.I am a fan of her after visiting Sublime club in Batumi, Georgia were she played an amazing and the most Awesome music!!!
Well, What can I say... She is the one who deserves to be in top House music DJ's list.
some more pics that you might enjoy...
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
DJ Nastia Beauty
Among both Ukrainian and foreign fans of techno, Nastia is considered as one of the most charismatic actresses among female DJs. Her sets can remain indifferent to absolutely anyone - it either leads you to the heights of high spirits because of its wild energy, or driven to an extreme degree of aberration by the excess of emotion and fervor. The possessor of impeccable Slavic appearance, Nastia Beauty behaves easily and naturally as at the decks, as in communications, that finally cemented her status of a woman, who could create the perfect mood and partially change the world for the better. Despite her young age, she has faithfully fulfilled difficult but noble tasks as the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazantip in Kiev, manages her own show PROPAGANDA on the most popular Ukrainian radio station Kiss FM and has taken a firm position in the TOP 10 of rankings of the best Ukrainian DJs. Currently Nastia Beauty is the most touring DJ in Ukraine.
.I am a fan of her after visiting Sublime club in Batumi, Georgia were she played an amazing and the most Awesome music!!!
Well, What can I say... She is the one who deserves to be in top House music DJ's list.
Again, along fantastic job she is doing on the DJ set, She is pretty as well...
.I am a fan of her after visiting Sublime club in Batumi, Georgia were she played an amazing and the most Awesome music!!!
Well, What can I say... She is the one who deserves to be in top House music DJ's list.
DJ Dennis Ferrer
Biography of Dennis Ferrer
Right place, right time. It's an old cliché, but it's one that's been the definition of Dennis Ferrer's musical career. Just as the dance music world was heading into the world of afro-centric house, Ferrer was there. And then, when it began to embrace the mix of tech and soul, Ferrer was there again, leading the way with his impeccable productions. As Ferrer goes, it seems, so does electronic music. And, as someone who's never content to do the same thing twice, it's clear that he'll be staying on top for years to come.
Ferrer burst back into the consciousness of most dance music heads with the release of "Sandcastles," (Ibadan) his collaboration with Jerome Sydenham in 2003. A throwback to his techno roots as producer of the first ever release on Synewave in 1994 and mixed with a healthy dose of soul, the track was a massive hit for the duo. But, to his credit, Ferrer didn't simply repeat the formula afterwards. Instead, whether it's been the gospel house sounds of his remix of Blaze & Barbara Tucker's "Most Precious Love" (Defected) or the deeper-than-deep rework of Fish Go Deep's "The Cure & The Cause," (Defected) Ferrer has continued to push a variety of genres all at once. It's clear that Ferrer isn't content to rest on his laurels: he's too busy dreaming up new ways to shock and delight audiences.
Of course, we do say "back" into the consciousness of dance music heads because Ferrer has been around for far longer than 'Sandcastles'. He was crafting techno records in the mid-'90s as Morph and then had success in the Afro and gospel house scenes with releases via his Sfere label, an imprint he began alongside Kerri Chandler. "Sandcastles" merely marked his return to techno phase - and broadened his appeal to a new audience largely unfamiliar with his past work. But it's this past work that gives his new productions such resonance: unlike many of this house peers, Ferrer's techno experience has given him an edge that you can hear in his recent work.
"Son of Raw," (Ibadan) "Church Lady," (Defected) "Underground Is My Home," (King Street Sounds) and "Touched the Sky" (King Street Sounds) have all been huge dancefloor anthems and all show a different side of the Ferrer personality. As he's said in interviews, "It doesn't matter if it's gospel house, Brazilian house, jazz house, or whatever. As long as it's got soul and moves people, that's all that matters." Collected on his full-length The World As I See It (King Street Sounds), it's a sound that reached many different audiences. "Transitions" and "P2DaJ" were huge in the techno world, while the beautiful ode "How Do I Let Go" was a hit in the gospel house scene, the success of which has become bittersweet considering the recent passing of its vocalist, KT Brooks, one of Ferrer's favorite vocal collaborators.
Ferrer has brought that anything goes approach to his newest venture, Objektivity. The new imprint has thus far focused itself on vocals, featuring often unlikely turns from indie heroes like Ane Brun and Télépopmusik. Low slung and deep, Objektivity is a cutting-edge label in touch with its time, putting a uniquely American spin on the deep house revival that is currently making waves in Europe. And with releases from the likes of the young phenoms the Martinez Brothers (who are going from strength to strength) and classic New York house heads like Timmy Regisford and Quentin Harris, it's obvious that Ferrer doesn't regard the label as a vanity project. Objektivity is a living, breathing thing - one that's set to drop bombs on the dancefloor for years to come.
Ferrer started out 2009 with quick acclaim from the top download store Beatport who awarded him Best Deep House Artist of 2009. But that wasn't enough to make Ferrer rest, for most of the year in-between a heavy DJ schedule, he's been hold up in his super secret Hoboken New Jersey studio slowly crafting what promises to be his best work to date - a brand newalbum tentatively entitled "The More Things Change."
Ferrer released the piano driven summer smash "Sinfonia Della Notte" on Strictly Rhythm in May 2009 which fans and press alike bugged over. DJ Mag said the single was leading the charge for a piano chord driven house music revival but we know Ferrer is just flexing one of his many skills.
Just how much more was revealed in mid November when Ferrer unveiled his single "Hey Hey" for Objektivity which immediately caught on with DJs and with Mixmag UK who gave it a Big Tune review. UK radio DJ Pete Tong helped the noise too saying the record ‘gives me goose bumps, it’s quality from start to finish; it’s a return to the finest virtues of house music, this is brilliant.' The single is also notable for having received one of the most rapid reactions in recent dance music history - shooting immediately to #1 on Beatport where it's still holding over four weeks in something no other house track has achieved recently. It's also been #1 at Juno and #1 at Black Market in Soho, London.
Perhaps part of the appeal here is "Hey Hey" is vocal driven and so it's appropriate that Dennis has just been nominated for a Grammy for another vocal driven tune - his "Dennis Ferrer Objektivity Mix" of Dido's "Don't Believe In Love" (Arista). But vocals aren't all that's appealing with "Hey Hey" it's been drawing attraction for the superb production standards - something Dennis made even clearer when he decided to reveal part of the technical process behind the tune on his myspace blog (and single press release) - Resident Advisor's reviewer commented - "even a novice like me can often hear how ridiculously sharp his productions are."
Dennis recently described the genesis of his new single to Chicago's Five Magazine saying "I was thinking about when you used to hang out with your friends back in the day and some guy would call on some girl, and most of the time she wouldn't give him the time of day. But on occasion you get that one shot where somebody would pay you some mind Then a couple of years later you go, "Damn I hate this bitch!" or "Screw this fucking guy!" ([laughs] That's where the record comes from. We've all been at a certain point where you sit there and regret what you've done. "And I heard you say, I knew I should have walked away..."
As far as his Grammy nomination goes Ferrer admits it was all a bit of a surprise - "Carl Craig sent me a text and said "congratulations on your Grammy nomination". I texted him back saying "oh, you've got jokes now". I thought he was talking about my new record. Then he called me saying he was serious and my jaw dropped." He adds "I feel honored and lucky at the same time. Very few of us in our genre get the nod of acknowledgement when it comes to being judged in the mainstream."
As always with Ferrer the best is yet to come. With a deep knowledge of the past and a constant push for the future, Ferrer remains one of the true greats of house music - a leader and innovator whose enjoying the buzz around him but keeping on pushing the limits. Stay tuned.
DENNIS FERRER DISCOGRAPHY
2010
Dennis Ferrer “The Red Room” (Objektivity
2009
Dennis Ferrer “Sinfonia Della Notte” (Strictly Rhythm)
Dennis Ferrer “Hey Hey” (Objektivity)
2008
Reel People Feat. Darien “Alibi” (Dennis Ferrer Remix) (Papa Records)
The Sunburst Band “Journey To The Sun” (Dennis Ferrer Remixes) (Z Records)
Ane Brun “Headphone Silence” (Dennis Ferrer Edit) (Objektivity)
Dido “Don’t Believe In Love” (Dennis Ferrer Remixes) (Sony BMG)
2007
Telepopmusik “Love Can Damage Your Health” (Abicah Soul / Df Remix) (Objektivity)
Dennis Ferrer Feat. Melena Perez “I Can’t Go Under” / “Buzz Beats” (Objektivity)
Son Of Raw “A Black Man In Space” (Objektivity)
2006
Dennis Ferrer “A Drumstick And A Light Fixture” (UK Promotions)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “The Back Door” (Ibadan)
Dennis Ferrer “Son Of Raw” (Ibadan)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “The Undertow” (Ibadan)
Martin Solveig “Jealousy” (Dennis Ferrer’s Haters Mix) (Defected)
Fish Go Deep “The Cure And The Cause” (Dennis Ferrer Remix) (Defected)
Copyright “He Is” (Ferrer & Sydenham Vox Mix) (Defected)
Dennis Ferrer “The World As I See It” (King Street / Defected) (Album)
Church Lady (King Street / Defected)
Touched The Sky (King Street / Defected)
Transitions (King Street / Defected)
P 2 Da J (King Street / Defected)
How Do I Let Go (King Street / Defected)
Underground Is My Home (King Street / Defected)
Change The World (King Street / Defected)
Destination (King Street / Defected)
I Can’t Imagine (King Street / Defected)
Run Free (King Street / Defected)
Ferrer & Karzima Ltd. “The Cube” (Objektivity)
2005
Glen Lewis “Life Everlasting” (Dennis Ferrer’s Passion Of C Mixes) (Funk La Planet)
Dennis Ferrer Feat. Kenny Bobien “Grateful” (Sfere)
Sueno Soul “Tempo Da Solo” (Dennis Ferrer’s City Of Funk Mix) (Stealth)
Dennis Ferrer “Hit It Off / Jero” (Defected)
Marlon D. Vs. Dennis Ferrer “The Breeze” (Citydeep Music)
Blaze Ft. Barbara Tucker “Most Precious Love” (Df’s Future 3000 Remix) (Defected)
2004
Djaimin & Oule Oule “Children Of Afrika” (Df’s Bless The Children Mix) (Slip’N’Slide)
S.U.M.O. “Stay” (Df’s Carnival Remix) (Sfere)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “Road To Calabar” (Ibadan)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “Timbuktu” (Ibadan)
Dubtribe Sound System “Nothing Is Impossible” (Dennis Ferrer Mix) (Defected)
2003
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “Double Penetration” (Ibadan)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “Sandcastles” (Ibadan)
Reel People “Can’t Stop” (Dennis Ferrer’s Falling For U Mix) (Papa Records)
Dennis Ferrer Feat Aaron Pearson “It’s A Beautiful Life” (Sfere)
Patrick Green “I Got Sunshine” (Dennis Ferrer’s Sunshine Remix) (Innervibe)
Stephanie Cooke “Rain” (DF’s Rainforest) (King Street)
Dj Chus & David Penn “Baila” (Dennis Ferrer Bergentine Mix) (Defected)
2002
Bongo Maffin “Mari Ye Phepha” (Df’s Jo’burg Mix) (House Afrika)
Asaph Womack “Shelter Me” (Df’s Roofoverurhead Mix) (Easy Street)
Anthony Flanagan “It’s Alright” (Sfere)
Dennis Ferrer “Soul Collectives Vol. 3” (Large)
Dj Pierre Ft. Queen Mary “Good Luv” (Dennis Ferrer’s Foreplay Dub) (King Street)
Dennis Ferrer “Reach For Freedom / Dem People Go” (Nitegrooves / King Street)
Dennis Ferrer “Jero” (Ibadan)
2001
Kick Affiliates “Don’t Wanna Stop” Remix (83 West)
Knu Je “Seeds Of Life” (Dennis F’s Procreated Mix) (Distant Music)
Dennis Ferrer “The Lost Tribes Of Ibadan 2” (Sfere)
Solar House “Got 2 Be U” (Dennis Ferrer Eclipse Remix) (Large)
Miri Ben-Ari “Peace In The Middle East” (Dennis F’s Canweallgetalong Mix) (Sfere)
Dennis Ferrer “Soul Collectives Vol. 2” (Large)
Jania “Deconstructed House” (Ibadan)
Nicci “Count On Me” (Dennis F’s Responsibility Mix) (Easy Street)
Dennis Ferrer “Funu” (Basic Recordings)
Dennis Ferrer “Ghetto Discote Building” (Madhouse Records)
Jennifer Renee Morrison “Sunshine” (Df’s Early Morning Mix) (Madhouse Records)
Third Ministry Of Faith “Joy To The World” (Sfere)
Snowy Mcewan “Someone To Love” (Dennis F’s Lonely Mix) (Sfere)
Roy Ayers “Zeularae” (Dennis F’s Afro Shock) (Sfere)
Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer “Kò Kò / Jehlaz” (Ibadan)
Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer “The Wj” (Ibadan)
Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer “Freekoba” (Ibadan)
2000
Pressure – Tears For You (Dennis F Drizzle Mix) (95 North Records)
Dennis Ferrer “The Lost Tribes Of Ibadan 2” (Sfere)
Anthony Flanagan “Wonderful People” (Metaphor)
Big Moses Ft. Janel “For You” (Sfere Of Life Mix) (Bass Mental)
Kaye “My Angel” (Dennis F. Gardian) (Next Moov Records)
Dennis Ferrer “Soul Collectives Vol. 1” (Large)
Aaron Carl “My House” (Dennis F Mix) (Ovum)
1999
Anthony Flanagan “Never Enough” (Dennis F’s Satisfied Mix) (Sfere)
Bougie Soliterre “Got The Bug” (Sfere’s Horn Mix) (Sfere)
Restless Soul “After Hours” (Dennis F’s Purgatory Mix) (Chillifunk)
Dennis Ferrer & Kerri Chandler “First Steps” (Album) (Sfere)
Dennis Ferrer “The Lost Tribes Of Ibadan 1” (Sfere)
U.C. Heights “Never Lost Faith” (Chillifunk)
1998
Greg Smith & Dennis Ferrer “I Need Your Love” (Hot’n’spicy)
Dr. Gary Henry “Faith” (Dennis F’s Testimonial Mix) (Sfere)
Third Generation “You Don’t Live Here Anymore” (Dennis F’s Eviction Mix) (Sfere)
1996
Morph “The Advent Remixes” (Synewave)
1994
Morph “Morphing” (New Electronica)
Morph “Stormwatch” (Synewave)
Berkana Sowelu “Solid Fuel” (Morph Remix) (Pacific Records)
Right place, right time. It's an old cliché, but it's one that's been the definition of Dennis Ferrer's musical career. Just as the dance music world was heading into the world of afro-centric house, Ferrer was there. And then, when it began to embrace the mix of tech and soul, Ferrer was there again, leading the way with his impeccable productions. As Ferrer goes, it seems, so does electronic music. And, as someone who's never content to do the same thing twice, it's clear that he'll be staying on top for years to come.
