Hardcore Music In Trump's America
While hardcore has endured for decades, its political message has never been unified. So how does a genre that prides itself on aesthetic and ideological extremes fare in today's tense political climate?
As a genre, hardcore has a complicated political history. Initially the scene developed in the 1980s as reaction against the economic and social injustices of the Reagan and Thatcher era. However, while always anti-establishment in its leanings, the music, defined by its aggressive sound and speed, has occassionally attracted extremists on the other side of the ideological spectrum. While comparatively minor, hardcore has encompassed strains of rigid intolerance and even neo-nazism.
While hardcore has endured for decades, its political message has never been unified. So how does a genre that prides itself on aesthetic and ideological extremes fare in today's tense political climate? We went to This is Hardcore, a festival in Philadelphia, to find out. We talked to bands, fans and industry insiders to learn more about the successes and challenges the scene faces in the age of Trump. Take a look in the video above.
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