
following the collapse of the ticket agency, TOCTA. Whilst this was a significant factor in Rezerection's demise, as with other promotions, they no longer attracted the same numbers as before. Their last event on May 31, 1997, had only one of the three advertised music tents in place due to low ticket sales.
Upon this news, Scott Brown wrote in his monthly M8 Magazine column that it "will always be looked upon as the month the Scottish hardcore scene died. I have expanded my horizons by producing more commercial dance and gabber, but for me, Scottish bouncy techno is almost a thing of the past." Through 1997, M8 Magazine would more-or-less drop any remaining hardcore coverage -something that they had greatly covered and supported since their launch- in favour of other music.
Through demand from the die-hard remaining fanbase, Brown hailed the return of new bouncy techno music in August, 1998, by launching the fittingly named Bouncy Techno Records label. It did not see past the 20th century as the label distributor went out of business. Before the turn of the 21st century, the landscape of the United Kingdom scene had changed due to the rise of the club scene and its favoured music, such as house and trance
.
. Indeed, bouncy techno tracks from the early 1990s have seamlessly been adapted to the mid-2000 UK hardcore sound, with the original 1990s versions usually included in releases. Despite their musical similarities, some fans, disillusioned with the current UK hardcore sound, demanded a return to bouncy techno. By 2008, a new type of bouncy techno, also known as Bouncy House or "Donk" (pipe-sounding mid-beat), had surfaced. Proponents of the style include DJs such as Alex K, PMB, Brewer, Keith Capstick, Tony M, Nelson Santos, Jonny P, Sunset Bros., Raz Holden and DJ Bến Trengrove, and night clubs such as The Pleasure Rooms, Wigan Pier
, Jokers, 51st State, Monroe's and DCM's.
The early music itself is still actively played, far more so in the United Kingdom than in the Netherlands. Not only is it found at dedicated old school themed events in the United Kingdom, it also crops up as part of the main arena scene, something usually reserved for new music. It is possible to download live mixes from past events (originally ripped off a tape) or custom made mixes enable to keep old music popular through the Internet
. Even some Bonkers have had Bouncy Techno tracks in 'old style' mixes such as Hixxy's 'Old Skool Killa Kutz' on Bonkers 13 and Hixxy & Re-con's mix of Best of Bonkers
. The early music is also found in the North American hardcore DJ circuit; the Los Angeles based Baco Brothers released a "throwback happy gabber" track in 2005 (Undercover Records Limited, UDL001, 2005).
, whilst shorter, broader terms such as techno and hardcore are also used.
Happy gabber tends to be used for Dutch productions, which started during the mid-1990s. Dutch artists increasingly introduced vocal samples lifted from old pop and rock songs into the already existing bouncy techno format, more so than the original Scottish productions that tended to be quite sparse and basic in comparison. Some more commercial Dutch tracks had "hardcore remixes" which were a lot harder and faster than the radio edits, but kept the main vocals and had similar riffs (often the case with the Dutch Pengo Records). American, German and Italian artists also had more happier versions of Gabber tunes released, and often released material off Scottish or Dutch labels. Funcore is another alternative word, first used on the Dutch based Babyboom Records. These terms have existed since 1995.
Tartan techno is a term referring to the overall Scottish rave music scene, of which hardcore music is one component, albeit the far greatest in quantity and popularity. The term has existed since 1994. An article in the October 23, 2004, edition of the Daily Record
tabloid citing indigenous words based on popular culture in Scottish society that could enter a Scottish dictionary listed tartan techno as their choice for 1994, highlighting the scale of the scene at that time.
Bass Reaction, Bass X, Brothers In Crime, Casio Brothers, Dance Overdose, Davie Forbes, DJ Gizmo, DJ Isaac, DJ Waxweazle, Gordon Tennant, Hyperact, Infernus, Marc Smith, Neurotek, QFX, Q-Tex, Scott Brown
, Technosis, The Rhythmic State, TTF, Ultra-Sonic, Scooter
, Paul Elstak, DJ Weirdo & DJ Sim, Technotrance, Ultimate Buzz, Sonicdriver.