Ferrer burst back into the consciousness of most dance music heads with the release of "Sandcastles," (Ibadan) his collaboration with Jerome Sydenham in 2003. A throwback to his techno roots as producer of the first ever release on Synewave in 1994 and mixed with a healthy dose of soul, the track was a massive hit for the duo. But, to his credit, Ferrer didn't simply repeat the formula afterwards. Instead, whether it's been the gospel house sounds of his remix of Blaze & Barbara Tucker's "Most Precious Love" (Defected) or the deeper-than-deep rework of Fish Go Deep's "The Cure & The Cause," (Defected) Ferrer has continued to push a variety of genres all at once. It's clear that Ferrer isn't content to rest on his laurels: he's too busy dreaming up new ways to shock and delight audiences.
Of course, we do say "back" into the consciousness of dance music heads because Ferrer has been around for far longer than 'Sandcastles'. He was crafting techno records in the mid-'90s as Morph and then had success in the Afro and gospel house scenes with releases via his Sfere label, an imprint he began alongside Kerri Chandler. "Sandcastles" merely marked his return to techno phase - and broadened his appeal to a new audience largely unfamiliar with his past work. But it's this past work that gives his new productions such resonance: unlike many of this house peers, Ferrer's techno experience has given him an edge that you can hear in his recent work.
"Son of Raw," (Ibadan) "Church Lady," (Defected) "Underground Is My Home," (King Street Sounds) and "Touched the Sky" (King Street Sounds) have all been huge dancefloor anthems and all show a different side of the Ferrer personality. As he's said in interviews, "It doesn't matter if it's gospel house, Brazilian house, jazz house, or whatever. As long as it's got soul and moves people, that's all that matters." Collected on his full-length The World As I See It (King Street Sounds), it's a sound that reached many different audiences. "Transitions" and "P2DaJ" were huge in the techno world, while the beautiful ode "How Do I Let Go" was a hit in the gospel house scene, the success of which has become bittersweet considering the recent passing of its vocalist, KT Brooks, one of Ferrer's favorite vocal collaborators.
Ferrer has brought that anything goes approach to his newest venture, Objektivity. The new imprint has thus far focused itself on vocals, featuring often unlikely turns from indie heroes like Ane Brun and Télépopmusik. Low slung and deep, Objektivity is a cutting-edge label in touch with its time, putting a uniquely American spin on the deep house revival that is currently making waves in Europe. And with releases from the likes of the young phenoms the Martinez Brothers (who are going from strength to strength) and classic New York house heads like Timmy Regisford and Quentin Harris, it's obvious that Ferrer doesn't regard the label as a vanity project. Objektivity is a living, breathing thing - one that's set to drop bombs on the dancefloor for years to come.
Ferrer started out 2009 with quick acclaim from the top download store Beatport who awarded him Best Deep House Artist of 2009. But that wasn't enough to make Ferrer rest, for most of the year in-between a heavy DJ schedule, he's been hold up in his super secret Hoboken New Jersey studio slowly crafting what promises to be his best work to date - a brand newalbum tentatively entitled "The More Things Change."
Ferrer released the piano driven summer smash "Sinfonia Della Notte" on Strictly Rhythm in May 2009 which fans and press alike bugged over. DJ Mag said the single was leading the charge for a piano chord driven house music revival but we know Ferrer is just flexing one of his many skills.
Just how much more was revealed in mid November when Ferrer unveiled his single "Hey Hey" for Objektivity which immediately caught on with DJs and with Mixmag UK who gave it a Big Tune review. UK radio DJ Pete Tong helped the noise too saying the record ‘gives me goose bumps, it’s quality from start to finish; it’s a return to the finest virtues of house music, this is brilliant.' The single is also notable for having received one of the most rapid reactions in recent dance music history - shooting immediately to #1 on Beatport where it's still holding over four weeks in something no other house track has achieved recently. It's also been #1 at Juno and #1 at Black Market in Soho, London.
Perhaps part of the appeal here is "Hey Hey" is vocal driven and so it's appropriate that Dennis has just been nominated for a Grammy for another vocal driven tune - his "Dennis Ferrer Objektivity Mix" of Dido's "Don't Believe In Love" (Arista). But vocals aren't all that's appealing with "Hey Hey" it's been drawing attraction for the superb production standards - something Dennis made even clearer when he decided to reveal part of the technical process behind the tune on his myspace blog (and single press release) - Resident Advisor's reviewer commented - "even a novice like me can often hear how ridiculously sharp his productions are."
Dennis recently described the genesis of his new single to Chicago's Five Magazine saying "I was thinking about when you used to hang out with your friends back in the day and some guy would call on some girl, and most of the time she wouldn't give him the time of day. But on occasion you get that one shot where somebody would pay you some mind Then a couple of years later you go, "Damn I hate this bitch!" or "Screw this fucking guy!" ([laughs] That's where the record comes from. We've all been at a certain point where you sit there and regret what you've done. "And I heard you say, I knew I should have walked away..."
As far as his Grammy nomination goes Ferrer admits it was all a bit of a surprise - "Carl Craig sent me a text and said "congratulations on your Grammy nomination". I texted him back saying "oh, you've got jokes now". I thought he was talking about my new record. Then he called me saying he was serious and my jaw dropped." He adds "I feel honored and lucky at the same time. Very few of us in our genre get the nod of acknowledgement when it comes to being judged in the mainstream."
As always with Ferrer the best is yet to come. With a deep knowledge of the past and a constant push for the future, Ferrer remains one of the true greats of house music - a leader and innovator whose enjoying the buzz around him but keeping on pushing the limits. Stay tuned.
DENNIS FERRER DISCOGRAPHY
2010
Dennis Ferrer “The Red Room” (Objektivity
2009
Dennis Ferrer “Sinfonia Della Notte” (Strictly Rhythm)
Dennis Ferrer “Hey Hey” (Objektivity)
2008
Reel People Feat. Darien “Alibi” (Dennis Ferrer Remix) (Papa Records)
The Sunburst Band “Journey To The Sun” (Dennis Ferrer Remixes) (Z Records)
Ane Brun “Headphone Silence” (Dennis Ferrer Edit) (Objektivity)
Dido “Don’t Believe In Love” (Dennis Ferrer Remixes) (Sony BMG)
2007
Telepopmusik “Love Can Damage Your Health” (Abicah Soul / Df Remix) (Objektivity)
Dennis Ferrer Feat. Melena Perez “I Can’t Go Under” / “Buzz Beats” (Objektivity)
Son Of Raw “A Black Man In Space” (Objektivity)
2006
Dennis Ferrer “A Drumstick And A Light Fixture” (UK Promotions)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “The Back Door” (Ibadan)
Dennis Ferrer “Son Of Raw” (Ibadan)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “The Undertow” (Ibadan)
Martin Solveig “Jealousy” (Dennis Ferrer’s Haters Mix) (Defected)
Fish Go Deep “The Cure And The Cause” (Dennis Ferrer Remix) (Defected)
Copyright “He Is” (Ferrer & Sydenham Vox Mix) (Defected)
Dennis Ferrer “The World As I See It” (King Street / Defected) (Album)
Church Lady (King Street / Defected)
Touched The Sky (King Street / Defected)
Transitions (King Street / Defected)
P 2 Da J (King Street / Defected)
How Do I Let Go (King Street / Defected)
Underground Is My Home (King Street / Defected)
Change The World (King Street / Defected)
Destination (King Street / Defected)
I Can’t Imagine (King Street / Defected)
Run Free (King Street / Defected)
Ferrer & Karzima Ltd. “The Cube” (Objektivity)
2005
Glen Lewis “Life Everlasting” (Dennis Ferrer’s Passion Of C Mixes) (Funk La Planet)
Dennis Ferrer Feat. Kenny Bobien “Grateful” (Sfere)
Sueno Soul “Tempo Da Solo” (Dennis Ferrer’s City Of Funk Mix) (Stealth)
Dennis Ferrer “Hit It Off / Jero” (Defected)
Marlon D. Vs. Dennis Ferrer “The Breeze” (Citydeep Music)
Blaze Ft. Barbara Tucker “Most Precious Love” (Df’s Future 3000 Remix) (Defected)
2004
Djaimin & Oule Oule “Children Of Afrika” (Df’s Bless The Children Mix) (Slip’N’Slide)
S.U.M.O. “Stay” (Df’s Carnival Remix) (Sfere)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “Road To Calabar” (Ibadan)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “Timbuktu” (Ibadan)
Dubtribe Sound System “Nothing Is Impossible” (Dennis Ferrer Mix) (Defected)
2003
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “Double Penetration” (Ibadan)
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. “Sandcastles” (Ibadan)
Reel People “Can’t Stop” (Dennis Ferrer’s Falling For U Mix) (Papa Records)
Dennis Ferrer Feat Aaron Pearson “It’s A Beautiful Life” (Sfere)
Patrick Green “I Got Sunshine” (Dennis Ferrer’s Sunshine Remix) (Innervibe)
Stephanie Cooke “Rain” (DF’s Rainforest) (King Street)
Dj Chus & David Penn “Baila” (Dennis Ferrer Bergentine Mix) (Defected)
2002
Bongo Maffin “Mari Ye Phepha” (Df’s Jo’burg Mix) (House Afrika)
Asaph Womack “Shelter Me” (Df’s Roofoverurhead Mix) (Easy Street)
Anthony Flanagan “It’s Alright” (Sfere)
Dennis Ferrer “Soul Collectives Vol. 3” (Large)
Dj Pierre Ft. Queen Mary “Good Luv” (Dennis Ferrer’s Foreplay Dub) (King Street)
Dennis Ferrer “Reach For Freedom / Dem People Go” (Nitegrooves / King Street)
Dennis Ferrer “Jero” (Ibadan)
2001
Kick Affiliates “Don’t Wanna Stop” Remix (83 West)
Knu Je “Seeds Of Life” (Dennis F’s Procreated Mix) (Distant Music)
Dennis Ferrer “The Lost Tribes Of Ibadan 2” (Sfere)
Solar House “Got 2 Be U” (Dennis Ferrer Eclipse Remix) (Large)
Miri Ben-Ari “Peace In The Middle East” (Dennis F’s Canweallgetalong Mix) (Sfere)
Dennis Ferrer “Soul Collectives Vol. 2” (Large)
Jania “Deconstructed House” (Ibadan)
Nicci “Count On Me” (Dennis F’s Responsibility Mix) (Easy Street)
Dennis Ferrer “Funu” (Basic Recordings)
Dennis Ferrer “Ghetto Discote Building” (Madhouse Records)
Jennifer Renee Morrison “Sunshine” (Df’s Early Morning Mix) (Madhouse Records)
Third Ministry Of Faith “Joy To The World” (Sfere)
Snowy Mcewan “Someone To Love” (Dennis F’s Lonely Mix) (Sfere)
Roy Ayers “Zeularae” (Dennis F’s Afro Shock) (Sfere)
Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer “Kò Kò / Jehlaz” (Ibadan)
Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer “The Wj” (Ibadan)
Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer “Freekoba” (Ibadan)
2000
Pressure – Tears For You (Dennis F Drizzle Mix) (95 North Records)
Dennis Ferrer “The Lost Tribes Of Ibadan 2” (Sfere)
Anthony Flanagan “Wonderful People” (Metaphor)
Big Moses Ft. Janel “For You” (Sfere Of Life Mix) (Bass Mental)
Kaye “My Angel” (Dennis F. Gardian) (Next Moov Records)
Dennis Ferrer “Soul Collectives Vol. 1” (Large)
Aaron Carl “My House” (Dennis F Mix) (Ovum)
1999
Anthony Flanagan “Never Enough” (Dennis F’s Satisfied Mix) (Sfere)
Bougie Soliterre “Got The Bug” (Sfere’s Horn Mix) (Sfere)
Restless Soul “After Hours” (Dennis F’s Purgatory Mix) (Chillifunk)
Dennis Ferrer & Kerri Chandler “First Steps” (Album) (Sfere)
Dennis Ferrer “The Lost Tribes Of Ibadan 1” (Sfere)
U.C. Heights “Never Lost Faith” (Chillifunk)
1998
Greg Smith & Dennis Ferrer “I Need Your Love” (Hot’n’spicy)
