Deep house
Encyclopedia
Deep house is a subgenre of house music
that fuses elements of Chicago house
into the 1980s jazz-funk
and touches of soul music
. In the early compositions (1988—89), influences of jazz
music were most frequently brought out by using more complex chords than simple triads
(7ths, 9ths, 13ths, suspensions, alterations
) which are held for many bar
s and give compositions a slightly dissonant
feel. Later deep house tracks (1993—94) were also heavily influenced by disco and even merged into a disputable disco house genre.
The use of vocals became more common in deep house than in many other forms of house music. Sonic qualities include soulful vocals, slow and concentrated dissonant melodies, smooth, stylish, and chic
demeanor.
Deep house music rarely reaches a climax, but lingers on as a comfortable relaxing sound, with or without vocals.
Record labels of the genre include Naked Music
, Om Records
, and Peacefrog Records
. Examples of deep house albums from artists known from other genres include 1990's The Martyr Mantras
and 1998's Modernism: A New Decade
from The Style Council
.
House music
House music is a genre 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...
that fuses elements of Chicago house
Chicago house
Chicago house is a style of house music, a genre of electronic dance music which emerged in Chicago in the mid-1980s. Stylistically, Chicago house has no widely accepted definition, but generally includes the first house music productions by Chicago-based artists throughout the 1980s, and any later...
into the 1980s jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
and touches of soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. In the early compositions (1988—89), influences of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music were most frequently brought out by using more complex chords than simple triads
Triad (music)
In music and music theory, a triad is a three-note chord that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:* the Root...
(7ths, 9ths, 13ths, suspensions, alterations
Altered chord
In music, an altered chord, an example of alteration, is a chord with one or more diatonic notes replaced by, or altered to, a neighboring pitch in the chromatic scale...
) which are held for many bar
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
s and give compositions a slightly dissonant
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
feel. Later deep house tracks (1993—94) were also heavily influenced by disco and even merged into a disputable disco house genre.
The use of vocals became more common in deep house than in many other forms of house music. Sonic qualities include soulful vocals, slow and concentrated dissonant melodies, smooth, stylish, and chic
Chic (style)
Chic , meaning 'stylish' or 'smart', is an element of fashion.-Etymology:Chic is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s...
demeanor.
Deep house music rarely reaches a climax, but lingers on as a comfortable relaxing sound, with or without vocals.
Artists, DJs and record labels
Deep house artists, DJs and producers include:- Ben WattBen WattBenjamin Brian Thomas Watt is a British musician, DJ, and record producer, best known as one half of the duo, Everything but the Girl.-Family:...
- Blue Six
- Booka ShadeBooka ShadeBooka Shade is a German house duo. It is made up of Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, described as veterans of the Frankfurt electronic music scene...
- Charles WebsterCharles Webster (musician)Charles Webster is an electronic musician from Sheffield, England, who specialises in producing house music. As well as releasing music under his own name, Webster has also worked under various monikers, including Furry Phreaks, Presence, and Megatonk...
- ColetteDJ ColetteColette Marino, , known as DJ Colette or just Colette, is a house music DJ and vocalist from Chicago, Illinois. She is a resident DJ at the SmartBar in Chicago, Illinois...
- Danny TenagliaDanny TenagliaDanny Tenaglia is a New York-based DJ and Grammy nominated record producer.-Early life:At the age of ten, Tenaglia first started to collect records. In 1979 he began going to nightclub Paradise Garage, where DJ Larry Levan's genre-less blend of music appealed to him...
- Fish Go DeepFish Go DeepFish Go Deep are an Irish production duo consisting of Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson from Cork. They have been releasing house records under this name since 1997 and in 2006 they reached number 1 on both the dance chart and indie chart with their track "The Cure & the Cause"...
- Frankie KnucklesFrankie KnucklesFrankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
- François KevorkianFrançois KevorkianFrançois Kevorkian, alias François K, is a French DJ of Armenian origin, remixer, producer and record label owner. Having started his career in renowned clubs such as the Paradise Garage and Studio 54, the New York City resident is widely considered as one of the forefathers of house...