DJs: -
DJ Bass Generator, DJ Brisk, DJ Buzz Fuzz, Carl Cox
, DJ Demand, DJ Excel, DJ Joey Beltram, DJ JMS, DJ Marc Smith, DJ Mikey B, DJ Pagan, DJ Paul Elstak, DJ Scott, DJ Disk Jockey, DJ Attack, DJ Selector C, DJ Charlie, DJ Scott Brown, DJ Technotrance, DJ Ten, DJ Fruit Snax, DJ Tizer, DJ Vince, DJ Tom Wilson
, DJ X-ray, Forze DJ Team, The Nightraver,
Raves: -
Afterdark, Awesome 101, The Colosseum, Dance Concept, Dimensional, Dreamscape, Fantazia, FUBAR, Hangar 13, Hellraiser, Helter Skelter, Hysteria, Intelligence, Judgement Day, Futureglow, Mayday, Metro, A Nightmare in Rotterdam, Nosebleed, Rezerection, The Blue Monkey, Planetary, The Venue, Energi House, Club Kinetic
Record labels: -
Bouncy Techno (the label), Babyboom Records, Bass Generator Records, Breeze Records, Clubscene Records, Dwarf Records, Essential Platinum, Evolution Records, Forze Records, Global Records, Great British Techno (G.B.T.), Happy Trax, Jolly Roger Records, Massive Respect Records, Pengo Records, Poosh, Rave Records, Screwdriver Records, Shoop!, Twisted Vinyl, Waxweazle Records, Quosh, Steven Caroll records, Kontor Records, Sheffield Tunes
Well known releases: -
External links=
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
hardcore dance music subgenre that was developed in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It was originally influenced by the northern United Kingdom scene music (Scotland, North East England and Northern Ireland), where European-produced techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
(mostly from Belgium and Italy) was widely popular.
Bouncy techno is characterised by a combination of staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s with off-beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
stabs
Stab (music)
In music, a stab is a single staccato chord that adds dramatic impact to a composition. Stabs are usually provided by horns , thus the term horn stab, or an orchestral sample, usually occur on a 1-beat, and are frequently used in funk, freestyle, and ska.As well, stabs are used in electronic music,...
at a fast tempo. It is a lighter and more melodic form of gabber. The genre was popularised by record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Scott Brown
Scott Brown (DJ)
Scott Alexander Brown is a Glasgow-born Scottish DJ and music producer, now living in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Brown produces and plays a variety of genres commonly called rave. Although he is most associated with bouncy techno, his music ranges from happy hardcore, through hard trance, to...
, and soon became prominent in the northern United Kingdom (and, later, the Dutch rave scene). By the mid-1990s, the genre had driven the English happy hardcore
Happy hardcore
Happy hardcore, also known as happycore, is a genre of music typified by a very fast tempo , often coupled with solo vocals and sentimental lyrics. Its characteristically 4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of hardcore techno, which tend to be "darker". It is typically in...
breakbeat-influenced style away from its breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore is a derivative of the acid house and techno, of the late 1980s and early 1990s, that combines four-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with the UK rave scene.-The rave scene:...
origins, turning it into a happier variant of bouncy techno.
Characteristics
Typical compositions have a tempoTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of around 150 to 180 BPM
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
(beats per minute), and use a 4/4 signature. Drum instruments are usually kept to a minimum, usually including a bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
, sharp open hi-hat
Hi-hat
A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.- Operation :...
, hand clap
Clapping
A clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express appreciation or approval , but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance...
, snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
, ride
Ride cymbal
The ride cymbal is a standard cymbal in most drum kits. It maintains a steady rhythmic pattern, sometimes called a ride pattern, rather than the accent of a crash...
and a splash cymbal
Splash cymbal
In a drum kit, splash cymbals are the smallest accent cymbals. Splash cymbals and china cymbals are the main types of effects cymbals.The most common sized splash has a diameter of 10", followed by 8"...
