Doomcore is often considered to be the most opaque and obscure branch on the tree of Techno music.
Yet, at the same time it is the one with the most mass-appeal and appreciation.
Whenever I played to a crowd of "normal" party people (i.e. not a gig for total Gabber maniacs), Doomcore was always the Hardcore-adjacent style that would send the dancefloor into euphoria and ecstasy (while most other hard stuff... just made everyone leave the Dancefloor).
Producers with Doomcore ties have been admitted into the general Techno pantheon by now.
Doomcore is allowed to go through doors that virtually all other "Hardcore" genres are not able to enter.
And if you look at its roots, it totally makes sense that this is the case.
One of its founding producers once said he desired to take the Techno beats of labels like Underground resistance, and blend them with the darkness of 80s Industrial, EBM, Dark Wave.
And this, folks, is a killer mixture.
Because think about it. People love to dance. They love to come together and love to party. They love repetitive dance beats for that occasion.
Yet, since the Disco days of the 70s, "dance music" has been a total cringe-fest. With cheesy songs about unrealistic love, or worse topics. Stupid clothes, stupid dance moves, stupid party people.
So, there is the appeal of Techno and Dance music, but it often has been cut-off by the "enforced happiness" of these music scenes.
The idea to add a serious, dark, deep, brooding edge to Techno and Dance is a genius concept.
And I'm certain that the majority of people think this way, and Doomcore could've, and still could, become one of the most widely known Techno genres.
Why did it not happen yet, then?
I think for the same reason that most bands, musicians, or scenes "crash and burn".
They know that they got something very clever, very powerful on their hands.
And it's easy to get seduced by hubris then.
To act as a gatekeeper. To try to keep the vision too pure, too clean.
And Doomcore is such a scene, that is deeply looking "inwards" by design, and shuns or even fights attempts to send some signals into the outside world.
So. We could have become stars. But we also could not care less.
The eternal dilemma. Manifesting itself in a doomed subculture, too.
Yet, at the same time it is the one with the most mass-appeal and appreciation.
Whenever I played to a crowd of "normal" party people (i.e. not a gig for total Gabber maniacs), Doomcore was always the Hardcore-adjacent style that would send the dancefloor into euphoria and ecstasy (while most other hard stuff... just made everyone leave the Dancefloor).
Producers with Doomcore ties have been admitted into the general Techno pantheon by now.
Doomcore is allowed to go through doors that virtually all other "Hardcore" genres are not able to enter.
And if you look at its roots, it totally makes sense that this is the case.
One of its founding producers once said he desired to take the Techno beats of labels like Underground resistance, and blend them with the darkness of 80s Industrial, EBM, Dark Wave.
And this, folks, is a killer mixture.
Because think about it. People love to dance. They love to come together and love to party. They love repetitive dance beats for that occasion.
Yet, since the Disco days of the 70s, "dance music" has been a total cringe-fest. With cheesy songs about unrealistic love, or worse topics. Stupid clothes, stupid dance moves, stupid party people.
So, there is the appeal of Techno and Dance music, but it often has been cut-off by the "enforced happiness" of these music scenes.
The idea to add a serious, dark, deep, brooding edge to Techno and Dance is a genius concept.
And I'm certain that the majority of people think this way, and Doomcore could've, and still could, become one of the most widely known Techno genres.
Why did it not happen yet, then?
I think for the same reason that most bands, musicians, or scenes "crash and burn".
They know that they got something very clever, very powerful on their hands.
And it's easy to get seduced by hubris then.
To act as a gatekeeper. To try to keep the vision too pure, too clean.
And Doomcore is such a scene, that is deeply looking "inwards" by design, and shuns or even fights attempts to send some signals into the outside world.
So. We could have become stars. But we also could not care less.
The eternal dilemma. Manifesting itself in a doomed subculture, too.
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