Disunity in the Hardstyle scene

Disunity in the Hardstyle scene

Early, Mainstream, Raw: Hardstyle has been divided into different subgenres for quite some time now. Besides the already established subgenres there are many more popping up daily, such as Classics or Industrial Raw. With the number of subgenres constantly increasing the number of opponents of these movements seem to increase alongside of them. The growing diversity has its benefits, but the question remains: are there any cons to this diversity?

Many loyal Hardstyle fans must have noticed the great numbers of fans who are against the subdivision of their favourite genre. In general the subgenre Early Hardstyle seems to be tolerated by most, but the terms Mainstream and Raw are generally avoided by most. I personally am amazed of the heavy resistance towards the subdivision in the genre, which in my opinion brings along mostly benefits.

Advantages

A name of its own provides for a unique style and identity. By giving a subgenre a name of its own, it is able to distinguish itself from other styles. Over the years many organisations have taken advantage of this subdivision by hosting parties devoted to a single subgenre. Examples of this being: Loudness, Euphoria and HardClassics. Perhaps the most practical argument for the subdivision within the genre is the ease of use. The biggest differences between styles (tracks) can be made noticeable, which in turn makes communication a lot clearer as both Hardstyle enthusiasts and laymen alike tend to look at me funny when I tell them that I listen to Hardstyle. And I’m sure I’m not the only one, seeing that there are a large number of people that really love a certain subgenre of Hardstyle (e.g. Mainstream) and totally despise another (Raw) and vice versa. The fact that groups like that exist means that there is a need for subdivision within Hardstyle.

Another benefit mainly refers to new listeners, who are very important for the scene as a whole. If there is a clear distinction between different subgenres, it can help people who are new to Hardstyle find a style that suits them. If there is no clear distinction 9 out of 10 people would probably only get to know the most popular tracks, which in many cases will probably be of one and the same subgenre. This way it might even take people years for them to have their first encounter with Early, which might suit them better than the other subgenres. Or maybe people will even abandon Hardstyle after only listening to a few tracks that were not to their liking, never knowing about the other subgenres that are available.

Disadvantages

The argument that’s mostly heard whenever talking to someone against the subdivision of Hardstyle will have to be that it limits the ‘creative freedom’ of artists. I strongly believe that it’s not the subgenres that limit the artists’ creative freedom, but rather the artists themselves (and in certain extent the expectations of their fanbase). Nobody is forcing the artist to create music within one specific subgenre and besides there have been plenty of artists that have been successful in different subgenres. Even if subdivision in Hardstyle wasn’t an issue fans would still have expectations of their favourite artists. A lot of artists choose to stay within their own subgenre, it shows that certain artists have a particular style in mind whether it has a name or not. Another argument that has been tossed around a lot lately is, that there are a lot of records that don’t fit into 1 particular subgenre.

In my opinion tracks don’t have to belong to a specific subgenre and there should be some leniency when defining a track. Besides, there are even a lot of tracks that tend to lean towards Hardtrance or even Hardcore. According to this logic, it would mean that Hardstyle wouldn’t even be considered a genre of its own and if you would exaggerate this notion even more there wouldn’t even be a need for different genres, because music will always be music. Or…..