4-beat
Encyclopedia
4-beat is a breakbeat
style of music
that emerged around 1993. It evolved from breakbeat hardcore
emanating from the United Kingdom
rave scene. Due to the sheer scale of the United Kingdom rave scene, the popularity of this particular music was largely limited to England
where it almost in its entirety was produced and played.
Breakbeat hardcore was originally referred to as hardcore by ravers in England. As such, this evolved style was also alternatively known as hardcore or happy hardcore — the latter meaning a happier
variant of this breakbeat styled hardcore, thus happy hardcore (i.e. happy breakbeat). Darkcore
was the short lived counter-movement to happy that occurred at the same time.
The name happy hardcore should not be confused with other things that are also referred to as happy hardcore
, as that term is much shared across the world
to describe different sounding things that have their own development.
Also in this article, 4-beat is not a musical term commonly used to describe a drum beat
time signature
found in most types of modern music, but is rather a specific name used to describe a breakbeat music style.
The use of individual nicknames by DJs rather than recording under a band name is common. These same artists would be widely found DJing on the English
rave circuit. These individual artists would also collaborate with other individuals under joint releases with & or versus designations.
Much like its hardcore
predecessor, there was a number of uncredited white label
s released, created by unknown producers.
Typical characteristics for 4-beat are for compositions to be around a tempo
of 150 to 170 BPM
(beats per minute). At the core of these compositions would be a fast looped, sometimes complex rolling sampled
breakbeat, along with a combined bass drum every four beats to the bar - hence the name of 4-beat.
These rolling chopped breakbeats were not too dissimilar to those found in jungle music
. A deep sub bassline could also be found to work with the breakbeats, though not as prominent as found in jungle. Both 4-beat and jungle styles would be common under one roof at raves during the early-to-mid-1990s.
Tracks would have a somewhat basic keyed happy sounding chord before bursting into an Italo house
inspired catchy piano
melody. This would be the hook of the record, where rave crowds would respond by making noise by blowing whistles or air horns. This could be accompanied by weeping and uplifting strings.
If any vocals are used, they are often female
and likely be just short samples from other records. In most cases these would not be performed by a paid vocalist.
High pitched samples due to the fast tempo of tracks could be found in this music but not in every release. It's deemed more of a stereotype
associated to this style.
Due to other influences - largely to the bouncy techno
style - its inherent breakbeats and sub basslines would later become surplus to requirements by 1996.
While ambiguous as a term, 4-beat only indicated that this style - unlike jungle music and its earlier breakbeat hardcore
predecessor - used a common if somewhat insignificant four beats to the bar bass drum complementing the obligatory breakbeats. 4-beat does not mean it was void of breakbeats - a common error assumed by most.
Artists at the forefront of this style refused to call the style happy hardcore, rather they used the 4-beat term. DJ Seduction - a leading English producer since 1991 - said that, "House led to hardcore, which led to Drum N Bass and 4-beat (I hate calling it Happy Hardcore)" in a 1995 interview.
Several record labels including Impact, Techstep Records (London) and United Dance Recordings, displayed the 4-beat logo on their artwork alongside the "recognised form of 4-beat" slogan. This logo may also have been used on records to easily distinguish this and jungle music in record shops.
Happy hardcore
In England, hardcore
was the terminology used to describe their breakbeat driven rave music style of the early 1990s, with happy being used to distinguish the happier variant of this breakbeat hardcore music, thus happy hardcore
(i.e. happy breakbeat). This term was however less favoured by producers creating this music who instead used 4-beat or even just plain hardcore. Darkcore
was the short lived counter movement to happy that occurred at the same time.
DJ Sy - another artist at the forefront of this movement - said, ""happy" hardcore (what a f***ing stupid name - always makes me think of "nappy" hardcore) of '94 onwards..."
DJs
Raves
Record labels
Releases
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
style of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
that emerged around 1993. It evolved from breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore is a derivative of the acid house and techno, of the late 1980s and early 1990s, that combines four-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with the UK rave scene.-The rave scene:...
emanating from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rave scene. Due to the sheer scale of the United Kingdom rave scene, the popularity of this particular music was largely limited to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where it almost in its entirety was produced and played.
Breakbeat hardcore was originally referred to as hardcore by ravers in England. As such, this evolved style was also alternatively known as hardcore or happy hardcore — the latter meaning a happier
Happiness
Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources....
variant of this breakbeat styled hardcore, thus happy hardcore (i.e. happy breakbeat). Darkcore
Darkcore
Darkcore is a subgenre of jungle that became popular in the United Kingdom hardcore rave scene in late 1992. It is recognized as being one of the direct precursors of the genre now known as drum and bass...
was the short lived counter-movement to happy that occurred at the same time.
The name happy hardcore should not be confused with other things that are also referred to as happy hardcore
Happy hardcore
Happy hardcore, also known as happycore, is a genre of music typified by a very fast tempo , often coupled with solo vocals and sentimental lyrics. Its characteristically 4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of hardcore techno, which tend to be "darker". It is typically in...
, as that term is much shared across the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
to describe different sounding things that have their own development.
Also in this article, 4-beat is not a musical term commonly used to describe a drum beat
Drum beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments...
time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
found in most types of modern music, but is rather a specific name used to describe a breakbeat music style.
Characteristics
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rave circuit. These individual artists would also collaborate with other individuals under joint releases with & or versus designations.