- Fred EverythingFred EverythingFred Everything is a French-Canadian electronic musician and DJ, best known for his work in the deep house music genre.-Early life:...
- Gaelle
- Global CommunicationGlobal CommunicationGlobal Communication is an electronic music act, composed of Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard. Their debut LP, 76:14 is one of the most acclaimed albums from the ambient music genre and from 1990s electronic music in general....
- Gregory Del PieroGregory Del PieroGregory Del Piero is a French music producer and DJ.Gregory Del Piero started as a DJ in 1987. In the summer of 1998, he met the world famous Joe Claussell of Body & Soul, from New York City, while Joe was on tour in France...
- Ian PooleyIan PooleyIan Pooley is a German-born record producer and DJ. While incorporating samples of various musical genres, Pooley's creations are usually classified as house or tech house with Brazilian influence.-Career:...
- Jay TripwireJay TripwireJay Tripwire is a house DJ and record producer from Canada.•"A full pelt wavering between tribal moments and more modest slabs of Detroit-inspired soul.The crowd responds at every turn." - Steve McLay, DJ MAG....
- JimpsterJimpsterJimpster is a British deep house producer, DJ, and founder of the record label Freerange Records. While producing his own tracks and playing live shows, Jimpster has also worked on numerous remixes, including a remix of the song 400 years by Bob Marley.-History:Hailing from a musical family,...
- Joe ClaussellJoe ClaussellJoaquin "Joke Laws-L" Claussell is a New York DJ, music producer, record label owner and former manager of Dance Trax record shop then based in the East Village, Manhattan, New York City, USA....
- Julius PappJulius PappJulius Papp is a house music producer and DJ whose roots lie in Disco of the '70s and New Wave of the '80s.Papp was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, and got tuned into dance music through the city’s flourishing club scene and diverse radio broadcasts...
- KaskadeKaskadeRyan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...
- Kenny 'Dope' GonzalesKenny 'Dope' GonzalesKenny "Dope" Gonzalez is an American dance musician. He is also one half of the Masters at Work musical production team with Little Louie Vega....
- Kerri ChandlerKerri ChandlerKerri 'Kaoz' Chandler, one of deep House Music's originators, has been injecting soul into music since the early nineties. An ambassador of the 4/4 beat, Kerri's influences can be traced back to New Jersey growing up in a family of jazz musicians. His father being a deejay, provided Kerri with a...
- Larry HeardLarry HeardLarry Heard is a Memphis, Tennessee-based musician widely known for the Chicago-based house music he produced during the mid-1980s and continues to produce today. He was leader of the influential group Fingers Inc. and has recorded solo under various names, most notably Mr...
- Little Louie VegaLittle Louie VegaLuis Fernando Vager , better known as "Little" Louie Vega, is an American musician and one half of the Masters At Work musical production team...
- Mark FarinaMark FarinaMark Farina is a disc jockey and musician, known for his Chicago house, acid jazz and downtempo works. Notable releases include Mood and the Mushroom Jazz series , and recently known also from house compilations El Divinio...
- Martin IvesonMartin IvesonMartin Iveson is a British video game composer and deep house, hip-hop, and jazz artist under nicknames Atjazz, Spaceman, and Nuke....
(Atjazz) - Masters At WorkMasters At WorkMasters at Work is the house/garage production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. They first worked together using the name, which had been given to them by mutual friend Todd Terry , in 1990...
- Mateo & MatosMateo & MatosMateo & Matos is a team of two deejays and house music producers John "Roc" Mateo and Eddie "E-Z" Matos from New York City, United States.- History :...
- Miguel MigsMiguel MigsMiguel Steward, better known as Miguel Migs is a deep house DJ, producer and musician from San Francisco, California. -Biography:Migs began his music career at 18 years old, as a lead guitarist and songwriter for a Santa Cruz local band called Zion Sounds...
- Milton JacksonMilton JacksonMilton Jackson is a music producer specialising in house music. He is from Glasgow.-Studio singles / EPs:*2001 The Rhythm EP*2001 "Sunlight" *2003 Jaded EP *2006 "Future Fresh"...