, generated by drum machines such as TR-909
Roland TR-909
The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a partially analog, partially sample-based drum machine built by the Japanese Roland Corporation in 1983. The brainchild of Tadao Kikumoto, the engineer behind the Roland TB-303, it features a 16-step step sequencer and a drum kit that aimed for realism and...
or DrumStation. Bass drum kicks are sometimes lightly distorted
Distortion
A distortion is the alteration of the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. Distortion is usually unwanted, and often many methods are employed to minimize it in practice...
, and are arranged in a strict four-to-the-floor pattern.
The style's most distinguishing feature is its off-beat stabs (the "bouncy" part). This is often supplemented with similar off-beat snare patterns, claps, and hi-hats. Despite the genre's name, this part is only briefly heard during most tracks (and may not exist at all). This off-beat note and off-beat drum combination has been said by Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds is an English music critic who is well-known for his writings on electronic dance music and for coining the term "post-rock". Besides electronic dance music, Reynolds has written about a wide range of artists and musical genres, and has written books on post-punk and rock...
to remind of klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
or oom-pah
Oom-pah
Oom-pah, Oompah or Umpapa is the rhythmical sound of a deep brass instrument in a band, a form of background ostinato.The oom-pah sound is usually made by the tuba alternating between the root of the chord and the 5th — this sound is said to be the oom...
music.
A techno-sounding staccato riff (the track's key feature) is used as the track's hook. This feature is the only major difference between songs, many are structured similarly. Another type of variation may occur when the melody is altered through the use of resonance
Resonance
In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies...
filters. Tracks can be instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
, or they can use a short sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, cut and repeated through various points of the track. Overall, tracks largely resemble each other in terms of layout structure and techniques.
Origins
With a variety of music coming into raves during the early-1990s, the preferred genre in the northern United Kingdom was European techno, in contrast to the main rave scene in the southern United Kingdom, where the emerging local breakbeat hardcore style was more popular. This opposition would cause the northern music scene to evolve differently from the southern. Scott Brown, one of the most prolific musicians in the hardcore dance music scene, concurred that "there was a definite musical divide between the north and the south [of the United Kingdom], the north preferring it a lot harder..."Apart from the south-based DJs who performed in the north, the south-based breakbeat hardcore style received little to no coverage on the radio or the magazines dedicated to the Scottish rave scene. The few Scotland-based breakbeat DJs found it very difficult to promote their music, with Scottish ravers going to extremes to shun them (even using petitions). DJ Kid, the original Scottish breakbeat stalwart said that "when trying to introduce the all new breakbeat sound to Scotland - nobody liked any of the records I played. I constantly pushed the breakbeat sound whilst the other DJs played underground techno". DJ Kid once stormed offstage at a Scottish rave when objects were thrown at him by disgruntled ravers during his breakbeat set.
Much like other rave scenes, the emerging Scottish scene created its own network of DJs and artists (including Scott Brown
Scott Brown (DJ)
Scott Alexander Brown is a Glasgow-born Scottish DJ and music producer, now living in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Brown produces and plays a variety of genres commonly called rave. Although he is most associated with bouncy techno, his music ranges from happy hardcore, through hard trance, to...
), eventually creating a sound catering to the particular tastes of its own listening audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
. Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
based Brown had formed various acts including Bass X, with their Hardcore Disco (Shoop!, SHOOP 2, 1993) release considered to be amongst the first bouncy techno releases from early-1993. The track was hugely successful in the northern United Kingdom, and was soon followed by many similar-sounding tracks from Brown, while other local artists followed his formula. Music released by pioneering labels such as Shoop! was exported into mainland Europe and beyond.
Growth
Amongst the emerging releases from Brown was his Bass Reaction - Technophobia (Shoop!, SHOOP 8, 1993) release. The track proved popular in the Netherlands scene, something that Brown said "helped shape the Dutch and Scottish scenes for years."As the music proved popular at Dutch events, various Dutch producers such as Paul Elstak
DJ Paul Elstak
DJ Paul Elstak is a Dutch hardcore/gabber and happy hardcore DJ and record producer...
picked up on the hardcore sound made popular by Scott Brown. New Dutch labels such as Babyboom Records, Dwarf Records, Pengo Records released their own similar sounding material. Dutch artists were highly demanded at Scottish raves and vice-versa. The two scenes ran in tandem with each other.
