House Music History

When I started thinking about writing about House music the first two things that came to my mind, what is house music? And why so many people like it? So, it seems a good place to start my blog.

What is house music

Basically, House music is a genre of electronic dance music that started in the early 1980s. It’s created mainly using electronic equipment like drum machines, synthesisers, and computer software rather than traditional instruments. It has a steady for to the floor beat creating a constant driving rhythm and that signature thump/donk! 

Usually, we are working with a 115-130 beats per minute which is fast enough to make it energetic but most importantly for me eminently danceable and easy to listen too! We all love to get our hands in the air and groove to sets for hours. There is a mixture of repeating patterns containing beats, baselines and short vocal phrases/lyrics. The tracks are constantly building, creating a kind of hypnotic effect and we get to the drop and the crowd go wild!

The sound is mostly constructed drum machines and synths, but traditional instruments are still used and there and plenty of tunes that have used orchestras.  House is heavily influenced by older genres including disco, soul, funk and gospel that’s why some tracks give the feels funky, soulful and sometimes emotional not just electronic sounds.

House music evolved to be danced to at clubs, parties and festivals but has now worked its way into everyone’s daily listening, even if they don’t realise. TV programmes, adverts, mainstream radio, dinner parties or just sitting at home listening on your own, house is everywhere and long may it stay that way!

Why house music is so popular

House music didn’t just stay in Chicago—it became one of the most popular global music styles and as I just said, even if people don’t realise it’s in our daily lives it has conquered the world!

There are so many reasons people to love House, 

It’s simple, predictable and somewhat addictive! How many times have you been sat somewhere and heard a tune and without even realising your foot feels it and you’re tapping away without even realising, singing along or making that bass face in public! It makes you want to dance and because of that simplicity, anybody can dance to it. I can’t dance to save my life, but I’ve shuffled to a house beat in clubs all over the world. 

Records build gradually, repeat uplifting sounds or vocals and then the beat drops, this makes people feel so many emotions from happy to energised and connect to other people in the crowd.  It touches you! 

The way house was designed/structured makes perfect for DJs and sets. That steady tempo allows mixing smoothly in and out of each other, usually! I’m sure we’ve all seen a DJ drop a proper clanger! But the constant beat allows a DJ to craft sets for many hours, during Lockdown I watch a DJ called Low Steppa to a 24-Hour non-stop set.

Modern day Pop music is now using house beats and artists clammer to get a collaboration with a big DJ as it practically guarantees a hit. Remixes are created everywhere from all genres into house music tunes. 

Although House has moved and changed over the years it has still. Stayed true its cultural roots and embraces the groups from which it came to life, black and LGBTQ+ especially, I think this is because House gives us a deeper meaning than just sound. Its constantly evolving bringing us together and creating new talent, clubs and genres, which I will talk about later, but because of this constant change it never seems to go out of still. I think Defected Records sums it up perfectly with their 2 slogans-

HOUSE MUSIC ALL LIFE LONG and IN OUR HOUSE WE ARE ALL EQUAL.