What is 'house' music?

[Jerome]

Can somebody please explain what the term 'House' music means? What defines it as a genre? What is so distinctive about it that it requires it's own slot???

[Music Head]

this oughta be fun

[SteveO]

Music that you play in your house...lol,,,sorry couldn't resist !

this oughta be fun

[Music Head]

Music that you play in your house...lol,,,sorry couldn't resist !

exactly...

[Keef Rob]

To quote Mr. Fingers:

"In the beginning, there was Jack, and Jack had a groove.
And from this groove came the groove of all grooves.
And while one day viciously throwing down on his box, Jack boldy declared,


"Let there be house!" and house music was born.


I am, you see,
I am the creator, and this is my house!
And, in my house there is only house music. But, I am not so
selfish because once you enter my house it then becomes OUR house and
OUR house music!" And, you see, no one can own house because
house music is a universal language, spoken and understood by all.


You see, house is a feeling that no one can understand really unless
you're deep into the vibe of house. House is an uncontrollable
desire to jack your body. And, as I told you before, this is
our house and our house music. And in every house, you
understand, there is a keeper. And, in this house, the keeper
is Jack. Now some of you who might wonder.


Who is Jack, and what is it that Jack does?


Jack is the one who gives you the power to jack your body!
Jack is the one who gives you the power to do the snake.
Jack is the one who gives you the key to the wiggly worm.
Jack is the one who learns you how to walk your body.
Jack is the one that can bring nations and nations of all
Jackers together under one house.


You may be black, you may be white; you may be Jew or Gentile.
It don't make no difference in our House.


And this is fresh!"


Not bad for a 26 year old track.

[pachubatinath]

Amen to House.

House is slightly amorphous, seeing as foundation-house music (Chicago style) can often bear little resemblance to the House of today, so swarmed over by micro-developments in dance music. House lives in the UK through genres like Funky and UK Garage that grafts syncopation and various 'flavas' onto the original format. Of course, you still get straight-up-no-messing-pure-as-possible classic house nights and tracks, which usually conform to the 4/4 beat, tempos that vary (but usually around 120-130bpm) and doesn't really have a song structure, more like a track with repeated, sampled electronic sounds (like a chorus-diva).

It more than earns its own niche -it is one of the most important electronic genres ever, even if only because it allowed others to spawn after it.

My house is OUR house.

[Keef Rob]

No song structure?

*right*

[pachubatinath]

Not when compared to pop songs -there's a noticeable absence of the traditional song in early house.

[Keef Rob]

Must they be compared?

[pachubatinath]

In terms of context, yes, it's useful to do so. House music arrived at a time when the pop song, that had dominated popular music, was being de-constructed and reshaped. Disco began this, but Disco revolved around a song -which House does not necessarily -and thus fell into the pop song category. Because pop (and rock) songs were, for many people, elemental to popular music, House was a bit of a game changer in terms of how popular music was perceived.

Comparisons are useful AND fun!