UK hard house
UK hard house or simply hard house is a style of electronic dance music[1] that emerged in the early 1990s and is synonymous with its association to the Trade club and the associated DJs there that created the style.[2][3][4] It often features a speedy tempo (around 150 BPM but hard house ranges from around 135 BPM to around 165 BPM), offbeat bass stabs,[5] hoovers and horns.[5] It usually contains a break in the middle of the track where no drums are present. UK hard house often uses a long and sharp string note to create suspense. Most of the time, the drops are introduced by a drum roll.
"Hard house" redirects here. For Chicago hard house and other subgenres, see House music.Hard house
UK hard house
Early 1990s, United Kingdom
Origins[edit]
Hard house has its immediate roots primarily in Belgian and German techno, American disco-sample based house music, handbag house and early trance.
UK producer and label owner John Truelove was quoted as saying of hard house's origins: "I would say that tunes such as XVX's "Tremorra Del Terra" and Interactive's "Amok" (essentially the same tune) were absolutely defining moments. Early German trance led directly to what Daz Saund and Trevor Rockcliffe were playing at Trade."[6]
Tony De Vit was one of the key DJs to codify and popularise the hard house sound (earlier often referred to as 'hardbag'), taking inspiration from his early visits to Trade in the early '90s — where he soon became a resident DJ. De Vit is often cited as the "godfather of UK hard house".[7][8]
Scouse house
Confusion[edit]
Hard house is similar to, but distinct from hardstyle. Confusion can sometimes arise as some club nights and events will play both hardstyle and hard house. This may be because hardstyle is quite well known across western Europe, whereas hard house has only ever had a limited audience outside of the UK, Australia and South Africa, so there is more new music being released in the hardstyle scene..