Origin
The music developed by djs to entertain African Americans, Latinos and gays in underground dance halls in New York city in the 1970s. Originally the word disco only described a certain musical sound it developed into a fashion trend. Dance music formed after 1970 can be categorized as disco or was since derived from disco. By the late 80s early 90s there were there types of dance music: house, club and hip hop.
Elements
Elements of this genre include some recurring themes from previous genres and some new. Elements include a 12 inch single which is an extended and remix version of a hit song that allows dancers to move to uninterruptedly for a period of time. Syncopated bass line where the electric guitar was mainly used to create bass in the music. This music has a fast, upbeat tempo that impels listeners to dance. It also allows for less focus on an individual artist or instrument and focuses on the dancer and the dj. Four -on-the-Floor or 4/4 where the drummer will play all four beats of 4/4 (1,2,3,4) in a continuous timely manner. Mix of instruments, vocals, and special sound effects that was created in recording studio before being played.
House Music
After its strong association with homosexual males and was at a time where homosexuality was not accepted by most the term disco, and disco music quickly faded away. However it made it’s return under a new name which was club music. Club eventually became the name as the venue that this type of music was played in. During this time a lot of DJs became famous for their work such as Afrika Bambaataa with his sing “Planet Rock” in 1982 which brought electro-funk and rap artist attention back to disco music. Another famous Dj was Larry Levan who used all kinds of music including Philly soul, Caribbean pop, and German electronic music.
Club Music
House Music is seen as the electronic derivative of disco music. Similar to disco and club music the name is derived from its origin first and its traits second. House is an abbreviated form of warehouse where Chicago’s dance venues were. Dj Frankie Knuckles, a new york native was the famous dj for this area after hearing about this offer from Levan. This music was homespun music where the technology used with a blend between technology used in a studio and the technology used in DJ booth. The music has a sort of amateur sound to it and the singing is replaced with spoken word or nothing at all.
