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Origins: 6 Tracks that Trace the Twists and Turns of Deep House

14 Oct '2024

We explore how the popular sub-genre of Deep House has evolved since its inception in the mid-1980s

After its birth in Chicago in the early 80s, House music quickly spread to all corners of the music scene. As with many genres of music, as its popularity grew, different groups in different areas began to infuse House music with their own unique flair. From the Roland 303-packed squelches of Acid House to the percussion-laden grooves of Afro House, the genre splintered off into a range of distinctive sub-genres.

One such sub-genre that has enjoyed a significant amount of underground and commercial acclaim over the years, is Deep House. In this instalment of the Loopcloud Origins series, we’re going back in time to identify six tracks that had a fundamental impact on the sound of Deep House.

If you’re looking to get into Deep House production, or just want to top up your stash of samples, check out the Loopmasters Deep House Essential Bundle. The bundle contains packs from Loopmasters, Keep It Sound and Apollo Sound, giving you everything you need to create captivating Deep House for the club – and all for a stunning £20, saving over £90.

What is Deep House?

Deep House is a sub-genre of House music that combines classic traits of Chicago House with characteristics of 70s Soul and Funk. In keeping with traditional House music, Deep House tends to have a tempo of 112bpm to 126bpm. It is also characterised by repetitive drum patterns with a four-on-the-floor kick drum, as well as deep basslines. Deep House tends to be more melodic, soulful and atmospheric than traditional House, owing to the use of space, as well as Soul and Funk samples.

Much like other sub-genres of House, such as Tech House, there is a clear contrast between early Deep House of the 80s and the contemporary variation of it being made today. For this reason, we’ll examine the sonic evolution of Deep House over the years, highlighting the sub-genre’s key milestones.

1986: Mr. Fingers - Mystery of Love

The inception of Deep House

For any House-heads reading this, you may or may not be aware of Mr. Fingers. You will almost certainly be aware of Larry Heard though, who is the brains behind the Mr. Fingers alias. Heard allegedly made Mystery of Love while completely unaware of the House music scene that was blowing up in Chicago.

While the track shares some similarities with House music, such as the 4/4 kick pattern, Heard seemingly used a Roland TR-707 drum machine as opposed to the TR-909 that had become a staple of other House productions. Additionally, the drums don’t follow the same regimented pattern as traditional House, with a hi-hat on the off beats and claps on the two and four. Instead, the drum programming feels looser and more human.

One key element of Mystery of Love that laid the foundations for the Deep House movement is the deep and groovy bassline, which persists throughout the track without faltering. There have been variations of Mystery of Love over the years, with one consistent thread running through them all, which is the bassline.

1989: 808 State - Pacific State

House gets deeper

Just three years after the release of Mystery of Love, the UK electronic trio 808 State released Pacific State. The track bears clear similarities with Mr. Finger’s catalyst for the sub-genre, and signifies the speed at which the Deep House movement spread to other continents. The drums in Pacific State are one of the most distinctive elements of the track, that take clear influence from Mystery of Love.

Unlike the usual off-beat hi-hats in traditional House music, the open hats in Pacific State are used to add groove and variation, as opposed to anchoring the four-on-the-floor rhythm in place. That said, the kick and clap are exactly where you’d expect to find them in any House track.

Within the context of Deep House’s evolution, the most important elements of Pacific State are the huge pad that sets the track’s tone, as well as the use of saxophone throughout. The pad creates a sense of space and depth in the track, while the saxophone gives the composition that all-important soulful vibe that is reminiscent of Soul and Funk from the previous decade.

1990: Kerri Chandler - Get It Off

That Deep House bass is back

It won’t take eagle-eared listeners long to spot the resemblance between Kerri Chandler’s Get it Off and Mr. Fingers’ Mystery of Love from four years earlier. The tone of the bassline, as well as its defined groove and repetitiveness, are presumably inspired by Mr. Fingers’ offering to the sub-genre.

As per the other Deep House tracks we’ve already discussed, the drums aren’t locked into the traditional House pattern, with syncopated percussion that gives the production a unique groove. This helps the music to differentiate itself from the rhythmic constraints of House music, and more so, the Techno music that was taking Detroit by storm.

2002: Petalpusher - You Bring Me Up

Deep House goes vocal

Deep House drums at this point seemed to revert back to the tried and tested drum programming of classic House. In some instances, this makes it more difficult to distinguish some Deep House productions from its adjacent sub-genres, including Tech House, Jackin’ House and Bass House. Much like the initial wave of Deep House productions, the inclusion of melodic spatial elements help to differentiate it from other sub-genrees.

Other standout characteristics include the more traditional use of vocals with meaningful lyrics, and not just sampled and chopped vocals as per earlier examples. The label responsible for You Bring Me Up’s release, Naked Music, is also responsible for swathes of groovy and feel-good Deep House that set the tone for the following decade’s evolution of the sub-genre.

2013: Dusky - Careless

Deep House touches the mainstream

During the early 2010s, Deep House found its feet in a slightly new, more commercially accessible form. It’s nigh-on impossible to single out a solitary track that was a key Deep House milestone of this era, but Dusky’s Careless is as good an example as any. Unique characteristics of Deep House from this period include pitched down vocals, which helped to secure the sub-genre’s place in the charts.

As mentioned, this era was an absolute treasure trove of Deep House, which paved the way for the modern take on the genre that is heard in clubs and on radio stations today. Honourable mentions go to:

2020: Jax Jones, au/ra - i miss u

Deep House finds a home in the charts

The Deep House of today is harder to distinguish from other genres, and often takes on the form and recognition of Pop music thanks to vocal-lead compositions and highly polished mixes. That said, you can hear the heritage of Deep House in many contemporary productions. The bass sound design in i miss u is reminiscent of much of the sub-genre’s early standouts, while the pitched-down vocals and use of percussion are more akin to examples from the 2010s.

Feeling inspired? Grab the Loopmasters Deep House Essential Bundle now for only £20. With plenty of royalty-free bass, percussion and drum loops and samples, as well as transition effects, synths, leads and melodic elements, the pack contains everything you need to craft your own Deep House productions. Whether you want to recreate the deep, dark tones of early Deep House, or you’re looking to score a modern Deep House hit on primetime radio, this sample pack will fit the bill.

FAQs

What is the history of Deep House?

Deep House originated in the mid-1980s, with producers such as Mr. Fingers and Kerri Chandler among some of the artists who created the first examples of the sub-genre of House music. Since then, Deep House has evolved into a more commercial form of itself, and has maintained popularity over the past four decades.

What are the characteristics of Deep House music?

Deep House is characterised by a four-on-the-floor kick pattern, deep and repetitive basslines, and Jazz, Funk and Soul-influenced melodic elements. It also commonly features vocals that are often pitched down in more contemporary examples of Deep House.

Is Deep House still popular?

While Deep House has evolved since the first examples of the sub-genre in the mid-1980s, the style of music is still popular, and is as present as ever in clubs and on commercial radio.

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