House music has become a popular genre worldwide, so much so that its exact origin is not yet established. House has been called one of the most “decidedly American” musical forms, since its origins are notoriously difficult to pinpoint.
The first use of the word “house” in the context of describing music is from the mid-1950s, although it can be traced back to earlier electro and Chicago blues styles with similar rhythmic characteristics.
House Music Definition and Who Invented Genre
Second, Sonny Moore, a former lead singer for the post-punk band From First to Last, created the genre by tweaking the sound of his 303 bassline synth. Unfortunately, both men had extensive vocal problems, making their productions inferior to most records.
The emergence of house music began in Chicago, where clubs catered to predominantly black and Latino patrons. The fusion of disco and synthesizer-driven Eurodisco made the house music genre famous. By 1986, it had spread throughout Europe, and a few Chicago tracks had broken into the UK’s pop charts.
The genre spawned a new subgenre of dance music known as acid house, which was a reaction to the mainstream popularity of disco. The genre incorporates bass lines, which act synergistically with hallucinogen ecstasy.
The genre is generally thought of as coming from the black community, but many DJs have staked their claim to the genre. Today, house music has a worldwide audience and connects musicians, artists, and marginalized Western society. As a result, its popularity continues to grow.
History and Origins of House Music
The early house genre also featured more pronounced bass lines and mechanical drums. These changes were enough to create a new dance music genre that would eventually become known as house.
Early house music was heavily influenced by disco and funk music, and a rush of new talent came to the scene. The first vocal talent was Liz Torres, who helped establish the genre as we know it today.
Others included Steve Hurley and Bob Sinclair. In South Africa, kwaito became the sound of the townships, and Marshall Jefferson, a former member of the Detroit techno group Def Jam, played a big part in popularizing the genre.
By this time, the genre had already broken its connection with disco and Philadelphia and was referred to as techno. This style of house genre had local roots as kwaito, the musical language of the townships in South Africa.
Types of House Music
There are several main styles of house music, and each one has its distinctive characteristics. The most common house style is the 4/4, which varies from 120 to 140 bpm.
A typical house track consists of a bass drum on every downbeat, a snare on every 2nd and 4th beat, and an open hi-hat sound on even intervals. The syncopated rhythms of this genre create an impulse to funk and frame an available sonic canvas. However, more recent styles are often slower and moodier.
Electro house is a subgenre. It usually consists of short, high-pitched notes generated by altering the pitch of percussion instruments.
Unlike other subgenres, Electro house features a repetitive bassline and a hypnotic beat. The genre was developed in France in the late 1990s and is distinguished by its characteristic sound filter effect. Deep house tracks typically have lower bpm and a deeper, more minimal sound.
Conclusion
In the last few decades, house music has grown to have an international following. Not only is it loved and cherished in its birthplace, Chicago, but also throughout the world. While some debate over what can be considered house music continues today, most agree that it is a form of dance/electronic music.
House music features heavy bass lines that are often accompanied by synthesizers, drum machines, and other disco-influenced sounds. Although there are variants within this genre, including Deep House and Garage House, House Music is known for its distinctive “four on the floor” beat and funky grooves.
