Welcome to our monthly round up of new releases and rave related goings on in the UK Hardcore scene. We’ve got bootlegs, basslines, beautiful melodies and everything in between, so let’s get straight into it!

Cover pic: Dougal and Hixxy at Midnight Mafia in Sydney, earlier this month.

The legend that is Dune has released a dazzling new track this month. Excitingly, “Starchild” is billed as ‘Chapter One of the Starchild Trilogy’ and I think I can almost hear the build up and anticipation in the track – this is the start of something exciting. Dune is taking us on an intergalactic journey and who knows where it may lead!

If you’ve been keeping up to date with UK Hardcore over the last few months you would have undoubtedly noticed that there is almost a division in directions occurring in the genre. On one hand, we have the euphoric, uplifting, dare I say it ‘happy’ tunes that you might typically associate with UK Hardcore. On the other hand, we are hearing an increasing number of tracks with big drops, heavy basslines and essentially a nice spicy twist of the trap style that has been running wild all over the wider music scene of late.

Is this the new evolution of the UK Hardcore genre? Or just an overnight sensation? The trap influence, for search of a better description, certainly seems to be more than a passing phase; it’s already been far better received, has stuck around for longer and has become much more of an integral theme in the music than, for example, the often derided dubstep breakdowns of a few years ago.

What is nice to hear is the occasional track which takes that bassline driven style but complements it with some classic rave music elements – like a killer piano riff as has been done in the track posted below, “Find Me” by Spojaz, which has just been released on Broken Records UK.

Combining the eternally fun vibes of the rave scene with the aforementioned so hot right now influences is Lethal Theory’s maverick new boy Spyro with his mixtape “Music For The Turnt Generation”. I can easily imagine this collection of cheeky remixes and bootlegs working equally well at a dedicated UK Hardcore event or in a closing set at a more mainstream night, giving the crowd a final hardcore workout on the dancefloor at the end of the night!

Not to be outdone, Spyro’s good friend Alex Prospect has also been getting crowds jumping around the UK and beyond with his newly released collection of remixes. “Remixed” has literally got something for ravers of every generation, from “Hotbling” to “Heaven” and all the way back to the ‘90s feels of “Up To No Good.”

Staying on the mixtape vibe, Outforce and MC Enemy have dropped the highly anticipated “Relentless 2”, packed full of fresh Outforce tunes including “Droppin’ Bombs”, “Disco Weapon”, Outforce & Starkiss “Break It Down” and the epic Outforce & Enemy remix of Scott Brown’s “Pilgrim”. Enemy as usual holds no punches with his lyrics; after a bit of a break Enemy is back in business and he’s got something to say, so you’d better listen up!

The full “Relentless 2” album is out at Hardcore Underground, as is the new “Hardcore Heaven 2” album by Fracus & Darwin and Scott Brown. I have to admit, it was while listening to “Hardcore Heaven 2” that I started to think about the different directions that UK Hardcore is taking at the moment – this whole album is focused firmly on the euphoric and melodic vibes, a perfect spring and summer soundtrack with tunes like Dougal and Joey Riot’s “The Roof Is On Fire”, Fracus & Darwin’s “Snowflakes” and Scott Brown’s latest, “Something Real” to name just a few!

Readers in Norway will be familiar with the annual tradition of russefeiring, which takes place around this time of year, but for everyone else let me explain. Russefeiring, or the russ celebration, is the annual Norwegian high school graduation celebration and these students certainly know how to party! Teams of students compete to create the ultimate party tour buses, complete with custom paint jobs, bling interiors and even their very own anthems – original tunes commissioned by the team especially to blast from their bus sound system. Which brings me to the reason for telling this tale – Technikore has created an awesome anthem “All That It Takes”, for russ team Draugen! Check it out!

Moving on now to some very British party traditions at the Clubland Weekender, which took place on the first weekend of May. While many festivals involve a fair bit of pre or after party action in a tent on a muddy campsite, over in the UK party accommodation often comes in the form of a chalet. The great British seaside holiday park is where you might once have spent the school holidays with your family, but that chalet takes on a whole new lease of life when instead you’ve bought all your mates, packed your best raving outfits and all your favourite DJs are on the line up over at the club! You might even get the infamous Chalet Crashers landing on your doorstep for a party at your place – all live streamed on Facebook of course.

Over the three nights of the Clubland Weekender some outstanding UK Hardcore sets were witnessed, with highlights including Dougal and MC Keyes on the Friday night; a Raverbaby classics set by Hixxy and MC Storm; Darren Styles, Joey Riot, Stonebank and Fracus & Darwin wowing the crowds as ever, a spectacular closing set by MOB on the terrace stage and not to mention the ravers all being on top form for the pool party on Saturday afternoon!

Hardcore hosts of the Clubland Weekender, Ravers Reunited, return home to Emporium nightclub, Coalville on Saturday 1^st of July with their brand new concept show Sounds Of Utopia .

Two of our favourite upfront UK Hardcore artists, Callum Higby and Macks Wolf, were representing at the Clubland Weekender and have recently dropped a beautiful new track “Right Here”, which looks set to become a big summer anthem!

Callum Higby is one of the youngest artists making it big in the scene at the moment and is most definitely one of the biggest talents to emerge in the last few years. This month he’s really showing everyone how it’s done by releasing a collaboration with none other than Darren Styles, “TMA”.

By the time you’re reading this we’ll be less than two weeks away from the start of everyone’s favourite event in the UK Hardcore calendar, HTID In The Sun. ‘Hardcore ‘Til I Die’ is an oath of allegiance to the music we love and this month at Midnight Mafia in Sydney none other than Audiofreq revealed his true colours as he premiered a brand new UK Hardcore track as an HTID logo appeared on the screen behind him. Stay tuned to Alive At Night for exclusive HTID In The Sun content in the coming weeks!

Late breaking news just in as we go to press – Gammer has been announced for Defqon.1 Festival Australia! After his sell out shows down under at the end of last year, Gammer is set to shake up the scene yet again upon his return in September!

As mentioned earlier we’d love to hear your thoughts on the current influences in the UK Hardcore genre – what floats your boat the most, uplifting melodies or bassline driven beats? Let us know in the comments!