What is house music?
House music is the music that people enjoy in various clubs in present times especially in the US. This type of music is said to have been derived from the famous disco music of the 70s and 80s but now modernized to become an electronic type of dance music. For many people, house music is synonymous with club music. Its main difference with the disco music of the past is that the house music of today is considered to have darker messages and more minimalist in terms of overall sound. House music is also considered to be more versatile than disco because it can easily merge or combine with other music genres like funk and soul.
The city of Chicago in the US is considered to be the birthplace of house music. DJs from various clubs of Chicago were the first people to introduce the electronic dance sound of house music back in the early 80s. The updated disco dance sound eventually spread to other parts of the US and even to major urban markets in Europe. What made house music very popular is that it was able to mix well the old disco dance sound and the more modern sound of electronic music along with other music influences from synthesizers and soul for example.
A common feature of house music is the obvious prominence of the kick drum. This particular sound is not produced by an actual drum but rather from an electronic source like a drum sampler or machine. The sound of the kick drum is also repeated for every beat of the music to complete the cycle called “four on the floor”. This beat also roots from the original dance beats that was popular back when disco is the main music for dance across the US and in many parts of the world. As the sound of electronic dance music became more popular through house music, many DJs in various clubs all over the world infused several variations and style to this music genre.