House Music

The origins of House music trace back to the 1980’s, following a trail that reaches the Atlantic ocean, the Mediterranean dance floors of Ibiza, finds it’s way into the backdoors of New York’s recording studios, and includes V.I.P. passes to the clubs of Chicago and London. House is now considered by many the form of modern dance music. House music’s earliest roots are found in the musical hotspots of Chicago around 1985. One particular New York DJ, Frankie Knuckles, had a regular show at a club called The Warehouse. Knuckles would play with soul and disco tunes by using a drum machine-generating a 4/4 beat on top of them (jahsonic.com). The clubbers loved this new sound and “house” music, named for the club, was born. More DJs took to the tables and the studios, and soon there was an abundance of new house tracks penetrating both the clubs and airwaves of Chicago. The new sound found its way to the East Coast, where DJs in Philadelphia and New York spun their own interpretations of classic dance tunes with a house beat on top. However, the biggest fans of the Chicago sound were not in the U.S. at all (Interview Brandon Klitz: 2002).

Simultaneously, pirate radio in Britain took to the Chicago sounds. Inciden

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By 1989, the acid house scene had transformed into the rave scene. College buddies Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, and Derrick May all produced records both influential and resonating (May’s “The Dance” was sampled countless times for years to come) throughout the Windy City.

While rap had now been put to house beats in Chicago, New York’s artists started developing this a bit more precisely in the closing years of the 90’s. Although it is not considered pop rock by any means, it is becoming more mainstream on a daily basis. Today, some house artists are now even seen on MTV, which has generally been reserved for rock music (Lewis 1990: 28-29). Kane, known as M/A/R/R/S, hit the big time with “Pump up the Volume” (music. Mainstream pop artists began exhibiting acid influence in their records, and more crossovers from the underground appeared on the charts (Interview Brandon Klitz: 2002). Soon, commercial success showcased several of the early artists. House has a deep connection with the youth of today, due to it’s fast pace and call to dance, and therefore is now being shown on cable networks. The first “true” house LP’s, Fingers Inc’s “Another Side” and Liz Torres with Master C & J’s “Can’t Get Enough,” both originally released in England, were rooted in the deep house brewing in Chicago. It barely made a ripple outside Chicago in 1986, but “Acid Trax” was a sign of things to come. In 1989 a few of house’s original players finally received their dues. Knuckles would also go on to be the first winner of the Remix of the Year Grammy in 1997 (fortunecity.

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