N.C. Raves: House music
Guide to Electronica : House music (2 of 9)

House music [Audio] was the first type of electronica, and is often called the soul of all rave music. Typically, wailing vocals and piano riffs accompany a fairly simple, pumping rhythm.

House music first appeared in the gay black disco scene. As disco's popularity was falling, extended mixes of disco songs, with long rhythm sections, were put onto LP records specifically for deejays. At the same time, electronic sequencers, samplers, and drum machines became available, and groups like Kraftwerk [Audio] explored the possibilities of creating music that was entirely electronic.

The first house artists took the extended disco remixes and combined them with 1970s soul music, heavy on vocals and piano riffs. They also added in electronic beats and samples, creating a new, rawer sound that got the former disco and club crowds dancing. At first, the music was shunned by many established clubs -- hence the need for underground parties which eventually became raves.

There are several explanations for how the name "house" was coined. One version says the term came about because the first raves were thrown in warehouses. Another version says the name originated because people would play the music at small dance parties in their houses, only needing a set of turntables, speakers, and some friends. A third says the name comes from from the Warehouse Club, a Chicago nightclub where DJ Frankie Knuckles and Marshall Jefferson pioneered the highly influential Chicago house music scene.

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Audio: House music

Audio: Kraftwerk

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