- MoodymannMoodymannMoodymann also known as Kenny Dixon Jr or KDJ for short, is a Techno/House musician based in Detroit, Michigan.He creates a thoroughly hybrid form of techno/house dance music, jazz, soul, disco and funk via his innovative use of reworked riffs, samples , and grooves taken from...
- Mr. ScruffMr. ScruffMr. Scruff is the recording name of Andy Carthy , a British DJ and artist. He lives in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and studied fine art at the Psalter Lane campus of Sheffield Hallam University...
- Nadirah ShakoorNadirah ShakoorNadirah Shakoor is an American vocalist, best known for her work in Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, which she joined in 1995, and is still touring with it as the featured female vocalist. "Nod to the Storyteller" is Nadirah's tribute to Jimmy Buffett, who for the last 13 years has featured her...
- OsunladeOsunlade-Biography:Osunlade was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He composed music for Sesame Street during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked with artists such as Patti Labelle and Freddie Jackson. After a stint there, he moved to New...
- Pépé BradockPépé BradockPépé Bradock , is a French DJ, producer, and remixer of house music.-Early life:Bradock learned the guitar at an early age and began playing in jazz-funk bands around Paris.-Career:...
- Rhythm PlateRhythm PlateRhythm Plate are predominantly a deep house production duo who hail from Matlock, Derbyshire. They consist of Matt 'Rhythm' and Ant 'Plate' and regularly DJ mainly across the UK but also Europe and around the world .They have written incidental music that has been featured on several UK and...
- ScopeScopeThe word scope may refer to many different devices or viewing instruments, constructed for many different purposes. It may refer to a telescopic sight, an optical device commonly used on firearms. Other uses of scope or Scopes may refer to:...
- St. Germain
- Swirl PeopleSwirl PeopleSwirl People is the name of a Belgian house music project formed in 1997, it was named after dancing people who look like they are swirling on the dancefloor.Group members include producer/musician Dimitri Dewever and producer/DJ Roel 'Raoul' Belmans...
- The RuralsThe RuralsThe Rurals are a deep house collective from Devon, England. DJ/producer Andy Compton heads up the group. They have been producing music since 1995 and have an extensive discography. Their music is characterized by very deep and lush sound and slick production. They are signed to British label Peng....
- The Style CouncilThe Style CouncilThe Style Council were an English band, formed in 1983 by the ex-The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller, with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other artists such as Tracie Young and Tracey Thorn also...
- The Timewriter
- Tom MiddletonTom MiddletonTom Middleton is a prolific British recording artist, music producer, remixer and DJ.A classically trained pianist and cellist, Middleton worked in the early 1990s with Richard D. James , co-producing "En-Trance To Exit" on the Analogue Bubblebath EP for Exeter's influential Mighty Force Records...
Record labels of the genre include Naked Music
Naked Music
Naked Music is a dance music record label, centered in San Francisco and New York City. It is known for smooth signature deep house and downtempo. It began life as a production company in New York, in 1992, when founders Dave Boonshoft and Jay Denes scored underground success with releases on...
, Om Records
Om Records
Om Records is a US-based record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music, and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and various compilations. Some of the most notable compilations include Om...
, and Peacefrog Records
Peacefrog Records
Peacefrog Records are an independent record label based in London, United Kingdom. The label produces releases in many different styles of electronic music as well as branching out into folk and indie artists such as José González and Nouvelle Vague. Started by Pete Hutchison and Paul Ballard in...
. Examples of deep house albums from artists known from other genres include 1990's The Martyr Mantras
The Martyr Mantras
The Martyr Mantras is a 1990 album by Boy George. It was credited to Jesus Loves You worldwide, a move to help people concentrate on the music rather than on the popular artist's name, except in North America, where it was credited to Boy George upon its release there in 1991, as requested by...
and 1998's Modernism: A New Decade
Modernism: A New Decade
Modernism: A New Decade is an album by the band The Style Council. It represented a departure from the band's core genre of pop, to a new one; deep house, which was then being referred to as "garage" music by the UK press. However upon its completion in 1989, it was rejected by their label...
from The Style Council
The Style Council
The Style Council were an English band, formed in 1983 by the ex-The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller, with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other artists such as Tracie Young and Tracey Thorn also...
.