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Gabber

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromEarly hardcore)
For other meanings of gabber, seegabber (disambiguation).For the hardcore music in the 2000s, seeMainstream hardcore.

Gabber
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsEarly 1990s,Netherlands(Rotterdam)
Typical instruments
Subgenres
Regional scenes
Other topics

Gabber(/ˈɡæbər/GAB-ər,Dutch:[ˈɣɑbər]ⓘ) is a style ofelectronic dance musicand a subgenre ofhardcore techno,as well as the surrounding subculture. The music is more commonly referred to as hardcore, and is characterised by fast beats, distorted and heavy kickdrums, with dark themes and samples. This style was developed inRotterdamandAmsterdamin the 1990s[1]by producers likeMarc Acardipane,Paul Elstak,DJ Rob,andThe Prophet,forming record labels such asRotterdam Records,Mokum Records,Pengo Records and Industrial Strength Records.

The wordgabbercomes from AmsterdamBargoensslang and means "friend".

Gabber remains highly popular in theNetherlands,and has seen a major resurgence in recent years.[2]Gabber formed as an underground, anti-establishment movement with small, underground raves, most often illegally held in empty warehouses, basements and tunnels.[3]Raveparties such asThunderdome,held byID&TandMysteryland,became hugely popular, eventually becoming part of mainstream Dutch culture in the 1990s. The music and culture quickly spread across Europe and the world, finding a home with the rave communities in countries such as the UK, Spain, Italy, US, and Australia.

Origins

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The most commonly used logo for early hardcore, mimicking theLonsdalelogo

Gabber, also known asgabba,early hardcoreandRotterdam hardcoreis a style ofelectronic musicand a subgenre ofhardcore techno.[4][5]It was derived fromacid house,technoandnew beatin the early 1990s.[citation needed]The musical style is described as "a relentless mix of superfast BPMs, distorted kickdrums, and roared vocals".[6]The music is generally between 140 and 190beats per minutewith samples taken from films or other tracks.[7]One of the most characteristic components of gabber/early hardcore first appeared in the track "Anasthasia" (1991) fromT99.[8][9]

The wordgabbercomes from an AmsterdamBargoensslang, based on theHebrewchavermeaning "mate"or" friend ".[10][5]An Amsterdam DJ was asked about the hard Rotterdam scene and said "They're just a bunch of gabbers having fun". Having heard this, Paul Elstak etched in the vinyl on the firstEuromastersrecord (released throughRotterdam Recordsin 1992), "Gabber zijn is geen schande!"('It's not a disgrace to be a gabber!').[11]The word gained popularity in the Rotterdam music scene and people started to call themselves "gabbers".[12]

Music

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Influential early labels wereDJ Paul Elstak's Rotterdam Records,Mokum Recordsin Amsterdam, andLenny Dee's New York based Industrial Strength Recordings.[13]Alongside Elstak and Dee, other early artists includedMarc Acardipane,The Prophet,andRotterdam Termination Source.[13]

Elstakand DJ Rob organised parties first at Parkzicht in Rotterdam and when the numbers attending increased they moved to theEnergiehal.ID&Tlater organisedThunderdomeparties for up to 40,000 people.[11]When the sound spread to London in the mid-1990s, Dead by Dawn parties at the121 Centrein Brixton played gabba,speedcore,andnoise.[14]In theMidwestern United States,gabber inspired the foundation of the label Drop Bass Network.[15]

Subculture

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A man performinghakken,a dance unique to gabber

The popularity of gabber created a youthsubculturein the Netherlands. Fashion-wise, gabber ravers woretracksuits,bomber jackets,andNike Air Maxshoes.[13]Tennis tracksuits from the Italian fashion label Australian by L'Alpina were prized, the tracksuits were often referred to as "Aussies".[16]Most men shaved their heads bald, while women braided their hair and shaved the sides. Drug use was common, withecstasyandspeedthe popular choices.[17]

Later the look became blouses and short skirts for women.[17]Men worepolo shirtsand shirts with jeans and army boots, with a racist minority wearing theLonsdalebrand because of its connection toright-wing extremism.[16]Gabber also had a small following in the GermanNeo-Nazifringe movement.[15]In order to repudiate the connection, labels and artists began to release anti-fascistand anti-raciststatements. Some examples include "Chosen Anthem (Against Racism)" by DJ Chosen Few, "Die Nazi Scum" by Party Animals featuring MC Rob Gee, "Time to Make a Stand" by United Hardcore, and "Fuck the Nazism" by Hellcore.[18]Mokum Records made its slogan (printed on all records): "Hardcore united againstfascismandracism".Some producers are themselves black, such as The Dark Raver and Loftgroover.[7]When gabber became popular again in the 2000s, DutchNeo-Nazisattempted to capitalize on it, but their attempts were short-lived.[17]

