Wyllys and the World Party: House 101

Chicago, IL is the birthplace of House Music, and subsequently, the birthplace of Electronic Music. Sure, Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno were making synth based music before this, but nothing resembling the beats and rhythm patterns that make up current day Electronic Music as a genre.

House was a product of technological advancements in studio production gear. This process is what drives Electronic Music to this day. New synths, drum machines, and software are constantly evolving and the genre follows suit. The Roland SH 101 and the Roland TB 303 were the first synths that were used to create House. They were keyboards with built in sequencers used for looping, enabling the artist to lay a foundation for their tracks as well as a bevy of oscillators and filters. These synths were expensive and most of the youth in Chicago who spun records could not afford them. So, in reality, House Music was born in the suburbs surrounding Chicago where to this day there is still a HUGE scene of kids producing and spinning House. This is part of where House got its name as well, being produced in houses all over Illinois. Others believe House got its name from the famous nightclub that hosted underground parties known as The Warehouse. House combined elements of R and B, Blues, Disco, and Funk with a four-on-the-floor rhythm pattern. Producers sampled records from all of these genres whether it be the vocal take, a 4 bar sample of the beat, percussion, etc. After sampling, the producers would create their unique beats and breaks to make it House. Then all the elements were brought together and mixed in a sequencer. The tracks were influenced by mixing, producing and editing styles of DJs at the time. Larry Levan, Tom Mouton, and Frankie Knuckles are great examples of the House template and set the bar for all up and coming producers.

• Essential Mix: House - Frankie Knuckles Live at Pacha

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