After ~2010 hardstyle split into euphoric hardstyle and raw hardstyle (rawstyle)

From around 2010 hardstyle diverged into two aesthetic camps. Euphoric hardstyle emphasises highly emotional melodies and heavy pitch-shifting of kicks, so the kick’s tonal tail effectively becomes a melodic instrument. Raw hardstyle (rawstyle) reacts against euphoric’s popularity: it uses a darker atmosphere, minimal or absent melody, and heavy screeches, drawing on mainstream hardcore, gabber and early hardstyle. The article states rawstyle was ‘birthed from euphoric hardstyle’s boom in popularity around 2010, as many artists and fans wanted darker tracks’ — the classic pattern of a commercially successful form spawning a harder underground counter-movement.

Examples

Euphoric hardstyle leans on cinematic breakdowns and pitched kicks following chord progressions; rawstyle strips melody back in favour of dark screeches and heavier distortion.

Assessment

Name the two hardstyle subgenres that emerged around 2010, describe the key sonic difference between them, and explain the cultural dynamic the article gives for the split.