jono,
you know after a while all the dj's and the ravers started thinking the same way about the originality aspects of the music so the producers changed it in such a short period of time and in such a dramatic way that many people were put off ie. When breakbeat suddenly when bouncy. I personally welcomed the change as dj's like dougal and force & Styles were able to put a cheesy edge to there work which they could not not achieve during the breakbeat era.
On the other hand, the more bangin' side of hardcore was kept alive and kicking with sy especially when he was joined by MC Storm as they now rip up dancefloors up and down the country with their skillful scratch attacks.
It has to be said that Vinylgroovers work is the most original and the most pleasing to the ear. As a producer I rate him #1 although a lot of people who I've met think all his tunes sound too 'tinny' whatever that means.
Brisk in his earlier days used to piss me off with all his gabba style technocore which he purpously played to fast to dance too. I thaught his music was cheap and tasteless until about '97 when his record label NEXT GENERATION more or less dominated the scene with Shooting star. Many more top quality purely hardcore tunes followed after such as Break of Dawn and Sailaway which were unmatched by most producers other than VISA who made similar stuff.
Just thaught I'd let you know incase you didn't already:
1. Dreamscape is now called Dreamscape Drum & Bass and plays 'only the finest in Drum & Bass and Speed Garbage'
2. Fusion is not at all what it used to be. There parties attract little attention and they now play mainly trancecore stuff.
3. Only 700 people turned up to the last hardcore heaven and know the Sanctury can no longer be used for rave purpouses as it is 'not commercially viable' whatever the fuck that means. So HH are moving to London later this year. I don't know where but I hope it's at Bagleys.
I see what you mean though about the change of atmosphere in the rave scene. PLUR just doesn't seem to exist any more however I can see Unity coming back in a big way soon. I think that people are gradually learning from there mistakes and soon, with any luck, love and respect will thrive. Unfortuately I can't really say the same for e or hh but i think that once garage and drum & bass have faded the changes that I mentianed will start to take place.
I went to Raindance at the rocket once but a prefered it at the drome (londone bridge) where they used to do heaven under the arches.
It's true that hardcore tunes get remixed all the time bu i have to say that that's a good thing. Hardcore, when you think about it, is quite a new style of music and so remixes are needed to overcome the experimental stage.
Eternity is worth quite a bit of money now. I'd hold on to that with the rest of your old skool. Jimmy J has always seem to have stuck tou to one particular part of what I call sensational breakbeat/4-beat hardcore from the 94-95 period and the man's still doing today. That's PASSION. And I have enough respect for him. Destiny and 99 Red Balloons are another two of his classics.
It seems that we like (or you used to like) entirely differant styles of hardcore. I don't even think of Pretty Green Eyes as a hardcore tune but more of a chart song. Infact I hate any hardcore tune where they use a mans voice to do the vocals. it just doesn't sound right.
Paradise and Dreams, Feelin' Fine and Higher Ground are just a few examples.
I bet the lock up remix ain't a touch on the original?
I really hate Slipmatt
What I can't understand is how you can make that choon sound tingly. I've found that only hardcore tunes such as Techno Wonderland, Show Me Heaven and It's like a Dream have been able to make me tingle.
Anyway, I think I've waffled enough
speak to ya soon
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HAPPY HARDCORE WILL LIVE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<~p-E-achy~> -=+PLUR+=-