Gabber

Gabber (/ˈɡæbər/; Dutch: [ˈxɑbər]), also known as gabba, early hardcore or Rotterdam hardcore, is a style of electronic music and a subgenre of hardcore techno. It is characterised by fast beats and samples, and was developed in Rotterdam in the 1990s by producers like Paul Elstak. Seminal early labels were Rotterdam Records, Mokum Records and Industrial Strength Recordings. The word "gabber" comes from Amsterdam Bargoens slang and means "friend".

For other meanings of gabber, see gabber (disambiguation). For the hardcore music in the 2000s, see Mainstream hardcore.

Gabber
Hakken (dancing to gabber)
Cultural originsEarly 1990s, Netherlands (Rotterdam)
Typical instruments
Derivative formsMainstream hardcore
Subgenres
Speedcore, Terrorcore
Regional scenes
  • Netherlands
  • London
  • Midwestern United States
Other topics

Gabber and its subculture became highly popular in the Netherlands, eventually becoming part of mainstream culture in the 1990s. The music quickly spread to London and the Midwestern United States. After falling out of fashion, it became popular again in the 2000s and once more in the late 2010s, being endorsed by artists including Jebroer.

Origins

Gabber, also known as gabba, early hardcore or Rotterdam hardcore, is a style of electronic music and a subgenre of hardcore techno.[1][2] It was derived from acid house, techno and New Beat in the early 1990s. The musical style is described as "a relentless mix of superfast BPMs, distorted kickdrums and roared vocals".[3] The music is typically 180 to 190 beats per minute with samples taken from films or other tracks.[4]

The word "gabber" comes from an Amsterdam Bargoens slang based on the Hebrew chaver) meaning "mate" or "friend".[5][2] 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 first Euromasters record (released through Rotterdam Records in 1992), "Gabber zijn is geen schande!" ("It's not a disgrace to be a gabber!").[6] The word gained popularity in the Rotterdam music scene and people started to call themselves "gabbers".[7]

Music

Influential early labels were DJ Paul Elstak's Rotterdam Records, Mokum Records in Amsterdam and Lenny Dee's New York based Industrial Strength Recordings.[8] Alongside Elstak and Dee, other early artists included Marc Acardipane, The Prophet and Rotterdam Termination Source.[8]

Elstak and DJ Rob organised parties first at Parkzicht in Rotterdam and when numbers increased at the Energiehal. ID&T later organised Thunderdome parties for up to 40,000 people.[6] When the sound spread to London in the mid-1990s, Dead by Dawn parties at the 121 Centre in Brixton played gabba, speedcore and noise.[9] In the Midwestern United States gabber inspired the foundation of the label Drop Bass Network.[10]

Subculture
The most commonly used logo for early hardcore

The popularity of gabber created a youth subculture in the Netherlands. Fashion-wise, gabber ravers wore tracksuits, bomber jackets and Nike Air Max shoes.[8] Tennis tracksuits from the Italian fashion label L’Alpina were prized.[11] Most men shaved their heads bald, while women braided their hair and shaved the sides. Drug use was common, with ecstasy and speed the popular choice.[12]

Later the look became blouses and short skirts for women.[12] Men wore polo T-shirts and shirts with jeans and army boots, with a racist minority wearing the Lonsdale brand because of its connection to right-wing extremism.[11] Gabber also had a small following in the German neo-Nazi fringe movement.[10] In order to repudiate the connection, labels and artists began to release anti-fascist and anti-racist statements. Some examples includes "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.[13] Mokum Records made its slogan (printed on all records): "Hardcore united against fascism and racism" and in addition some gabber producers are people of colour such as Dark Raver, Paul Elstak and Loftgroover.[4] When gabber became popular again in the 2000s, Dutch neo-Nazis attempted to capitalise on it but their structures were short-lived.[12]

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.[14] Its popularity also led to parody tracks such as Gabber Piet's "Hakke & Zage" which drew on the theme tune of the Peppi & Kokki children's television show.[14] The name also referred to hakken, the style of gabber dancing characterised by fast leg movements which had become popular.[4] Gabber fans were angered by the commercialisation of their scene and Gabber Piet was fired from his job at ID&T. His album Love U Hardcore attempted to make amends but it did not sell well.[14]

2010s resurgence

In the late 2010s, gabber experienced another resurgence with artists such as Nina Kraviz and groups such as Boiler Room welcoming harder and faster beats again.[3][6] Thunderdome organised a party to celebrate 25 years of hardcore at the Jaarbeurs congress centre in Utrecht. It was attended by 40,000 ravers.[8]

See also

Notes
  1. "Hardcore History: Introducing Hardcore Techno". Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  2. Reynolds, Simon (2013). Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture (eBook). Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-78316-6. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  3. Muggs, Joe (10 January 2020). "Gabber: return of dance music's gloriously tasteless subgenre". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  4. Balli, Riccardo (2004). "How to Cure a Gabba". Dancecult. 6 (2). doi:10.12801/1947-5403.2014.06.02.12. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  5. "Hebrew and Yiddish Words in Common Dutch". Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  6. "It’s Not A Disgrace To Be A Gabber!" Archived 2017-01-26 at the Wayback Machine, Boiler Room (8 November 2014)
  7. Bogdanov, Vladimir (2001). All Music Guide to Electronica: The Definitive Guide to Electronic Music (4th ed.). Backbeat Books. pp. x. ISBN 978-0879306281.
  8. "Thunderdome: 25 years of hardcore". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  9. "Dead by Dawn, Brixton, 1994-96". History is made at night. 29 September 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  10. Silcott, Mireille (1999). Rave America: New School Dancescapes. ECW Press. pp. 114–7. ISBN 978-1-55022-383-5. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  11. "Understanding the Visual Language of Gabber". Boiler Room. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  12. "Extreemrechtse gabbers anno2005". Kafka. Archived from the original on 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  13. DJ Chosen Few - Chosen Anthem (Against Racism) Archived 2012-11-09 at the Wayback Machine (MOK 8, Mokum Records 1993); Party Animals feat. MC Rob Gee - Die Nazi Scum Archived 2012-11-09 at the Wayback Machine (MOK 54, Mokum Records 1996); Hellcore - Fuck the Nazism Archived 2012-11-09 at the Wayback Machine (BDR-CD-02, Braindestruction Recordz, 2003); United Hardcore Against Racism & Hate - Time to Make a Stand Archived 2012-11-09 at the Wayback Machine (HUR 001, Hardcore United Records, 2005).
  14. "An Entire Generation of Dutch Children Was Ruined by Gabber". Archived from the original on 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
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