Since some of the early PCP releases, there has always been an interest in space and the mysteries of life in the hardcore techno underground. Early warehouse parties with simple strobe lights and smoke emulated the atmosphere and elements of a shamanistic ritual by a bonfire. This was perhaps even one of the founding ideas of hardcore techno on a conscious or subconscious level, but as the scene grew bigger and split into various subgenres, these ideas continued mainly in the most underground core. Ambient, which usually has no beats, and speedcore, in which the human capability to differentiate beats is the tempo limit, were an unlikely couple from two extremes that formed a suprisingly synergic bond in the late 1990’s. This relationship spawned the term “atmospheric speedcore” and influenced new fusions such as flashcore, shamancore, and psycore among others. Although these styles lack an all-inclusive umbrella term, there is an international micro-scene that is bringing people together under this mutual interest. In this article, I will go through some history of these developments and take a look at what is going on in the present.

One of the developments started when La Peste mixed experimental hardcore and speedcore of the late 90’s together with ambient in his “Drug Store Core Boy” mixtape. This idea developed further into the subgenre flashcore, with his Hangars Liquides label pioneering the sound. Flashcore is sort of like a fusion of speedcore, avant-garde, ambient, and IDM. The beats and tempos are often irregular and chaotic, but sometimes more straightforward as well. The tracks are often birthed from hardware modular synthesizer jamming sessions, although software is also used. Flashcore has increased in popularity among underground musicians in the recent years, and it has sort of become synonymous with anything that has its signature high- pitched laser kickdrum at a speedcore tempo with atmospheric soundscapes. It is a further development of the mysterious and abstract French underground industrial hardcore/speedcore aesthetics and its secretive underground scene. Flashcore has sometimes taken the role on the internet of being an umbrella term for all of these experimental French-style speedcore artists—so often there doesn’t seem to be a general consensus on what flashcore actually is nowadays. Some would argue that it’s only something beyond traditional 4/4 structures, while others allow for repetitive structures as well. The original intention seems to have been to surpass standards and make the most out of current technology.

Along with La Peste, other early artists in this genre were Atomhead aka UndaCova (Entity Records) from Belgium and Neurocore from France, who also refers to his music as cybercore. In 2015, Neurocore’s ‘The Magellan Chronicles‘ EP was released on Love HZ and flashcore gained some wider attention in the hardcore scene thanks to its more accessible and euphoric trance atmospherics. At the other end of the flashcore spectrum, there are artists like Les Neiges Noires De Laponie from France, SatanoiD from Finland, and Gridbug from Belgium with relentless, chaotic, noisy and even extratone-ish experiments. Some other current flashcore artists include Convectorh, HFK (Bourinage Mental), Lawrencium (Destruction Records) and Mr. Porc from France, Messias (Cathartic Noize Experience) from Switzerland, SD-501 and The M.S.P. from Poland, and IMPLΛNT from Bulgaria.

Another early development happened at the time when the online tracker scene and labels such as United Speedcore Nation from Germany started pushing the standard tempo of speedcore beyond 400 BPM, which would redefine speedcore for the new millennium. Lord Lloigor from Sweden released the Beyond The Green Light 12″ on USN’s sublabel Brain Distortion in 1999. It contained the track “Ray of Darkness” which became an atmospheric speedcore classic. The next year he released One Journey, a CDr album full of dark, soothing, and euphoric ambient with speedcore beats and occult themes on the Finnish label Act of the Devil. Some German artists such as iGoA and DarkFreak caught this vibe and became known for their atmospheric and psychedelic speedcore sound. Some of Gabba Front Berlin‘s output was also along these lines.

Atmospheric speedcore is usually less experimental and more traditional and DJ-friendly compared to flashcore and the French underground, yet still highly meditative thanks to the repetitive structures. Some current artists who do this style are Valovoima from Finland, who also does more experimental and flashcore tracks, and Watome from Thailand.