By the mid-1990s, gabber had become part of mainstream culture in the Netherlands.Billboardmagazine called it the country's "first homegrown youth culture" in 1997.[19]Its popularity also led to parody tracks, such as Gabber Piet's "Hakke & Zage", which drew on the theme tune of thePeppi & Kokkichildren's television show.[19]The name also referred tohakken,the style of gabber dancing characterized by fast leg movements that had become popular.[7]Gabber fans were angered by the commercialization of their scene, and Gabber Piet was fired from his job at ID&T. His albumLove U Hardcoreattempted to make amends but it did not sell well.[19]

The 2023 filmHardcore Never Diesis set during the 1990s gabber scene in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

25 years of hardcore

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While the peak of gabber popularity waned in the years after the millennium, there always remained a die-hard few that kept the sound and culture alive. In 2017,Thunderdomecelebrated 25 years of hardcore at theJaarbeurscongress centre in Utrecht. It was attended by 40,000 ravers[13]and was heralded as the official comeback for Thunderdome. The event was the ultimate encapsulation of the history of hardcore, featuring the biggest names in hardcore, showcasing evolution of hardcore music over 25 years from all of the leading hardcore DJs and producers from then and now.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^"A Brief History of Gabber - The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision".Google Arts & Culture.Retrieved26 September2021.
  2. ^"Thunderdome: the Dutch rave with the world's fastest, hardest music".the Guardian.30 October 2019.Retrieved26 September2021.
  3. ^"About".Multigroove.Retrieved26 September2021.
  4. ^"Hardcore History: Introducing Hardcore Techno".Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2011.Retrieved25 February2014.
  5. ^abReynolds, Simon (2013).Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture(eBook).Routledge.ISBN978-1-136-78316-6.Retrieved19 July2020.
  6. ^Muggs, Joe (10 January 2020)."Gabber: return of dance music's gloriously tasteless subgenre".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 9 July 2020.Retrieved19 July2020.
  7. ^abcBalli, Riccardo (2004)."How to Cure a Gabba".Dancecult.6(2).doi:10.12801/1947-5403.2014.06.02.12.Retrieved19 July2020.
  8. ^"Famous Sounds".Synth Mania.Retrieved10 March2024.
  9. ^"Muziekencyclopedie - Dj Rob".Archived fromthe originalon 24 June 2023.Retrieved23 June2023.
  10. ^"Hebrew and Yiddish Words in Common Dutch".Archivedfrom the original on 27 July 2014.Retrieved25 February2014.
  11. ^ab"It’s Not A Disgrace To Be A Gabber!"Archived26 January 2017 at theWayback Machine,Boiler Room(8 November 2014)
  12. ^Bogdanov, Vladimir (2001).All Music Guide to Electronica: The Definitive Guide to Electronic Music(4th ed.). Backbeat Books. pp. x.ISBN978-0879306281.
  13. ^abcd"Thunderdome: 25 years of hardcore".Resident Advisor.Archivedfrom the original on 28 May 2019.Retrieved19 July2020.
  14. ^"Dead by Dawn, Brixton, 1994-96".History is made at night.29 September 2007.Retrieved19 July2020.
  15. ^abSilcott, Mireille (1999).Rave America: New School Dancescapes.ECW Press. pp. 114–7.ISBN978-1-55022-383-5.Retrieved19 July2020.
  16. ^ab"Understanding the Visual Language of Gabber".Boiler Room.Retrieved19 July2020.
  17. ^abc"Extreemrechtse gabbers anno2005".Kafka. 28 February 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 14 May 2019.Retrieved28 May2019.
  18. ^DJ Chosen Few -Chosen Anthem (Against Racism)Archived9 November 2012 at theWayback Machine(MOK 8, Mokum Records 1993); Party Animals feat. MC Rob Gee -Die Nazi ScumArchived9 November 2012 at theWayback Machine(MOK 54, Mokum Records 1996); Hellcore -Fuck the NazismArchived9 November 2012 at theWayback Machine(BDR-CD-02, Braindestruction Recordz, 2003); United Hardcore Against Racism & Hate -Time to Make a StandArchived9 November 2012 at theWayback Machine(HUR 001, Hardcore United Records, 2005).
  19. ^abc"An Entire Generation of Dutch Children Was Ruined by Gabber".4 February 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 28 May 2019.Retrieved28 May2019.
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