Tech House
A club style that mixes the groove of house with the sounds and structure of techno.
History
Tech house joined house and techno in the mid-1990s s1. It keeps the warm, rolling groove of house but adds the crisp drum sounds and simple, machine-like feel of techno s1. The style grew in London clubs and was played by DJs such as Terry Francis and Eddie Richards s1. By the early 2000s it had a clear identity, helped by labels such as Get Physical s2. M.A.N.D.Y. and Booka Shade's 'Body Language' (2005) was a worldwide club hit s2. Layo & Bushwacka's 'Love Story' (2002) was another record that many people knew, even if they did not know the genre name s3. Tech house later became one of the most-played club styles, with a large following in Ibiza and at festivals s2. Some critics say the name became too broad and was used for many different kinds of house s2. The style is now played at clubs and festivals around the world s1.
Sound
- A steady, rolling four-to-the-floor beat
- Crisp, clean techno-style drums
- A deep, simple bassline
- Short vocal or instrument samples
- A serious, club-focused mood
Key figures
- Terry Francis — London DJ linked to early tech house
- Eddie Richards — London DJ and early tech house figure
- Booka Shade — German duo behind 'Body Language' and 'Mandarine Girl'
- Layo & Bushwacka! — London duo behind 'Love Story'
Labels
- Get Physical Music — Berlin , 2002
- Poker Flat Recordings — Berlin , 1998
- XL Recordings — London , 1989
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Chicago House , Detroit Techno , Deep House
Led to: Deep Tech , Electro House , Microhouse
Sources
- Tech house — Wikipedia
- Beatport's definitive history of tech house — Beatportal
- The tech house story — Roland Articles