As the Scottish scene grew, the Rezerection promotion - synonymous with the rave scene - threw its weight behind this north and south musical diversity, stating that "New Year's Eve 1993 proved to be a watershed event for Rezerection, as 1994 saw the demise of the traditional London style breakbeat sound favored by regular Rez DJs like Grooverider, SS and Seduction... as hard trance, bouncy techno and gabba dominated the Scottish scene." The hardcore music scene peaked in 1995, with Rezerection drawing 17,000 people in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
for their 20-hour Event 3: Equinox rave extravaganza on September 2 (primarily a bouncy techno dominated event).
In southern England, where bouncy techno music was previously normally only found in second alternative rooms, the breakbeat happy hardcore DJs started to integrate bouncy techno music into their mix sets at raves by the mid-1990s. The music soon appeared alongside happy hardcore on compilations. Happy hardcore artists started to use bouncy techno techniques in their productions. Happy hardcore's inherent breakbeats were lessened (or dropped) in favour of bass drums and off-beat techno stabs, effectively creating a hybrid
Cross-genre
A cross-genre is a genre in fiction that blends themes and elements from two or more different genres.-Examples:*Action comedy *Comedy-drama or dramedy *Comedy-horror...
of the two styles. Several new English-based labels (including Bounce!, Digital International Techno, and Techno Tunes) promoted bouncy techno music outright, though the majority of already established labels' productions tended to be a mixed fusion style. Due to its newfound similarity, the happy hardcore music made in-roads into the Scottish scene.
During the early 90s, Ultra-Sonic, one of the various Scottish live music
Live Music
Live Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Giann.-Artists:* Jowell & Randy* Tony Lenta* Watussi* De La Ghetto* Guelo Star* Galante "El Emperador"-Producers:*DJ Blass*Dexter*Mr. Greenz*DJ Giann*Los Hitmen*Dirty Joe*ALX...
rave acts, topped the Scottish record chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
s with Annihilating Rhythm (Clubscene Records, CSRT015, 1993). Their Live In UV City (Clubscene, V-CSR001, 1993) VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
release even outsold the much hyped The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book (1967 film)
The Jungle Book is a 1967 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Released on October 18, 1967, it is the 19th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was inspired by the stories about the feral child Mowgli from the book of the same name by...
in its debut week in Scotland. Annihilating Rhythm was re-licensed in 1994 around Europe, selling 56,000 units in Germany. Ultra-Sonic soon became popular around the world in countries such as Australia, Japan, Hungary, Poland, and was also featured at the prestigious Mayday
Mayday (music)
Mayday, like the former Love Parade, is one of the oldest and most reputed electronic music festivals in Germany, having its debut on 1991. Despite the name, Mayday festivals date oscilates between 30 April and December...
in Germany of 1994. The combination of the group's energetic live stage performance, distinct music, along with high volume sales for something with no prior publicity, was picked up on by German music moguls as something they could capitalise on.
A local band specifically directed towards a German audience was sought. Annihilating Rhythm was soon re-incarnated
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
by the newly formed German act Scooter
Scooter (band)
Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
with their much marketed Hyper Hyper (Club Tools, 006073-0 CLU, 1994) release. The imitation was a European chart hit -selling 700,000 units in Germany- and brought about similar Ultra-Sonic-influenced tracks by Scooter. This in turn kick-started the German scene, derived from the Scottish sound intertwined with the pre-existing commercial German Eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
. Ultra-Sonic said that "Annihilating Rhythm was a ground-breaking track which changed the face of dance music. You just need to look at tosspot
Tosspot
Tosspot is a British slang insult, which can mean, depending on the context, a drunkard, a masturbator, or an objectionable person.The word is of Middle English origin, and, until recently, meant exclusively a person who drank heavily. Beer or ale was customarily served in ceramic pots, so a...
s like Scooter who had top 40 hits out of copying our style. I can name countless groups who copied our style..."
