MELODIC OR DEEP?

:: MELODIC HOUSE ::

  • Sound: Melodic House is characterized by its emphasis on harmonious, emotional, and often euphoric melodies. The music often builds up to climactic moments, giving listeners an emotional journey.

  • Rhythmic Structure: While it maintains the 4/4 rhythm common to most house music, Melodic House often introduces progressive elements with evolving chord progressions and intricate synths.

  • Instruments: Synthesizers play a central role, producing the main melodies and harmonies. There's also a more frequent integration of organic instruments, such as pianos, guitars, and strings, which often play emotive leads or support the track's atmosphere.

  • Vocals: When vocals are used, they tend to be ethereal, echoing, and contribute to the track's emotional resonance.

:: DEEP HOUSE ::

  • Sound: Deep House is known for its deeper, more laid-back, and often jazzier or funkier feel compared to other house genres. It emphasizes warmth and atmosphere.

  • Rhythmic Structure: Maintains a consistent and usually slower tempo, generally ranging from 110 to 125 BPM. It's more groove-centric, with smooth transitions.

  • Instruments: Synthesizers are still central, but they often have a warmer, softer sound in Deep House. Basslines are prominent, with a deep and resonant quality. There's also a frequent use of electric pianos, organs, and other "analog" sounding instruments, giving it a more soulful feel.

  • Vocals: When present, vocals in Deep House are soulful and may be reminiscent of classic R&B or soul tracks. They often play a more central role in the song, rather than being used as just another instrument.

In the larger context of EDM, both genres originated from the broader House music category, one of the pillars of the EDM world. While genres like Dubstep, Trance, or Techno might emphasize bass intensity, speed, or industrial sounds respectively, Melodic House and Deep House are more focused on harmony, melody, and atmosphere.

However, it's worth noting that with the constant evolution of electronic music, boundaries between sub-genres can blur. Many artists experiment with sounds from different genres, creating hybrid tracks that can be challenging to categorize strictly.

Joshua T Williams

Joshua Williams is an award-winning creative director, writer and educator.  He has lectured and consulted worldwide, specializing in omni-channel retail and fashion branding, most recently at ISEM (Spain) and EAFIT (Colombia), and for brands such as Miguelina, JM, Andrew Marc and Anne Valerie Hash.  He is a full time professor and former fashion department chair at Berkeley College and teaches regularly at FIT, LIM and The New School.  He has developed curriculum and programming, including the fashion design program for Bergen Community College, that connects fashion business, design, media and technology.  His work has been seen in major fashion magazines and on the New York City stage. Joshua is a graduate of FIT’s Global Fashion Management (MPS) program, and has been the director and host of the Faces & Places in Fashion lecture series at FIT since 2010.

http://www.joshuatwilliams.com
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