HARD ATTACK: A NEW GENERATION OF GABBER CULTURE

Shaved heads, matching Aussie tracksuits and a solid pair of Air Max – in the 1990s, this was the standard uniform of a gabber. But beyond the outer appearance, gabber was the largest homegrown youth culture in the Netherlands. A raw, energetic movement where everyone was welcome, united by a love for hardcore. From lawyers to binmen, from models to students — everyone could join. Fast forward to 2025, and hardcore is booming once again. Melkweg speaks to Gysèle and Youssef (Akemiö Grey), founders of the collective Hard Attack, about the gabber renaissance and their upcoming event on Friday 30 May in the OZ, in collaboration with Barbaar.

In conversation with Gysèle and Youssef
Words by Davy de Lepper
 

Hardcore house — or simply hardcore — emerged in early 1990s Rotterdam as a rougher, faster offshoot of the rising rave and house scene. While house music traced its roots to Chicago and Detroit, hardcore delivered a no-compromise Dutch response: harder, faster, darker. A BPM soaring past 180, pounding kickdrums, industrial samples and haunting melodies formed its foundation. Hardcore wasn’t meant to be beautiful. For many, that extremity was exactly the appeal.

“I was just a kid when I first heard this music and instantly became a massive fan,” Youssef recalls. “‘Achtung!’ by T.O.P.D.R.O.P. was the first hardcore record I fell in love with. I’d spend entire Saturdays at home, recording pirate radio just to find more of that sound. There was no money for CDs.”

For many young people, hardcore provided an outlet. In the 1990s, the Netherlands was undergoing economic uncertainty and cultural shifts. Youth felt alienated from society. Hardcore became a way to channel that frustration and energy. The scene first found its home in dark warehouses and abandoned factories, and quickly grew into an international phenomenon. Fast-forward to 2025, and the world finds itself in a similar state. Could this be the baby boom of a new generation of gabbers?
 

Hardcore felt like a way of life. In a pre-social media era, a tight-knit community emerged: tracks were written down by hand in a little notebook, and a nod on the street was a sign of recognition. That sense of family was the core of the culture. “I met people through the ID&T forum and we’d go to parties together,” Youssef says. “Back then, you really had to dig — but once you were in, you were in.” Still, gabber faced an identity crisis in the late ‘90s. The rise of happy hardcore and commercial hits like Gabbertje turned gabbers into caricatures. Stereotypes and media assumptions did the rest: the culture fell into disrepute.

With Hard Attack, Gysèle and Youssef are bringing back that original sense of family — in a contemporary form. What began as a passion project spiralled into a thriving platform for the new generation of gabbers. “The idea was simple at first: just to share our love for it,” says Youssef. “From the start, we wanted to focus on vinyl and female DJs, because the hardcore scene is still very masculine.”

That choice isn’t just musically refreshing, but taps into the core values of the original scene: raw, inclusive and community-driven. Gysèle: “We’ve popped a lot of cherries, haha. For many, it’s their first hardcore party — and they never forget it. That’s the beauty of it: it feels like a family, a network of kindred spirits.”
 

Hard Attack isn’t about big headliners — it’s about building a community. “Fans on the dancefloor become DJs, and eventually end up on our stage,” Youssef says. “And that’s how it snowballed.” The collective has become an incubator for new talent, and a cornerstone for a scene that’s blossoming once more — just like it did thirty years ago. Gysèle adds: “From the beginning, we’ve booked artists who weren’t well-known. Musically, they’re just as good — if not better — than the big names.”

Hardcore never dies. In fact, a new generation has risen, embracing the culture with fresh energy and attitude. “It never really went away,” Gysèle says. “There was always a party going on somewhere, but you had to be deep in the scene. Well-known names are things like Ouwe Stijl is Botergeil, also at Melkweg, or the massive Pandemonium raves in Sporthallen Zuid.” Hardcore’s resurgence is something Youssef has noticed too: “Early is getting more popular, partly thanks to TikTok and films like Hardcore Never Dies. It’s a kind of reincarnation of something that never really died.” He recalls a key moment of realisation at Dekmantel: “Optimo played Pilldriver - Pitch Hiker, slowed all the way down. No one danced, but I felt it: something is about to happen.”
 

The next edition is in collaboration with the Ghent-based collective Barbaar. “Jackhammer once played at one of our Hard Attack nights,” says Gysèle. “When she invited me to play at Barbaar, I suggested a collab. We’re on the same wavelength when it comes to music, values and ethics. Plus, she makes incredible visuals — like a proper ‘90s CD cover.”

On Friday 30 May, Hard Attack returns to Melkweg for a night of early vinyl sets and raw energy you won’t find anywhere else. In collaboration with Barbaar, the collective is reigniting the soul of hardcore — for gabbers then and now. Want to feel why hardcore never dies? Join the new generation of gabbers and experience Hard Attack on Friday 30 May at Melkweg. Click here for the line-up and ticket info.