Dr. Gary Henry “Faith” (Dennis F’s Testimonial Mix) (Sfere)
Third Generation “You Don’t Live Here Anymore” (Dennis F’s Eviction Mix) (Sfere)
1996
Morph “The Advent Remixes” (Synewave)
1994
Morph “Morphing” (New Electronica)
Morph “Stormwatch” (Synewave)
Berkana Sowelu “Solid Fuel” (Morph Remix) (Pacific Records)
Minimal techno (House) / Microhouse
Minimal techno is a minimalist sub-genre of techno. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition, and understated development. This style of dance music production generally adheres to the motto less is more; a principle that has been previously utilized, to great effect, in architecture, design, visual art, and Western art music. Minimal techno is thought to have been originally developed in the early 1990s by Detroit based producers Robert Hood and Daniel Bell although what is currently referred to as 'minimal' has largely been developed in Germany during the 2000s, and made very popular in the second half of the decade by labels such as Kompakt and M-nus.
Style
In an essay published in the book Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music (2004), music journalist and critic Philip Sherburne, asserts that minimal techno uses two specific stylistic approaches, one being skeletalism, and the other massification. According to Sherburne, in skeletal minimal techno, only the core elements are included with embellishments used only for the sake of variation within the song. In contrast, massification is a style of minimalism in which many sounds are layered over time, but with little variation in sonic elements. Today the influence of minimal styles of house music and techno are not only found in club music, but becoming more commonly heard in popular music.Regardless of the style, "minimal Techno corkscrews into the very heart of repetition" so cerebrally as to often inspire descriptions like 'spartan', 'clinical', 'mathematical', and 'scientific'."
The minimal techno producer Daniel Bell has commented that he had a dislike for minimalism in the artistic sense of the word, finding it too "arty" Robert Hood describes the situation in the early 1990s as one where techno had become too "ravey", with increasing tempos leading to the emergence of gabber. Such trends saw the demise of the soul infused techno that typified the original Detroit sound. Robert Hood has noted that he and Daniel Bell both realized something was missing from techno in the post-rave era, and saw that an important feature of the original techno sound has been lost. Hood states that "it sounded great from a production standpoint, but there was a 'jack' element in the [old] structure. People would complain that there's no funk, no feeling in techno anymore, and the easy escape is to put a vocalist and some piano on top to fill the emotional gap. I thought it was time for a return to the original underground."
The minimal techno sound that emerged at this time has been defined by Robert Hood as: "a basic stripped down, raw sound. Just drums, basslines and funky grooves and only what's essential. Only what is essential to make people move. I started to look at it as a science, the art of making people move their butts, speaking to their heart, mind and soul. It's a heart-felt rhythmic techno sound."
Origins
In his essay Digital Discipline: Minimalism in House and Techno Philip Sherburne also proposes what the origins of Minimal techno might be. Sherburne states that, like most contemporary electronic dance music, minimal techno has its roots in the landmark works of pioneers such as Kraftwerk and Detroit Techno's Derrick May and Juan Atkins. Minimal techno focuses on "rhythm and repetition instead of melody and linear progression", much like classical minimalist music and the polyrhythmic African musical tradition that helped inspire it By 1994, according to Sherburne, the term "minimal" was in use to describe "any stripped-down, Acidic derivative of classic Detroit style".
Los Angeles based writer Daniel Chamberlin, attributes the origin of minimal techno to the German producers Basic Channel and in doing so fails to credit the contributions of Robert Hood or mention the influence of Hood, and other members of Underground Resistance, on the Berlin techno scene of the early 1990s (the scene out of which Basic Channel emerged). Chamberlin draws parallels between the compositional techniques used by producers such as Richie Hawtin, Wolfgang Voigt, and Surgeon and that of American minimalist composer Steve Reich, in particular the pattern phasing system Reich employs in many of his works; the earliest being "Come Out". Chamberlin also sees the use of sine tone drones by minimalist composer La Monte Young and the repetitive patterns of Terry Riley's "In C" as other influences. Sherburne has suggested that the noted similarities between minimal forms of dance music and American minimalism could easily be accidental; he also notes that much of the music technology used in EDM has traditionally been designed to suit loop based compositional methods, which may explain why certain stylistic features of minimal techno sound similar to works of Reich's that employ loops and pattern phasing techniques.
Development
In recent years, the genre has taken great influence from, to the point of merging with the microhouse genre. It has also fragmented into a great number of difficult to categorize subgenres, equally claimed by the minimal techno and microhouse tags.
Minimal techno has found mainstream club popularity since 2004 in such places as Germany, Japan, France, Belgium, South Africa, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland and the UK with DJs from a wide variety of genres incorporating differing elements of its tones, the famed after-hours club DC10 in Ibiza being one exponent of the genre.
By the second half of 2006, the term 'minimal' had in many ways become contradictory, as it serves as a denominator for the tech house sounds of the moment, many of which should rather be coined as 'maximal' in terms of their sonic content, in contrast to the original stripped down, i.e. minimalist electronic genre.
Style
In an essay published in the book Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music (2004), music journalist and critic Philip Sherburne, asserts that minimal techno uses two specific stylistic approaches, one being skeletalism, and the other massification. According to Sherburne, in skeletal minimal techno, only the core elements are included with embellishments used only for the sake of variation within the song. In contrast, massification is a style of minimalism in which many sounds are layered over time, but with little variation in sonic elements. Today the influence of minimal styles of house music and techno are not only found in club music, but becoming more commonly heard in popular music.Regardless of the style, "minimal Techno corkscrews into the very heart of repetition" so cerebrally as to often inspire descriptions like 'spartan', 'clinical', 'mathematical', and 'scientific'."
The minimal techno producer Daniel Bell has commented that he had a dislike for minimalism in the artistic sense of the word, finding it too "arty" Robert Hood describes the situation in the early 1990s as one where techno had become too "ravey", with increasing tempos leading to the emergence of gabber. Such trends saw the demise of the soul infused techno that typified the original Detroit sound. Robert Hood has noted that he and Daniel Bell both realized something was missing from techno in the post-rave era, and saw that an important feature of the original techno sound has been lost. Hood states that "it sounded great from a production standpoint, but there was a 'jack' element in the [old] structure. People would complain that there's no funk, no feeling in techno anymore, and the easy escape is to put a vocalist and some piano on top to fill the emotional gap. I thought it was time for a return to the original underground."
The minimal techno sound that emerged at this time has been defined by Robert Hood as: "a basic stripped down, raw sound. Just drums, basslines and funky grooves and only what's essential. Only what is essential to make people move. I started to look at it as a science, the art of making people move their butts, speaking to their heart, mind and soul. It's a heart-felt rhythmic techno sound."
Origins
In his essay Digital Discipline: Minimalism in House and Techno Philip Sherburne also proposes what the origins of Minimal techno might be. Sherburne states that, like most contemporary electronic dance music, minimal techno has its roots in the landmark works of pioneers such as Kraftwerk and Detroit Techno's Derrick May and Juan Atkins. Minimal techno focuses on "rhythm and repetition instead of melody and linear progression", much like classical minimalist music and the polyrhythmic African musical tradition that helped inspire it By 1994, according to Sherburne, the term "minimal" was in use to describe "any stripped-down, Acidic derivative of classic Detroit style".
Los Angeles based writer Daniel Chamberlin, attributes the origin of minimal techno to the German producers Basic Channel and in doing so fails to credit the contributions of Robert Hood or mention the influence of Hood, and other members of Underground Resistance, on the Berlin techno scene of the early 1990s (the scene out of which Basic Channel emerged). Chamberlin draws parallels between the compositional techniques used by producers such as Richie Hawtin, Wolfgang Voigt, and Surgeon and that of American minimalist composer Steve Reich, in particular the pattern phasing system Reich employs in many of his works; the earliest being "Come Out". Chamberlin also sees the use of sine tone drones by minimalist composer La Monte Young and the repetitive patterns of Terry Riley's "In C" as other influences. Sherburne has suggested that the noted similarities between minimal forms of dance music and American minimalism could easily be accidental; he also notes that much of the music technology used in EDM has traditionally been designed to suit loop based compositional methods, which may explain why certain stylistic features of minimal techno sound similar to works of Reich's that employ loops and pattern phasing techniques.
Development
In recent years, the genre has taken great influence from, to the point of merging with the microhouse genre. It has also fragmented into a great number of difficult to categorize subgenres, equally claimed by the minimal techno and microhouse tags.
Minimal techno has found mainstream club popularity since 2004 in such places as Germany, Japan, France, Belgium, South Africa, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland and the UK with DJs from a wide variety of genres incorporating differing elements of its tones, the famed after-hours club DC10 in Ibiza being one exponent of the genre.
By the second half of 2006, the term 'minimal' had in many ways become contradictory, as it serves as a denominator for the tech house sounds of the moment, many of which should rather be coined as 'maximal' in terms of their sonic content, in contrast to the original stripped down, i.e. minimalist electronic genre.
Clubs - Pacha (Ibiza)
The first Pacha opened in the beach town of Sitges in 1967. Six years later, in 1973 during the hippy movement, Pacha arrived in Ibiza. Since then the brand has been constantly developing together with time, fashion and trends, and bringing new ideas, improvements and all kind of extravagances to the night scene; although always maintaining its singularity, its particular style and spirit.
