Happy hardcore

Happy hardcore
Happy hardcore
Stylistic origins	Breakbeat hardcore; hardcore; techno;
Cultural origins	Early 1990s, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany
Regional scenes
	UK hardcore J-core Mákina
Other topics
	List of musicians; electronic musical instruments; computer music; Eurobeat; Psychedelic trance;

Happy hardcore, also known as 4-beat or happycore, is a subgenre of hardcore dance music or "hard dance". It emerged both from the UK breakbeat hardcore rave scene, and Belgian, German and Dutch hardcore techno scenes in the early 1990s. The thing that makes happy hardcore stand apart from happy gabba, is that happy hardcore tends to have breakbeats running alongside the 4/4 kick drum.^[1]

^ Reynolds 2013, chpt. 11: "The difference between happy hardcore and happy gabba is slight: basically, the English tracks have sped-up breakbeats running alongside the stomping four-to-the-floor kick-drum, and at 170 b.p.m., they're slightly slower than happy gabba.".

[FOOTNOTEReynolds2013chpt._11:_"The_difference_between_happy_hardcore_and_happy_gabba_is_slight:_basically,_the_English_tracks_have_sped-up_breakbeats_running_alongside_the_stomping_four-to-the-floor_kick-drum,_and_at_170_b.p.m.,_they're_slightly_slower_than_happy_gabba."-1] Reynolds 2013, chpt. 11: "The difference between happy hardcore and happy gabba is slight: basically, the English tracks have sped-up breakbeats running alongside the stomping four-to-the-floor kick-drum, and at 170 b.p.m., they're slightly slower than happy gabba.".

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Happy hardcore
Stylistic origins	Breakbeat hardcore hardcore techno
Cultural origins	Early 1990s, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany
Regional scenes
UK hardcore J-core Mákina
Other topics
List of musicians electronic musical instruments computer music Eurobeat Psychedelic trance