Thanx to S-Scape for information used in this FAQ!
If you...
Have any questions which you would
like to add,
Or you would like to answer any unanswered
questions,
Or think you have a better answer
or can explain more clearly any answer I have
already then please contact me.
Specific contributions
from:
Matthew Woodget
- mafew@null.net.
Simon Patten - s.patten@pls.bris.ac.uk.
Kenneth - kenneth_van_surksum@mailgw.valkieser.nl.
Toddy - ftodd@netcomuk.co.uk.
DJ Bil,Scotland
- 101767.1341@compuserve.com.
DJ Muppet - hardcorp@io.com.
Dave Bolton - evado@fl.net.au.
DJ Twilight - chrisk@gco.apana.org.au.
Mark White - white@zetnet.co.uk.
Jaap Spiering -
spiering@caiw.nl.
Chris Cole - chrisc@patrol.i-way.co.uk.
Rich Weston (S-Scape)
- cm3bcrgw@bs47c.staffs.ac.uk.
Danny Stringer -
dan@fl.net.au.
David Ferguson -
dav@accucomm.net.
...and with general
contributions from the people on the happy hardcore mailing list.
Thankyou all.
FAQ Contents:
What is happy hardcore?
What is a rave?
What is a raver?
Who makes happy hardcore?
What record labels release happy hardcore?
Are there any happy hardcore compilations?
Where can reviews of happy hardcore
records be found?
What clubs play happy hardcore?
What is a DJ?
Who are the big name DJ's?
What is an MC?
Who are the big name MC's
Some classic MC lines?
What are some of the the big happy
hardcore events?
What is PLUR?
What is ROAR?
How can you make happy hardcore?
What is Ecstacy/E/X?
Are there any happy hardcore anthems?
What's a track,module,sample???
What is the TB303 and what use does
it have in happy hardcore?
What's IRC???
In which countries is happy hardcore
popular?
What's the difference between happy
hardcore and breakbeat?
Where can I get tape packs of events
from?
What is happy hardcore?
It's a mutation of early 90's British breakbeat hardcore
and jungle, fused with
German/Dutch 4/4 percussion and synthesizer stab patterns.
Most common elements
are female vocals laid over major piano chords (usually
with some bass and strings in the
background). Speeds range from 160 bpm up to around 200bpm.
Other names for happy hardcore include:
4-Beat, Happycore and Bouncy techno (or soft gabba)
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What is a rave?
Basically, loads of people who love the music getting
together in one place, dancing all night to the
music they love. In the US it is normally held underground
and envolves loads of tripping and frying
(not that different from the UK I 'spose!)... thanks
to DJ/THC for that!
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What is a raver?
People who go to the above.
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Who makes happy hardcore?
Mainly happy hardcore Dj's such as Seduction, Sy &
Unknown, Brisk, Slipmatt, Dougal, Vibes &
Wishdokta, Billy Bunter, DNA, Hixxy, Ham and Energy (to
name just a few!)
Force and Styles
Happy Nation
S-Scape
Eruption
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What record labels release happy hardcore?
Happy Jack Recordings Stage One Music
Co. Ltd POBox 1000,Romford,Essex,RM6 4RU
Evolution Records POBox 1402 Cumbernauld,Glasgow,G67
2JJ
KniteForce Records POBox 80,Loughton,Essex
Hectic Records POBox 120,Portsmouth
P01 1EU
Impact Records POBox 3391,London N6
5RB
Stompin' Stilton POBox 1587,Edinburgh
EH3 9YX
Club Records/Goblins POBox 473,2700
AL Zoetermeer, Netherlands
Happy Trax POBox 3567 London E16 2NP
UK Dance POBox 3101,Great Holland,
Frinton on Sea,Essex C013 0JZ
Slammin' Vinyl POBox 3679,London N18
1JU
United Dance Recordings POBox 2851,Chelmsford,Essex
CM2 7QW
Triffik Toons POBox 202,Camberley,Surrey
GU16 52P If you want it slightly harder..then try
these!
