Artists Hands up

The Hands up genre is a subgenre of electronic dance that emerged in the late 1990s and was then widely popularized in the 2000s, mainly in Germany, Austria and other Central European countries. A direct heir to Eurodance, trance and happy hardcore, Hands up stands out for its highly euphoric energy, immediate melodies, bouncy basslines and often very catchy choruses. It takes up the festive spirit of Eurodance, but with a more modern, faster, more club-oriented sound.

Hands up occupies an intermediate place between several neighboring styles. It shares with trance a taste for melodic synths and emotional build-ups, with dance its accessibility, and with happy hardcore or certain forms of hard dance its rhythmic intensity. It is therefore not simply a variant of Eurodance, but a style in its own right, born from the meeting of several European currents of electronic music.

The genre was popularized by artists such as Cascada, Scooter, Groove Coverage, Special D., Rocco, Basshunter, Manian or DJ Gollum. With its fast tempos, effective vocal hooks and euphoric energy, Hands up remains today one of the most emblematic styles of 2000s European dance.