Happy hardcore, also known as
happy rave or
happycore, is a genre of hard dance typified by a very fast tempo (usually around 160–180
BPM), often coupled with solo vocals and sentimental lyrics. Its characteristically
4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of
hardcore, which tend to be "darker". It is typically in a
major key. In its original incarnation, it was often characterized by
piano riffs, synthetic stabs and spacey effects. This
genre of music is closely related to the typically Dutch genre of
gabber. Happy hardcore evolved from
breakbeat hardcore around 1991–1993, as the original
house music-based rave became faster and began to include breakbeats, evolving into
oldschool jungle which evolved into
drum and bass. Some of the most famous artists of this genre include DJ Brisk,
Scott Brown,
Darren Styles,
Hixxy,
DJ Paul Elstak,
Dune,
Scooter,
Stu Allan (aka VISA),
Dougal,
Slipmatt,
DJ Sharkey,
DJ Gammer, and
DJ S3RL.