Funky house
{{Short description|Subgenre of house music}}
{{For|the UK garage subgenre|UK funky}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2010}}
{{Infobox Music genre
| name = Funky house
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|House|disco|funk|boogie}}
| cultural_origins = Late 1980s, United States
| derivatives = UK funky
| subgenrelist =
| fusiongenres =
| regional_scenes =
| local_scenes =
| other_topics = {{hlist|Nu-disco|nu-funk|G-funk|French house|future funk}}
}}
File:Daft punk summercase 2006.jpg
Funky house is a subgenre of house music that uses disco and funk samples, a funk-inspired bass line or a strong soul influence, combined with drum breaks that draw inspiration from 1970s and 1980s funk records.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iamthekz.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608012633/http://www.iamthekz.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-06-08|title=KZ - www.iamthekz.com|date=2013-06-08|access-date=2019-03-06}} It often includes disco strings, though not consistently. Recognized by its specific sound, Funky house is characterized by basslines, swooshes, swirls, and other synthesized sounds which give the music a bouncy tempo.{{cite book |last1=Ayres |first1=Dana |title=The Historical Seeds and Worldwide Dissemination of House Music |date=2014 |page=28}} Overall, it has influenced the development of several other subgenres, such as tech house, nu-disco, and UK Funky, which have borrowed its rhythmic elements and upbeat energy.
Production and characteristics
Funky house music draws inspiration from the rhythmic complexity and soulful vibe of 1970s and 1980s funk and disco. Key production characteristics include disco strings, funk inspired basslines, vocal samples, and tempo and synth effects.
A description of those characteristics features a lush, orchestral disco strings that contribute to a vibrant and immersive sound. The deep, groovy basslines provide rhythmic depth, creating a compelling foundation for each track. The genre often incorporates vocal loops or samples from older soul and disco records, blending familiar elements with fresh, innovative twists. Typically produced at around 128 BPM, funky house tracks are characterized by synthesized effects such as swooshes, swirls, and filters, lending the music a bouncy, uplifting vibe that defines its unique energy.{{Cite web |title=History of Sound - Funky house |url=https://historyofsound.com/funky-house/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=historyofsound.com |language=en}}
History
= 1990s =
Funky house gained initial popularity in the 1990s, with artists such as Daft Punk{{Cite web |last=SeventhQueen |date=2020-01-30 |title=Evolution of French & Funky House |url=https://recordingarts.com/record/evolution-of-house-music/french-funky-house/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Recording Arts Canada |language=en-CA}} helping popularize the style through tracks like "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0HSD_i2DvA Around the World]" and "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGBhQbmPwH8 One More Time]". These tracks incorporated repetitive, groove-heavy basslines with soulful, filtered vocals, becoming defining features of the genre. Thomas Bangalter, a member of Daft Punk, founded the label Roulé, making a conscious effort to distinguish funky house from other house subgenres by blending classic funk with modern production techniques.
= 2000s =
The genre generated significant success in the early and mid-2000s.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mastercuts-funky-house-mw0000563852|title=Mastercuts: Funky House - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic |access-date=2013-05-07|archive-date=2012-12-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231134856/http://www.allmusic.com/album/mastercuts-funky-house-mw0000563852|url-status=live}} Its influence spread across global club scenes, with popular record labels such as Defected Records, Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi, and Fierce Angel releasing compilation albums dedicated to funky house.Ministry of Sound Funky House Sessions CompilationHed Kandi Classic Funky House Compilation Notable compilation series include Defected's "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9joRhNOx9h8 In the House]" and Hed Kandi's "[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV3_v-g1IAezUuQ40wMSXb2F-F01X2yBM Beach House]." Artists like Joey Negro (Dave Lee), Armand Van Helden, and DJ Sneak played crucial roles in shaping the genre's sound, blending funk, soul, and house into vibrant, feel-good music that resonated worldwide.
