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| Speedcore | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Mid-1990s[1] |
| Subgenres | |
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| Fusion genres | |
| Cybergrind | |
| Regional scenes | |
| Other topics | |
Speedcore is a form ofelectronic music that is characterized by a hightempo and aggressive themes.[1] It was created in the early to mid-1990s and the name originates from thehardcore genre as well as the high tempo used. Songs are usually classified as speedcore at around 300+beats per minute (BPM), but this can vary.[3]
Aside from the very fast tempo, speedcore can often be distinguished from other forms ofhardcore by an aggressive and overridden electronic percussion track that is often punctuated with a hyperactive snare or tom-tom fills. Most producers willoverdrive their kicks so far that they becomesquare waves.[4] SpeedcoreDJs often use violent, vulgar, and offensive themes in their music to push the boundaries of the genre.[5]
Since the 2000s, the use ofdigital audio workstations (DAWs) has grown versus the use ofanalog synthesizers ortrackers.[4]
Speedcore is a natural progression of hardcore techno. Hardcore was already considered fast, however, there were those who were not content to stay at the established speed. Early speedcore was about pushing the limits of BPM and aggression level. One of the first songs to explore higher speeds was "Thousand" byMoby in 1992, which peaked at approximately 1,015 BPM.[6][5]
The term speedcore in reference to high tempo hardcore/gabber can be traced as far back as 1995.[7][8] Disciples Of Annihilation coined the name of the genre with their track "NYC Speedcore".[4] Belgian artist DJ Einrich refined the sound in the late 1990s, using oscillators to transform fast kick drums into notes in octaves.[5]
It was not until the early 2000s that the genre was commonly referred to as speedcore. Before then, many tracks that would be considered speedcore were referred to as "gabba".[9][10]
The early 2000s saw the birth of manynetlabels dedicated to speedcore. Many labels who producedvinyl were also publishingMP3 files on their websites, which became increasingly popular and made it easier for new producers to enter the scene.
The 2010s saw a large growth in netlabels.DAWs made it cheaper and easier for new musicians to make experimental music. The internet allowed producers from around the world to communicate with each other and share their works through netlabels.Compilation albums became very popular for artists to share their music as they could get more exposure than by themselves. A large portion of the speedcore scene now occurs online from netlabels to speedcore promotion channels onYouTube. Speedcore was no longer restrained to localized areas where raves occurred and records were released.
Speedcore is often called splittercore when the BPM count is between 600 and 1,000.[5] Splittercore is subsequently identified with kick patterns resemblingmachine gun fire. In the 1990s splittercore was sometimes referred to as nosebleed techno.[4]
Flashcore is a genre that grew out of speedcore,industrial hardcore andIDM. While being originally related to speedcore, flashcore is defined by its complex avant-garde structures and abstract sounds, making it more similar toelectroacoustic music andexperimental music rather than any mainstreamEDM genre. Most of the genre's works focus on intense, rhythmic, and layered soundscapes.[11]
Speedcore with a tempo of 1,000 or higher is called extratone. In this range of tempo, the separation between kicks are negligible to the human ear and thus the beat sounds like one constant note with a shifting pitch; extratone often has sudden increases or decreases in tempo to change the pitch of the tone. The name "extratone" originates from combining the two German wordsextrahieren (to extract) andtone (sound).[5]