Ruffneck Records POBox 48, 3300 AA
Dordrecht, Netherlands
Rotterdam Records POBox 9442, 3007
AK Rotterdam, Netherlands
Dwarf Records Van Kinksbergenstraat
851, 2518 GW Den Haag, Netherlands
ID & T Industrieweg 16, 1521 NC,
Wormerveer, Netherlands
Motor Music GmbH Holzdamm 57, 20099
Hamburg, Germany
Noculan Records POBox 9108, 3007 AC,
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Mokum Records Bijdorp 2, 1181 MZ,
Amstelveen, Netherlands (e-mail:rrp@roadrunner.nl)
Triple B Records POBox 4233, 5604
EE, Eindhoven, Netherlands
React, web-site:http://www.musicnetwork.com/react
(e-mail:react@music-network.com)
Phone numbers only no address on the label:
Big Beat Records 0586 308457
Just Another Label 0181 5972291
Massive Respect 0141 353 2074/0141
353 1118
Combined Forces +31-(0)70-3562732
(FAX)
Other HH labels for which no contact address/number is
known.
(get in touch if you have details):
Remix records
Fusion
Essential Platinium
Pure Dance
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Where can reviews of happy hardcore records be found?
UK Happy Hardcore Golden CD's
UK Happy Hardcore Golden Vinyls
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What clubs play happy hardcore?
Kinetic, Stoke on Trent (Fridays)
Vibealite
Goldiggers, Chippenham (Fridays)
The Fruit Club, Brunel Rooms, Swindon
(Alternate Fridays)
Club Labyrinth, London (Saturdays)
Milwaukees, Bedford (Fridays)
Speedway Stadium, Kings Lynn (Fridays)
Dizstruxshon, Mexborough (nr Sheffield)
(Fridays)
Fusion/Adrenalin events - Bath, Basingstoke,
Blandford, etc.
Bristol Exposure - Occasional events
in Bristol (Saturdays)
Zig Zags - Worcester (Fridays)
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What is a DJ?
Short for Disc Jockey, a happy hardcore DJ is not your
average disco DJ. They beat match records
so that, in theory, a continuous flow of music can be
sustained throughout the duration of a rave.
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Who are the big name DJ's?
Uk: Brisk, Dougal, Sy, Unknown, Slipmatt,
Seduction, Druid, Vinylgroover,
Ramos, Vibes, Hixxy, Dance, Demo,
Clarkee, Billy Bunter, Demand
Stu Allan, Dream, Jimmy J and Energy.
Netherlands: Bass-D & King Matthew,
Paul Elstak, Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo,
The Revolution Team, Gizmo, Isaac,
Panic, Waxweazle, Buzz Fuzz, Delirium, Rob, Flamman &
Abraxas (the party animals) and Omar
Santana.
US: Omar Santana (also gabba, etc.,
even has done a trip hop tape!), Eric L.-can be e-mailed
at djericl@aol.com, Kage\Paulina Taylor-can
be e-mailed at kage19@idt.liberty.com,
Demigod, Ron D. Core and R.A.W. (spins
old school & jungle too), Delta 9 (also gabba).
Australia: Spellbound, Nik Fish, Paul
Holden, Jumpin' Jack, Akira, Chester, Peter Tribe,
Daydream, Asterix, Vegas and Pee Wee.
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What is an MC?
Stands for "Master of Ceremonies", originally used by
the Hip-Hop and Ragga scenes but (in the
context of dance music) now meaning someone who incites
the crowd, introduces the DJs, etc. They
are supposed to compliment the music.
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Who are the big name MC's?
Sharkey, Marley, Lively, Ribbs, Magika, Stixman, Squidgey
B, Connie
GQ, Man Parris, MC and Matrix.
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Some classic MC lines?
From the fantastic Sharky....
(Not exactly the happiest but quite funny)
"I come from afar,
I come from planet Mars,
I've come to kick your brain,
right up your f***** arse!"
"Get ready on the dance floor, ready
for the DJ to give you more"
"Attack the dancefloor like a bulldozer,
those who came to stand move over"
"If I'm not back in 5 minutes... wait
some more"
"You are all my children NOW!!! ha
ha ha!"
The last two are when he's really off it! *GRIN*
And of course... "Whistle crew, whistle crew, where are you?"
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What are some of the the big happy hardcore events?
