Hardcore Techno's Alternative History

US Gabber prototype from 1960s Finland 11/11/22

Thinking about Gabber, Speedcore, and Hardcore Techno often bring associations with Rotterdam in the Netherlands - often cited as one of the birthplaces of such hi octane genres. But there is an track unearthed by Electric Byway from 1968 created in Finland by Erkki Kurenniemi - named Antropoidien Tanssi - or "Dance of the Anthropoids".

Together with a Swedish composer, he designed an electronic instrument with a polyphonic sequencer - which formed the basis of this track, in 1968. An excerpt of the track was released in vinyl in the same year - featuring BPMs of up to 200! There are other example of Erkki experimenting with high speed music later in his career. Is this the original birth of hardcore techno? See what you think for yourself.. here's the original track:

About the author [midierror]: midierror makes nifty Max For Live devices, innovative music hardware, award winning sample packs and hosts a podcast speaking to people in the music world.