Hardstyle, Uptempo, Frenchcore, Hard Techno… If you’re new to the world of Crazy New Year Festival, these words might sound like a foreign language. Don’t panic: here’s a simple guide to hard music genres so you arrive at the festival on familiar ground — and know which stage to lose yourself in.
What is hard music?
Behind the “hard music” label lies a big family of electronic music sharing the same DNA: powerful kicks (bass drum hits), high tempos and an energy built for the dance floor. Within it, several subgenres coexist, each with its own personality.
Hardstyle
Probably the best known. Hardstyle is recognisable by its deep kicks, euphoric melodies and epic build-ups. It’s the soundtrack of big festivals like Defqon.1 or Intents. At Crazy New Year, artists such as Hard Driver or Lalou are perfect ambassadors for it.
Rawstyle
The Rawstyle is the rawest and darkest side of Hardstyle: more aggressive kicks, a harder atmosphere, cutting screeches. It’s the playground of headliners such as Rebelion.
Uptempo
Even faster,Uptempo pushes the BPM up for maximum intensity. Melodic or darker, it gets the crowd going. On the bill, Mind Compressor, Lekkerfaces or RDØ embody this style perfectly.
Hardcore & Frenchcore
The Hardcore relies on ultra-fast, distorted kicks. Its French cousin, Frenchcore, adds a recognisable groove and a gritty texture: think of D-Frek, a leading figure of the scene. A world close to the hearts of artists such as N-XD.
Hard Techno & Techno
Finally, Techno and its beefed-up version, Hard Techno, rely on hypnotic, industrial and powerful rhythms. It’s the world of Caravel or Moonkyz, somewhere between trance and raw power.
Euphoric, Classic, Oldschool: the roots
Alongside the most hard-hitting styles, hard music also has a more melodic, nostalgic side: Euphoric, Classic and Oldschoolsounds, which bring back the great anthems of the genre. That’s the whole spirit of the concept CLASSIK 2.0 presented by Krykor at the first edition: a return to the roots of hardstyle, brought up to date.
How do you find your way on the night?
The good news? You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy it. Crazy New Year Festival brings all these styles together in one night: just let yourself go, try things out and find the subgenre that gets your heart (and legs) moving. To find out which artists will play and in which styles, head to Line-up.
Now that you’re fluent in “hard”, all that’s left is to experience it for real on 31 December.
