How to make a 90s hardcore rave track like Calvin Harris's Hypnagogic (I Can't Wait)

We look at how a Bobby Byrd break, an acapella, Korg M1 piano sound and acid house bassline can create the classic sound of early 90s hardcore rave…

No stranger to paying homage to certain beloved dance subgenres, Calvin Harris, has most recently turned his attention to that most sacred of styles: hands-in-the-air ’92style hardcore rave – perfect for this issue of Computer Music then!

Having made his name and fortune creating chart-bothering EDM, Harris’s latest project, Love Regenerator, sees him taking his sound back to the 90s. In fact, he says that “every synth and sound used is from that time period”.

“Hypnagogic (I Can’t Wait) and CP-1 are the first tracks from my new project Love Regenerator,” says Harris. “I wanted to rediscover how I originally began producing music 22 years ago before I ever thought about how it might be perceived by outside forces. Just pure fun and experimentation…

“The records are inspired by early rave, breaks, techno and house, the music I was obsessed with growing up. In fact, I’ve done everything I can to make them sound like they’ve come from a 1991 time capsule.”

With breakbeats, heavy bass, sampled vocals and, of course, uplifting piano in full effect, Harris – going under the name of Love Regenerator here – has done a masterful job of capturing the euphoric essence of tracks such as Awesome 3’s Don’t Go, Sonz of A Loop Da Loop Era’s Peace & Loveism and Aurora’s Sunshine with his latest track Hypnagogic (I Can’t Wait).

Let’s take a look at five of the key elements that make Hypnagogic a kosher slice of early 90s piano breakbeat, and explain how you can create something similar.