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| Hardbag | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 1990s, United Kingdom |
Hardbag is agenre ofelectronic dance music popular in the mid-1990s. Having evolved out of thehandbag house scene[1][2][3] in 1993–1994, the genre enjoyed massive, albeit brief, popularity, with several hardbag releases achieving positions in the upper echelons of the UK chart. It was at the time sometimes confused withnu-NRG, yet the styles were discernibly different.
"Don't You Want Me" byFelix is largely considered to be the track that launched the hardbag explosion. Produced byRollo Armstrong ofFaithless,Red Jerry andFelix, "Don't You Want Me" was released in 1992, scoring a Top 10 placing on the UK singles chart.
The popularity of the hardbag genre reached its zenith in 1995 with releases byCommander Tom,Candy Girls, Rollo &Sister Bliss andMrs Wood all crossing over into the mainstream. Indeed, the sound began to meld withmákina, evident on tracks such as "Forever Young" byInteractive and "Rainbow Islands" by Seb.
The two most influential exponents of the sound wereDutch producer Patrick Prins (who, recording a variety of aliases, scored several large UK club and chart hits such as "Bits & Pieces" – Artemesia) and the lateTony De Vit, whose hardbag composition "Hooked" is still considered one of the definitive examples of the genre.[4][5] Another great presence in the hardbag scene wasRed Jerry, former head ofHooj Choons.[6] Other influential producers includeRollo Armstrong (later of the groupFaithless) andPaul Masterson, the latter of whom diversified hardbag remixes to incorporatehi-NRG elements.
By early 1997 the Hardbag craze had died down, since then Hardbag created an influence onUK hard house andelectro house. Labels such as Tripoli Trax expounded this sound via releases such as "Bells Of Revolution" by Lemon 8 and "Raise Your Hands" by Knuckleheadz.
Several hardbag producers went on to become big names within the trance scene in the late 1990s. These includedMatt Darey (as Bi-Boy Action Squad, Orgasmatron and Space Baby),Sister Bliss (as a solo artist and co-producer withRollo and Jon of the Pleased Wimmin), andJohn Graham whose Quivver alias had a hardbag hit with "Saxy Lady" (1994).
The following releases are considered notable examples of the genre:
Hardbag: Loved-up clubbers who liked to put their hands in the air as part of the life-affirming Handbag scene of the early 1990s were forced to step up the pace when Rollo and Sister Bliss blended the genre with Hardcore to bring a new grittiness to the dancefloor
Hardbag- The same roots as handbag but less commercial and cheesy. Similar to hard house, hardbag has a much heavier beat than handbag and there are generally no vocals.
Some genre names were apparently coined as a joke but have stuck, for example handbag, a form of house music characterised by its catchy melodies and upbeat mood. It took its name from the image of women who dance in a circle with their handbags at their feet, intending to be suggestive of the music's unsophisticated, crowd-pleasing quality. So established has it become that it has given rise to a more techno-influenced offshoot, Hardbag.
Dickens began trading under the moniker Red Jerry and Hooj Choons established itself as one of Britain's most consistently successful handbag and hardbag labels.