Editing Mainstream hardcore (section)

{{Short description|Musical subgenre of hardcore techno}}
{{Unreferenced|date=May 2023}}

{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Mainstream hardcore
| stylistic_origins = [[Early hardcore]]
| cultural_origins  = Early 1990s, Netherlands ([[Rotterdam]])
| subgenres         =
| fusiongenres      = [[Free tekno|Tekno]], [[breakcore]]
| regional_scenes   = [[Netherlands]], [[Germany]], [[Belgium]], [[Italy]]
| other_topics      = [[Hardcore (electronic dance music genre)|Hardcore]]
}}

'''Mainstream hardcore''', '''mainstyle''' or '''nu style gabber''' is a subgenre of [[Hardcore (electronic dance music genre)|hardcore techno]]. The essence of mainstream hardcore sound is a [[Distortion (music)|distorted]] [[bass drum]] sound, overdriven to the point where it becomes clipped into a distorted [[Square wave (waveform)|square wave]] and makes a recognizably melodic tone.

Often the Roland Alpha [[Roland Juno-106|Juno]] or the kick from a [[Roland TR-909]] was used to create this sound. Mainstream hardcore tracks typically include [[sampling (music)|samples]] and synthesized melodies with the typical tempo ranging from 165 to 180 [[Beats per minute|bpm]]. Violence, drugs and profanity are common themes in mainstream hardcore, perceptible through its samples and lyrics, often screamed, [[pitch shift]]ed, or distorted.