Four decades after its first opening in Sitges, Pacha has successfully established in many different countries all over the world: Brazil, United States, Russia, Germany, England, Egypt, Portugal, Austria and in the most important Spanish cities like Madrid, Valencia, Bilbao, and soon in many other interesting places in the planet.
But Pacha is not only about nightclubs. The brand opened a few years ago El Hotel Pacha in Ibiza, a complete success because it brought a new concept to the island’s hotel industry. El Hotel offers modern luxury in a relaxed Mediterranean way all year round, with a bar in the lobby that has turned to be one of the favorites and most sophisticated meeting points on the island, where artistic exhibitions, special events, pre-parties and fashion shows take place.
Four decades after its first opening in Sitges, Pacha has successfully established in many different countries all over the world: Brazil, United States, Russia, Germany, England, Egypt, Portugal, Austria and in the most important Spanish cities like Madrid, Valencia, Bilbao, and soon in many other interesting places in the planet.
But Pacha is not only about nightclubs. The brand opened a few years ago El Hotel Pacha in Ibiza, a complete success because it brought a new concept to the island’s hotel industry. El Hotel offers modern luxury in a relaxed Mediterranean way all year round, with a bar in the lobby that has turned to be one of the favorites and most sophisticated meeting points on the island, where artistic exhibitions, special events, pre-parties and fashion shows take place.
Defected
If you’ve ever been to a club, bar or house party where the DJ was playing House music, the likelihood is that at least one of the records you heard was signed to Defected. For the last 10 years they’ve been releasing tunes that have defined the scene and are now unquestionably the global authority within the genre.
It was legendary DJ and Space resident Steve Lawler who famously said "House music is the soundtrack to the more deviant, exciting rebellious side of life"; handily summing up much of what the Defected philosophy is all about. Every year, more than half a million people attend Defected In the House events around the globe, with millions more exposed to the DJs and tracks associated with the label. Operating in more than 40 countries, Defected are the most internationally recognisable dance brand in the world with a reputation built on the love of music. With millions of records sold globally, the label has worked with some of the biggest and most creative names in the business, and is responsible for introducing talents such as Bob Sinclar, Junior Jack, ATFC, Sandy Rivera and Copyright to an ever-hungry audience.
"Defected is probably the one and only label that carried House music's legacy into the 21st century. It preserved its history while continuing a new one, bridging the gap across generations of music lovers and clubbers worldwide."
Dimitri from Paris
Although there are now an entire office full of people both behind and in front of the scenes, working feverishly to maintain the high standards Defected have set for themselves, the label was initially run by a single man. In 1999, former Cooltempo and AM:PM A&R man Simon Dunmore embarked on a quest that would become one of the most successful ventures in the history of house. "I just wanted to work with great people and to have a legacy at the end where I felt that maybe we’d left a little bit of a mark," says Dunmore who, as a former soul music DJ, also aspired to the achievements attained by his hero labels such as Motown, Philadelphia International and Salsoul. Little did he know at that stage just how emphatically he would achieve his aim.
Running through what Defected ultimately represents is a rich vein of disco. 30 years ago the entire dance scene was rooted in disco, and in today’s musically fragmented society, it’s no surprise that clubbers are once again turning to a genre with longevity and substance. Defected’s 2009 campaign is themed ‘21st Century Disco’, delivering a respectful nod to the label’s musical heritage while championing it’s position as the music of choice in modern day clubs and bars. Disco was originally born out of the public’s need to express and enjoy themselves during a recession, so it’s no surprise that dance music is once again booming as people attempt to forget the working week.
Defected’s first release, Soulsearcher’s ‘I Can’t Get Enough’ reached No.5 in the UK singles charts and set the tone for the success and inherent musicality of future releases. The enduring appeal and arguably the reason that Defected have achieved the level of success they have, is that their records appeal to clubbers and music lovers without ever sacrificing credibility and quality to make a fast buck, something than Dunmore has been adamant in preserving. Defected followed this early success with a spate of chart and club hits, culminating in the 2001 release of Roger Sanchez’s ‘Another Chance’ and a UK No.1 record for the label. This was swiftly followed by arguably the biggest house track of all time; Kings of Tomorrow’s ‘Finally’ – a record that raises the hairs and hearts of even the most jaded club veteran and still continues to delight newcomers to the scene on every level. The man behind it, Sandy Rivera became a major force in the Defected arsenal, still producing and DJing for them today, setting an example that paved the way for similarly close relationships to evolve.
Defected’s first artist album came from Bob Sinclar who, like Martin Solveig and Dimitri From Paris, proved to be an integral element in cementing a vibrant relationship between the label and the French house scene. Sinclar brought the Africanism series to the label for an outstanding compilation, introducing Defected to artists such as DJ Gregory, Julien Jabre and DJ Meme, who have since blossomed in their own right under the label’s tutorage. He also built on the early chart success of ‘I Feel For You’ with the 2005 single ‘Love Generation’ going on to become a worldwide hit and one of the official anthems of the 2006 World Cup selling over one million copies worldwide.
Defected are arguably as well-known for their global dancefloor trotting as for the records they release, with ‘In the House’ events bringing the unique Defected sound to hundreds of thousands of partygoers every year. With longstanding residencies in every continent including Zook, Singapore, Dragon Fly, Jakarta, Alumbra, Melbourne and Ministry of Sound, London, they reach out further to the global house community than any other label in the business. Since its inception in 2003, the events have inspired, entertained and brought people from different generations together under a common banner. The Miami 2004 pool party with Kenny Dope & Roger Sanchez; Canvas, London warehouse party in 2006, Age Ha, Japan in 2009 – legendary events in a glittering history and life-long memories for those lucky enough to be in attendance.
2009 saw an advancement in the mutual respect between Defected and one of the most established club brands in the world; Pacha. Dunmore has often been heard to say that at the heart of everything that he wants to achieve with Defected, the core philosophy remains simple; "It’s ultimately about having a good Saturday night out" he says, a desire that has reached the ultimate level of fulfilment with the promotion of Defected In the House to Saturday nights for the 2009 Ibiza season – the most prestigious night on the island. "Saturday’s were Def Mix since 2000 which were massive, and now Defected have moved to Saturday so that maintains a certain quality" says Pacha’s Mark Netto of the move "I think we’ll be stronger than ever this year".
The shifting trends of dance music have been well documented over the last few years, and while not immune to transient fashions and the blurring of genres, Defected have survived where many have fallen by the wayside by staying true to their roots. "In the main we still sit on the more soulful, melodic side of house music," says Dunmore. "The more popular sound of recent times has generally been a bit tougher, but we’ve tended to move slightly alongside current trends, rather than be engulfed by them. I think there’s still a lot of song content in the music we put out and I think that because we do that we stand out a little."
And while the musical trends have developed in the 10 years that Defected have operated, the foundations upon which the entire industry operates have changed almost beyond recognition, with the digital revolution forcing labels to look at new ways of creating, promoting and distributing their material. "It’s opened everything up to everybody" says Dunmore. "Whilst the internet has been a pretty tough thing for the music industry to have to deal with, it’s also given back in a multitude of ways. If you use it properly it could probably be one of the greatest things to ever happen to the music industry."
As the label celebrates its 10th year In the House, it has proved itself to be as adaptable as it is dedicated to the cause. Where other labels have struggled to keep up with the shifting and volatile market, Defected have embraced the dawning and subsequent prevalence of the digital age, focusing their efforts online and exercising a far broader reach as a result. Their website www.defected.com endeavours to act as a true dance portal for their ever-growing online community, setting high standards for its output based on up to date industry news and media channels as well as an online store.
With the ‘Defected In the House’ series, the ‘Playboy Mansion’ compilations and now the digital series ‘Clubland Adventures’, Defected have initiated some of the most reliable brands in the compilations market, and the list of artists to have compiled ‘In the House’ releases reads like a who’s who of discotheque mastery; Dimitri from Paris, Masters At Work, Gilles Peterson, Jazzy Jeff, Danny Krivit, Joey Negro to name but a few.
In recent years, Defected has formed strong affiliations with some of the most established labels in the game, forming solid partnerships with seminal imprints Strictly Rhythm, Subliminal, Junior Boys Own, Slip & Slide and a host of others of equal calibre. It’s a logical progression and evolution for the label, and one than Dumore think is key to their future growth. "The company’s evolving in all sorts of ways." he acknowledges "There’s been a lot of discussion about the 360 deal and we’re working with more and more artists on that basis, putting out their music, publishing them, looking after their DJ bookings, setting up their websites or internet presence - basically we’ll do all the things they can’t or don’t want to do for themselves. I think, as people are expecting to get music for free and the income is in decline as far as releasing music is concerned, we’ll evolve into looking after people’s careers and associating ourselves with talented people, which is what we’ve always done"
From its first release to its last, Defected’s sound has been deeply rooted in classic soul and disco, and while their sound has no doubt developed over the last decade with techier signings such as Ame ‘Rej’ and Lifelike & Kris Menace ‘Discopolis’, this firm belief in the essential musicality of house has never faded. Kings of Tomorrow’s ‘Finally’, Blaze ‘Most Precious Love’, Fish Go Deep ‘The Cure and the Cause’ and the chart topping ‘Another Chance’ from Roger Sanchez, are shining examples of the quality, creativity and exuberance Defected Records continually strive to represent.
It was legendary DJ and Space resident Steve Lawler who famously said "House music is the soundtrack to the more deviant, exciting rebellious side of life"; handily summing up much of what the Defected philosophy is all about. Every year, more than half a million people attend Defected In the House events around the globe, with millions more exposed to the DJs and tracks associated with the label. Operating in more than 40 countries, Defected are the most internationally recognisable dance brand in the world with a reputation built on the love of music. With millions of records sold globally, the label has worked with some of the biggest and most creative names in the business, and is responsible for introducing talents such as Bob Sinclar, Junior Jack, ATFC, Sandy Rivera and Copyright to an ever-hungry audience.
"Defected is probably the one and only label that carried House music's legacy into the 21st century. It preserved its history while continuing a new one, bridging the gap across generations of music lovers and clubbers worldwide."
Dimitri from Paris
Although there are now an entire office full of people both behind and in front of the scenes, working feverishly to maintain the high standards Defected have set for themselves, the label was initially run by a single man. In 1999, former Cooltempo and AM:PM A&R man Simon Dunmore embarked on a quest that would become one of the most successful ventures in the history of house. "I just wanted to work with great people and to have a legacy at the end where I felt that maybe we’d left a little bit of a mark," says Dunmore who, as a former soul music DJ, also aspired to the achievements attained by his hero labels such as Motown, Philadelphia International and Salsoul. Little did he know at that stage just how emphatically he would achieve his aim.
Running through what Defected ultimately represents is a rich vein of disco. 30 years ago the entire dance scene was rooted in disco, and in today’s musically fragmented society, it’s no surprise that clubbers are once again turning to a genre with longevity and substance. Defected’s 2009 campaign is themed ‘21st Century Disco’, delivering a respectful nod to the label’s musical heritage while championing it’s position as the music of choice in modern day clubs and bars. Disco was originally born out of the public’s need to express and enjoy themselves during a recession, so it’s no surprise that dance music is once again booming as people attempt to forget the working week.
Defected’s first release, Soulsearcher’s ‘I Can’t Get Enough’ reached No.5 in the UK singles charts and set the tone for the success and inherent musicality of future releases. The enduring appeal and arguably the reason that Defected have achieved the level of success they have, is that their records appeal to clubbers and music lovers without ever sacrificing credibility and quality to make a fast buck, something than Dunmore has been adamant in preserving. Defected followed this early success with a spate of chart and club hits, culminating in the 2001 release of Roger Sanchez’s ‘Another Chance’ and a UK No.1 record for the label. This was swiftly followed by arguably the biggest house track of all time; Kings of Tomorrow’s ‘Finally’ – a record that raises the hairs and hearts of even the most jaded club veteran and still continues to delight newcomers to the scene on every level. The man behind it, Sandy Rivera became a major force in the Defected arsenal, still producing and DJing for them today, setting an example that paved the way for similarly close relationships to evolve.
