House is a genre of electronic dance music that is characterized by a steady four-on-the-floor beat that usually lies somewhere between 120-130 beats per minute (bpm).
House tracks can use standard song arrangements with an intro, verses, a signature chorus, an interlude, and an outro. Other tracks are built for DJ mixing, with long instrumental passages or a repeated vocal sample instead of full verses. Listening for how the layers enter and leave is often more useful than expecting a conventional verse and chorus every time.
House is said to have originated in the clubs of Chicago in the 1980s. Over time, House evolved and branched out into a vast array of sub-genres. Let us take a look at some of the prominent ones
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1. Acid House
In the 1980s, House traveled all the way to Europe from Chicago and the youth took to it immediately. Acid House had already taken shape in Chicago through experiments with the Roland Bass Line Synthesizer TB-303. In Britain, that sound became part of a wider nightclub and rave culture, with warehouse parties and drug use also shaping the scene.
The British acid-house boom of 1988 and 1989 is often called “the Second Summer of Love”.
Along with the sound of the TB-303, Acid House consists of a steady four-on-the-floor kick drum in a 4/4 time signature and is generally somewhere between 120 to 130 bpm.
Some examples of classic tracks in this genre are Phuture’s “Acid Tracks”, DJ Pierre’s “Box Energy” and “Flow Coma” by 808 State.
2. Big Room House
Perhaps the most widely known of all the different kinds of House music, Big Room is synonymous with artists like Swedish House Mafia, Hardwell, Martin Garrix, Tiësto, Dimitri Vegas, and Like Mike.
It exploded in the North American music scene in 2009/2010 and festivals such as Tomorrowland, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Ultra Music Festival now program big-room house artists as their headliners owing to the popularity enjoyed by this genre.
There is usually a buildup and a drop in the songs and the tempo varies between 126 and 132 bpm.
3. Chicago House
Released in 1984, Jesse Saunders’ single ‘On And On’ is often credited as the first commercially released House record. That milestone sits within a wider Chicago club scene of DJs, dancers and producers. With its four-on-the-floor beat, layered keyboards, and simple yet dominant basslines, Chicago House paved the way for the sub-genres we hear today.
4. Deep House
A lot slower than the others, Deep House typically lies in the realm of 110-125bpm with a strong jazz, soul, and funk influence. This also incorporates a lot of choppy vocals for danceability. Some of its pioneers are Marshall Jefferson, Mr. Fingers (Larry Heard), Kerri Chandler, Theo Parrish, and Fred Everything.
5. French House
Using disco samples from the 1970s and 80s, sweeping filter effects, and funk basslines, French House became prominent thanks to artists like Daft Punk, Bob Sinclar, and Cassius. Vocoders and other processed vocals also appear, but filtering a sample and creating a vocoder effect are different techniques.
6. Bass House & Electro House
Bass and Electro House incorporate massive sawtooth wave bass sounds and the tempo usually varies between 125-135bpm. Although this sound started to brew sometime in the 90s, it was in the early and mid-00s that this genre emerged as a much heavier alternative.
Artists such as Zedd, Erol Alkan, and Bloody Beetroots are credited for inspiring this genre which has since enjoyed mainstream popularity through the works of Deadmau5. Daft Punk’s album ‘Discovery’ is perhaps one of the best examples of the influences of this genre, which was then further innovated by acts like Justice and Digitalism.
7. Future House
Coined by French DJ Tchami, according to him, Future House represents “any kind of House music which has not been yet.” The tempo will usually be within 120-130bpm with lush organ-style synths.
8. Latin House
Latin music like Samba, Bossa Nova, Tango, Mambo and Reggaeton has a wide variety of rhythmic patterns and percussive elements. These styles do not all depend on unusual time signatures. Latin House combines Latin percussion, vocals or melodic ideas with House music’s steady dance beat, making its character more about the groove than a particular meter.
Labels like Nervous Records and later, Cutting Records in the mid-90s brought Latin House to the forefront, the influences of which can be found in the works of popular artists like Diplo.
9. Minimal House
Elements of deep house and minimal techno form Minimal or Microhouse. In the late 90s and early 2000s, the steadiness of techno was incorporated with House kick drum and hi-hats patterns. Synths are layered for texture, to not overpower the song and the tempo remains between 115-130bpm.
10. Progressive House
Progressive House emerged in Britain and incorporates rhythmic layers which are added and subtracted throughout the song to build intensity. Thus there are peaks and troughs throughout the track, with a gradual sense of development. It is not consistently harder or softer than Deep House. Some tracks feature extended build-ups that last as long as 4 minutes, as heard in ‘Strobe’ by Deadmau5.
11. Tech House
Tech House often blurs the line between House and Techno. There is a prominent kick drum, and percussive elements such as hi-hats and snares may be distorted or heavily filtered. Repetitive synth lines can reinforce the groove, but a square or sawtooth wave alone does not make a track “techno”. Listen to the arrangement and rhythm together.
12. Tropical House
Derived from music such as Dancehall, Tropical House is relaxed and uplifting. It has a laid-back vibe and is often reminiscent of a vacation by the beach. From the mid-2010s, Tropical House has steadily found its way into mainstream pop through breakout hits like Justin Bieber’s song ‘What Do You Mean’ produced by MdL.
History of House Music
House is said to have originated in the clubs of Chicago in the 1980s, before gaining attention and popularity worldwide. Its initial enthusiasts were primarily gay, black, and Latino listeners who were takers of the unique fusion of 1970s disco and soul vocals with the futuristic Eurodisco which heavily used synthesizers.
The now iconic deejay-producers Frankie Knuckles and Marshall Jefferson were important pioneers of house music. The sound developed through a wider community of Chicago DJs, producers and dancers, rather than a single invention by those two artists.
Although there is no clear written history for its nomenclature, popular belief is that during the explosion of club culture in the 1970s, Chicago’s famous club, “The Warehouse” had a cult following for providing its patrons with a safe space. Records of the music played at the venue became available to the public at record stores. These were labeled “as played at The Warehouse”. This, thus, became known colloquially as “house music”.
Summary
Using the term “House” by itself to describe music is now too generic a term as the music industry has expanded to include a vast array of house sub-genres.
While these are only some of the popular sub-genres of House Music, they are not the only ones. Like most other forms of music, House, too, has a rich history. It has been constantly evolving to fit the needs of the listener. What is important is that House is and always has been about inclusivity and providing a space for those who feel like they do not belong.
After all, there are few things as powerful as music, and dancing to music can often feel like a communion with a power higher than oneself. So put on a playlist of your favorite genre and take some time out today to dance, even if it is just by yourself!