Decline
Ever since the drug-related deaths at Hangar 13 in 1994 (an issue raised in the British House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
), the incident gave the rave scene a disreputable image in the news media, linking it to hard drugs. It soon prompted a clampdown by authorities. Hangar 13 and other clubs had their licenses suspended or rejected, and events such as the pre-scheduled Safer Dance on November 1995 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
were cancelled. Hardcore music stronghold venues including the Metro and FUBAR made the jump to supporting house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
. The influential Trevor Reilly, DJ from the Hangar 13 venue, similarly moved over to the house scene, along with others. The Rhythmic State, one of the various Scottish live performance rave acts, captured the feeling with their No DS Allowed (Clubscene Records, CSRT044, 1995) release, a tirade against the Drug Squad who maintained an intimidating presence at raves.
Radio programmes started to change their music. George Bowie's popular GB Experience on Clyde 1
102.5 Clyde 1
102.5 Clyde 1 is a Scottish local radio station that serves Glasgow and West Central Scotland on FM, DAB and online. The station is owned & operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of Bauer's Place Network of stations.- History :...
moved away from hardcore and into the growing house scene. On its change, Bowie said that "the show has always been a reflection of the Scottish dance scene. I did play a lot of hardcore, although at that time the sound was really kicking off here to that 160 BPM Scott Brown sound, well, bouncy techno, really. It was rave, then techno, now house." Unlike Tom Wilson
Techno Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson was a Scottish radio disc jockey, best remembered for his longtime contribution to the Scottish dance music scene...
's hardcore-oriententated Steppin' Out programme (found only on Forth FM
97.3 Forth One
97.3 Forth One is a Scottish radio station, broadcasting to Edinburgh, The Lothians and Fife including other areas of East Central Scotland and based in Forth Street in Edinburgh’s city centre. The station plays a variety of music, mainly Top 40, but older tunes are also inserted into the playlist...
), the GM Experience was syndicated on five commercial radio stations
Commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...
around Scotland -the first nationwide Scottish dance music show- and reached a far greater audience than Steppin' Out.
By 1996, the music being played in the hardcore scene was changing. Music allegiance
Allegiance
An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed by a subject or a citizen to his/her state or sovereign.-Etymology:From Middle English ligeaunce . The al- prefix was probably added through confusion with another legal term, allegeance, an "allegation"...
s had been switched from Netherlands to England, with the happy hardcore music scene growing as a result. Happy hardcore was introduced to move the scene away from its hardcore single-mindedness, but the music was not popular with all of the scene. Remaining events were cancelled due to the lack of interest and decline in attendance due to this new musical direction.
The hardcore scene was devastated when the almighty Rezerection rave promotion, the last remaining stalwart of a once thriving scene, went into liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
following the collapse of the ticket agency, TOCTA. Whilst this was a significant factor in Rezerection's demise, as with other promotions, they no longer attracted the same numbers as before. Their last event on May 31, 1997, had only one of the three advertised music tents in place due to low ticket sales.
Upon this news, Scott Brown wrote in his monthly M8 Magazine column that it "will always be looked upon as the month the Scottish hardcore scene died. I have expanded my horizons by producing more commercial dance and gabber, but for me, Scottish bouncy techno is almost a thing of the past." Through 1997, M8 Magazine would more-or-less drop any remaining hardcore coverage -something that they had greatly covered and supported since their launch- in favour of other music.
Through demand from the die-hard remaining fanbase, Brown hailed the return of new bouncy techno music in August, 1998, by launching the fittingly named Bouncy Techno Records label. It did not see past the 20th century as the label distributor went out of business. Before the turn of the 21st century, the landscape of the United Kingdom scene had changed due to the rise of the club scene and its favoured music, such as house and trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
.