So, although atmospheric speedcore and flashcore are two distinct subgenres, there is also a lot of good faster underground core music out there which does not necessarily fall into these categories. After all, categories are not even the point, but are meant to be dissolved, yet can be described as very otherworldly, psychedelic, meditative, and initiatory. The Michelson sisters—Mouse and No Name—from France are some of the early pioneers of such improvised cosmic hardcore sound, and were an inspiration source for later developments like flashcore. They are still playing parties all over Europe. Other artists to check out from France include Save (Underground Perversions Records), La Foudre (No-Tek Records), Helius Zhamiq (K-NeT Label), Le Talium, Enbryoner, R-ictus aka Mechakucha, Marteau, Saoulaterre,and Mental D-struction. Artists into this improvised atmospheric sound are not confined to France, however. There’s Annwn (Anti Narcose) from the Netherlands, who weaves experimental vibes into his tracks. Sadistic (originally from  Scotland and now living in Thailand) fuses the flashcore sound with UK hardcore techno (i.e. Deathchant) and crossbreed bringing the ideas and sounds to new crowds. The UK’s Tekhne Freq aka Kid Corrupt (Fractal Distortion events) also combines atmospheric soundscapes and experimental speedcore. Neuromancer, Basil (Moscow Speedcore Scum), Harhor (Greasp), and Rude Repeen are some of the actives in the Russian underground.

While the mainstream hardcore scene is all about the known, such as banger tunes with pop culture references, predictable build-ups and drops that go in parallel with developments in popular EDM, what attracts the listeners and musicians to this music is its introspective dip in to the unknown. Instead of worshiping the DJ, focus is drawn towards what is inside you.

Another element that speedcore beats have reintroduced to listeners of contemporary music is “the shake.” Many indigenous people and traditions around the world have the wisdom that incorporates the shaking of ones body to release locks of the mind, body, and soul, helping to reach ecstatic trance states and establish a deeper connection with the universe. This phenomenon is not totally uncommon at contemporary speedcore parties. The idea is not necessarily to grasp every single bassdrum with your stomping feet, waving fists, or even with your mind, but to let go, express yourself freely, shake with the flow and see where it takes you. This kind of improvisational dynamics can also be applied to making music by jamming and letting known structures dissolve. Regardless of the death-related imagery in many speedcore and hardcore releases, the energy of the music is actually full of life and living life by pushing the peak of ones artificial limitations.  Shamancore music by Teknoaidi (Kovaydin.NET) and Hiiden Virren Vinguttajat from Finland revolves around this idea that high tempo music and shaking is healing. The music also makes use of traditional acoustic instruments along with the machine sounds. When it comes to electroacoustic initiatory core, worth mentioning is also one of the most intense live acts to come from Berlin, Del_F64.0, who play improvised speedcore with hardware and clarinet.

We’re now in 2017, and there is more of this kind of music than ever. Usually few individual artists or DJs play it at select underground- oriented core parties or art events in countries such as Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, and  theUK. Sometimes—particularly in places like Berlin—there is a chance to experience a night dedicated only to the atmospheric and psychedelic core music. At these special gatherings, the artists might play 400+ BPM atmospheric speedcore and flashcore, constantly, for the entire night. This might sound insane, but actually at some point into the night these rhythms become a new norm for the mind and this state of being starts to feel very meditative. Fuck Off System and their Trash n Core parties as well as parties by Splatterkore Reck-ords are worth looking into when in Berlin. Cyber City in Belgium has also organized similar events.

Here are some upcoming events to check out with more and less atmospheric and psychedelic core:

23.09.2017 – So Fucking Future: Doctrines [Splatterkore | Gabber Noir] @ Berlin [DE]
07.10.2017 – Kovaydin.NET presents Passenger of Shit ft. Ethereal Girl @ Tampere [FI]
13.10.2017 – RVLT Festival #4 @ Rotterdam [NL]
11.11.2017 – EHCTV : Seelentanz @ Leipzig [DE]
31.03.2018 – Cortex #1 – The Massacre! @ Krefeld [DE]