9 hardcore documentaries every gabber wants to see

Hardcore documentaires gabber docu
Nina van Zelst
By Nina van Zelst

Hardcore has been a part of Dutch culture for years now, which means it also has a grand history to share. Therefore, it’s no surprise there are plenty of documentaries elaborating on the genre, and we listed no less than 9 for you.

1. Thunderdome Never Dies – The Full Story

The first documentary we listed can’t be a surprise. Thunderdome Never Dies – The Full Story made for the biggest movie premiere ever in the city of Utrecht last november, during which 1800 hardcore lovers came to witness the story of the ‘legendary comeback’.

“Thunderdome revolutionized clubbing in the nineties and laid the foundations of the Netherlands’ biggest cultural export: dance music. In 2017, Thunderdome returned after a hiatus of five years. Will Thunderdome manage to reinvent itself for a new generation of ravers? Go on a trip down memory lane and look towards the future with the pioneers of the early days and with tomorrow’s most promising talents.”

You can order the ‘Thunderdome Never Dies’ DVD via bol.com for €14,99, or watch it on Pathé Thuis, Ziggo, KPN, iTunes and Google Play!

2. The First Gabber

At the end of 2018, VICE came out with a brand new gabber documentary. In this film they follow Ilja Reiman, the very first gabber in The Netherlands, to Ground Zero. Furthermore you’ll be able to see a lot of the well-known Multigroove parties.

“Exactly 25 years after gabber exploded from underground to mainstream, the first gabber in The Netherlands Ilja Reiman takes us back to where it all began. With unique archived footage he shows why hardcore has remained his biggest passion until today. Even when the hype passed and the world he lived in almost caused his death.”

3. Drokz Doorgehakt

Third we have one of our own: the series Drokz Doorgehakt. The several videos show an elaborate talk with your favourite grandpa Drokz, in which the terror legend tells all about the developments in the scene.

“In four episodes we will talk to Drokz about several subjects: among other things, the DJ gives his opinion on the use of social media, ghost producers and discussions in the terror scene. We talk about everything, and no one is holding back.”

4. ID&T Docu Celebrate Life

ID&T is known for being the absolute pioneer in the Dutch dance industry. In the documentary Celebrate Life they tell the full story of successful organisation, supported by interviews with among others Duncan Stutterheim (co-founder ID&T) and Wouter Tavecchio (founder Q-dance).

“More than twenty years of ID&T has left its mark on the electronic dance music industry. This documentary shows ID&T’s development from its very beginning, telling the story of ID&T’s transformation and presents its founders’ true intention; to Celebrate Life and enable as many people as possible to experience the atmosphere of love, friendship, openness and unity at every single festival.”

5. How I wanna be a hippy became a worldwide hit

In this documentary, Dano, Tellurian and Flamman & Abraxas talk about the well-known ‘I wanna be a hippy’. “The Flamman & Abraxas-remix of I wanna be a hippy by Technohead became a worldwide hit back in 1995. But, in the end it also entered the history books as being one of the worst exchanges in the music industry (and with this the birth of the Party Animals) and the beginning of the end for the gabber era.“

6. Uniform – The Dress Code Of Dutch Hardcore Culture

This film is all about the gabber dress code: aussies and air maxes. Among others Thunderdome’s Francois Maas tells how he tried to get Nike to come out with a special ’25 years of Hardcore’ edition. “Where did the love for Australian come from? Why Air Max? What happened to this outfit at the end of the 20th century?.. Together we look for the answers to these questions.”

7. This Is Hardcore | The Documentary

Italian hardcore DJs Tommyknocker, AniMe, Mad Dog and many others talk elaborately about the well-known This Is Hardcore in this documentary. “This is Hardcore is a devoted collective of world class artists. We bring you hardcore music in its purest form, so that you can experience it the way it is intended. Our music speaks for itself and for all of you.”

8. Endymion – On the Road to Make Some Noise

In this docu you’ll be taken along on the journey of the Endymion men: “For the past few months Endymion has been working day and night on a documentary containing exclusive footage that was shot during an insane summer with some of the most memorable performances they have ever done.”

9. The hardcore gabber from the Rotterdam Terror Corps

This film shows a sneak peek of Rotterdam Terror Corps life: banging hardcore from Rotterdam with live performances covered by fire, explosions and completely naked women.

“The RTC has been there ever since gabber came to life in Rotterdam, and continued to exist even when the hype was over and big organisations started focussing on trance. Now they’re still here – and over the last couple of years they became even harder, more raw and are giving more than ever before.”

Of course there are many more documentaries and short films about the hardcore genre and the gabber culture, because this story is just to grand to not be told! Do you have any good suggestions? Be sure to let us know in the comments! 

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