A new mini-documentary from Armada Music explores the history and recent revival of hard house in the electronic music landscape.
Released today on the Dutch label’s official YouTube channel, The Comeback of Hard House charts the story of the high-speed subgenre from its origins in the Netherlands to a current resurgence in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, buoyed by increasing post-lockdown demand for fast tempos and support from scene heavyweights like KI/KI, KETTAMA, and Peggy Gou.
Directed by Denise Mulder and Emiel van der Burgt, the 10-minute film is led by interviews with foundational figures from hard house’s early years, including Mass Medium/Club Caviar, Klubbheads, and B.O.B. Ltd, as well as rising torchbearers Maruwa and Benwal.
“Suddenly it combined with some raps and sirens and beeps and everything you normally use to evacuate your building,” Mass Medium/Club Caviar’s Bart Arens shares in the film, discussing the genre’s evolution from classic house to its famously fast and punchy sound. “That kind of became the hard house genre.”
Watch Armada Music’s The Comeback of Hard House documentary below.
Featured image courtesy: KETTAMA. Credit: @capturecharles.
