Hardcore — in electronic dance music — refers to fast, distorted variants of techno and rave. The original UK hardcore scene of the early 1990s ran 140–160 BPM and fed directly into jungle. Dutch and Belgian hardcore (gabber) ran 150–250 BPM with heavily distorted kicks; key labels were Rotterdam Records and Mokum. Modern hardcore has multiple branches: industrial hardcore (faster, more abrasive), uptempo (200+ BPM), and the more melodic "happy hardcore." The UK Helter Skelter, Dutch Thunderdome, and Belgian Dominator festivals are foundational gatherings. Producers like Angerfist, Radical Redemption, and Miss K8 dominate the contemporary scene. Hardcore is the loudest, fastest, and most uncompromising end of the dance spectrum.