Present day
Through its musical ancestry, bouncy techno's musical qualities remain similar to UK rave-based hardcore music, partly due to Scott Brown's being at the forefront of a new sound: UK hardcoreUK hardcore
UK Hardcore is a broad term to describe the evolved sound of Happy Hardcore Rave music which emerged around the end of the 1990s and grew in strength during the 21st century...
. Indeed, bouncy techno tracks from the early 1990s have seamlessly been adapted to the mid-2000 UK hardcore sound, with the original 1990s versions usually included in releases. Despite their musical similarities, some fans, disillusioned with the current UK hardcore sound, demanded a return to bouncy techno. By 2008, a new type of bouncy techno, also known as Bouncy House or "Donk" (pipe-sounding mid-beat), had surfaced. Proponents of the style include DJs such as Alex K, PMB, Brewer, Keith Capstick, Tony M, Nelson Santos, Jonny P, Sunset Bros., Raz Holden and DJ Bến Trengrove, and night clubs such as The Pleasure Rooms, Wigan Pier
Wigan Pier
Wigan Pier is the name given today to the area around the canal at the bottom of the Wigan flight of locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It is a popular location for visitors and the local community in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, situated just a few hundred yards south-west of the town...
, Jokers, 51st State, Monroe's and DCM's.
The early music itself is still actively played, far more so in the United Kingdom than in the Netherlands. Not only is it found at dedicated old school themed events in the United Kingdom, it also crops up as part of the main arena scene, something usually reserved for new music. It is possible to download live mixes from past events (originally ripped off a tape) or custom made mixes enable to keep old music popular through the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Even some Bonkers have had Bouncy Techno tracks in 'old style' mixes such as Hixxy's 'Old Skool Killa Kutz' on Bonkers 13 and Hixxy & Re-con's mix of Best of Bonkers
Best of Bonkers
Best of Bonkers is the first "best of" set in the Bonkers series of happy hardcore compilation albums, which has become the best-selling hardcore compilation series of all time...
. The early music is also found in the North American hardcore DJ circuit; the Los Angeles based Baco Brothers released a "throwback happy gabber" track in 2005 (Undercover Records Limited, UDL001, 2005).
Terminology
Bouncy techno is derived from crowds bouncing to music at raves. Amongst early uses, DJ ZBD praised Scottish group Q-Tex's record release, saying that "this bouncy techno cut should do their reputation a power of good" in the December 1992 issue of Clubscene magazine. Bouncy hardcore is more-or-less an alternative to the original term, that fits in better with the hardcore lingoSpeech community
Speech community is a group of people who share a set of norms and expectations regarding the use of language. Speech communities can be members of a profession with a specialized jargon, distinct social groups like high school students or hip hop fans , or even tight-knit groups like families and...
, whilst shorter, broader terms such as techno and hardcore are also used.
Happy gabber tends to be used for Dutch productions, which started during the mid-1990s. Dutch artists increasingly introduced vocal samples lifted from old pop and rock songs into the already existing bouncy techno format, more so than the original Scottish productions that tended to be quite sparse and basic in comparison. Some more commercial Dutch tracks had "hardcore remixes" which were a lot harder and faster than the radio edits, but kept the main vocals and had similar riffs (often the case with the Dutch Pengo Records). American, German and Italian artists also had more happier versions of Gabber tunes released, and often released material off Scottish or Dutch labels. Funcore is another alternative word, first used on the Dutch based Babyboom Records. These terms have existed since 1995.
Tartan techno is a term referring to the overall Scottish rave music scene, of which hardcore music is one component, albeit the far greatest in quantity and popularity. The term has existed since 1994. An article in the October 23, 2004, edition of the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
tabloid citing indigenous words based on popular culture in Scottish society that could enter a Scottish dictionary listed tartan techno as their choice for 1994, highlighting the scale of the scene at that time.
