>I don't read those magazines, but sometimes i write for them. >The idea of 'electro house' does seem a bit of an oxymoron to me, since >my concept of different genres is rooted in the characteristic beat patterns >they use.
>House music almost invariably employs a kick on the beat (i.e. 1 2 3 4) >and a 'backbeat' sound, usually but not always a clap (i.e. 2 4) Around >this armiture all sorts of syncopation is possible, but that boom chick >boom chick between 115 and 130 BPM is what makes it instantly recognizable. >Electro, by contrast has the backbeat on 2 and 4, but generally has a >syncopated, prominent kick. House will drop the backbeat on occasion, but >Electro generally maintains the backbeat from beginning to end. >So Electro house would be ... what? (A mess) That's a very accurate observation and I agree with it. I think it's called 'electro-house' because there are more synthetic sounds and vocoders but then does that mean that Cher is 'electro-house'? Really, I don't mean to keep on about it but anyone who insists on calling it 'electro-house' should listen to music coming from places like the Loft and Paradise Garage. check this: http://www.family-house.net/metro_area_environ.html METRO AREA Morgan Geist > INTERVIEW > Environ Q: U use analog instruments + strings, guitar, flute, and percussion ... Who and what are your influences? MG: Disco, boogie, techno, soul, hip-hop, new wave, you name it. Big personal dance music influences are Patrick Adams, early Detroit techno, early 80s Emergency records, Salsoul, West End, Supertronics, Larry Heard, lots of NYC club/loft/Garage tracks, old Chicago and NY house, etc. >Maybe this seems flippant, but discriminating between genres is a continuing vexation for me. True, drawing lines is bad but I feel that calling it 'electro-house' is either ignoring or distancing the sound from its origin in NY gay clubs. This is an ongoing thing in the US where disco is misrepresented by the media as this John Travolta, Studio 54 thing. I'm not saying that MG doesn't listen to electro music and yes there was a lot of cross-over eventually between electro and disco but it all fell under the banner of disco. Just trying to keep the flag flying.... MEK