Hardcore heaven - UK
Helter Skelter - UK
United Dance - UK
Dreamscape - UK
Pandemonium - UK
World Dance - UK
Evolution - UK
Fusion - UK
Hysteria - UK
Adrenalin - UK
Rezerection - (mainly) Scotland
Elysium - Toronto, CA.
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What is PLUR?
PLUR stands for "Peace, Love, Unity and Respect". It's
an ideal that most happy hardcore
ravers strive to live by whilst they are amongst fellow
ravers and also hopefully in everyday life!
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What is ROAR?
ROAR stands for "Right Of Admission Reserved". This means
that they don't have to let you
in the club/event if they don't like the look of you
- even if you have paid!!!
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How can you make happy hardcore?
Lots of late nights, a big record collection, a huge
sampler, a sequencer and a truckload of Pepsi Max
*GRIN*. Spend money on quality equipment and then learn
how to mix music. A record label owner
was quoted as saying "I've received loads of demo tapes
written by some kid with an Amiga and
they've gone in the bin after the first listen!"
Seriously though practise, practise, practise. Don't expect your first tune to be the next Toytown!
Starting:
1. Grab your PC
2. Find some tracker software at ftp sites
3. Find sample software at the same sites
4. Get creative
5. This should tell you whether you have enough talent/perseverance
to be successful.
6. Think about upgrades:
i. Sampler
ii. Effects
iii. DAT
etc. etc. - Dave Bolton
Basically a sampler and a sequencer is needed.
A sampler takes sounds that you put in and lets you play
them back at different pitches. Most
samplers let you play the sound on a keyboard, so if
a piano is sampled the keyboard will sound like a
piano.
A sequencer lets you record tracks, for example track
1 could be a piano, track 2 could be a
breakbeat, etc. It is different from a multi-track tape
recorder in that it only records which notes are
played (e.g. C for 1 beat then D for 2 beats then E etc.)
rather than the actual sounds that come out.
There are several ways of constructing the setup, from
using a program like a soundtracker, which
makes the computer (normally an Amiga or PC) act like
a sampler, to buying a real external sampler. -
Mark White
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What is Ecstacy/E/X?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Ecstasy is
MethyleneDioxy- MethAmphetamine. Other
names include E, X or Adam. In it's raw form it is a
brown/grey powder. Patented in 1913 by a
German company called Merck. It is a hallucinogenic drug
with extraordinary empathogenic qualities.
What does it do?
When ingested Ecstasy triggers the release of Serotonin.
A chemical in the brain that affects the way
we feel. The user will then experience a change in mood.
Each user would describe the feeling
differently but almost universally they will mention
a feeling of calm, or at peace with those around
them. As well as Serotonin the brain will release Endorphins.
These will also relax the user and in
many cases Endorphins act as pain-killers. There will
be a change in the heart rate of the user as the
heartbeat increases as does the blood pressure. The main
effect the drug has on people is to allow
them to become more spiritually aware of the people around
them, to increase one's empathy, and to
make one feel 'amongst friends.' There is also a sensation
known as rushing, which is similarly difficult
to describe as sneezing or having an orgasm. This comes
in waves all through the trip, but more often
at the begining. It is a very powerful feeling of light-headedness,
during which it is common to want to
hold someone's hand close to you. This is also the time
at which you realise how the drug got it's
name.
The above information is taken from the uk.music.rave
FAQ with the kind permission of Simon
Patten.
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Are there any happy hardcore anthems?
Well there's going to be a lot of disagreement between
people concerning musical taste but there are
certain tunes which, either love 'em or hate 'em, have
to be considered as classics/anthems!
Toytown - Hixxy and Sharkey
Free - Nakatomi
6 Days - Jimmy J
Airhead -Brisk
Anything by Force and Styles
Wonderful Days - Charly Lownoise &
Mental Theo
Love you more - DJ Paul Elstak
I wanna be a hippy - Technohead
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What's a track,module,sample???
A track is one tune.
A module is:
a) a computer file which is made up of lots of samples
which are sped up and slowed down to create
a tune and
b) a little box of tricks that you connect to your synth
to give it hundreds more voices/sounds. A
sample is a 'snippit' from someone else's tune or just
from somewhere that can be added into your
track. It could be voice, a drum/break beat, a riff etc.