Defected’s first artist album came from Bob Sinclar who, like Martin Solveig and Dimitri From Paris, proved to be an integral element in cementing a vibrant relationship between the label and the French house scene. Sinclar brought the Africanism series to the label for an outstanding compilation, introducing Defected to artists such as DJ Gregory, Julien Jabre and DJ Meme, who have since blossomed in their own right under the label’s tutorage. He also built on the early chart success of ‘I Feel For You’ with the 2005 single ‘Love Generation’ going on to become a worldwide hit and one of the official anthems of the 2006 World Cup selling over one million copies worldwide.
Defected are arguably as well-known for their global dancefloor trotting as for the records they release, with ‘In the House’ events bringing the unique Defected sound to hundreds of thousands of partygoers every year. With longstanding residencies in every continent including Zook, Singapore, Dragon Fly, Jakarta, Alumbra, Melbourne and Ministry of Sound, London, they reach out further to the global house community than any other label in the business. Since its inception in 2003, the events have inspired, entertained and brought people from different generations together under a common banner. The Miami 2004 pool party with Kenny Dope & Roger Sanchez; Canvas, London warehouse party in 2006, Age Ha, Japan in 2009 – legendary events in a glittering history and life-long memories for those lucky enough to be in attendance.
2009 saw an advancement in the mutual respect between Defected and one of the most established club brands in the world; Pacha. Dunmore has often been heard to say that at the heart of everything that he wants to achieve with Defected, the core philosophy remains simple; "It’s ultimately about having a good Saturday night out" he says, a desire that has reached the ultimate level of fulfilment with the promotion of Defected In the House to Saturday nights for the 2009 Ibiza season – the most prestigious night on the island. "Saturday’s were Def Mix since 2000 which were massive, and now Defected have moved to Saturday so that maintains a certain quality" says Pacha’s Mark Netto of the move "I think we’ll be stronger than ever this year".
The shifting trends of dance music have been well documented over the last few years, and while not immune to transient fashions and the blurring of genres, Defected have survived where many have fallen by the wayside by staying true to their roots. "In the main we still sit on the more soulful, melodic side of house music," says Dunmore. "The more popular sound of recent times has generally been a bit tougher, but we’ve tended to move slightly alongside current trends, rather than be engulfed by them. I think there’s still a lot of song content in the music we put out and I think that because we do that we stand out a little."
And while the musical trends have developed in the 10 years that Defected have operated, the foundations upon which the entire industry operates have changed almost beyond recognition, with the digital revolution forcing labels to look at new ways of creating, promoting and distributing their material. "It’s opened everything up to everybody" says Dunmore. "Whilst the internet has been a pretty tough thing for the music industry to have to deal with, it’s also given back in a multitude of ways. If you use it properly it could probably be one of the greatest things to ever happen to the music industry."
As the label celebrates its 10th year In the House, it has proved itself to be as adaptable as it is dedicated to the cause. Where other labels have struggled to keep up with the shifting and volatile market, Defected have embraced the dawning and subsequent prevalence of the digital age, focusing their efforts online and exercising a far broader reach as a result. Their website www.defected.com endeavours to act as a true dance portal for their ever-growing online community, setting high standards for its output based on up to date industry news and media channels as well as an online store.
With the ‘Defected In the House’ series, the ‘Playboy Mansion’ compilations and now the digital series ‘Clubland Adventures’, Defected have initiated some of the most reliable brands in the compilations market, and the list of artists to have compiled ‘In the House’ releases reads like a who’s who of discotheque mastery; Dimitri from Paris, Masters At Work, Gilles Peterson, Jazzy Jeff, Danny Krivit, Joey Negro to name but a few.
In recent years, Defected has formed strong affiliations with some of the most established labels in the game, forming solid partnerships with seminal imprints Strictly Rhythm, Subliminal, Junior Boys Own, Slip & Slide and a host of others of equal calibre. It’s a logical progression and evolution for the label, and one than Dumore think is key to their future growth. "The company’s evolving in all sorts of ways." he acknowledges "There’s been a lot of discussion about the 360 deal and we’re working with more and more artists on that basis, putting out their music, publishing them, looking after their DJ bookings, setting up their websites or internet presence - basically we’ll do all the things they can’t or don’t want to do for themselves. I think, as people are expecting to get music for free and the income is in decline as far as releasing music is concerned, we’ll evolve into looking after people’s careers and associating ourselves with talented people, which is what we’ve always done"
From its first release to its last, Defected’s sound has been deeply rooted in classic soul and disco, and while their sound has no doubt developed over the last decade with techier signings such as Ame ‘Rej’ and Lifelike & Kris Menace ‘Discopolis’, this firm belief in the essential musicality of house has never faded. Kings of Tomorrow’s ‘Finally’, Blaze ‘Most Precious Love’, Fish Go Deep ‘The Cure and the Cause’ and the chart topping ‘Another Chance’ from Roger Sanchez, are shining examples of the quality, creativity and exuberance Defected Records continually strive to represent.
History of House music
Disco, which blended soul, R&B, funk, was heavily adorned with celebratory messages about dancing, love, sexuality, and drugs all underpinned with repetitive arrangements and a steady bass drum beat. Some disco songs incorporated sounds produced with synthesizers and drum machines, and some compositions were entirely electronic; examples include Giorgio Moroder's late 1970s productions such as Donna Summer's hit single "I Feel Love" from 1977, Yellow Magic Orchestra's synth-disco-pop productions from their self-titled album (1978) and Solid State Survivor (1979), several early 1980s disco-pop productions by the Hi-NRG group Lime, and Charanjit Singh's Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat (1982) which anticipated the sounds of acid house music (though not a known influence on the genre).
Disco was an influence on House, which was also influenced by mixing and editing techniques earlier explored by disco DJs, producers, and audio engineers like Walter Gibbons, Tom Moulton, Jim Burgess, Larry Levan, Ron Hardy, M & M and others who produced longer, more repetitive and percussive arrangements of existing disco recordings. Early house producers like Frankie Knuckles created similar compositions from scratch, using samplers, synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines.
The hypnotic electronic dance song "On and On", produced in 1984 by Chicago DJ Jesse Saunders and co-written by Vince Lawrence, had elements that became staples of the early house sound, such as the 303 bass synthesizer and minimal vocals. It is sometimes cited as the 'first house record', although other examples from the same time period, such as J.M. Silk's "Music is the Key" (1985) have also been cited.
Origins of the term
The term "house music" may have its origin from a Chicago nightclub called The Warehouse which existed from 1977 to 1983. The Warehouse was patronized primarily by gay black and Latino men,[4] who came to dance to disco music played by the club's resident DJ, Frankie Knuckles, and then followed him to his new club, The Power Plant, in 1983.[14] In the Channel 4 documentary Pump Up The Volume, Knuckles remarks that the first time he heard the term "house music" was upon seeing "we play house music" on a sign in the window of a bar on Chicago's South Side. One of the people in the car with him joked, "you know, that's the kind of music you play down at the Warehouse!", and then everybody laughed. South-Side Chicago DJ Leonard "Remix" Rroy, in self-published statements, claims he put such a sign in a tavern window because it was where he played music that one might find in one's home; in his case, it referred to his mother's soul & disco records, which he worked into his sets.Farley Jackmaster Funk was quoted as saying "In 1982, I was DJing at a club called The Playground and there was this kid named Leonard 'Remix' Roy who was a DJ at a rival club called The Rink. He came over to my club one night, and into the DJ booth and said to me, 'I've got the gimmick that's gonna take all the people out of your club and into mine - it's called House music.' Now, where he got that name from or what made him think of it I don't know, so the answer lies with him."
Chip E.'s 1985 recording "It's House" may also have helped to define this new form of electronic music. However, Chip E. himself lends credence to the Knuckles association, claiming the name came from methods of labelling records at the Importes Etc. record store, where he worked in the early 1980s: bins of music that DJ Knuckles played at the Warehouse nightclub were labelled in the store "As Heard At The Warehouse", which was shortened to simply "House". Patrons later asked for new music for the bins, which Chip E. implies was a demand the shop tried to meet by stocking newer local club hits.
Larry Heard, a.k.a. "Mr. Fingers", claims[citation needed] that the term "house" reflected the fact that many early DJs created music in their own homes, using synthesizers and drum machines, including the Roland TR-808, TR-909, and the TB 303 Bassline synthesizer-sequencer. These synthesizers were used to create a house subgenre called acid house.
Juan Atkins, an originator of Detroit techno music, claims the term "house" reflected the exclusive association of particular tracks with particular DJs; those tracks were their "house" records (much like a restaurant might have a "house" salad dressing).
Chicago years: early 1980s – late 1980s
Main article: Chicago house
An honorary street sign in Chicago for house music and Frankie Knuckles.
In the early 1980s, Chicago club & radio DJs were playing various styles of dance music, including older disco records, newer Italo Disco, hip hop and electro funk tracks, as well as electronic pop music by Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra, and recent danceable R&B productions in the genre now known as boogie. Some made and played their own edits of their favorite songs on reel-to-reel tape, and sometimes mixed in effects, drum machines, and other rhythmic electronic instrumentation.
Starting in 1984, some of these DJs, inspired by Jesse Saunders' success with "On and On", tried their hand at producing and releasing original compositions. These compositions used newly affordable electronic instruments to emulate not just Saunders' song, but the edited, enhanced styles of disco and other dance music they already favored. By 1985, although the exact origins of the term are debated, "house music" encompassed these locally produced recordings. Subgenres of house, including deep house and acid house, quickly emerged and gained traction.
Club play from pioneering DJs like Ron Hardy and Lil Louis, local dance music record shops such as Importes, etc, State Street Records, Loop Records and Gramaphone, and the popular Hot Mix 5 shows on radio station WBMX-FM helped popularize house music in Chicago and among visiting DJs & producers from Detroit. Trax Records and DJ International Records, local labels with wider distribution, helped popularize house music outside of Chicago. One 1986 house tune called "Move Your Body" by Marshall Jefferson made house music known outside of Chicago and was called "the house music anthem" by many, and was featured in the 2004 video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" on the ingame radio station "SF-UR". By 1986, UK labels were releasing house music, and starting in 1987, house tracks by Chicago and Detroit DJs and producers, such as Steve Hurley, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Larry Heard, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson were appearing on and even topping the UK charts.
Lyrical themes
House also had an influence of relaying political messages to people who were considered to be outcasts of society. It appealed to those who didn't fit into mainstream American society and was especially celebrated by many black males. Frankie Knuckles made a good comparison of house saying it was like "church for people who have fallen from grace" and Marshall Jefferson compared it to "old-time religion in the way that people just get happy and screamin'" (30). Deep house was similar to many of the messages of freedom for the black community. Both house CDs by Joe Smooth, "Promised Land" and Db "I Have a Dream" give similar messages of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech."Someday" by CeCe Rogers, would move house further into the gospel stream later titled "gospel house". House was also very sexual and had much mystic in it. It went so far as to have an "eroto-mystic delirium" . Jamie Principle's "Baby Wants to Ride" begins in a prayer but surprisingly is about a dominatrix who seduces a man to "ride" her through the rest of the song.
The Detroit sound: early 1980s – late 1980s
Main article: Detroit techno
Detroit techno was developed in the mid 1980s, although Detroit techno is a distinct musical form in its own right, its pioneers were also instrumental in forwarding house music internationally. The two forms of music developed together from 1985 to 1990 and still are genres that often coincide.
Detroit techno developed as the legendary disc jockey The Electrifying Mojo conducted his own radio program at this time, influencing the fusion of eclectic sounds into the signature Detroit techno sound. This sound, heavily influenced by European electronica (Kraftwerk, Art of Noise), Japanese technopop (Yellow Magic Orchestra), early B-boy Hip-Hop (Man Parrish, Soul Sonic Force) and Italo Disco (Doctor's Cat, Ris, Klein M.B.O.), was further pioneered by Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, the "godfathers" of Detroit Techno.
Juan Atkins released "NO UFOs" on Metroplex Records, which was very well received in Chicago and is considered a classic. He followed with the 1986 release of the track "Technicolor".
