Frenchcore broadened from strict 4/4 into 3/4, 5/8 and pitched-kick harmonic forms since the mid-2010s

Like most electronic dance music, frenchcore was initially produced only in 4/4. Since the mid-2010s it has broadened to include other time signatures such as 3/4 and 5/8 and more advanced compositions influenced by classical music. In the same period tracks became more harmonic through the use of pitched kick and bass — tuned to a key, as in hardstyle and mainstream hardcore. As a result a modern frenchcore track typically takes one of two forms: a melody harmonised with the pitched kick and bass, or the kick and bass alone in a purely rhythm-focused form. This evolution reflects the genre’s mainstreaming and cross-pollination with hardstyle.

Examples

Classic frenchcore: hard 4/4 grid, untuned bass texture. Modern/euphoric frenchcore: pitched kick tuned to the track’s key, a harmonised melody, occasionally a 3/4 or 5/8 feel.

Assessment

Describe two ways frenchcore production broadened from its early 4/4 form since the mid-2010s, and name the sibling genre whose pitched-kick technique it borrowed.