In the 1990s we watched the series Friends en masse, traded flippos on the schoolyard and delved into the world of the internet for the first time. Boy bands such as the Backstreet Boys and Take That were also very popular at that time. But for those who thought that was too slow, there was always ‘happy hardcore’. Thirty years have passed, but it is still popular and that is why Omroep Brabant has a 90’s Weekend on the radio.
In Helmond there is even an entire store dedicated to the ‘gabber lifestyle’. It is the only store in the south and the second in the whole of the Netherlands. One of the founders is no stranger to the hardcore world. That is Dennis Adam, better known as Remsy of the Party Animals, who scored the hit ‘Have You Ever Been Mellow’ in the 1990s. “So I really love the genre,” says Dennis. “And now that young people are becoming interested again, partly thanks to Joost Klein, we thought: we should do something with that!”
Then the idea came to open a store where every enthusiast can go and that is ‘BAMM. Lifestyle’. “I’ve been to a lot of gabber parties, and they can sometimes get quite rough. It often looks aggressive to outsiders, but at hip-hop parties you have more problems,” says Adam. There are some more misconceptions when it comes to Dennis. Not everyone is bald and there are different types of styles, but not everything is equally intense. “There is also a sense of solidarity, at a gabber party everyone is family and you just belong.”
“I even perform in Colombia.”
Thanks to festivals such as Harmony or Hardcore in Erp, the hardcore genre continues to gain fans. “We also see that in our store,” Dennis explains. “During such a festival, people from Italy and Belgium also visit the store.” But not only in the Netherlands, where the genre comes from. There is also increasing attention to this abroad. “I even perform in Colombia, where they already know where to find it.” And when asked whether it will still be popular in 20 years, the well-known answer comes: “Hardcore will never die!”
Omroep Brabant 90s Weekend
Do these kinds of 90’s memories get you back in the mood again? That’s beautiful! Omroep Brabant radio goes back to the 90’s all weekend. The music, games, memories and stories; all programs breathe the 90s!
On Saturday you will hear the most beautiful albums and on Sunday the best number 1 hits from that time.