Hard techno refers to a harder and darker style of Techno music, which evolved after 2000. While the first harder Techno productions appeared around 1991 on labels such as PCP and Industrial Strength, these were referred to as Hardcore Techno. Over the years, the Hardcore scene cultivated a new sound far away from its Techno origins, whereas Techno itself went in a softer direction. At the end of the 1990s, fueled by the Schranz movement, a new, extremely hard style of Techno became popular, which is now generally referred to as Hardtechno. This style runs at very high tempos, usually around 160 bpm and features heavy distortion and prominent kickdrums.
