In the ever-evolving electronic music soundscape genre confusion is a widely debated topic.
The scene is currently heavily saturated with record labels clambering over each other to secure artists a chart-topping release. Whether this is by download or to list on streaming platforms. Box-ticking sounds have stepped out of the typical formation.
Today, I want to look at the genre confusion currently taking place. I delve into a few reasons why it is happening. What can be done to address the situation? I ask the question… does it even matter?
Let’s start with the house music overriding genre.
The origins of house music trace back to Chicago roots.
The beat produced from the house music genre is formatted in high tempo layers. One of the identities of the genre is that it will be heard in nightclubs. All of the music garnered under the electronic music genre is considered ‘rave music’. Makes sense right?
House music then split itself into subgenres. In days gone by, clubs were filled with sparse and meaty tech-house. This then, naturally, evolved into an array of varied sounds. I will take a selected two derivatives of house music and explain the change in frequency.
Deep House
At the core of everything is House music. A 4/4 kick, claps/snares on every fourth or second beat and hi-hats on the offbeat. The first Deep House tracks were largely jazz-inspired vibes from Chicago and almost always featured sampled jazz chords. Over the last decade, a new type of Deep House has emerged from Germany, most notably from German DJ Solomun’s label Diynamic. There are similarities, such as the leanings towards funk and the swinging rhythms.
The question here is... is this Deep House as we know it?
Minimal
Minimal Techno ruled Berlin’s dance floors in the 2000s before the move towards the slow-house vibes of today. Incredibly repetitive, the focus is placed on each tiny detail in the mix. Much Minimal Techno came out of the after-hours scene in clubs such as the Bar 25 in Berlin, and the aim of the sound is in essence, to keep you awake long after bedtime, taking in the microscopic beats while tripping out at 9 AM.
The reason why I have explained the development in the sound of the genres is to show how ‘house music’ has evolved. I have tried to pinpoint where confusion has come into play.
So, is genre disappearing?
As record stores close en-masse and streaming algorithms dominate, the identities that music fandom supplies are in flux.
Popular streaming platforms such as Spotify have loose algorithm patterns that classify the normal conformation sonics as something unattached from the original. The main purpose here is to popularise a category.
By popularising a category, the algorithm drops tracks that are widely known as one genre into one that is not recognisable to the sound. The category does not suit the track itself but will pick up a wider catchment of listeners.
Download platforms play a crucial role in the current confusion. With so many labels competing for chart-topping releases, tracks are labelled and listed in the most popular categories for download. The most widely downloaded sections are flooded with music that does not adhere to the typical rules. Let's take tech-house as an example. The sub-genre is cluttered with minimal style tracks and others, this creates questions over the validity of the roots of the sound. When you open up Beatport, you will see an ever-growing compilation of genres, some of which you may not even know existed.
Is this Beatport at fault for categorising so many sub-genres of dance music?
I would say not. I believe that Beatport is trying to counteract confusion by adding genres with the sounds of releases changing daily. However, this does not work as it becomes a minefield for DJs to search tracks within their vibe and takes treble the time to add the music you need to your cart.
The thing to note here is that Beatport and other platforms only list through the metadata supplied to them by the label or producer. The perception that the platform has listed a track incorrectly is wide of the mark. Opinion: If labels released music into the correct genre with the correct metadata, the whole problem could be eradicated.
Sampling and edits also cause an issue. With other genres such as Disco, Hip-Hop, Pop and even Motown and Country being sampled in a track, it is super-hard to identify the normal classification of the track. Certain platforms’ algorithms cannot break down the sound and place it in the right section. They rely on the metadata, as explained above, to place the piece of music in the correct dropdown.
Essentially, it all comes down to perceptions and current trends. The popularity of an existing trend is taken advantage of to increase sales of a track.
Does this confusion even matter?
Purists will always say Yes. Producers and purveyors of the original sound will always argue that they make the piece of music for the selected genre to be played at the moment it was intended, at the venue type it leans towards.
DJs, artists, and of course the raver, will always have a different take. They will generally believe that music is subjective (which it is) and classification does not matter in the grand scheme of things. One thing is for sure, everybody will have their views on the subject.
Are they right? Probably. We cannot overly argue that a view is wrong. As I eluded to above, music is subjective and means something different to every single person. It all comes down to a perception of a sound, a trend and what is marketed to the masses.
As always, we try to offer a multi-faceted opinion to a hotly discussed topic. Where do you sit in the argument?
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