Much like its hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore is a derivative of the acid house and techno, of the late 1980s and early 1990s, that combines four-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with the UK rave scene.-The rave scene:...
predecessor, there was a number of uncredited white label
White label
White label records are vinyl records with adhesive plain white labels affixed. Test pressings, usually with Test Pressing written on the label, with catalogue number, artist and recording time or date, are produced in small quantities to evaluate the quality of the disc production...
s released, created by unknown producers.
Typical characteristics for 4-beat are for compositions to be around a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 150 to 170 BPM
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
(beats per minute). At the core of these compositions would be a fast looped, sometimes complex rolling sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
breakbeat, along with a combined bass drum every four beats to the bar - hence the name of 4-beat.
These rolling chopped breakbeats were not too dissimilar to those found in jungle music
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
. A deep sub bassline could also be found to work with the breakbeats, though not as prominent as found in jungle. Both 4-beat and jungle styles would be common under one roof at raves during the early-to-mid-1990s.
Tracks would have a somewhat basic keyed happy sounding chord before bursting into an Italo house
Italo house
Italo house is a form of house music popular in Italy, Britain and United States since the late 1980s. It fuses house music and Italo disco. The genre's main musical characteristic is its use of predominantly electronic piano chords in a more lyrical form than classic Chicago House records...
inspired catchy piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
melody. This would be the hook of the record, where rave crowds would respond by making noise by blowing whistles or air horns. This could be accompanied by weeping and uplifting strings.
If any vocals are used, they are often female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
and likely be just short samples from other records. In most cases these would not be performed by a paid vocalist.
High pitched samples due to the fast tempo of tracks could be found in this music but not in every release. It's deemed more of a stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
associated to this style.
Due to other influences - largely to the bouncy techno
Bouncy techno
Bouncy Techno is a rave hardcore dance music subgenre that was developed in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands...
style - its inherent breakbeats and sub basslines would later become surplus to requirements by 1996.
Terminology
4-beatWhile ambiguous as a term, 4-beat only indicated that this style - unlike jungle music and its earlier breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore is a derivative of the acid house and techno, of the late 1980s and early 1990s, that combines four-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with the UK rave scene.-The rave scene:...
predecessor - used a common if somewhat insignificant four beats to the bar bass drum complementing the obligatory breakbeats. 4-beat does not mean it was void of breakbeats - a common error assumed by most.
Artists at the forefront of this style refused to call the style happy hardcore, rather they used the 4-beat term. DJ Seduction - a leading English producer since 1991 - said that, "House led to hardcore, which led to Drum N Bass and 4-beat (I hate calling it Happy Hardcore)" in a 1995 interview.
Several record labels including Impact, Techstep Records (London) and United Dance Recordings, displayed the 4-beat logo on their artwork alongside the "recognised form of 4-beat" slogan. This logo may also have been used on records to easily distinguish this and jungle music in record shops.
Happy hardcore
In England, hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore is a derivative of the acid house and techno, of the late 1980s and early 1990s, that combines four-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with the UK rave scene.-The rave scene:...
was the terminology used to describe their breakbeat driven rave music style of the early 1990s, with happy being used to distinguish the happier variant of this breakbeat hardcore music, thus happy hardcore
Happy hardcore
Happy hardcore, also known as happycore, is a genre of music typified by a very fast tempo , often coupled with solo vocals and sentimental lyrics. Its characteristically 4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of hardcore techno, which tend to be "darker". It is typically in...
(i.e. happy breakbeat). This term was however less favoured by producers creating this music who instead used 4-beat or even just plain hardcore. Darkcore
Darkcore
Darkcore is a subgenre of jungle that became popular in the United Kingdom hardcore rave scene in late 1992. It is recognized as being one of the direct precursors of the genre now known as drum and bass...
was the short lived counter movement to happy that occurred at the same time.
DJ Sy - another artist at the forefront of this movement - said, ""happy" hardcore (what a f***ing stupid name - always makes me think of "nappy" hardcore) of '94 onwards..."
Selected 4-beat information
Artists- DJ Brisk
- DJ Fade
- DJ Pooch
- DJ Seduction
- DJ Sy
- DJ DougalDJ DougalDJ Dougal is a British UK Hardcore and happy hardcore artist and DJ.He first became involved with the dance music scene at the age of 15, while setting up sound systems for some of the first acid house parties, as part of work experience assignment to a music shop.His style is a mix of euphoric...
- Eruption
- DJ Ham
- Happy Tunes
- Question Mark
- Ramos
- Supreme & Sunset Regime
- SlipmattSlipmattSlipmatt is an English happy hardcore producer and DJ based in Essex, England. He was one half of rave act SL2, who had a 1992 UK hit with "On A Ragga Tip".-History:...
- Vibes
- Wishdokta
DJs
- DJ Seduction
- DJ Sy
- Dougal
- Mixmatt
- Ramos
- Slipmatt
- Vibes
- Vinylgroover
- Robbie Long
Raves
- Amnesia House
- Dreamscape
- ESP
- Helter Skelter
- Hysteria
Record labels
- Impact
- Just Another Label
- Knitebreed
- Kniteforce
- Man From Uncle Records
- Pure Dance Recordings
- Techstep Records (London)
- Question Mark
- Quosh
- United Dance Recordings
- Universal Records
Releases
- SMD - #1 (SMD, SD01, 1993)
- Dougal & Vibes - Feel Free (Dougal & Vibes, DAV1, 1994)
- Seduction & Dougal - It's Not Over (Impact, IMP 028, 1994)
External links
- United States of Hardcore - UK based hardcore music website
- HappyHardcore.com - Hardcore music website and radio