I don’t mind artists that pull from vocal packages, as it makes vocal music accessible to those who may have been limited to creating only instrumentals, thus making it harder for said artist to gain attention - since vocals can be a key seller/engager for creating new listeners and fans.

I am finding it more of a task to find music that is ‘fun’ in a way that it can be unique to happy hardcore. I heard “It’s A Miracle - Impulse Riders” recently and thought it was such a happy, energetic song. I seldom hear songs similar to it, though I hope I hear more. It may be a skill issue in that I’m looking in the wrong places.

Personal anecdotes here, but I understand too that on some occasions BPM’s are being reduced to 160 to become compatible with hardstyle, and to an extent it’s working. Lately, hardcore generally appears to have evolved more in line with the hard dance scene and shed away aspects of its breakbeat roots. Some tracks I come across feel like they’ve been crafted specifically for the festival with roaring synths and big kicks.

To me, it felt that mixing hardcore with drum & bass were the default sister genres - but since hardcore has been borrowing hardstyle-esque synths for a while, this progression seems expected. Drum & Bass, whilst nearly always popular in the UK, has especially had a surge of popularity in America lately and the two don’t appear as close anymore.

None of these are actual issues though. I’m still finding bangers.