It's usually quite short. - Chris Cole
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What is the TB303 and what use does it have in happy
hardcore?
The Roland TB-303 Bassline was originally released in
the early 80's. It was meant to be the partner
TR-606 drum machine. Both of these were meant to be used
by guitarists as accompaniment
instruments, but the sounds they produced weren't very
good and the 303 flopped, as did the 606.
The 303 is basically a simple analogue synthesizer with
a few waveforms, and a rather special filter
which gives it that "hmmm, I think this acid line is
melting my brain" squidgeyness. The secret to the
303's sound is the combination of the filter, and the
sequencer, which had a pre-note portamento
function to emulate a guitarist sliding up the neck of
the guitar (wobblin' basslines). When someone
discovered the rather special noises this little box
created, the acid house scene was born. And since
then it's been used by just about everybody. Unfortunately,
because they are so in demand, the
second hand prices are ridiculous. - Rich Weston
The 303 itself isn't used much in happy hardcore, but
a modern copy, the Novation Bass-station is.
Most of the wobbling filtered bass noises you hear in
happy hardcore probably come from one of
these.
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What's IRC???
IRC or "Internet Relay Chat" is a multi-user, multi-channel
chatting network. It allows people all
over the internet to talk to one another in real-time.
IRC is based on a client-server model. Clients are
programs that connect to a server, a server is a program
that transports data (messages) from a user
client to another. There are clients running on many
different systems (Unix, emacs, VMS,
MS-DOS...) that allow you to connect to an IRC server.
It is easy to get on IRC, all you have to do is obtain
the appropriate software ie. MIRC for Windows
etc. or simply run the IRC binary file on your unix system.
Once running you must connect to a server
by issuing the ircII server command "/server server.domain.name"
substituting server.domain.name
with any IRC server. Some servers include: ug.cs.dal.ca
- Canada irc.epix.net - USA
csa.bu.edu - USA irc.ais.net - USA irc2.ais.net - USA
ucsu.colorado.edu - USA
irc.caltech.edu - USA nic.funet.fi - Finland poly.polytechnique.fr
- France noc.belwue.de
- Germany onthenet.goldcoast.oz.org - Australia irc.Univ-Lyon1.Fr
- France. Then enter your
nickname. All communication with another user is either
by nickname of by the channel that other
people or you are on. Join a channel and then start typing.
To join to a channel issue the /join
command ie. "/join #happycore" to leave a channel issue
the /leave channel ie. "/leave #deathmetal".
That's it. - Danny Stringer
Listen out on the happy hardcore mailing list for get
togethers on #happycore
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In which countries is happy hardcore popular?
The UK - the originator!
Australia. It's been massive here for two years - Dave
Bolton 1996
And gradually spreading into Northern America with thanks to Anabolic Frolic.
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What's the difference between happy hardcore and
breakbeat?
Breakbeat is a style of beats, broken up or chopped up
beats that has a 4-4 rythm but not a hit on
every beat. Happy Hardcore can use either breaks or a
4/4 kick (usually both)...
In Australia, breakbeat refers to UK style Happy Hardcore,
while Happy Hardcore refers to Dutch
Style and 'bouncy techno' (Dave Bolton)
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Where can I get tape packs of events from?
The Helter Skelter Organisation, Fairacre,
South Newington Road,
Bloxham, Banbury, OX15 4JB, England
- Tel. (044) +1295 721640
Dreamscape Merchandising 96 Ltd.,
Unit 6 Aztec Centre, 36 Nuffield Road,
Poole, Dorset, England - Tel.(044)
+1202 672424 (Fax (044) +1202 679469)
Adrenalin, P.O. Box 480, Southampton,
SO17 1ZZ, England. - Tel (044) +1374 846002 (Fax
(044) +1703 364446)
Fusion Merchandise, 6 Bluebell Close,
Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO7 8DU,
England. - Tel. (044) +1705 640367
Hardcore Heaven, PO Box 615, Hemel
Hempstead, Herts., HP1 3DJ, England - Tel. (044)
+1525 222353 (10:30am to 6pm GMT)
[24 hour credit card hotline - (044) +115 912 9000 if you
know what you want]
United Dance - Dunno (do you, contact
me if so) but email them at u.dance@maxis.co.uk
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