Derrick May a.k.a. "MAYDAY" and Thomas Barnett released "Nude Photo" in 1987 on May's label "Transmat Records", which helped kickstart the Detroit techno music scene and was put in heavy rotation on Chicago's Hot Mix 5 Radio dj mix show and in many Chicago clubs. A year later releasing what was to become one of techno and House music's classic anthems, the seminal track "Strings of Life", "Transmat Records" went on to have many more successful releases such as 1988's "Wiggin". As well, Derrick May had successful releases on Kool Kat Records and many remixes for a host of underground and mainstream recording artist.
Kevin Saunderson's company KMS Records contributed many releases that were as much House Music as they were Techno, these tracks were well received in Chicago and played on Chicago radio and in clubs. Blake Baxter's 1986 recording, "When we Used to Play / Work your Body", 1987's "Bounce Your Body to the Box" and "Force Field", "The Sound / How to Play our Music" and "the Groove that Won't Stop" and a remix of "Grooving Without a Doubt". In 1988, as house music became more popular among general audiences, Kevin Saunderson's group Inner City with Paris Gray released the 1988 hits "Big Fun" and "Good Life", which eventually were picked up by Virgin Records. Each EP / 12 inch single sported remixes by Mike "Hitman" Wilson and Steve "Silk" Hurley of Chicago and Derrick "Mayday" May and Juan Atkins of Detroit. In 1989, KMS had another hit release of "Rock to the Beat" which was a theme in Chicago dance clubs.
UK: mid 1980s – early 1990s
With House music already massive on the 80s dance scene it was only a matter of time before it would penetrate the UK pop charts. The record generally credited as the first house hit in the UK was Farley "Jackmaster" Funk's "Love Can't Turn Around" which reached #10 in the UK singles chart in September 1986.
In January 1987, US artist Steve 'Silk' Hurley's "Jack Your Body" reached number one in the UK, showing it was possible for house music to cross over. The same month also saw Raze enter the top 20 with "Jack the Groove", and several further house hits reached the top ten that year. Stock Aitken Waterman's productions for Mel and Kim, including the number one hit "Respectable", added elements of house to their previous europop sound, and session group Mirage scored top ten hits with "Jack Mix II" and "Jack Mix IV", medleys of previous electro and europop hits rearranged in a house style. Key labels in the rise of house music in the UK included Jack Trax, which specialised in licensing US club hits for the British market (and released an influential series of compilation albums), Rhythm King, which was set up as a hip hop label but also issued house records, and Jive Records' Club Records imprint.
House was boosted in the UK by the tour in March 1987 of Knuckles, Jefferson, Fingers Inc. (Heard) and Adonis as the DJ International Tour. Following the number one success of MARRS' "Pump Up The Volume" in October, the years 1987 to 1989 also saw UK acts like The Beatmasters, Krush, Coldcut, Yazz, Bomb The Bass, S-Express, and Italy's Black Box opening the doors to a house music onslaught on the UK charts. Early British house music quickly set itself apart from the original Chicago house sound; many of the early hits were based on sample montage, rap was often used for vocals (far more than in the US), and humor was frequently an important element.
The second best-selling British single of 1988 was a house record, the Coldcut-produced "The Only Way Is Up" by Yazz.
In Britain the growth of house can be divided around the "Summer of Love" in 1988/9. House had a presence in Britain almost as early as it appeared in Chicago.[citation needed] House grew in northern England, the Midlands and the South East. Founded in 1982 by Factory Records, The Haçienda in Manchester became an extension of the "Northern Soul" genre and was one of the early, key English dance music clubs.
Until 1986 the club[citation needed] was financially troubled; the crowds only started to grow when the resident DJs (Pickering, Park and Da Silva) started to play house. Many underground venues and DJ nights also took place across the UK, Kool Kat in Nottingham, where Graeme Park DJ'd before the Hacienda. The Power House along with The Hummingbird in Birmingham with local DJs The Constructive Trio.
One of the early anthemic tunes, "Promised Land" by Joe Smooth (another song featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the SF-UR in-game radio station), was covered and charted within a week by the Style Council. Europeans embraced house, and began booking legendary American house DJs to play at the big clubs, such as Ministry of Sound, whose resident, DJ Harvey brought in Larry Levan.
The house scene in cities such as Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and London were also provided with many underground Pirate Radio stations and DJs alike which helped bolster an already contagious, but otherwise ignored by the mainstream, music genre. The earliest and influential UK house and techno record labels such as Warp Records and Network Records (otherwise known as Kool Kat records) helped introduce American and later Italian dance music to Britain as well as promoting select UK dance music acts.
But house was also developing on Ibiza, although no house artists or labels were coming from this tiny island at the time. By the mid-1980s a distinct Balearic mix of house was discernible. Several clubs like Amnesia with DJ Alfredo were playing a mix of rock, pop, disco and house. These clubs, fueled by their distinctive sound and Ecstasy, began to have an influence on the British scene. By late 1987, DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling were bringing the Ibiza sound to UK clubs like the Hacienda in Manchester, and in London clubs such as Shoom in Southwark, Heaven, Future and Spectrum.
In the U.S., the music was being developed to create a more sophisticated sound, moving beyond just drum loops and short samples. New York–based performers such as Mateo & Matos and Blaze had slickly produced disco house crossover tracks. In Chicago, Marshall Jefferson had formed the house group Ten City Byron Burke, Byron Stingily & Herb Lawson(from "intensity"). In Detroit a proto-techno music sound began to emerge with the recordings of Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson.
Atkins, a former member of Cybotron, released Model 500 "No UFOs" in 1985, which became a regional hit, followed by dozens of tracks on Transmat, Metroplex and Fragile. One of the most unusual was "Strings of Life" by Derrick May, a darker, more intellectual strain of house. "Techno-Scratch" was released by the Knights Of The Turntable in 1984 which had a similar techno sound to Cybotron. The manager of the Factory nightclub, Tony Wilson, also promoted acid house culture on his weekly TV show. The Midlands also embraced the late 1980s house scene with illegal parties and more legal dance clubs such as The Hummingbird.
US: late 1980s – early 1990s
Back in America the scene had still not progressed beyond a small number of clubs in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and New Jersey. Paradise Garage in New York City was still a top club, although they now had Todd Terry, his cover of Class Action's Larry Levan mixed "Weekend" demonstrated the continuum from the underground disco to a new house sound with hip-hop influences evident in the quicker sampling and the more rugged bass-line. While hip-hop had made it onto radio play-lists, the only other choices were Rock, Country & Western or R&B.
Other influences from New York came from the hip-hop, reggae, and Latin community, and many of the New York City super producers/DJs began surfacing for the first time (Erick Morillo, Roger Sanchez, Junior Vasquez, Danny Tenaglia, Jonathan Peters, David Morales) with unique sounds that would evolve into other genres (tribal house, progressive house, funky house). Producers such as Masters At Work and Kerri Chandler also started pioneering a richer Garage sound that was picked up on by 'outsiders' from the worlds of jazz, hip-hop and downbeat as much as it was by house aficionados.
In the late 1980s Nu Groove Records prolonged, if not launched the careers of Rheji Burrell & Rhano Burrell, collectively known as Burrell (after a brief stay on Virgin America via Timmy Regisford and Frank Mendez), along with basically every relevant DJ and Producer in the NY underground scene. The Burrell's are responsible for the "New York Underground" sound and are the undisputed champions of this style of house. Their 30+ releases on this label alone seems to support that fact. In today's market Nu Groove Record releases like the Burrells' enjoy a cult-like following and mint vinyl can fetch $100 U.S. or more in the open market.
Influential gospel/R&B-influenced Aly-us released "Time Passes On" in 1993 (Strictly Rhythm), then later, "Follow Me" which received radio airplay as well as being played in clubs. Another U.S. hit which received radio play was the single "Time for the Perculator" by Cajmere, which became the prototype of ghetto house sub-genre. Cajmere started the Cajual and Relief labels (amongst others). By the early 1990s artists such as Cajmere himself (under that name as well as Green Velvet and as producer for Dajae), DJ Sneak, Glenn Underground and others did many recordings. The 1990s saw new Chicago house artists emerge such as DJ Funk, who operates a Chicago house record label called Dance Mania, which primarily distributes ghetto house. Ghetto house, along with acid house, were house music styles that were started in Chicago.
In Britain, further experiments in the genre boosted its appeal. House and rave clubs like Lakota, Cream emerged across Britain, hosting house and dance scene events. The 'chilling out' concept developed in Britain with ambient house albums such as The KLF's Chill Out and Analogue Bubblebath by Aphex Twin.
At the same time, a new indie dance scene emerged. In New York, bands such as Deee-Lite furthered house's international influence. Two distinctive tracks from this era were the Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds" (with a distinctive vocal sample from Rickie Lee Jones) and the Happy Mondays' "Wrote for Luck" ("WFL") which was transformed into a dance hit by Vince Clarke.
In England, one of the few licensed venues The Eclipse attracted people from up and down the country as it was open until the early hours.
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 was a government attempt to ban large rave dance events featuring music with "repetitive beats". There were a number of abortive "Kill the Bill" demonstrations. The Spiral Tribe at Castle Morten was probably the nail in the coffin for illegal raves, and forced through the bill, which became law, in November 1994.
The music continued to grow and change, as typified by Leftfield with "Release the Pressure", which introduced dub and reggae into the house sound, although Leftfield had prior releases, such as "Not forgotten" released in 1990 on Sheffield's Outer Rhythm records.
A new generation of clubs like, Liverpool's Cream and the Ministry of Sound were opened to provide a venue for more commercial sounds. Major record companies began to open "superclubs" promoting their own acts. These superclubs entered into sponsorship deals initially with fast food, soft drinks, and clothing companies. Flyers in clubs in Ibiza often sported many corporate logos. A new sub-genre, Chicago Hard House, was developed by DJs such as Bad Boy Bill, DJ Lynnwood, DJ Irene, Richard "Humpty" Vission and DJ Enrie, mixing elements of Chicago House, Funky House and Hard House together.
Additionally, Producers such as George Centeno, Darren Ramirez, and Martin O. Cairo would develop the Los Angeles Hard House sound. Similar to gabber or hardcore techno from the Netherlands, this sound was often associated with the "rebel" culture of the time. These 3 producers are often considered "a head of their time" since many of the sounds they engineered during the late 20th century became more prominent during the 21st century.
Towards the end of the 1990s and into the 2000s, producers like Daft Punk, Cassius, St. Germain and DJ Falcon began producing a new sound out of Paris's house scene. Together, they laid the groundwork for what would be known as the French House movement. By combining the harder-edged-yet-soulful philosophy of Chicago House with the melodies of obscure Funk, state-of-the-art production techniques (some of which were so far ahead of their time, they would not enter widespread mainstream usage for another decade) and the sound of analog synthesizers, they began to create the standards that would shape practically all House music that was created after it.
2000s
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley proclaimed August 10, 2005 to be "House Unity Day" in Chicago, in celebration of the "21st anniversary of house music" (actually the 21st anniversary of the founding of Trax Records). The proclamation recognized Chicago as "the original home of house music" and that the music's original creators "were inspired by the love of their city, with the dream that someday their music would spread a message of peace and unity throughout the world". DJs such as Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson, Paul Johnson and Mickey Oliver celebrated the proclamation at the Summer Dance Series, an event organized by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs.[23]
It was during this decade that vocal house became firmly established, both in the underground and as part of the pop market, and labels such as Defected Records, Roule and Om were at the forefront of championing the emerging sound. In the mid-2000s, fusion genres such as electro house, fidget house and tech house emerged. This fusion is apparent in the crossover of musical styles by artists such as Dennis Ferrer and Booka Shade, with the former's production style having evolved from the New York soulful house scene and the latter's roots in techno. DJs today can be heard blending all sub-genres of house as many of the best musical elements are shared across these sub-genres.
Today, innovative house music is celebrated and showcased at the Burning Man festival and at major industry sponsored events like Miami's Winter Music Conference.
As of the late 2000's, house influenced music retains widespread popularity in clubs throughout the world. House Music has also seen a comeback into the mainstream with producers like Swedish House Mafia, deadmau5, Justice, Daft Punk, Fedde Le Grand, and Benny Benassi bringing lighter, more diluted, eurodance-infused house tracks back to the US Top 40 charts. With this steady, yet subtle, mainstream success throughout the years, House has gained momentum and concepts developed by House producers have infected the mainstream pop and hip-hop worlds. With the introduction of Vocoders and Auto-Tune, as well as the popularization of digital audio workstations and new production techniques like sidechaining and heavy compression, House is becoming more and more a part of American musical culture.
