What Is Tech House Music?
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If you’re a fan of electronic music, you’ve probably heard of tech house. But what is tech house music, exactly? In this post, we’ll explore the origins and defining characteristics of this popular genre.
Origins of Tech House
Tech House is a subgenre of house music that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. It is characterized by the use of vocals, often with a soul or disco influence, as well as samples from other genres, such as film music or rock.
Chicago’s Warehouse Scene
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that combines elements of techno and acid house. The name is a combination of the words “techno” and “house,” and the style is said to have emerged in the early 1990s in London, but it really came into its own in Chicago.
Chicago’s warehouse scene was fertile ground for the development of tech house. At first, the music was played at underground parties held in abandoned warehouses, but it soon began to appear at mainstream clubs as well. The style was propelled by DJs like Derrick Carter, who helped to popularize it with his legendary residencies at The Wax Trax and Smart Bar.
Throughout the 1990s, tech house continued to evolve, incorporating elements of other genres like Latin music, soul, and even built-up breakbeats. By the end of the decade, it had become one of the most popular strains of house music in the world.
UK’s Acid House Scene
In the UK, the Acid House scene was born out of the illegal, all-night party culture of the late 1980s. Raves were often held in warehouses and industrial estates in London and other major cities, and Acid House was the music that these parties were soundtracked by. The sound was defined by its use of Roland’s TB-303 bassline synthesiser, which was used to create squelchy, distorted basslines that became a key component of the genre.
Characteristics of Tech House
As the name suggests, tech house music is a genre that combines elements of techno and house music. This type of music often has a hypnotic quality to it and often uses repeating vocal samples. The beats are usually techno-inspired and the overall sound is very groove-oriented. If you’re looking for something a little different than your typical house or techno music, tech house might be for you.
Percussive and Groovy
Tech house is a type of electronic dance music that combines elements of techno and house. The result is a percussive, groovy sound that is perfect for dancing. Tech house tracks often have a 4/4 beat, but they can also incorporate other time signatures. The genre originated in the early 1990s, and has since become one of the most popular styles of EDM.
Melodic and Minimal
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that combines elements of techno and deep house. It usually has a melodic, minimalistic style, with sparse percussion and lush, hypnotic rhythms.
Energetic and Fun
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that emerged in the 1990s. It combines elements of techno and house, and is known for its energetic and fun sound. Tech house tracks often have a strong bassline and a driving 4/4 beat. Many tech house tracks also feature quirky samples or melodies, which give the music its distinctive character.
While tech house is not as mainstream as some other genres of electronic dance music, it has a devoted following among clubgoers and DJs alike. If you’re looking for an exciting and fun genre to add to your musical repertoire, look no further than tech house!
Notable Tech House Artists
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that combines elements of techno and house. It typically has a minimal, hypnotic, and intellectual sound. Notable tech house artists include Ricardo Villalobos, Tania Vulcano, and Luciano.
Richie Hawtin
Richie Hawtin (born Richard Roger Hawtin on June 4, 1970) is a British-Canadian electronic musician and DJ who pioneered techno music in the early 1990s and was an important part of the Detroit techno scene. He is best known for his work as Plastikman and for his international DJing.
Hawtin began DJing in clubs in Windsor, Canada in the late 1980s, playing mostly industrial and new beat music. He first gained recognition for his work as a member of the group Cybersonik with John Acquaviva andDan Bell. The three released several EPs on Plus 8 Records, which they founded in 1990.
In the early 1990s, Hawtin began producing techno under the alias Plastikman. His 1993 album Musik was a critical success, and its 1996 follow-up Artifakts (bc) is considered a classic of the genre. In 1997, Hawtin founded the M_nus label, which has released music by artists such as Deadmau5, Magda, and Marco Carola.
Since the early 2000s, Hawtin has been known for his innovative DJing style, which often makes use of Ableton Live and other technology to create complex mixes. He has performed at major festivals such as Glastonbury, Coachella, and Sonar. In 2014, he was awarded the Richard James Award at Moogfest for his contributions to electronic music.
Carl Cox
A three-time DJ Mag Top 100 winner, Carl Cox is a legendary name in both the techno and tech house scenes. A versatile DJ and producer, Cox is just as comfortable spinningelsctro-funk and disco-influenced grooves as he is dark and driving techno. He’s also one of the most in-demand remixers in dance music, with a lengthy discography that includes everyone from Depeche Mode to Moby. In the ’90s, Cox was one of the first techno DJs to achieve crossover success in the mainstream, thanks in part to his Residency at fabriclondon. He’s also a noted label owner, running the Intec and Bush Records imprints.
Sasha
Sasha is a DJ, record producer and Grammy Award-winning remixer. He has been acclaimed as one of the most influential dance music artists of all time. His track “Xpander” was voted the third greatest dance record of all time by Mixmag readers in 2000.
Sasha began his career as a club DJ in Manchester, UK. He soon started to produce his own tracks and remixes, and by the early 1990s he was one of the most sought-after producers in the dance music scene. He has worked with some of the biggest names in electronic music, including The Chemical Brothers, Björk, Hot Chip and Depeche Mode.
Sasha’s DJ sets are noted for their intricate mixing and use of wide-ranging genres. He often incorporates elements of techno, house, breakbeat and drum & bass into his sets. Sasha was one of the first DJs to popularize the use of Ableton Live in his performances.
Where to Hear Tech House
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that combines elements of techno and tech trance. It is a style of music that is often played in underground clubs and warehouses. The biggest difference between tech house and other styles of house music is the focus on the technology of the music. In this article, we will discuss where you can hear tech house music.
Clubs
If you want to hear tech house music, your best bet is to go to a club that specializes in this genre. These clubs are usually located in larger cities, and they usually have a good sound system that can handle the heavy bass that is characteristic of this type of music. You may also find that these clubs have a more relaxed atmosphere than some of the other types of clubs, which can be a nice change of pace.
Festivals
Tech house music is best experienced live, and there are dozens of festivals around the world that featuretech house DJs and producers. In the United States, there are several major festivals that have become meccas for tech house lovers. The Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) is one of the biggest and most well-known techno festivals in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people descend on Detroit to hear some of the best techno DJs in the world.
Other noteworthy tech house festivals in the United States include Movement in Detroit, Lights All Night in Dallas, Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, and Together As One in Los Angeles. If you’re looking to experience tech house music on a global scale, there are also several large festivals that take place outside of the United States. The BPM Festival in Mexico is one of the biggest tech house events in the world, and it draws people from all over to experience some of the best DJs and producers in the genre.
Online Radio
There are plenty of ways to get your tech house music fix online. Here are some of our favorites:
-Oakland-based station BFF.fm offers a dedicated tech house channel that is updated weekly with new sets.
-London-based mix station Beam.fm also has a selection of tech house mixes that are updated regularly.
-For a more curated experience, try the Digitally Imported channel on Mixcloud, which features both established and up-and-coming tech house DJs.
-If you’re looking for something a little more left-field, check out Loose Lips Radio, which offers a range of experimental and underground music, including a fair amount of tech house.
