Gabber: Raising Hell in Technoculture

Journal article

Rietveld, H. and Monroe, Alexei (2021). Gabber: Raising Hell in Technoculture. Metal Music Studies. 7 (3), pp. 399-421. https://doi.org/10.1386/mms_00057_1
AuthorsRietveld, H. and Monroe, Alexei
AbstractGabber is a hardcore electronic dance music genre, typified by extreme speed and overdrive, which developed in the Netherlands, with Rotterdam as its epicentre, during the early 1990s, when house music-inspired dance events dominated. The use of distorted noise and references to popular body horror, such as Hellraiser, dominated its scene, and soon gabber was commented on as ‘the metal of house music’, a statement that this article aims to investigate. Applying a genealogical discographic approach, the research found that the electronic noise music aesthetic of industrial music was crucial for the formation of the sound of gabber. The hardcore electronic dance music that developed from this is at once ironically nihilistic, a contrary critique, and a populist safety valve. The digital machine noise of hardcore seems to offer an immersive means to process the experience of (emasculating) fluidity within post-human accelerated technoculture, itself propelled by rapid digital capital and information technologies.
KeywordsMusic
Year2021
JournalMetal Music Studies
Journal citation7 (3), pp. 399-421
PublisherIntellect
ISSN2052-3998
2052-4005
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1386/mms_00057_1
Publication dates
Online01 Sep 2021
Print01 Sep 2021
Publication process dates
Accepted06 Aug 2020
Deposited03 Sep 2020
Accepted author manuscript
Additional information

The definitive, peer reviewed and edited version of this article was published by Metal Music Studies, 29 September 2021 DOI: 10.1386/mms_00057_1

Licensehttps://www.intellectbooks.com/self-archiving#accepted-manuscript-post-embargo
Permalink -

https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/8q681

Download files

Accepted author manuscript
Gabber_Techno meets Metal-EDITS-6AUG2020-ACCEPTED.pdf

  • 600
    total views
  • 624
    total downloads
  • 11
    views this month
  • 14
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

