In the shadowy clubs of 1990s Osaka, a new kind of sonic intensity took root. Fueled by the pounding aggression of Dutch Gabber, fused with the digital sheen of anime aesthetics and early gaming culture, Japanese Hardcore Techno, often referred to as J-Core, exploded into a scene like no other. Fast, loud, and visually unhinged, this underground culture built its identity through DIY rave flyers, cassette tapes, and modded electronics that now serve as artifacts of a short-lived but unforgettable movement.
Manga-Corps, a new 200-page graphic anthology, resurrects this world through an archive of posters, handbills, and visual ephemera from Japan’s hardcore scene between the early ’90s and mid-2000s. Part rave history, part visual overload, it’s a book that documents the movement’s pulse in print.
I spoke with the book’s creators, Gabber Eleganza and Boris Postma, about assembling the archive, their favorite rave memories, and where to start if you’re curious about diving into Japanese hardcore techno today.
Jackson Bowley: How would you describe what you do?
Boris Postma: I’m a researcher focused on identity and culture, currently working in information security. I’ve spent over 15 years documenting gabber subculture through exhibitions, events, and photography.
Gabber Eleganza: I’m a gabber, artist, cultural agitator. For over 15 years, I’ve explored rave subculture, dance folklore, and high-speed musical cultures. I also run Never Sleep, a multimedia platform where I release music, clothing, and books.
What inspired this project, and how did you go about assembling it?
Postma: My introduction to Japanese hardcore techno came in 2002, when I wrote a review for a Dutch anime/manga fanzine. As a longtime gamer and anime fan, I was immediately hooked by the unique mix of sound and visual identity. It felt like a completely different branch of hardcore. One that mashed up digital aggression with hyper-futuristic imagery.
Years later, when Gabber [Eleganza] asked me to write an essay on the visual history of Japanese hardcore techno, it felt like the right moment to dive in fully. What makes Manga-Corps so special is this collision of aesthetics: the raw energy of hardcore kicks paired with sleek anime and manga design. It’s like two worlds almost meeting, and sometimes just barely missing each other. That tension is fascinating.
Researching for this book was addictive. There’s something euphoric about thinking you understand a scene, only to be jolted in another direction. I also collaborated with Yuta Umegatani, aka Murder Channel, Japan’s leading authority on hardcore techno and gabber, whose insights were invaluable.
Eleganza: I first encountered the Japanese scene in 2005, at a Pan Sonic concert in Milan. A group of Japanese kids had a table full of CDs, were playing modified Game Boys and circuit-bent toys, and blasting speedcore at 300 BPM through a hacked Kirby doll. It blew my mind.
The visuals, the charisma. It was radically different from the dark, industrial aesthetics of European hardcore. It was colorful, funky, even playful. I bought a few mixtapes that night, including one by the legendary Hammer Bros, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
What makes these poster and flyer designs stand out?
Postma: The variety is what stands out. Some flyers mimic the Dutch scene using early Photoshop, bootlegged Marvel imagery, and horror movie visuals. Others take a more handcrafted approach: photography, collage, even paint. Some feel more poetic than aggressive. More like an indie show than a 200 BPM rave.
Then there are the truly unhinged ones: chaotic hand-drawn illustrations, walls of scribbled text, big messy typography. They weren’t about looking polished, they were about channeling raw energy. They feel like they were made in a frenzy by someone who had to make them.
What do you think of current rave design trends?
Postma: Honestly, most of today’s hardcore flyers feel like cookie-cutter InDesign templates. Polished, glossy, and lifeless. More EDM than underground. There’s no grit or soul left in a lot of it.
But there are exceptions. Some younger designers are reviving that ’90s spirit, embracing imperfections and mixed media. Genosis, for example, uses hand-drawn sci-fi and fantasy elements in a way that feels fresh and raw.
What’s the most hardcore rave you’ve attended?
Postma: The Darkcore parties at Power Zone in Amsterdam, around 2003. Totally grim, sometimes violent, and incredibly intense. DJs like Simon Underground, Manu le Malin, Radium, and Drokz played those nights. It shaped my entire sense of what hardcore could be.
Eleganza: The second room at Number One Club in northern Italy. Picture an opulent marble disco turned into an anarchic pit. Mosh pits, sweat, human pyramids… It was total madness. But with a kind of raw, folkloric energy.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at a rave?
Postma: Early 2000s Dutch hardcore parties were a mess. Everything from couples on their first ecstasy trip to full-on fights between football hooligans. I’ve seen Nazis get beat down in the middle of the dancefloor. It was chaotic, sometimes dark, but unforgettable.
Eleganza: At Number One Club, the final hour would always climax with people building human pyramids, trying to touch the ceiling, maybe 20 feet up. It felt somewhere between a spiritual ritual and total chaos.
Five tracks to get into Japanese hardcore techno:
Hammer Bros, “This Song Is For USA”
Dj Sharpnel, “Zero”
Killingscum, “Norist”
Dj Kamikaze, “How Should I Stop”
Mysouke, “The Art of Creation”
Manga-Corps is available to purchase through Never Sleep.
