| Gabber | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 1990s,Netherlands (Rotterdam) |
| Typical instruments | |
| Subgenres | |
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| Other topics | |
Gabber (/ˈɡæbər/GAB-ər;Dutch:[ˈɣɑbər]ⓘ) is a style ofelectronic dance music and a subgenre ofhardcore, as well as the surrounding subculture. The music is more commonly referred to ashardcore, and is characterised by fast beats, distorted and heavy kickdrums, with dark themes and samples. This style was developed inRotterdam andAmsterdam in 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 wordgabber comes from AmsterdamBargoens slang 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]Rave parties such asThunderdome, held byID&T andMysteryland, 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.
Gabber is a style ofelectronic music and a subgenre ofhardcore.[4][5] It was derived from house andtechno, plus elements of breakbeat hardcore andnew beat, in the early 1990s.[citation needed] The musical style is described as "a relentless mix of superfast BPMs, distorted kickdrums, and roared vocals",[6] blended with house-style breakbeats and hi-hat fillers. The music is generally between 140 and 190beats per minute with 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 wordgabber comes from an AmsterdamBargoens slang, based on theHebrewchaver meaning "mate" or "friend", loaned through Yiddish.[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 firstEuromasters record (released throughRotterdam Records in 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] Some, however, state that 'gabber' derives from usage at house clubs which gabbers visited, where 'gabber' became an insult that club security used to collectively describe these people, with often raucous and hooliganish behaviour, that were often seen as undesirable.
Influential early labels wereDJ Paul Elstak's Rotterdam Records,Mokum Records in 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]
Elstak and DJ Rob organised parties first at Parkzicht in Rotterdam and when the numbers attending increased they moved to theEnergiehal.ID&T later organisedThunderdome parties for up to 40,000 people, running for around twenty years before breaking then relaunching in 2017.[11] When the sound spread to London in the mid-1990s, Dead by Dawn parties at the121 Centre in Brixton played gabba,speedcore, andnoise.[14] In theMidwestern United States, gabber inspired the foundation of the label Drop Bass Network.[15]
The popularity of gabber created a youthsubculture in the Netherlands. Gabber ravers were often stereotyped as wearingtracksuits,bomber jackets, andNike Air Max shoes.[13] Tennis tracksuits from the Italian fashion label Australian by L'Alpina were prized, being often referred to as "Aussies", and possibly being related to the eshay subculture of Australia, where gabber was often listened to.[16] Another popular brand in tracksuits wasCavello, which suits were more colorful than the straight forward designs by Australian.[17][18] Most men shaved their heads bald, while women braided their hair and shaved the sides. Drug use was common, withecstasy andspeed the popular choices.[19]
Later the look became blouses and short skirts for women.[19] Men worepolo shirts and shirts with jeans and army boots, similar to that ofskinhead punks. Along with a racist minority wearing theLonsdale brand because of its connection toright-wing extremism.[16] Gabber also had a small following in the GermanNeo-Nazi fringe movement.[15] In order to repudiate the connection, labels and artists began to release anti-fascist and anti-racist statements. 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.[20] Mokum Records made its slogan (printed on all records): "Hardcore united againstfascism andracism". Some producers are themselves black, such as The Dark Raver and Loftgroover.[7] When gabber became popular again in the 2000s, DutchNeo-Nazis attempted to capitalize on it, but their attempts were short-lived.[19]
By the mid-1990s, gabber had become part of mainstream culture in the Netherlands.Billboard magazine called it the country's "first homegrown youth culture" in 1997.[21] Its popularity also led to parody tracks, such as Gabber Piet's "Hakke & Zage", which drew on the theme tune of thePeppi & Kokki children's television show.[21] 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 Hardcore attempted to make amends but it did not sell well.[21]
The 2023 filmHardcore Never Dies is set during the 1990s gabber scene in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
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,Thunderdome celebrated 25 years of hardcore at theJaarbeurs congress 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.