Hands Up

Note: This page is about the German musical style that combines Eurodance, Techno and Trance. For the lesser-known subgenre of Breakcore called "Dancecore", see Breakcore.
Hands Up (stylized as Handz Up! or Handsup), sometimes also known as Dancecore, is a style of music that emerged in Germany in the early 2000s, combining characteristics from genres such as Eurodance, Techno and Trance with minor influences from Happy Hardcore, Jumpstyle and HardstyleHands Up on Rate Your Music. Musically, it is characterized by its strong and dynamic rhythm, melodies and strong bases. The songs almost always have lyrics, differencing it from typical Hardcore Techno songs.
Some of the most well-known Hands Up artists include Manian, ItaloBrothers, Basshunter and DJ Gollum. The genre was most popular during the Y2K era, especially in multiple European countries such as Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. The genre was also well acclaimed in the United Kingdom, often getting mixed with UK Hardcore.
==History==
===Emergence (Late 1990s-Early 2000s)===
Hands Up music began to emerge in the late 1990s in Germany as a blend of various musical influences, most notably Trance. During the early 2000s it became a more solidified style marked by a mix of different genres; including Eurodance, Trace, Techno, Hi-NRG and various other styles. German artists like Rob Mayth, Cascada, Groove Coverage, Special D, Klubbingman, and Manian notably contributed to its popularization. The genre was initially popular in German radios during the early 2000s, although its presence later began to decline.
Throughout the decade, it was a constantly evolving style. Despite the fact it came to be excluded from radios, it became one of the most popular musical genres in its home country and also on the internet, since many songs were uploaded to websites like YouTube and Technobase.fm. Other music-focused websites based in Germany such as Dancecharts.de also hosted Hands Up music tops.
===Decline (Late 2000s-Early 2010s)===
Later on, musical artists such as Manian, Dan Winter, Empyre One, Ti-Mo or Giorno began making Hands Up remixes of popular pre-existing songs. The emphasis on remixes led to less songs being created, and the Hands Up music scene began to actively decline in popularity due to its lack of new, fresh or original content. The scene nowadays is mostly inactive since the early 2010s"Ist HandsUp tot....?" (Is HandsUp dead...?) on dance-charts.de (in German), although musical artists such as DJ Spyroof continue making Hands Up songs.
===Resurgence (Early 2020s)===
With the rise of the Y2K revival aesthetic, Hands Up music also regained some visibility in social media sites such as TikTok in 2023 and 2024, when songs such as Tricky Disco by Discotronic or Kiss Me Again by ROY BEE began to be used for video trends. This created a renewed interest for this style, and it inspired some musicians in the Wixa, Hyperpop, Scene, and Krushclub music scenes.
====Political Controversy====
However, its resurgence wasn't completely a good thing. Some far-right TikTok users and political extremists appropiated the songs by calling them "Aryan Classics" and using them in "Hyperborean" aesthetic edits, which promote concepts like Neo-Nazism or the "great white replacement" conspiracy theory. The exact reason why this happened remains unknown, but most Hands Up songs tend to be about simple concepts like love, unity, partying and having fun (in fact, one popular slogan among Hands Up fans is "We aRe oNe"), which is pretty much uncompatible with hateful political ideologies. It would also go against the ethos of Rave culture.
==Visuals==
Much like the Y2K era itself, Hands Up music often presents a futuristic style both in its sound and cover artworks. The lyrics and visuals often revolve around themes of partying, nightlife, unity and celebration. The cover arts can also be noted for their use of vibrant, neon color. This represents the upbeat and energetic nature of the music itself. Like other music genres such as Disco Polo, some Hands Up album compilations are released with cover arts with a style highly resemblant to Frutiger Metro.
Music videos often feature choreographed dance routines, emphasizing the genre's connection to dancing and having fun. While some may find it controversial, a recurring visual theme in Hands Up music videos and cover art is women wearing revealing outfits, like bikinis or bandages, though explicit nudity is never shown.
Clubland, a brand created by the British dance record labels All Around the World and Universal Music TV, is often cited for its music compilation albums and dance charts that include Hands Up as well as other genres such as House, Eurodance and Trance. The cover arts for these albums align with the general aesthetic and sometimes might slightly resemble Frutiger Metro.
==Music==
Hands Up is characterized by a fast tempo, typically ranging from 140 to 160 beats per minute (BPM), and uplifting melodies often featuring catchy, synthesized melodies and vocal samples. Hands Up songs usually follow a simple verse-chorus-verse-chorus pattern and incorporate repetitive elements, making it easy to dance to and sing along with. The genre is known for its energetic sound, designed to get people moving and create a positive atmosphere.
Hands Up in itself is not a musical genre but a style of Electronic Dance Music heavily influenced by Eurodance, Trance, and Happy Hardcore, and it often incorporates a few elements of Pop music, such as catchy vocals and sing-along choruses. Classifying it as one of these four genres can be complicated since it presents elements of them all. While its popularity peaked in the mid-2000s, Hands Up still has a dedicated fanbase and continues to be produced by artists worldwide.