7. Eurorack to VCV Rack: Modular Synthesis as Compositional Performance
Rietveld, H. and Randell, J. (2024). 7. Eurorack to VCV Rack: Modular Synthesis as Compositional Performance. in: Kitzmann, A., Teboul, E. J., Engstrom, E. and Thoren, C. (ed.) 7. Modular Synthesis: Patching Machines and People Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group). pp. 172-184
Chapter 8. Strutting with Streets of Rage: When Dance Music Enters the Fight
Rietveld, H. C. and Lemon, A. (2024). Chapter 8. Strutting with Streets of Rage: When Dance Music Enters the Fight. in: Music and Sonic Environments in Video Games: listening to and Performing Ludic Soundscapes Routledge.
Editorial Introduction: Synergies Between Game Music and Electronic Dance Music in Cultural Context
Fritsch, M. and Rietveld, H. C. (2023). Editorial Introduction: Synergies Between Game Music and Electronic Dance Music in Cultural Context. Journal of Sound and Music in Video Games. 4 (1), pp. 1-8. https://doi.org//10.1525/jsmg.2023.4.1.1
The Nightclub
Rietveld, H. (2022). The Nightclub. in: Stahl, Geoff and Parcival, J. Mark (ed.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music, Space and Place Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 22 pages
Female Credit: Excavating Acknowledgement for the Capcom Sound Team
Rietveld, H and Lemon, A. (2021). Female Credit: Excavating Acknowledgement for the Capcom Sound Team. in: Fritsch, M and Summers, T (ed.) Cambridge Companion to Video Game Music Cambridge Cambridge University Press (CUP).
The Street Fighter Lady: Invisibility and Gender in Game Composition
Rietveld, H and Lemon, A (2019). The Street Fighter Lady: Invisibility and Gender in Game Composition. ToDiGRA Journal,. 5 (1). https://doi.org/10.26503/todigra.v5i1.112
Machine Possession: Dancing to Repetitive Beats
Rietveld, HC (2018). Machine Possession: Dancing to Repetitive Beats. in: Levaux, C and Julien, O (ed.) Over and Over: Exploring Repetition in Popular Music New York and London Bloomsbury Academic.
Dancing in the Technoculture
Rietveld, HC (2018). Dancing in the Technoculture. in: Emmerson, S (ed.) The Routledge Research Companion to Electronic Music: Reaching Out With Technology New York (USA) and London Routledge. pp. 113-134
The Streetfighter Lady: Invisibility and Gender Role - Play in Game Composition
Rietveld, HC and Lemon, A (2018). The Streetfighter Lady: Invisibility and Gender Role - Play in Game Composition. Carbone, MB and Mariani, I (ed.) DiGRA ITALIA 2018: "Women, LGBTQI & Allies: Videogiochi e identità di genere". Palermo, Italy 01 Jun 2018 DiGRA Italia.
Gabber Overdrive: Noise, Horror, and Acceleration
Rietveld, HC (2018). Gabber Overdrive: Noise, Horror, and Acceleration. Turmoil CTM Magazine.
Detroit: Techno City
Rietveld, HC and Kolioulis, A (2018). Detroit: Techno City. in: Lashua, B, Wagg, S, Spracklen, K and Yavuz, MS (ed.) Sounds and the City: Volume 2 New York (USA), London (UK), Zug (Switzerland) Palgrave Macmillan.
Echo
Rietveld, HC and Henriques, J (2018). Echo. in: Bull, M (ed.) The Routledge Companion to Sound Studies New York and London: Routledge New York (USA) and London Routledge.
Authenticity and Liveness in Digital DJ Performance
Rietveld, HC (2016). Authenticity and Liveness in Digital DJ Performance. in: Hytönen-Ng, E and Tsioulakis, I (ed.) Musicians and their Audiences: Performance, Speech and Mediation New York (USA) and London Routledge.
Hear The Music, Play The Game. Music And Game Design: Interplays And Perspectives
Rietveld, HC, Carbone, MB, Gallagher, R, Newman, J, McAlpine, KB, Peñate Domínguez, F, Collins, K, Hulme, Z, Langhorst, T and Austin, M (2017). Hear The Music, Play The Game. Music And Game Design: Interplays And Perspectives. Game. 1 (6).
Introduction: Towards a Polyphonic Approach to Games and Music Studies
Rietveld, HC and Carbone, MB (2017). Introduction: Towards a Polyphonic Approach to Games and Music Studies. GAME: the Italian Journal of Game Studies. 1 (6).
Breaking the Electronic Sprawl
Rietveld, HC (2015). Breaking the Electronic Sprawl. Guerra, P and Bennett, A (ed.) Keep It Simple, Make It Fast! (KISMIF): Crossing Borders of Underground Music Scenes. Porto, Portugal 13 - 17 Jul 2015 Griffith University and University of Porto. pp. 235 - 235
Lovely Bones: Music from Beyond
Rietveld, HC (2016). Lovely Bones: Music from Beyond. in: Albiez, S. and Pattie, D (ed.) Brian Eno Oblique Music London Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 105-117
Introduction: Echoes from the Dub Diaspora
Rietveld, HC and van Veen, TC (2015). Introduction: Echoes from the Dub Diaspora. Dancecult : Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture. 7 (2), pp. 1-4. https://doi.org/10.12801/1947-5403.2015.07.02.00
Echoes from the Dub Diaspora
van Veen, TC, Rietveld, HC, Vendryes, T, Ramstedt, K, Harries, JV, Kolioulis, A, Zuberi, N, Christodoulou, C, Partridge, C and MacLeod, EC (2015). Echoes from the Dub Diaspora. Dancecult : Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture. 7 (2). https://doi.org/10.12801/1947-5403.2015.07.02
Burial’s Echoic Loneliness
Rietveld, HC (2015). Burial’s Echoic Loneliness. in: Beyer, T, Burkhalter, T and Liechti, TH (ed.) Seismographic Sounds – Visions of a New World Switzerland Norient. pp. 133-135