Music marketplace Beatport, which touts itself as the "world’s number one destination for electronic music," has reinstated the platform's "Hard Techno" category.

The decision to restore the category was made after gathering feedback from the hard techno community as well as prominent labels, artists, and distributors. To flesh out the genre's page on Beatport, it will be populated with music from the site's current "Techno (Raw/Deep/Hypnotic)" and "Techno (Peak Time/Driving/Hard)" categories. The latter is set to be repurposed under the name "Techno (Peak Time/Driving)." Moreover, the newly minted "Hard Techno" section now features its own dedicated Top 100 chart.

"Many labels and artists, including myself, were absolutely gutted when the Hard Techno was combined with Peak Time/Driving," said D.A.V.E. The Drummer, a prominent techno music producer and DJ, in a press statement. "The two styles of music have actually moved farther apart, with more melodic techno at one end of the spectrum and harder faster music at the other. I’m very glad to have the Hard Techno genre back. I once again feel that I am part of a scene and belong to a sound of music that is relevant to my label. Good call, Beatport." 

For a deep dive into the "Hard Techno" category, navigate to its Beatport microsite here.