TO MARK THE ostensible 40th anniversary of Chicago house music, Derrick Carter and DJ Heather will headline a free event at Chicago’s Daley Plaza, which begins at noon on May 29. House Music 40 has teamed with the ARC Music Festival to produce the event, which Mother Diva will host. It’s the first of several events the city is [...]
The oracle that still answers to the human name “Brian Eno” has made a lot of good calls in his career, but none so prescient as his reaction when he first heard Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.” “This is it!” he exclaimed to David Bowie. “Look no further!” They were in [...]
When the South Bronx dance-punk outfit ESG released their Martin Hannett-produced debut EP in 1981, they had no idea how pivotal their stripped-back, funk-fueled sound would be on the evolution of hip-hop and house music: ‘UFO’ has been sampled over 500 times; ‘Moody’ was a staple in Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage sets. Four decades [...]
After four-plus decades of DJing and with a incredible list of releases — much of it produced with longtime partner Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez as Masters At Work — the pioneering Louie Vega would seem to have little to prove. Yet he’s working harder than ever, with the same energy he had as a young [...]
Crystal Waters shares the story behind one of dance music’s most celebrated tracks, ‘Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)' https://youtu.be/lm5xqtZywWw?si=mJP3oHGot1z8O5lD Crystal Waters shares the story behind one of dance music’s most celebrated tracks, ‘Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)’. Originally released in 1991 ‘Gypsy Woman’ has become a timeless house classic; 33 years on Crystal [...]
The storied UK house label celebrates the late Chicago house legend on the tenth anniversary of his death with a new vinyl pressing of his 2015 compilation Defected is releasing a collection of the late Frankie Knuckles' classics and remixes in a new vinyl set. Part of the storied UK label's 'House Masters' compilation series [...]
Journalist Lawrence Burney guides us through the evolution of one of America's most enduring dance music sub-genres. Before Baltimore club music splintered into other regional East Coast genres, spawning Philly and Jersey club music, it was a local powerhouse all to itself. The early sound as pioneered by artists like Scottie B, Rod Lee [...]
Jacob Arnold interviews about the classic Chicago club the Music Box precede a Ron Hardy mix from 1984 from the archives of DJ M-Traxxx. Today marks 32 years since the passing of one of the greatest DJs in history. Ron Hardy died on this date, March 2, 1992. In honor of Ronnie — universally [...]
From his underground hit ‘Madness’ in 1990 to remixing legends like Michael Jackson and Chaka Khan, the Grammy nominee reflects on Chicago's music legacy, the birth of house music, and his latest venture into the world of documentary with BET.com. Terry Hunter has been one of the seminal purveyors of house music across the globe. [...]
Visit these destinations to experience and understand the enduring power, prevalence and history of Black house music. As many already know, house music has always been heralded in Black and marginalized communities, and like many musical genres, it originated at a time when collective frustrations were high. While many identify the genre with the [...]