Selected information
Artists: -Bass Reaction, Bass X, Brothers In Crime, Casio Brothers, Dance Overdose, Davie Forbes, DJ Gizmo, DJ Isaac, DJ Waxweazle, Gordon Tennant, Hyperact, Infernus, Marc Smith, Neurotek, QFX, Q-Tex, Scott Brown
Scott Brown (DJ)
Scott Alexander Brown is a Glasgow-born Scottish DJ and music producer, now living in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Brown produces and plays a variety of genres commonly called rave. Although he is most associated with bouncy techno, his music ranges from happy hardcore, through hard trance, to...
, Technosis, The Rhythmic State, TTF, Ultra-Sonic, Scooter
Scooter (band)
Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
, Paul Elstak, DJ Weirdo & DJ Sim, Technotrance, Ultimate Buzz, Sonicdriver.
DJs: -
DJ Bass Generator, DJ Brisk, DJ Buzz Fuzz, Carl Cox
Carl Cox
Carl Cox is a British techno and house music DJ.-Biography:Cox grew up in Oldham, Lancashire, before attending Glastonbury High Boys secondary modern school on Glastonbury Road in Morden. Cox began his career as a hardcore and rave DJ in the mid 1980s...
, DJ Demand, DJ Excel, DJ Joey Beltram, DJ JMS, DJ Marc Smith, DJ Mikey B, DJ Pagan, DJ Paul Elstak, DJ Scott, DJ Disk Jockey, DJ Attack, DJ Selector C, DJ Charlie, DJ Scott Brown, DJ Technotrance, DJ Ten, DJ Fruit Snax, DJ Tizer, DJ Vince, DJ Tom Wilson
Techno Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson was a Scottish radio disc jockey, best remembered for his longtime contribution to the Scottish dance music scene...
, DJ X-ray, Forze DJ Team, The Nightraver,
Raves: -
Afterdark, Awesome 101, The Colosseum, Dance Concept, Dimensional, Dreamscape, Fantazia, FUBAR, Hangar 13, Hellraiser, Helter Skelter, Hysteria, Intelligence, Judgement Day, Futureglow, Mayday, Metro, A Nightmare in Rotterdam, Nosebleed, Rezerection, The Blue Monkey, Planetary, The Venue, Energi House, Club Kinetic
Record labels: -
Bouncy Techno (the label), Babyboom Records, Bass Generator Records, Breeze Records, Clubscene Records, Dwarf Records, Essential Platinum, Evolution Records, Forze Records, Global Records, Great British Techno (G.B.T.), Happy Trax, Jolly Roger Records, Massive Respect Records, Pengo Records, Poosh, Rave Records, Screwdriver Records, Shoop!, Twisted Vinyl, Waxweazle Records, Quosh, Steven Caroll records, Kontor Records, Sheffield Tunes
Well known releases: -
- Bass Generator - The Event (Bass Generator Records, GTX006, 1993)
- Bass Reaction - Technophobia (Shoop!, SHOOP 8, 1993)
- Bass X - Hardcore Disco (Shoop!, 1993)
- Bass X - Bass X (1994)
- Lord of Hardcore - Work that Sukka (Screwdriver Records, SCREW2, 1995)
- MIC - Bounce, Bounce, Bounce (Bass Generator Records, GTX 015, 1994)
- QFX - Virtual Reality (1993)
- Q-Tex - Get on the floor (Evolution, 1995)
- The Scotchman - Mayhem (Dwarf Records, DWARF 001, 1994)
- Hyperact - House Aggression (Dwarf Records, DWARF 003, 1994)
- Scott Brown vs DJ Rab S - Now Is The Time (Evolution Records, EV 015, 1994)
- The Scotchman - Happy Vibes (Babyboom Records, BABY 002, 1995)
- Infernus - Funcore (Babyboom Records, BABY 005, 1995)
- Denztrax - Lost Denz (Poosh, Poosh 3, 1995)
- Scott Brown - A New Feeling (Screwdriver Records, SCREW 6, 1995)
- Technopia - Ultimate Response (Bass Generator Records, GTX 043, 1996)
- Neurotek - Cocaine (Bass Generator Records)
- Neurotek - Crowd Control (Bass Generator Records)
External links=