Progressive house

Etymology

In the context of popular music the word "progressive" was first used widely in the 1970s to differentiate experimental forms of rock music from mainstream styles. Such music attempted to explore alternate approaches to rock music production. Some acts also attempted to elevate the aesthetic values of rock music by incorporating features associated with classical instrumental music. This led to a style of music called progressive rock, which has been described as "the most self-consciously arty branch of rock."

According to DJ and producer Carl Craig, the term "progressive" was used in Detroit in the early 1980s in reference to Italo disco. The music was dubbed "progressive" because it drew upon the influence of Giorgio Moroder's Euro disco rather than the disco inspired by the symphonic sound of Philadelphia soul. In the late 1980s, UK music journalist Simon Reynolds introduced the term "progressive dance" to describe acts such as 808 State, The Orb, Bomb the Bass and The Shamen. Between 1990 and 1992, the term "progressive" referred to the short-form buzz word for the house music subgenre "progressive house".

History

Origins and early development

Progressive house emerged after the first wave of house music. The roots of progressive house can be traced back to the early 1990s rave and club scenes in the United Kingdom. In 1992, Mixmag described it at the time as a "new breed of hard but tuneful, banging but thoughtful, uplifting and trancey British house." According to DJ Dave Seaman, the sound faced a backlash in the early 1990s because "it had gone the same way as progressive rock before it. Pompous, po-faced and full of its own self importance. But basically was really quite boring." The label progressive house was often used interchangeably with trance in the early years. The record label Bedrock Records released a series of "Bedrock’s ‘Compiled and Mixed’" albums featuring artists like Chris Fortier, John Creamer & Stephane K. Australian artist, Luke Chable has been known for his 2003 seminal remix release PQM’s "You Are Sleeping", titled "You Are Sleeping (Luke Chable Vocal Pass)".

AllMusic says that progressive house "led the increasingly mainstream-sounding house from the charts back to the dance floors".

According to American DJ/producer duo Gabriel & Dresden, Leftfield's October 1990 release "Not Forgotten" was possibly the first progressive house production. The record label Guerilla Records, set up by William Orbit & Dick O'Dell, is thought to have been pivotal in the growth of a scene around the genre. Renaissance: The Mix Collection in 1994 and Northern Exposure in 1996 have both been credited with establishing the genre on mixed compilation albums. As well as Guerilla Records, the labels Deconstruction Records, Hooj Choons and Soma Records contributed to the scene's development in the early to mid-1990s.

In June 1992, Mixmag published a list that contained what the magazine viewed as the top progressive house tracks at that time. These included Leftfield's "Not Forgotten", Slam',s "IBO/Eterna", Gat Decor's "Passion" and Spooky's "Don't Panic".

Late evolution and modern interpretation

During the 2010s, the term progressive house expanded beyond its original club-oriented usage, increasingly being applied to music aimed at large venues and mainstream audiences. Classifications promoted by industry platforms, such as the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs, together with digital marketplaces like Beatport, contributed to this shift by grouping stylistically diverse tracks under a single genre label.

As a result, a distinction emerged between a form of progressive house rooted in 1990s aesthetics, characterized by gradual development and continuity, and a more immediate, high-impact style, often referred to as festival progressive house or mainstage progressive house.

During this period, artists such as Avicii and Swedish House Mafia gained international prominence, while producers including Eric Prydz and Deadmau5 remained associated with approaches closer to the genre’s earlier atmospheric and progressive characteristics.

Stylistic elements

According to Dave Seaman, house DJs who had originally played what was known as Eurodance borrowed from that genre. This led to a commercial sound that people associate with progressive house today. Seaman notes that with the various lines between genres having become so blurred that true progressive house is often found "masquerading" as techno, tech house or even deep house. As such, the music can feature elements derived from styles such as dub, deep house and Italo house.

The progressive sound can be distinct from the later uplifting trance and vocal trance. It tends to lack anthemic choruses, crescendos and drum rolling, but holds an emphasis on rhythmic layers. Intensity is added by the regular addition and subtraction of layers of sound. Phrases are typically 4, 8, or 16 bars long and often begin with a new or different melody or rhythm.

Elements drawn from the progressive rock genre include the use of extended or linked-movement tracks, more complexity and reflection but almost always within the four on the floor rhythm pattern.

Later progressive house tunes often featured a build-up section which can last up to four minutes. This is followed by a breakdown and then a climax. "Strobe" by Deadmau5 is a good example, which had been cited by Billboard Dance as the artist's all-time best song and one of the reasons for EDM's resurgence in the 2010s mainstream.

References

References

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