Whenever I think of old skool hardcore, the memory of this track is never far behind. Its got everything you can think of associated with oldskool. Mad rave synths. Heavy breakbeats. Crowd samples. Lashings of rave pianos. Pitched up vocal snippets just this side of cheesy (sometimes even crossing the line).
But this track also stands out massively - which is why you'll hear it played out a lot.
We Are Hardcore - Firstly this tune is POLISHED. Like everything that came out of the Production House studio, the quality of production is head and shoulders above most other stuff at the time. Everything sounds nice and juicy.
Secondly the arrangement is GREAT. Lots of rave tunes of whatever genre are quite simply formulaic. Many still hold rigidly to the traditional template laid out by rock bands. Intro, verse, bridge, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, outro. Dubstep and Psy-Trance especially.
The House Crew realised early on, that rave tunes dont need to be like that. Especially since they are gonna be cut up by a DJ anyway.
So this track twists and turns and if you havent heard it before, is completely unpredictable.
It starts off with what for most tracks would be the climax! Straight after, a nostalgic piano is thrown in for no reason. Then, when you think you have a handle on it, it abruptly switches to some really nasty rave stabs. And just when you've got used to that it brings back the sentimental pianos. The whole effect is confusing and disorienting.
Hardcore was always a whirpool of different emotions, and this is a fine example.
I don't know what im feeling - but im definitely feeling something!
This is for the hardcore.
Buy this here: http://www.discogs.com/House-Crew-We-Are-Hardcore-Maniac-Remixes/master/7895