Australian electro-house music became popular in the mid-2000s, acts like The Aston Shuffle, Tommy Trash, Bag Raiders, The Presets, PNAU and Empire of the Sun became well-known domestically and recently internationally.
Disco was an influence on House, which was also influenced by mixing and editing techniques earlier explored by disco DJs, producers, and audio engineers like Walter Gibbons, Tom Moulton, Jim Burgess, Larry Levan, Ron Hardy, M & M and others who produced longer, more repetitive and percussive arrangements of existing disco recordings. Early house producers like Frankie Knuckles created similar compositions from scratch, using samplers, synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines.
The hypnotic electronic dance song "On and On", produced in 1984 by Chicago DJ Jesse Saunders and co-written by Vince Lawrence, had elements that became staples of the early house sound, such as the 303 bass synthesizer and minimal vocals. It is sometimes cited as the 'first house record', although other examples from the same time period, such as J.M. Silk's "Music is the Key" (1985) have also been cited.
Origins of the term
The term "house music" may have its origin from a Chicago nightclub called The Warehouse which existed from 1977 to 1983. The Warehouse was patronized primarily by gay black and Latino men,[4] who came to dance to disco music played by the club's resident DJ, Frankie Knuckles, and then followed him to his new club, The Power Plant, in 1983.[14] In the Channel 4 documentary Pump Up The Volume, Knuckles remarks that the first time he heard the term "house music" was upon seeing "we play house music" on a sign in the window of a bar on Chicago's South Side. One of the people in the car with him joked, "you know, that's the kind of music you play down at the Warehouse!", and then everybody laughed. South-Side Chicago DJ Leonard "Remix" Rroy, in self-published statements, claims he put such a sign in a tavern window because it was where he played music that one might find in one's home; in his case, it referred to his mother's soul & disco records, which he worked into his sets.Farley Jackmaster Funk was quoted as saying "In 1982, I was DJing at a club called The Playground and there was this kid named Leonard 'Remix' Roy who was a DJ at a rival club called The Rink. He came over to my club one night, and into the DJ booth and said to me, 'I've got the gimmick that's gonna take all the people out of your club and into mine - it's called House music.' Now, where he got that name from or what made him think of it I don't know, so the answer lies with him."
Chip E.'s 1985 recording "It's House" may also have helped to define this new form of electronic music. However, Chip E. himself lends credence to the Knuckles association, claiming the name came from methods of labelling records at the Importes Etc. record store, where he worked in the early 1980s: bins of music that DJ Knuckles played at the Warehouse nightclub were labelled in the store "As Heard At The Warehouse", which was shortened to simply "House". Patrons later asked for new music for the bins, which Chip E. implies was a demand the shop tried to meet by stocking newer local club hits.
Larry Heard, a.k.a. "Mr. Fingers", claims[citation needed] that the term "house" reflected the fact that many early DJs created music in their own homes, using synthesizers and drum machines, including the Roland TR-808, TR-909, and the TB 303 Bassline synthesizer-sequencer. These synthesizers were used to create a house subgenre called acid house.
Juan Atkins, an originator of Detroit techno music, claims the term "house" reflected the exclusive association of particular tracks with particular DJs; those tracks were their "house" records (much like a restaurant might have a "house" salad dressing).
Chicago years: early 1980s – late 1980s
Main article: Chicago house
An honorary street sign in Chicago for house music and Frankie Knuckles.
In the early 1980s, Chicago club & radio DJs were playing various styles of dance music, including older disco records, newer Italo Disco, hip hop and electro funk tracks, as well as electronic pop music by Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra, and recent danceable R&B productions in the genre now known as boogie. Some made and played their own edits of their favorite songs on reel-to-reel tape, and sometimes mixed in effects, drum machines, and other rhythmic electronic instrumentation.
Starting in 1984, some of these DJs, inspired by Jesse Saunders' success with "On and On", tried their hand at producing and releasing original compositions. These compositions used newly affordable electronic instruments to emulate not just Saunders' song, but the edited, enhanced styles of disco and other dance music they already favored. By 1985, although the exact origins of the term are debated, "house music" encompassed these locally produced recordings. Subgenres of house, including deep house and acid house, quickly emerged and gained traction.
Club play from pioneering DJs like Ron Hardy and Lil Louis, local dance music record shops such as Importes, etc, State Street Records, Loop Records and Gramaphone, and the popular Hot Mix 5 shows on radio station WBMX-FM helped popularize house music in Chicago and among visiting DJs & producers from Detroit. Trax Records and DJ International Records, local labels with wider distribution, helped popularize house music outside of Chicago. One 1986 house tune called "Move Your Body" by Marshall Jefferson made house music known outside of Chicago and was called "the house music anthem" by many, and was featured in the 2004 video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" on the ingame radio station "SF-UR". By 1986, UK labels were releasing house music, and starting in 1987, house tracks by Chicago and Detroit DJs and producers, such as Steve Hurley, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Larry Heard, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson were appearing on and even topping the UK charts.
Lyrical themes
House also had an influence of relaying political messages to people who were considered to be outcasts of society. It appealed to those who didn't fit into mainstream American society and was especially celebrated by many black males. Frankie Knuckles made a good comparison of house saying it was like "church for people who have fallen from grace" and Marshall Jefferson compared it to "old-time religion in the way that people just get happy and screamin'" (30). Deep house was similar to many of the messages of freedom for the black community. Both house CDs by Joe Smooth, "Promised Land" and Db "I Have a Dream" give similar messages of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech."Someday" by CeCe Rogers, would move house further into the gospel stream later titled "gospel house". House was also very sexual and had much mystic in it. It went so far as to have an "eroto-mystic delirium" . Jamie Principle's "Baby Wants to Ride" begins in a prayer but surprisingly is about a dominatrix who seduces a man to "ride" her through the rest of the song.
The Detroit sound: early 1980s – late 1980s
Main article: Detroit techno
Detroit techno was developed in the mid 1980s, although Detroit techno is a distinct musical form in its own right, its pioneers were also instrumental in forwarding house music internationally. The two forms of music developed together from 1985 to 1990 and still are genres that often coincide.
Detroit techno developed as the legendary disc jockey The Electrifying Mojo conducted his own radio program at this time, influencing the fusion of eclectic sounds into the signature Detroit techno sound. This sound, heavily influenced by European electronica (Kraftwerk, Art of Noise), Japanese technopop (Yellow Magic Orchestra), early B-boy Hip-Hop (Man Parrish, Soul Sonic Force) and Italo Disco (Doctor's Cat, Ris, Klein M.B.O.), was further pioneered by Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, the "godfathers" of Detroit Techno.
Juan Atkins released "NO UFOs" on Metroplex Records, which was very well received in Chicago and is considered a classic. He followed with the 1986 release of the track "Technicolor".
Derrick May a.k.a. "MAYDAY" and Thomas Barnett released "Nude Photo" in 1987 on May's label "Transmat Records", which helped kickstart the Detroit techno music scene and was put in heavy rotation on Chicago's Hot Mix 5 Radio dj mix show and in many Chicago clubs. A year later releasing what was to become one of techno and House music's classic anthems, the seminal track "Strings of Life", "Transmat Records" went on to have many more successful releases such as 1988's "Wiggin". As well, Derrick May had successful releases on Kool Kat Records and many remixes for a host of underground and mainstream recording artist.
Kevin Saunderson's company KMS Records contributed many releases that were as much House Music as they were Techno, these tracks were well received in Chicago and played on Chicago radio and in clubs. Blake Baxter's 1986 recording, "When we Used to Play / Work your Body", 1987's "Bounce Your Body to the Box" and "Force Field", "The Sound / How to Play our Music" and "the Groove that Won't Stop" and a remix of "Grooving Without a Doubt". In 1988, as house music became more popular among general audiences, Kevin Saunderson's group Inner City with Paris Gray released the 1988 hits "Big Fun" and "Good Life", which eventually were picked up by Virgin Records. Each EP / 12 inch single sported remixes by Mike "Hitman" Wilson and Steve "Silk" Hurley of Chicago and Derrick "Mayday" May and Juan Atkins of Detroit. In 1989, KMS had another hit release of "Rock to the Beat" which was a theme in Chicago dance clubs.
UK: mid 1980s – early 1990s
With House music already massive on the 80s dance scene it was only a matter of time before it would penetrate the UK pop charts. The record generally credited as the first house hit in the UK was Farley "Jackmaster" Funk's "Love Can't Turn Around" which reached #10 in the UK singles chart in September 1986.
In January 1987, US artist Steve 'Silk' Hurley's "Jack Your Body" reached number one in the UK, showing it was possible for house music to cross over. The same month also saw Raze enter the top 20 with "Jack the Groove", and several further house hits reached the top ten that year. Stock Aitken Waterman's productions for Mel and Kim, including the number one hit "Respectable", added elements of house to their previous europop sound, and session group Mirage scored top ten hits with "Jack Mix II" and "Jack Mix IV", medleys of previous electro and europop hits rearranged in a house style. Key labels in the rise of house music in the UK included Jack Trax, which specialised in licensing US club hits for the British market (and released an influential series of compilation albums), Rhythm King, which was set up as a hip hop label but also issued house records, and Jive Records' Club Records imprint.
House was boosted in the UK by the tour in March 1987 of Knuckles, Jefferson, Fingers Inc. (Heard) and Adonis as the DJ International Tour. Following the number one success of MARRS' "Pump Up The Volume" in October, the years 1987 to 1989 also saw UK acts like The Beatmasters, Krush, Coldcut, Yazz, Bomb The Bass, S-Express, and Italy's Black Box opening the doors to a house music onslaught on the UK charts. Early British house music quickly set itself apart from the original Chicago house sound; many of the early hits were based on sample montage, rap was often used for vocals (far more than in the US), and humor was frequently an important element.
The second best-selling British single of 1988 was a house record, the Coldcut-produced "The Only Way Is Up" by Yazz.
In Britain the growth of house can be divided around the "Summer of Love" in 1988/9. House had a presence in Britain almost as early as it appeared in Chicago.[citation needed] House grew in northern England, the Midlands and the South East. Founded in 1982 by Factory Records, The Haçienda in Manchester became an extension of the "Northern Soul" genre and was one of the early, key English dance music clubs.
Until 1986 the club[citation needed] was financially troubled; the crowds only started to grow when the resident DJs (Pickering, Park and Da Silva) started to play house. Many underground venues and DJ nights also took place across the UK, Kool Kat in Nottingham, where Graeme Park DJ'd before the Hacienda. The Power House along with The Hummingbird in Birmingham with local DJs The Constructive Trio.
One of the early anthemic tunes, "Promised Land" by Joe Smooth (another song featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the SF-UR in-game radio station), was covered and charted within a week by the Style Council. Europeans embraced house, and began booking legendary American house DJs to play at the big clubs, such as Ministry of Sound, whose resident, DJ Harvey brought in Larry Levan.
The house scene in cities such as Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and London were also provided with many underground Pirate Radio stations and DJs alike which helped bolster an already contagious, but otherwise ignored by the mainstream, music genre. The earliest and influential UK house and techno record labels such as Warp Records and Network Records (otherwise known as Kool Kat records) helped introduce American and later Italian dance music to Britain as well as promoting select UK dance music acts.
But house was also developing on Ibiza, although no house artists or labels were coming from this tiny island at the time. By the mid-1980s a distinct Balearic mix of house was discernible. Several clubs like Amnesia with DJ Alfredo were playing a mix of rock, pop, disco and house. These clubs, fueled by their distinctive sound and Ecstasy, began to have an influence on the British scene. By late 1987, DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling were bringing the Ibiza sound to UK clubs like the Hacienda in Manchester, and in London clubs such as Shoom in Southwark, Heaven, Future and Spectrum.
In the U.S., the music was being developed to create a more sophisticated sound, moving beyond just drum loops and short samples. New York–based performers such as Mateo & Matos and Blaze had slickly produced disco house crossover tracks. In Chicago, Marshall Jefferson had formed the house group Ten City Byron Burke, Byron Stingily & Herb Lawson(from "intensity"). In Detroit a proto-techno music sound began to emerge with the recordings of Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson.
