A good collection of happy hardcore vinyl records is almost guaranteed to lift your spirits, and having a few of these songs is always likely to cheer you up if you're feeling gloomy. I have a collection of happy hardcore vinyl records which I bring out whenever I need a lift or a boost - perhaps if I have work or am feeling low on energy. Hardcore music itself is highly distinctive, often having up to around 180 beats per minute - that's fast!
But whereas hardcore music started to become quite dark, with a good lot of bass thrown in for good measure, happy hardcore took a different route, going for a more uplifting feel, with the same fast tempo, but a 4/4 beat which, in combination with some of the vocals and higher melodies created a positive, energetic and happy sound. Those performers who took the other route and developed darker, heavier and more bass-laden music tended to either remain in the hardcore genre or even fall into the jungle scene.
But happy hardcore has proven to be popular in clubs, at raves and even venues such as fairgrounds! Yes, some of it can be a little cheesy, but there's no denying that if you don't start tapping your foot then it's been nailed to the floor. In which case, just wave your arms about or something.
At its heart happy hardcore uses a good deal of synthesized sound, with either digitizer synthesizers or samples an inherent aspect of the sound. But since hardcore, and happy hardcore is so digitized already, why take the trouble to transfer this music to vinyl? Surely happy hardcore vinyl records lose against the more modern, slicker CD format or even the ultra portable and entirely ubiquitous MP3?
Because happy hardcore has managed to appeal so widely, to so many different types of audience, its format and media are just as varied. Yes, if you're running a fairground ride you may just make do with a CD or an MP3. After all, over the sound of the neighboring rides and the screams of the petrified riders it hardly matters. But if you're at a club, or perhaps even a connoisseur of good music at home, then you'll be able to appreciate the difference. For one thing, vinyl records provide a great deal more versatility and flexibility than either CDs or MP3s.
For example, have you ever tried scratching, mixing or spinning a CD? If you scratch a CD you can't use it for much else besides a pretty ineffective coaster! Most professional, and even many amateur DJs much prefer vinyl simply because it allows such a hands on approach to music, creating a performance rather than simply acting as an automated button pusher. Music should be about creativity, and there's no good reason why that should end when it comes to the DJ or music player.
But vinyl also adds another quality to the playing of music - creating a performance rather than merely reciting a series of sounds. Ever tried to recite a poem? Many people recite a poem as though reciting a shopping list. If you've ever heard a performance poet or an actor recite a poem, you'll have noticed how much more alive the words, sounds, thoughts, feelings and even the rhythm seems. Music should be treated the same way, and although there's never going to be anything to entirely compare to having the real life happy hardcore musicians in front of you playing live, vinyl records seem to bring that greater sense of performance and individuality. Even the cracks and whistles seem to be a part of the sound, and loved for their uniqueness!
If you've ever put a vinyl record on to play, you'll be more than familiar with the click, hiss and crackle which is the prelude to any musical recording on such a medium. I am not alone in sharing a great love for this moment - a little like being at the theatre, when the lights in the auditorium dim. You know something's about to happen - the performance is about to start, and you sit back, feel excited and watch for the curtains to open. Playing music is a little like that, when you just want to listen to a piece of music and enjoy it for its own sake. Having a CD or an MP3 blast you with a digitized, compressed rendition of the track is one thing, but being allowed a crackly prelude, a moment of anticipation and a uniqueness of performance that involves a layer so often absent from most digitized recordings, helps turns a recording into a performance.
Happy hardcore vinyl records have a very special place in my record collection, brought out at regular intervals to make me feel good, lift my spirits and energy. In some ways trance and happy hardcore have very strong, shared roots, and many artists have gone from one to the other. Trance is also about feeling the music and letting the performance stir you and wake you up. Digitized music? Great for the masses, but give me vinyl for the performance.
