Whose House??

Deep in the undergrounds of London City and its surrounding counties, a new sound is emerging into the sunlight. It’s unique, has a strong following and is bursting not only its borders, but also its oceans shores. All continents and partying districts of the globe are being injected with this vibe and its connoisseurs are showing true dedication within its following.

Marcus 'UK House' Nasty

The BBC in London has described this sound as Funky House with a Grime flavour. Marcus Nasty who is a leading DJ within the scene has branded it UK House along with many others. The gurus of the House scene have labelled it New-Age Garage. Its followers however, are calling it Funky House.

Those who are familiar with House music know that the sound representing this scene does not fall into the Funky House category, as this is an already established genre which it does not replicate. Leading to the political argument generated upon each evolution within music…… What do you call it??

If we get technical with the basis of the music, it’s bpm for play and production is within 124 – 130 and has the prominent 4×4 kick drum with a common addition of congos delivered in an Afrobeat style. The rhythmic groove has a basis of extension on a single chord, instead of a constant change, which is a strong resemblance to Funk. This sound in general however holds no other conformities, and which other instruments take part in the production, or how, are not regulated. Therefore the diversity found within the sound has caused it to become indefinable as an already established genre or sub genre.

There are huge similarities to Garage which stems from the quantity of vocal contribution in many of the songs, however Garage is also identified for the quantity of bass it carries. In comparison, Garage has a much more simple sound which makes this new sound too complicated to fit within the Garage sub-genre of House music.

Without any limitations on sound, it allows there to be an amalgamation of the various already established House sub genres and therefore can only be recognised as the birth of a new House music fruition. This conquers the requirement to fall into a sub genre and lets its freshness and originality be recognised, yet still flourish as it has not taken its true form.

Highly influenced by the Tribal, Deep, Soulful and Bassline House sub genres, the attraction inevitably falls highly towards the urban orientated individual who appreciates diversity, and is usually mixed with these, as well as other sub genres such as Afrobeat, Broken Beat, Minimal, Electro and of course Garage. This enables the DJs to promote this sound alongside the more established sounds and individuals within the industry, increasing its marketability.

The pioneers within the production of this music have collectively stated that their influences come from the likes of Dennis Ferrer, Masters of Work, Karizma, Kenny Dope, Defected, Quentin Harris and Kerri Chandler. However, as with each evolution within music, there are the cowboys who are simply jumping on a band wagon. Production of which, instead of encouraging the recipient to lose their soul within the music, there is an examination of the imperfections with disgust. Although the creativity is in place, the end result has not been mastered and therefore lacks the desired quality to achieve outside appeal and acceptance. But is it really as simple as these productions are rushed material??

As with any business an entrepreneur has to begin somewhere, and simply may not have the means to produce a replicated sound quality. Is it fair to compare the new to the old? The DJs and listeners are the only judges at this present time as the sound has not yet fully broken out of the underground. However a producer who has shown true innovation in mastering the quality and precision of every beat and instrument sound does not appreciate being associated as making the same music as one that does not. This new type of music is still developing, and in time, with growth and quantity, the divide will be as clear as it is within every genre. The music of higher standard will be shown within its level of listening popularity and DJ playing time.

Within a diverse urban community, this can only be seen as an encouraging advantage as it is bringing the much desired love and unity back to the clubs.

This sound has also said to be more attractive to a crowd who have been participants in nightlife for as long as the sound has been around, however there has been a strong interest shown by the much older generations who have been listening to House music throughout the decades. Mainstream enterprises have also started to show an interest. Productions are being signed and aired on commercial radio stations. This new sound has definitely started making its mark on a wider stance demanding recognition from the music industry as a whole.

The attraction for this music falls beyond its sound, towards the vibe that it brings. The mood to dance and be merry is instantly generated. There is no drug culture integrated within the following, and the idea is for everyone to have a good time. Within a diverse urban community, this can only be seen as an encouraging advantage as it is bringing the much desired love and unity back to the clubs.

So this indefinable underground house sub genre is emerging and is soon to be recognised by the mainstream in a commercial stance. Whether the evolution is recognised by those who do not wish to acknowledge it or not, it has already begun. With the various names people would use to refer to this sound the mostly used description is Funky. However Funky House is already commercial. So with its generation being within the urban society, is Urban Funky House the correct and mostly representative term??

A sample CD of the music referred to in the above can be downloaded from the link below.
Diamond In The Ruff Vol 1