I'd like to expand on my thoughts in the "What is the New Hardcore?" article - which ended with the "I don't know" remark - by reasserting two possible answers that I had given:
_"... Is it in the rolling, subbass-y beats of techno-meets-dubstep being pushed out by Kaizen, Livity Sound, Version, Timedance, etc? [...] Is it in the highly percussive, bassy works of labels like Nervous Horizon, Sans Absence? ..." _
Those two styles, I think, represent the Hardcore sound right now. And as is usual with new styles of music, they have no official names, as they are barely discernible scenes in the immense, ever-growing and constantly-morphing world of electronic music.
The first one is, in a practical sense, techno, but it's a "UKifed" version of techno. Generally called "bass" and/or categorized as "uk techno", it's the continuation of the early sound of South London-era Dubstep (circa 2003-5),to my ears. The most important labels in shaping this style are Swamp81, Livity Sound and Hessle Audio. Other labels pushing this sound include: Kaizen, Mistry, Timedance, Durkle Disco, Jelly Bean Farm, Artifice Music, Circular Jaw, etc, etc.
The second one is very percussive - almost tribal-like - with influences from UK Funky, Gqom and even Soca. On Soundcloud, most often than not, "percussion bass" and "hard drum(s)" tags are used to categorize the uploaded mixes and tracks. The most prominent labels are Nervous Horizon and Sans Absence.
Just like Dubstep and Grime were once both part of the "140 sound" diaspora in the early 2000s (before becoming crystallized genres onto their own), so should "UK Techno" and "Percussion Bass" be considered as being part of the same "bass" diaspora of the current "UK" scene. I put "UK" in quotation marks because, although the sound still revolves around the UK soundsystem tradition of "Hardcore", people from all over the world practice it already.
Typically around 120 to 130 bpm, the music is (sub)bassy and percussively inclined. What matters here is creating a rude, weighty groove - and that is the defining characteristic. A track's structure usually follows the conventions of Hardcore (as seen in Drum N Bass and Dubstep) - 1) an intro, 2) a drop, 3) a bridge and 4) a second drop.
It can be tribal and ostentatious, or meditative and moody (or anything in-between). It can put the drums at the forefront of the mix, or let the subbass breathe out. It can be influenced by the thumping percussion of Gqom and Soca, the deep pulse of Techno, or the bass dread of early Dubstep. And when it comes to beat patterns, it can throw some Baltimore Club and Vogue in there too, for good measure. Like Jungle and Drum n Bass at their inception, it's a bastard sound, taking cues from everywhere, respective of current tastes.
Ok, but what does it sound like? Or, better put, what can it sound like? Remember, no formula is set in stone yet, so let's look at some examples...
♪
First, a perfect example of "UK techno": the duo Silas and Snare's "Biometric" on the Manchester-based label Kaizen. Heavy and prominent syncopated kicks, a sliding subbass (like in old-school Dubstep), and Techno synths:
---
Second, a perfect example of "Percussion Bass" (or "Hard Drums"), this one from London-based label, Sans Absence. The label started out as a sort of UK Funky revival collective, but has been leaning towards this style in the last year. French producer Noire serves up the track "2nd Guessin'", a monstruous, ravey, Soca-like percussive exercise:
---
Hessle Audio co-founder, Pearson Sound, released a defining track two years ago, "XLB": snappy, syncopated drums and a rolling subbass in an huge build-up, with an immense mid-track drop:
---
Peverelist, Livity Sound boss, who started his raving days as a Jungle head and his production career in Dubstep way back in 2007, made what is probably my favourite track from last year, "Wireframes": A dizzying, bouncing groove with an immense subbass. The Detroit Techno vibe in its second half brings it to another level:
---
Ploy comes up with some techy tribal sound, "Ramos", on the forward-thinking UK label, Timedance. "Selecta!":
---
Montreal-based Martin Bootyspoon's bass-heavy, menacing, Vogue-inspired beats can also be found in a UK Techno/Percussion Bass DJ's arsenal:
---
Someone like Neana, a member of the Night Slugs crew (another influential London label), might have a more "neon-coloured" take on the sound. This time, with "Neans Anthem":
---
Lastly, a track in this sound can also be more subdued, but still be endowed with that signature UK rudeness (i.e. a Dancehall and Hardcore influence, typical of UK sound system music ). Drum N Bass producer, Henry Greenleaf, dropping all the way down to around 125 bpm, does just that with "In Same":
♪
Further listening (links)
Fox - Big Man Ting (Meta Remix) (Unreleased)
Bash & T (Julio Basmore and T.Williams) - EC (2018, Conch Records)
Beneath - Special Offer (2018, Mistry)
Denham Audio & MC Serocee - Masta Blastah (2018, Durkle Disco)
Alex Coulton - Ambush (2016, Tempa)
Hodge - Light Wave (2017, Livity Sound)
Tessela - Glisten (2018, Whities)
Cousin - Ruff Draft (2016, Swamp81)
Markee Ledge - Make Your Move (Addison Groove Remix), (2016, Skeleton)
Randomer & Hodge - Second Freeze (2016, Dnuos Ytivil)
Soreab - Bifle (Lamont Remix) (2018, Beat Machine Records)
Lava Dome - Closer (Galtier Remix) (2018)