Breakbeat hardcore is a form of EDM emerging near the end of the 1980s by the British club scene, commonly referred to as one of the founding styles of rave music and one of the earlier developments of Hardcore [EDM] music. The style originated by the fusion of Techno and Acid House synths with the aggression of Hip Hop and Britcore rhythms, later influenced by other nascent styles coming from Britain including Bleep Techno and Ragga. Rhythmically, breakbeat hardcore uses a combination of sampled breakbeats with four-on-the-floor rhythms from techno and House. It originally ranged between 120-150 in BPM, although later productions have used faster tempos (up to 170, nowadays the standard of most Drum and Bass productions). Production was often sample-based, with sources ranging from vocal hooks from different records, synthesized "stabs" and "hoovers", and quotes coming from audiovisual media and other speeches. The style was highly favored by rave parties spreading across the UK and Europe during the early 1990s leading to a quick popularity.
Commercial crossover of breakbeat hardcore became common after 1991 as productions began ranking in the UK dance charts. The style eventually took a more melodic form, largely utilizing "diva" vocalists and energetic keyboard and piano riffing. Two parallel developments began shortly in the underground as alternate responses to these styles, mainly Darkside, which eschewed these characteristics in favor of raw and fast atmospheres with further rhythmic syncopation; another form of breakbeat hardcore, referred to as "4-beat", largely took these melodic stylings with faster tempos and rhythms - nowadays recognized as a prototype of Happy Hardcore. Thanks to these influences various breakbeat hardcore producers began to develop the groundworks of the Jungle genre that would later develop into a more independent style.
Breakbeat hardcore began to lose popularity after 1993 as producers became to shift on other developments, largely the highly favored styles of jungle and happy hardcore as well as the rising popularity of Breakbeat and its subgenres. The decline of attendance in rave parties across Europe due to illegal activity has also led to its decreased popularity.
By the 2000s various underground circles and labels like Warehouse Wax became renowned by incorporating throwbacks to earlier breakbeat hardcore and rave music with modern production stylings, such style now referred to as Hardcore Breaks. This sound would be further developed by the 2010s movement, with its producers seeking and fusing elements from subgenres that weren't originally associated with breakbeat hardcore such as modern drum and bass, UK Garage, Breakcore and Footwork. A resurgent community of veteran and newcomer breakbeat hardcore and jungle producers also took prominence in the underground electronic music community since the late 2010s, largely owing to the aesthetics characterized by the original scene
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