===Musical Artists===
*666
*Acrion
*Addicted Craze
*Aleeze
*Alex Megane
*Basshunter
*Basslouder
*Basslovers United
*Bazz Boyz
*CCK
*Cansis
*Cascada
*Ced Tecknoboy
*Clubbazz
*Clubraiders
*Commercial Club Crew
*Crystal Lake
*Cueboy and Tribune
*DJ Collum
*DJ E-MaxX
*DJ MNS
*DJ Sequenza
*DJ Splash
*DJ Spyroof
*DJ Supersaw
*DJ THT
*Dancecore N3rd
*Dancefloor Kingz
*Discotronic
*Diven
*Dual Playaz
*East Clubbers
*Empyre One
*Floorfilla
*Giorno
*Groove Coverage
*Hands Up Freaks
*IMPP
*ItaloBrothers
*Klubbingman
*Manian
*Master Blaster
*Megastylez
*Mental Theo
*Minage Boyz
*Miss Destiny
*Nightshifterz
*Paffendorf
*Partystylerz
*Phillerz
*ROY BEE
*RainDropz!
*Raveboy
*Ray Knox
*Real Booty Babes
*Renegade Masterz
*Rob Mayth
*S3RL
*Sashman
*Solidus
*Special D
*Starsplash
*Sun Kidz
*Sunvibez
*The Soundlovers
*Ti-Mo
*Topmodelz
*Tronic DJ
*Vanilla Kiss
*VirtualStylerz
*Руки Вверх (Ruki Vverh!)
===Compilations===
*Clubland
===Songs===
*Anthem #1 by Floorfilla
*Anthem #2 by Floorfilla
*Anthem #3 by Floorfilla
*Anthem #4 by Floorfilla
*All I Ever Wanted by Basshunter
*Bad Boy by Cascada
*Bonjour Madame (Hands Up Freaks Remix) by Lolita Jolie
*Boten Anna by Basshunter
*Dancing Through the Night by Raveboy
*Davaj Davaj by DJ Aligator
*Dawaj, Dawaj! by Ruska
*D.E.V.I.L by 666
*Don't You Know by Rock Ryderz
*DotA by Basshunter
*Everyday I See You by Dual Playaz
*Flying High by DJ Splash
*Hands Up Forever by Manian
*Herz an Herz (DJ Cyrus Radio Edit) by Rob Mayth
*How Old Are You (Megastylez Tribute 2 Master Blaster Re-Cut) by Boomtown
*I Can Walk On Water by Basshunter
*I Can't Dance by Basslovers United
*Insanity by Basslovers United
*Kiss Me Again by ROY BEE
*More, More, More! by East Clubbers
*Move Your Hands Up by Clubraiders
*My Life Is A Party by ItaloBrothers
*Nostra Culpa by DJ E-MaxX & DJ MNS
*La Di Da (Renegade MasterZ Remix) by Baracuda
*La La La Girl by Paffendorf
*La Vasca Se Mueve by 666
*Le Delire by Floorfilla
*Omen 3 (Nightshifterz Remix) by Magic Affair
*Pinocchio by DJ Lhasa
*Pretty Rave Girl by S3RL
*Ravers Fantasy by Manian
*Ravers in the UK by Manian
*Ring Dinge Ding by DJ Splash
*Stamp on the Ground by ItaloBrothers
*Supadupafly by 666
*Technodisco by Alex M vs. Marc Van Damme
*The Bad Touch by DJ Gollum
*The Dancecore Brother by TI-MO
*The Hypno by Floorfilla
*The Passenger by DJ Collum
*The Whistle Song by DJ Aligator
*This is Nightlife by ItaloBrothers
*Time Is Ticking by Bazz Boyz
*Tricky Disco by Discotronic
*Under My Skin (Jens O Remix) by Paffendorf
*We Are the Partystylerz by Partystylerz
*Welcome to the Club by Manian
*Танцуй без меня by Ruki Vverh!
==Gallery==
handsuptechno.jpg|Cover art for "Techno Hands Up & Dance 2012 SummerMix #6" by DJ Liquid
basshunter.jpg|Cover art for "Now You're Gone - The Album" by Basshunter
81Y04ms2ocL._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg|Cover art for "Hands Up Forever" by Manian
PaybackTime.jpg|Cover art for "Payback Time" by DJ Aligator
ryu.jpg|Cover art for "Starmine 2020 : Mare Nectaris" by Ryu☆
Evacuate_the_Dancefloor_(album_cover).jpg|Cover art for "Evacuate the Dancefloor" by Cascada
ab67616d0000b273d7acd9744e7c5cfa74216926.jpeg|Cover art for "Stamp!" by ItaloBrothers
clublandsmashed2.jpeg|Cover art for "Clubland Smashed 2" compilation
BassloversUnited (1).jpg|Cover art for "I Can't Dance" by Basslovers United
LaLaLaGirl.jpg|Cover art for "La La La Girl" by Paffendorf
neocortex.jpg|Cover art for "Infinity (The Album)" by Neo Cortex
BassloversUnited (2).jpg|Cover art for "Insanity" by Basslovers United
==References==
Category:Music
Category:2000s
Category:Electronic
Category:Nostalgia/Nostalgic
Category:German
Category:Music Genre