= 2010s–present =
With the growing interest in funk and disco in the early 2010s,{{cite press release | title = Beatport launches nu disco / indie dance genre page | publisher = Beatport | date = 2008-07-30 | url = http://www.beatportal.com/feed/item/beatport-launches-nu-disco-indie-dance-genre-page/ | access-date = 2008-08-08 | quote = Beatport is launching a new landing page, dedicated solely to the genres of "nu disco" and "indie dance". ... Nu Disco is everything that springs from the late ′70s and early ′80s (electronic) disco, boogie, cosmic, Balearic and Italo disco continuum... | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080807115809/http://www.beatportal.com/feed/item/beatport-launches-nu-disco-indie-dance-genre-page/ | archive-date = 2008-08-07 | url-status = dead }} a new wave of music incorporating funk and disco samples emerged.{{cite web |title=Sample This! 10 house tracks inspired by all things funk, soul and disco |url=https://thenoisegate.com/sample-10-house-tracks-inspired-things-funk-soul-disco/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126001143/https://thenoisegate.com/sample-10-house-tracks-inspired-things-funk-soul-disco/ |archive-date=26 January 2019 |access-date=25 January 2019 |website=The Noise Gate}}{{cite web |last1=Birchmeier |first1=Jason |title=Funky House Classics - Various Artists Review by Allmusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/funky-house-classics-mw0001960982 |website=Allmusic |access-date=25 January 2019 |archive-date=26 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126001120/https://www.allmusic.com/album/funky-house-classics-mw0001960982 |url-status=live }} However, some argue that the evolving sound structure diverged from traditional funky house characteristics, leading to what some refer to as funk-house. At the end of the day, these titles are interchangeable.{{Cite web|url=http://pilerats.com/music/electronic/kaytranada-gives-gorillazs-strobelite-a-subtle-funk-groove-in-his-newest-remix/|title=Kaytranada gives Gorillaz's Strobelite a subtle funk groove in his newest remix|website=PILERATS|access-date=2019-03-06|archive-date=2019-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306235031/http://pilerats.com/music/electronic/kaytranada-gives-gorillazs-strobelite-a-subtle-funk-groove-in-his-newest-remix/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/hes-electric-will-kinsella-rounds-latest-irish-releases-22767320|title=He's Electric: Will Kinsella rounds up the latest Irish releases|last=Kinsella|first=Will|website=Hotpress|access-date=2019-03-06|archive-date=2019-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306235324/https://www.hotpress.com/music/hes-electric-will-kinsella-rounds-latest-irish-releases-22767320|url-status=live}} While some see this development as a misinterpretation, others believe that funky house's influence is evident in modern deep and tech house productions. Certain modern producers have kept the tradition alive by remixing classic tracks, maintaining its relevance in contemporary club culture.{{Cite web |author=Editorial Staff |date=2021-08-15 |title=20 of the Best Funky & Disco House Classics from the 2000s |url=https://www.thedjrevolution.com/20-best-funky-disco-house-classics-2000s/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=The DJ Revolution |language=en-US}}
Influence on Modern Music
Funky house's influence is visible across various modern house subgenres. Its uplifting nature has become intertwined with contemporary deep house and tech house, with many producers incorporating funk-influenced basslines and disco-inspired samples. While tech house is generally less vocal-centric than funky house, it sometimes uses vocal loops or snippets reminiscent of soulful, disco-inspired samples. These vocals are usually chopped and looped, blending seamlessly into the percussive structure of tech house, maintaining the genre's energetic feel with a driving beat prioritizing dance-floor appeal.
= Tech house =
Tech house often utilizes repetitive, groove-focused basslines that draw directly from funky house. However, while funky house features rich, bouncy basslines, tech house basslines are typically more restrained and minimalistic, aligning with its techno-inspired aesthetic.{{Cite web |last=SeventhQueen |date=2020-01-29 |title=Evolution of Tech House |url=https://recordingarts.com/record/evolution-of-house-music/tech-house/ |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=Recording Arts Canada |language=en-CA}}
A notable example of blending tech and funky house is "You Little Beauty" by Fisher (musician) (2019).{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFqCiw3Kbsc |title=Fisher - You Little Beauty |date=2019-05-10 |last=Selected. |access-date=2024-10-22 |via=YouTube}} The track incorporates soulful influences through sampled vocals reminiscent of disco-inspired funky house. The groovy bassline and upbeat energy nod to the funky house tradition, despite its classification as tech house.
Another example includes "The Movement" by Matroda (2020),{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGwV-c609wo |title=Matroda - The Movement |date=2020-05-15 |last=MATRODA |access-date=2024-10-22 |via=YouTube}} where the song "In and Out of My Life” by Adeva (1988){{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WO7r4P0RJQ |title=Adeva - In And Out Of My Life (Club Mix) 1988 |date=2010-02-12 |last=outy1978 |access-date=2024-10-22 |via=YouTube}} was sampled. Like many funky house tracks, "The Movement" uses vocal samples from older recordings. The vocal cuts are manipulated to add a rhythmic, chant-like quality that aligns with the disco-funk tradition of reworking older material to create something fresh and danceable. This is a key technique in both funky house and tech house, blending nostalgia with modern beats.
= Deep house =
Although rooted in Chicago house music from the 1980s, deep house further evolved by the 2000s.{{Cite web |last=PQ |first=Rory |date=July 17, 2024 |title=The history of house music and its cultural influence |url=https://www.iconcollective.edu/the-history-of-house-music |website=ICON Collective Music Production School: LA & Online}} It often features disco influences, tying it to funky house through shared characteristics like distinct basslines, rhythmic grooves, and soulful sampling techniques. However, deep house usually presents these elements in a more laid-back manner. While funky house is known for its bouncy, dance-floor tempo (around 128 BPM), deep house typically has a slower tempo (115–125 BPM). This contrast allows for cross-genre remixes and collaborations, bridging the energetic vibe of funky house with deep house's introspective ambiance.
"Love Tonight" by Shouse{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d72XNa4yIM |title=SHOUSE - Love Tonight (Official Radio Edit) |date=2021-06-07 |last=SHOUSE |access-date=2024-11-08 |via=YouTube}} exemplifies a deep house track with a groove-focused, repetitive bassline that creates warmth and depth. The anthem-like vocals build a communal, uplifting energy often seen in funky house tracks. The call-and-response structure and harmonized vocal loops lend a familiar, soulful vibe, making it both introspective and danceable—a hallmark of both deep and funky house.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Electronica}}
{{house music-footer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Funky House}}