The Beat of Gabber

Whether derived from "khaver," a Dutch Yiddish slang word meaning "friend," or from the English term "gab," which by gab it means the vocal element introduced into musical tracks, gabber is the name of both a subgenre of techno derived from hardcore and a youth subculture that arose in Europe in the 1990s.

Via “Gabber Eleganza”, 2020.

The basis of the movement is again found in England within the rave scene, but birth and spread occurred in the Netherlands, curiously in football stadiums. Who, then, are the Gabbers? Is there really a connection between music and fans?

When from a Nickname Comes a Lifestyle

In the late 1980s, when the British rave movement came to Amsterdam with parties called "London Comes to Amsterdam," Acid House music spread like wildfire, becoming popular throughout the Netherlands. In that early period, parties were literally taken by storm, to the point that rival subgroups of followers emerged, some convinced they were the original hardcore of the movement, others that they were the only ones who truly understood the true spirit of the parties. Thus, as soon as public opinion labeled the ravers as drug addicts looking for a high, an event happened that, like a straw, broke the camel's back. One night, a raver went to the Roxy, a very exclusive club in Amsterdam, and the bouncer sent him away, saying a phrase that would become a manifesto: "No, gabber, you can't come in here." From that episode, a whole movement developed that made sporting style one of the most important elements of distinctive identification.

Via “Mix Mag”, 2017.

The Music of the Hooligans

Gabber music was born in the late 1980s, but it was more than just a subgenre: it was a true symbol of opposition. Whether it was regional antagonism or a proletarian youth struggle against those in the capital, the Rotterdam sound—with a more pressing beat and more powerful sounds—became a spokesman for a movement of opposition to the Amsterdam house scene, which was considered snobbier and softer. And it was among the hooligans of Feyenoord Rotterdam, the number one rival football team of Amsterdam's Ajax, that gabber music achieved its greatest success. In the 1990s, in fact, the infamous "De Kuip" stand filled with ravers in after-party mode, ready to cheer their team loaded with adrenaline and even the effects of substances consumed during the night. So, in 1992, when DJ Paul Elstak, one of the fathers of hardcore music, recorded the track "Amsterdam, waar lech dat dan?" ("Amsterdam, where is it?") on a record whose cover depicted Rotterdam's Euromast tower evidently hungover and in the act of urinating on the city of Amsterdam, the hooligans did nothing but turn that track into an anthem, often played live at the end of the game.

Via “Hamovniki”.

The Sporty Style: Between Comfort and Distinction

The gabber entered the ranks of the Netherlands massively, so much so that from its incredible expansion came merchandise labels, clothing lines signed by the record companies, which by then had grown to more than 2,000 in Rotterdam alone. The style of clothing, consisting of tracksuits and polo shirts designed by Australian, Fila, or Tacchini (later also Lonsdale or Fred Perry once influenced by British culture), Nike Air Max shoes, bomber jackets, and caps coincided between the sexes, while the only difference lay in the shaving of the hair: complete for the boys, at the sides or nape of the neck with the lengths gathered in tails or braids for the girls. In short, the look had to be comfortable, especially for dancing the hakken, a very fast dance based on jerks, steps, and kicks to an invisible ball with shredding of the air done with the hands, all at a pace of between 160 and 220 BPM, which also often required the support of exciting substances such as ecstasy or speed.

Via Pinterest.

Between Stereotypes and Distorted Political Images

Confused with the Skinheads and often associated with negative images related to heavy drug use, acts of violence, and racism, the Gabbers never actually embraced a political ideology. For them, the parties, the music, and the group were simply escape valves, capable of making people abandon their daily problems by momentarily escaping reality. Of course, the media did not understand the spirit of it, and so, stigmatized the subculture to the point that the very Gabbers closest to the principles of friendship and brotherhood, expressed by their very name, decided to abandon everything to the more extremist right-wing minorities known as Lonsdalers in the Netherlands or Gabberskin in France. Some record labels responded to accusations of racism by creating t-shirts and sweatshirts with the slogan "United Hardcore Against Fascism and Racism," but by then the decline was becoming inevitable so much so that by 2010 the Gabbers were reported to have almost totally disappeared. Yet the marks of this subculture would forever remain indelible. After all, one of their mottos always rang loud and clear: Hardcore 'Til I Die!

Via Pinterest.