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Belgian hardcore techno (also referred to as belgian techno or rave techno) is an early style of hardcore techno that emerged from new beat as EBM and techno influences became more prevalent in this genre. It flourished in Belgium and influenced the sound of early hardcore from Netherlands, Germany, Italy, UK and North America during the early-1990s, as a part of the early rave movement during that period.

Belgian hardcore is related to both European techno and hardcore techno, being generally considered part of the latter, due to its harsh sound and similarity to other rave genres like new beat, breakbeat hardcore and gabber. The genre is referred to by several other names, such as "hardcore techno", "techno rave" or simply "rave".

The immediate predecessors of Belgian hardcore were two short-lived techno influenced new beat subgenres called "hard beat" and "skizzo".

History
Originally a slow form of electronic dance music, Belgian new beat evolved into a native form of hardcore techno during the early 1990s with the introduction of techno records played at their intended speeds or slightly accelerated. This brutal new hardcore style spread throughout Europe's rave circuit and reached the pop charts. The belgian hardcore sound also influenced part of the UK and US rave scenes.

The genre was spearheaded by Belgian producers from the new beat scene, like Frank de Wulf, Maurice Engelen, Oliver Adams and Jade4U. This style of music was also pioneered by Dutch projects like Human Resource and Anthrophia. Outside mainland Europe, a small group of producers adopted the style in the UK. The main labels that developed this style in the UK were Kickin’ Records, Vinyl Solution, Rabbit City and Edge and Rising High. Producer Caspar Pound of Rising High Records, known by its stage name "The Hypnotist", was a vocal supporter of this style of hardcore techno.

The most notable achievement of belgian hardcore in the pop charts is L.A. Style's single "James Brown Is Dead" reaching the Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart. Notable acts like The Immortals and 2 Unlimited achieved relative success blending the style with dance-pop. After a brief period of expansion during the early 90s, the style lost popularity , while modern hardcore techno (gabber), trance, happy hardcore and jungle music took place as the leading genres within the rave circuit.

Characteristics
Being rooted in the sounds new beat, EBM and techno, belgian hardcore has been characterized as a "distinctively Belgian brand of industrial-tinged techno where melody was displaced by noise". It is a mainly a four on the floor style of dance music, harder and faster than it's new beat and techno predecessors, but slower (between 120 and 140 BPM) than gabber and modern hardcore techno styles that emerged in Germany and the Netherlands in the same period. In comparison to these styles, it also lacks the highly distorted drum kick. It also differs from breakbeat hardcore in that it does not focus on the breakbeat drum pattern or lacks it altogether. Many of the songs in this style take cue from the KLF's 1988 instrumental anthem "What Time Is Love?", with similar fanfares, blended with rock-like patterns similar to Rhythm Device's 1989 hard beat song "Acid Rock".

Music journalist Simon Reynolds has written detailed accounts on belgian hardcore techno, covering bands like Second Phase, L.A. Style and Human Resource. Many iconic synth sounds or "stabs" of the early rave scene were popularized by these and other producers during the early 1990s, like the "mentasm" or "hoover" and the "Anastasia" stabs. Brooklyn's DJ-producer Joey Beltram musical contribution to the belgian label R&S Records was a cornerstone of the iconic Belgian rave sounds and anthems that emerged in this period. These synth sounds and other sound-effects like alarms, sirens and church bells were widely used in the genre, creating a sense of emergency and insurgency through music.

Many of the iconic rave sounds that emerged initially within belgian hardcore, would later be adopted by genres like breakbeat hardcore, jungle , darkcore , gabber , hard NRG, happy hardcore and hardstyle.

Notable record labels
• Belgium:

• R&S Records

• Byte Records

• Hithouse

• Big Time International

• Who's That Beat?

• Music Man Records

• Antler-Subway

• Rave 55

• USA Import Music

• Go Bang! Records

• Beat Box International

• DiKi Records

• Kaos Dance Records

• Complete Kaos

• Dance Device

• Mid-Town Records

• ESP Records

• Buzz

• Freaky Records

• Decadance Records

• Netherlands:

• 80 Aum Records

• Bounce Records

• Dance Factory

• Stealth Records

• Thunderpussy

• UK:

• Kickin Records

• Rising High Records

• Vinyl Solution

• Edge Records

• Rabbit City

• Germany:

• New Zone

• Low Spirit Recordings

• Planet Core Productions

• Force Inc

Notable artists
• Human Resource

• Lords of Acid

• Second Phase

• Praga Khan

• Channel X

• Digital Orgasm

• Angel Ice

• Quadrophonia

• T99

• L.A. Style

• C. J. Bolland

• Messiah (UK duo)

• The Time Frequency

• The Immortals (Band)

• 2 Unlimited

• The Hypnotist

• Greater Than One

• Doris Norton

• U.H.F.

• Set Up System

• Outlander