- Hardcore is a broad genre with infinite creative scope. There are almost no rules, but you know a hardcore track when you hear one. To paraphrase The Outside Agency, who recently submitted one of RA's most uncompromising mixes, it can be blunt, complex, brainless, ugly, beautiful, hilarious and more. It's not all delivered at breakneck pace, and some of the most potent hardcore out there strikes a heavy blow at 100 BPM.
Since 2013 the Parisian crew Casual Gabberz have been operating under the hardcore umbrella in the broadest possible sense, crossbreeding its myriad subgenres with similar genres like hardstyle and lesser-affiliated styles like techno, trance and rap. Last year they launched the Casual Gabberz label as an outlet for their "hard and hybrid sounds," starting with the 51-track compilation Inutile De Fuir.
Entretenir Surveiller Sécuriser is a more compact but no less multi-referential debut EP by the Casual Gabberz cofounder Paul Seul. "Respectez Leurs Vies" has the scintillating feel of rushing through a warehouse rave in the '90s. It's trance that's gratifyingly nostalgic, nudged into a hardcore context by a tough, distorted kick. "Gardez Vos Distances" is faster, more motley and harder to define. It welds together parts from all over the spectrum: a boinging old-school kick, more trance and rave stabs, a sprinkling of breaks. It's not rooted in a specific sound, instead presenting a more nebulous hardcore experience. It's hardcore for everyone and loads fun, which is exactly the appeal of Casual Gabberz.
Tracklist01. Respectez Leurs Vies
02. Gardez Vos Distances