Atkins, a former member of Cybotron, released Model 500 "No UFOs" in 1985, which became a regional hit, followed by dozens of tracks on Transmat, Metroplex and Fragile. One of the most unusual was "Strings of Life" by Derrick May, a darker, more intellectual strain of house. "Techno-Scratch" was released by the Knights Of The Turntable in 1984 which had a similar techno sound to Cybotron. The manager of the Factory nightclub, Tony Wilson, also promoted acid house culture on his weekly TV show. The Midlands also embraced the late 1980s house scene with illegal parties and more legal dance clubs such as The Hummingbird.
US: late 1980s – early 1990s
Back in America the scene had still not progressed beyond a small number of clubs in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and New Jersey. Paradise Garage in New York City was still a top club, although they now had Todd Terry, his cover of Class Action's Larry Levan mixed "Weekend" demonstrated the continuum from the underground disco to a new house sound with hip-hop influences evident in the quicker sampling and the more rugged bass-line. While hip-hop had made it onto radio play-lists, the only other choices were Rock, Country & Western or R&B.
Other influences from New York came from the hip-hop, reggae, and Latin community, and many of the New York City super producers/DJs began surfacing for the first time (Erick Morillo, Roger Sanchez, Junior Vasquez, Danny Tenaglia, Jonathan Peters, David Morales) with unique sounds that would evolve into other genres (tribal house, progressive house, funky house). Producers such as Masters At Work and Kerri Chandler also started pioneering a richer Garage sound that was picked up on by 'outsiders' from the worlds of jazz, hip-hop and downbeat as much as it was by house aficionados.
In the late 1980s Nu Groove Records prolonged, if not launched the careers of Rheji Burrell & Rhano Burrell, collectively known as Burrell (after a brief stay on Virgin America via Timmy Regisford and Frank Mendez), along with basically every relevant DJ and Producer in the NY underground scene. The Burrell's are responsible for the "New York Underground" sound and are the undisputed champions of this style of house. Their 30+ releases on this label alone seems to support that fact. In today's market Nu Groove Record releases like the Burrells' enjoy a cult-like following and mint vinyl can fetch $100 U.S. or more in the open market.
Influential gospel/R&B-influenced Aly-us released "Time Passes On" in 1993 (Strictly Rhythm), then later, "Follow Me" which received radio airplay as well as being played in clubs. Another U.S. hit which received radio play was the single "Time for the Perculator" by Cajmere, which became the prototype of ghetto house sub-genre. Cajmere started the Cajual and Relief labels (amongst others). By the early 1990s artists such as Cajmere himself (under that name as well as Green Velvet and as producer for Dajae), DJ Sneak, Glenn Underground and others did many recordings. The 1990s saw new Chicago house artists emerge such as DJ Funk, who operates a Chicago house record label called Dance Mania, which primarily distributes ghetto house. Ghetto house, along with acid house, were house music styles that were started in Chicago.
In Britain, further experiments in the genre boosted its appeal. House and rave clubs like Lakota, Cream emerged across Britain, hosting house and dance scene events. The 'chilling out' concept developed in Britain with ambient house albums such as The KLF's Chill Out and Analogue Bubblebath by Aphex Twin.
At the same time, a new indie dance scene emerged. In New York, bands such as Deee-Lite furthered house's international influence. Two distinctive tracks from this era were the Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds" (with a distinctive vocal sample from Rickie Lee Jones) and the Happy Mondays' "Wrote for Luck" ("WFL") which was transformed into a dance hit by Vince Clarke.
In England, one of the few licensed venues The Eclipse attracted people from up and down the country as it was open until the early hours.
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 was a government attempt to ban large rave dance events featuring music with "repetitive beats". There were a number of abortive "Kill the Bill" demonstrations. The Spiral Tribe at Castle Morten was probably the nail in the coffin for illegal raves, and forced through the bill, which became law, in November 1994.
The music continued to grow and change, as typified by Leftfield with "Release the Pressure", which introduced dub and reggae into the house sound, although Leftfield had prior releases, such as "Not forgotten" released in 1990 on Sheffield's Outer Rhythm records.
A new generation of clubs like, Liverpool's Cream and the Ministry of Sound were opened to provide a venue for more commercial sounds. Major record companies began to open "superclubs" promoting their own acts. These superclubs entered into sponsorship deals initially with fast food, soft drinks, and clothing companies. Flyers in clubs in Ibiza often sported many corporate logos. A new sub-genre, Chicago Hard House, was developed by DJs such as Bad Boy Bill, DJ Lynnwood, DJ Irene, Richard "Humpty" Vission and DJ Enrie, mixing elements of Chicago House, Funky House and Hard House together.
Additionally, Producers such as George Centeno, Darren Ramirez, and Martin O. Cairo would develop the Los Angeles Hard House sound. Similar to gabber or hardcore techno from the Netherlands, this sound was often associated with the "rebel" culture of the time. These 3 producers are often considered "a head of their time" since many of the sounds they engineered during the late 20th century became more prominent during the 21st century.
Towards the end of the 1990s and into the 2000s, producers like Daft Punk, Cassius, St. Germain and DJ Falcon began producing a new sound out of Paris's house scene. Together, they laid the groundwork for what would be known as the French House movement. By combining the harder-edged-yet-soulful philosophy of Chicago House with the melodies of obscure Funk, state-of-the-art production techniques (some of which were so far ahead of their time, they would not enter widespread mainstream usage for another decade) and the sound of analog synthesizers, they began to create the standards that would shape practically all House music that was created after it.
2000s
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley proclaimed August 10, 2005 to be "House Unity Day" in Chicago, in celebration of the "21st anniversary of house music" (actually the 21st anniversary of the founding of Trax Records). The proclamation recognized Chicago as "the original home of house music" and that the music's original creators "were inspired by the love of their city, with the dream that someday their music would spread a message of peace and unity throughout the world". DJs such as Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson, Paul Johnson and Mickey Oliver celebrated the proclamation at the Summer Dance Series, an event organized by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs.[23]
It was during this decade that vocal house became firmly established, both in the underground and as part of the pop market, and labels such as Defected Records, Roule and Om were at the forefront of championing the emerging sound. In the mid-2000s, fusion genres such as electro house, fidget house and tech house emerged. This fusion is apparent in the crossover of musical styles by artists such as Dennis Ferrer and Booka Shade, with the former's production style having evolved from the New York soulful house scene and the latter's roots in techno. DJs today can be heard blending all sub-genres of house as many of the best musical elements are shared across these sub-genres.
Today, innovative house music is celebrated and showcased at the Burning Man festival and at major industry sponsored events like Miami's Winter Music Conference.
As of the late 2000's, house influenced music retains widespread popularity in clubs throughout the world. House Music has also seen a comeback into the mainstream with producers like Swedish House Mafia, deadmau5, Justice, Daft Punk, Fedde Le Grand, and Benny Benassi bringing lighter, more diluted, eurodance-infused house tracks back to the US Top 40 charts. With this steady, yet subtle, mainstream success throughout the years, House has gained momentum and concepts developed by House producers have infected the mainstream pop and hip-hop worlds. With the introduction of Vocoders and Auto-Tune, as well as the popularization of digital audio workstations and new production techniques like sidechaining and heavy compression, House is becoming more and more a part of American musical culture.
Australian electro-house music became popular in the mid-2000s, acts like The Aston Shuffle, Tommy Trash, Bag Raiders, The Presets, PNAU and Empire of the Sun became well-known domestically and recently internationally.
Musical elements
House is uptempo music for dancing, although by modern dance-music standards it is mid-tempo, generally ranging between 118 and 135 bpm. Tempos tended to be slower in the early years of house.
The common element of house is a prominent kick drum on every beat (also known as a four-on-the-floor beat), usually generated by a drum machine or sampler. The kick drum sound is augmented by various kick fills and extended dropouts. The drum track is filled out with hi-hat cymbal-patterns that nearly always include a hi-hat on quaver off-beats between each kick, and a snare drum or clap sound on beats two and four of every bar. This pattern derives from so-called "four-on-the-floor" dance drumbeats of the 1960s and especially from the 1970s disco drummers. Producers commonly layer sampled drum sounds to achieve a more complex sound, and they tailor the mix for large club sound-systems, de-emphasizing lower mid-range frequencies (where the fundamental frequencies of the human voice and other instruments lie) in favor of bass and hi-hats.
Producers use many different sound-sources for bass sounds in house, from continuous, repeating electronically generated lines sequenced on a synthesizer, such as a Roland SH-101 or TB-303, to studio recordings or samples of live electric bassists, or simply filtered-down samples from whole stereo recordings of classic funk tracks or any other songs. House bass-lines tend to favor notes that fall within a single-octave range, whereas disco bass-lines often alternated between octave-separated notes and would span greater ranges. Some early house productions used parts of bass lines from earlier disco tracks. For example, producer Mark "Hot Rod" Trollan copied bass-line sections from the 1983 Italo disco song "Feels Good (Carrots & Beets)" (by Electra featuring Tara Butler) to form the basis of his 1986 production of "Your Love" by Jamie Principle. Frankie Knuckles used the same notes in his more famous 1987 version of "Your Love", which also featured Principle on vocals.
Electronically generated sounds and samples of recordings from genres such as jazz, blues, disco, funk, soul and synth pop are often added to the foundation of the drum beat and synth bass line. House songs may also include disco, soul, or gospel vocals and additional percussion such as tambourine. Many house mixes also include repeating, short, syncopated, staccato chord-loops that are usually composed of 5-7 chords in a 4-beat measure.
The common element of house is a prominent kick drum on every beat (also known as a four-on-the-floor beat), usually generated by a drum machine or sampler. The kick drum sound is augmented by various kick fills and extended dropouts. The drum track is filled out with hi-hat cymbal-patterns that nearly always include a hi-hat on quaver off-beats between each kick, and a snare drum or clap sound on beats two and four of every bar. This pattern derives from so-called "four-on-the-floor" dance drumbeats of the 1960s and especially from the 1970s disco drummers. Producers commonly layer sampled drum sounds to achieve a more complex sound, and they tailor the mix for large club sound-systems, de-emphasizing lower mid-range frequencies (where the fundamental frequencies of the human voice and other instruments lie) in favor of bass and hi-hats.
Producers use many different sound-sources for bass sounds in house, from continuous, repeating electronically generated lines sequenced on a synthesizer, such as a Roland SH-101 or TB-303, to studio recordings or samples of live electric bassists, or simply filtered-down samples from whole stereo recordings of classic funk tracks or any other songs. House bass-lines tend to favor notes that fall within a single-octave range, whereas disco bass-lines often alternated between octave-separated notes and would span greater ranges. Some early house productions used parts of bass lines from earlier disco tracks. For example, producer Mark "Hot Rod" Trollan copied bass-line sections from the 1983 Italo disco song "Feels Good (Carrots & Beets)" (by Electra featuring Tara Butler) to form the basis of his 1986 production of "Your Love" by Jamie Principle. Frankie Knuckles used the same notes in his more famous 1987 version of "Your Love", which also featured Principle on vocals.
Electronically generated sounds and samples of recordings from genres such as jazz, blues, disco, funk, soul and synth pop are often added to the foundation of the drum beat and synth bass line. House songs may also include disco, soul, or gospel vocals and additional percussion such as tambourine. Many house mixes also include repeating, short, syncopated, staccato chord-loops that are usually composed of 5-7 chords in a 4-beat measure.
House music
House music is a style of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other locations such as New York City, New Jersey, Toronto, Montreal, London, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami. It then reached Europe, and since the early to mid-1990s, it has been infused in mainstream pop and dance music worldwide.
House music is centered around a 'four on the floor' rhythmic structure and may feature a prominent synthesizer bassline, synthesized or sampled drums and percussion, electronic effects, vocal samples, often with reverb or delay effects.
House music is centered around a 'four on the floor' rhythmic structure and may feature a prominent synthesizer bassline, synthesized or sampled drums and percussion, electronic effects, vocal samples, often with reverb or delay effects.
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