Hardstyle

Hardstyle is a genre of Electronic music which typically consists of a bass-driven heavy kick drum, intense faded or reversed basslines accompanying the beat, a dissonant synth melody, and detuned and distorted sounds.

It is one of two genres placed under Monstercat's blanket term, Hard Dance, alongside Hardcore.

Commonly Referenced Subgenres Edit

• Dubstyle: Tends to have reversed wobble basslines and take the kick styling of hardstyle tracks, while combining them with the rhythm, groove, and dubstep tempo and effects a fusion of elements of hardstyle with a dubstep rhythm, usually a 2-step or a breakstep rhythm.

  

• Euphoric Hardstyle: Characterized by highly emotional melodies, nostalgic and heartfelt vocals, and heavy pitch shifting within its kicks. Euphoric Hardstyle is considered the most "commercial friendly" subgenre of Hardstyle.

  

• Hardstyle: Consists of an overdriven and hard-sounding kick drum with a lot of sustain, with intense faded or reversed basslines accompanying the beat. Hardstyle also utilizes harsh and distorted synths, detuned and distorted sounds accompanying the main instruments along with a lot of poetry and story telling within the music.

  

• Nu-Style: The name for the distinct type of Hardstyle made between 2005-2010. Often times mislabeled as "Jumpstyle" do to the dance style known by that name being performed to Nu-Style incredibly often.

  

• Psystyle: A combination of Hardstyle and Psytrance, characterized by its hybridized usage of Psytrance triplets with a Hardstyle kick drum. Artists such as Sub Zero Project are known for starting the movement of Psystyle.

  

• Rawphoric: A combination of harsher kicks from Rawstyle combined with melodies and climaxes seen in Euphoric Hardstyle.

  

• Rawstyle: A type of Hardstyle influenced from hardcore or older hardstyle resulting in darker melodies, screeches and deeper-sounding kick drums. Distortion is often times used to give songs a dark feeling and crunchier kicks.

  

• Reverse Bass: A form of Hardstyle production that reverses the sound design of a typical Hardstyle kick and bassline, but uses the same structuring as regular Hardstyle. Often used in Mid-Intros within Hardstyle songs as a precursor to the more melodic climax later in the song.

  

• X-TRA RAW: Massive gated kicks and deadly screeches create an even more abrasive version of Rawstyle. Dark and often times vulgar samples are used to create dark and evil atmospheres.

  

• Hardbass: A subgenre of Hardstyle popularized in Russia in the early 2000s. Known for its inverted, Reverse Bass styled kicks, melodies comprised with almost complextro like synths, off beat sub bass rhythms, and driving “Donks” These elements give Hardbass a very rhythmically swung and syncopated sound compared to other Hardstyle genres. Songs often use Russian vocals and many different references to gopnik culture in the lyrics. Hardbass has also been the fuel of many different memes as well, such as Cheeki Breeki Hardbass Anthem and Tri Poloski.