Exploring Music Genres: House

House is an electronic dance music genre characterised by repetitive rhythms and steady beats. House music has been shaped by DJ experimentation and the culture of underground clubs. Over time, house music has split into many sub genres while still remaining an influence on modern dance music and electronic production.

House music emerged in Chicago, the United States, during the early 1980s. The genre developed from underground clubs where DJs experimented with electronic beats and disco records. It was heavily influenced by soul, disco, and funk music and was shaped by LGBTQ+, Latino, and Black communities. The term house music originated from the Chicago club The Warehouse. In the mid to late 1980s, house music spread to Europe and New York as rave culture began to grow. During the 1990s, house music became a large part of club and rave culture. In the following decades, house influenced electronic dance music and mainstream pop. House DJs and producers gained recognition, and the genre became more accessible with the rise of digital production software. Presently, house is a core genre within electronic dance music and continues to evolve while maintaining its foundation. 

House music is built around a steady four-on-the beat, meaning a kick drum plays on every beat. Loop based production is used to design dance focused and repetitive rhythms. The mixing aims for a clean and balanced sound that is suitable for DJs and clubs. Electronic sound design techniques like reverb, filters, and delay are used heavily in house music. Drum machines are a signature instrument for the genre. Synthesizers are used to provide the chords, basslines, and melodic hooks. Live instruments are used less frequently, with digital tools central in modern house production. The vocals are often simplistic, sampled, or repetitive with lyrics focusing on themes of dance, nightlife, and freedom. Some sub genres feature no vocals at all.  

Overtime, house music has been defined by influential artists and recordings. One of these artists is Frankie Knuckles, an American DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House Music” due to his role in the development of the genre. He was a part of the production of ‘Your Love,’ which is one of the most iconic early house tracks. Marshall Jefferson is a key figure in shaping Chicago’s early house music. His 1986 single ‘Move Your Body’ not only helped bring house music to a larger audience but was also the first house song to feature a piano. Daft Punk, a French electronic band, brought house music to global audiences through the sub genre French House. The group’s debut album “Homework' blended house with funk and techno.

House music emerged from underground club culture and today has grown into a major influence on electronic music. The genre has shaped popular music and dance clubs for decades and despite changes in trends and technology, the genre continues to evolve today.