What is Chicago House Music?
Chicago House Music is a type of dance music that originated in the city of Chicago. It is characterized by a heavy bassline and often uses samples from other genres of music.
Origins
Chicago house music is a style of house music that was developed in the 1980s in Chicago. The style is characterized by a deep bass sound and a percussive, repetitive style of drumming. Chicago house music was initially influenced by disco and soul music.
Early influence of disco and soul
Disco and soul music were both hugely popular in the late 1970s, and they both had a big influence on early Chicago house music. Many of the earliest house tracks were remixed versions of disco hits, and the genre’s name is even thought to come from a nightclub called the Warehouse, which was one of the first places to play this new style of music. House music quickly spread from Chicago to other major American cities like New York and Detroit, and it soon became popular in Europe as well.
The birth of house music in the clubs of Chicago
In the early 1980s, several Chicago clubs featured house music, including the Warehouse, Farley’s and Benson’s. These clubs were frequented by African-American residents of the city’s South and West sides, as well as gay clubgoers. DJs at these venues played a mix of various genres of music, including disco, soul and pop.
The popularity of house music in Chicago clubs soon led to the development of a distinctive style of the genre that came to be known as “Chicago house.” This new style incorporated elements of disco and soul with a heavier beat that was perfect for dancing. House music quickly became the preferred sound of Chicago clubgoers and soon spread to other cities in the United States and around the world.
Key Characteristics
Chicago house music is a style of house music that was developed in the city of Chicago in the early 1980s. The style is characterized by its use of minimal instrumentation,Chicago house music is a style of house music that was developed in the city of Chicago in the early 1980s. The style is characterized by its use of minimal instrumentation, simple drum machine-based rhythms, and soulful vocals.
A focus on the groove
While disco tracks often had abridge, an extended breakdown section, or an instrumental solo. These elements were largely absent from Chicago house music, which was focused more on the steady, hypnotic rhythm of the groove. This helped create the dancefloor track – a sonically simple but effective formula that is still used by house and techno producers today.
The use of synthesizers and drum machines
Central to the sound of Chicago house music is the use of synthesizers and drum machines, particularly the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer, which was used to create Acid house, and the Roland TR-909 drum machine. These were popularized by artists such as Phuture in tracks such as “Acid Tracks” (1987). Other equipment commonly used by Chicago house producers includes samplers, mixers, sequencers, and various effects units.
The influence of disco and soul
Chicago house music is a style of house music that originated in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1980s. The first Chicago house tracks were produced by DJ Pierre, Jesse Saunders and Chip E., with the genre developing further involving such as Farley Jackmaster Funk, Mr. Fingers ( Larry Heard), Adonis and Marshall Jefferson.
Characterized by a heavy bass drum on every beat and often a hi-hat or cymbal on the “off beat”,Chicago house is highly influenced by disco and soul music. It also features elements of Latin-American and Jamaican music, as well as rap.
House music quickly spread to other American cities such as Detroit, New York City, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Key Figures
Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles was a key figure in the development of house music. He is often referred to as the “Godfather of House Music”. Born in the Bronx, Knuckles moved to Chicago in 1977 where he started DJing at a club called The Warehouse. The Warehouse was one of the first clubs to play primarily African American dance music, including disco, soul, and early hip hop. Knuckles’ style of mixing and blending these genres with his own pregnant pauses and dramatic builds helped give birth to the house music sound.
Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Jefferson (born September 19, 1963) is an American musical composer, record producer, DJ and pioneer of the Chicago house music sound. His 1986 track “Move Your Body” is often credited with being the first deep house track. Jefferson was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. He began his musical career playing keyboards in a band called The House Master Boys which included Felix Da Housecat amongst its members.
Chip E
Chip E is one of the key figures in the history of Chicago house music. A native of the city’s West Side, he began DJing in the early 1980s and was one of the first to play house music in Chicago clubs. He was also a pioneer in the use of drum machines and samplers, which helped create the distinctive sound of Chicago house. Chip E’s 1986 track “Like This” is widely considered to be one of the first house tracks to use a drum machine. He has continued to be involved in the Chicago house scene, releasing new tracks and remixes on a regular basis.
The Legacy of Chicago House Music
Chicago House music is a subgenre of electronic dance music that originated in the city of Chicago in the early 1980s. The style is characterized by a deep, percussive sound, and is often associated with the first wave of Chicago house DJs such as Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, and Larry Levan. Chicago house music was initially developed as a reinterpretation of disco, and was later influenced by acid house and techno.
The international reach of Chicago house music
Chicago house music became popular in the 1980s and 1990s, but its roots date back to the 1970s. The genre developed in the city’s clubs and on the city’s radio stations. It quickly gained popularity in other parts of the United States, Europe, and Asia. Today, Chicago house music is enjoyed by people all over the world.
The influence of Chicago house music on other genres
Chicago house music has had a profound and widespread impact on the development of electronic dance music since the early 1980s. Its influence can be heard in a wide variety of other genres including techno, trance, drum and bass, and more.
Chicago house is often characterized by its use of classic disco or funk samples, solid four-on-the-floor beats, and simple melodic hooks. It was these elements that helped to make it one of the most influential genres of dance music.
While techno is typically associated with Detroit, it was actually Chicago that gave birth to the genre. early techno pioneers like Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy were heavily influenced by the sounds of Chicago house. In turn, their music helped to shape the sound of Detroit techno as we know it today.
Chicago house also had a major impact on the development of trance music in the 1990s. The genre was heavily influenced by the soaring, melodic sound of early Chicago tracks like Robert Owens’ “I’ll Be Your Friend” and Mr. Fingers’ “Can You Feel It?” These songs helped to define the sound of trance and laid the foundation for its massive popularity in the years to come.
Today, the influence of Chicago house can still be heard in a wide variety of electronic dance music genres. Its simple yet effective formula has inspired generations of producers and continues to win over new fans every day.
