I’ll start where it began for me.
This is where it all began for me … vividly remember recording it so I could play it on a trip to Spain mid 80s.
Someone kindly lent me a Raleigh Shopper bike while I was there, so spent every day cycling around with the Walkman on listening to Davy DMX at full volume
Deep House.
I’ve often mused over what “House” music is. Techno, Electro. Electronica .DnB etc has a distinct signature whereas House ?
I used to correlate it to the hospitality trade. Having a House wine or spirit. Something basic but of quality apart from the more expensive boutique items. Similar to the club nights having resident DJs putting on anything going to get a crowd worked up to the guest DJs.
House being anything from 118 - 125 bpm with a 4 by 4 beat with an emphasis to the kick and the snare/bar.
Back in the day a House DJ had a pretty broad palette of flavours to choose from.
I think that’s what got me hooked to “House” You would often go to a house party and find all sorts -Goths, hippies, crusties, rude boys or metal heads and not necessarily off their heads on milk of magnesia to start the bum rush.
Interestingly, that last track (Freedom) is what i would personally call Rave rather than House.
Another Mr. Fingers favorite:
Yes it is quite hard to define. The early electro stuff was really hip hop before jangly pianos were introduced into the mix, which then seemed to morph quite quickly into ‘techno’ … its all a bit blurry now anyway, the Hacienda is one of the first places I remember hearing it, along with the Fridge in Brixton.
Wasn’t big fish, little fish an approximation of the dimensions of a house - along with the folk living within ?
Not forgetting the lady with a chimney on her…