Brutalist and/or simplistic chicago house music, what's the verdict?

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So, like, almost two separate questions.

But - on the Braxe thread, ghetto-house is mentioned, which cracks me up because I used to love that stuff, but it has completely disappeared. So, to me, it means that mid-90s dance mania sound - DJ Deeon, DJ Funk, Paul Johnson etc. etc. Huuuuge chicago kicks, steady and unrelenting with the same kind of simplistic dirty chants over the top that you get in ghetto-tech (which I think was riffing off ghetto-house).

Anyway, the great thing about ghetto house was its absolute strippedness. Nothing but a beat and some cusswords. I think it has a more insistent, imperative quality than almost any other dance music, like it just says "you. will. dance. now." and has no instructions whatsoever as to how you will dance, just that metric 4/4 on an on to infinity.

You only needed a few of the records. I never really heard anybody mix a whole set of it, but assume it must have happened.

Which is kind of the second part - I always thought that ghetto house probably got played in one of those chopped up to fuck manic mixes with lots of classic house and 80s disco a la Bad Boy Bill and Humpty Vission. What happened to those guys? C/D? I say classic...

― Jacob (Jacob), Sunday, 28 December 2003 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I think what I like about raw, stripped Chicago house is the insistent appeal to the body, and the wicked, cheeky sense of humour. Why so many of these producers come and go after a handful of records is a mystery. Where do they go? Do they give up and get jobs? Is it too hard to make a fist of it in Chicago? Someone from Chicago needs to explain this.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Sunday, 28 December 2003 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Was it Larry Heard who said: "Being a legend doesn't pay the bills".

I think he's a computer programmer now.

Do you think that there is a divide in music career longevity in (black) electronic music along the lines of class?

― Nik (Nik), Sunday, 28 December 2003 13:40 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe unrelated matters, but anyway :
did & do chicago housesters pay much attention to the preceeding free jazz type music of the previous generation of supposed "radicals" that used to flow, maybe fled, but was at least initiated in chicago groups of musicians ? (or maybe they just went somewhere else to get paid better)
and is/was there that same level of cooperation (cf: competitiveness), and is that latter one of the seperators ?

― george gosset (gegoss), Sunday, 28 December 2003 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you think that there is a divide in music career longevity in (black) electronic music along the lines of class?

absolutely not. and larry heard is still releasing music. making a living off of music and having an inate need to make music are sometimes orthogonal things.

i think the reason why certain artists may come and go has to do with what has become a kind of credo in the world of underground dance - anonymity/shifting identity. the idea was/is to do amazing things behind the decks or make a track that made the crowd wet themselves with glee not to become famous. some did become famous of course...

i'm not sure how much knowledge of the free jazz scene there was back in the early days of house. there's a pretty decent book called history of house that has interviews with larry heard, marshall jefferson, and lil' louis in it. the book is sadly out of print though.

― disco traxxx (disco stu), Sunday, 28 December 2003 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah dumb question, in all probability.

― Nik (Nik), Sunday, 28 December 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to love that stuff, but it has completely disappeared ... the same kind of simplistic dirty chants over the top that you get in ghetto-tech (which I think was riffing off ghetto-house).

you basically answered your own question, jacob ... they've sort of diversified and blended into the other styles. dj deeon is still around and making ghettotech for databass and booty bar. some of the other guys are doing deep house (paul johnson) or they've moved into harder techno territory (think dj rush).

you're right that the style has kind of gone away. still, dancemania alone put out almost 300 records!! how much more music can you ask for?

― vahid (vahid), Monday, 29 December 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

hy i make bet and i ned to get my woke to some one that can help me just me at 773-643-6349 trax master

― cheers trax master, Wednesday, 24 March 2004 11:53 (twenty-two years ago)

btw new DJ FUNK album out this month!!

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001CNQEE.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

What do you guys think about this? It came out last year and I luv it! Its totally ADD, in a wonderful way - could not be more JOYOUS.

1. Amazing (Antonie Clamaran Remix)/Supafunk Futaristic - Alex Peace
2. The Ride/Tha Undaground Sound - Smooth & J
3. Your DJ/Boom Shaka - Two Phunk D-Lux
4. Release - Jungle Brothers
5. Classika - Antione Clamaran
6. No Matter What You Do - Benny Benassi
7. The Phone Track - DJ Dan
8. Been Along Time - Richard Humpty Vission
9. Throw The Smack Down/Can't Give You Up/This - Small World
10. Movin' Thru Your Speakers - Bryan Cox
11. Bucci Bag RHV Mix/I Said/Pumping Groover - Andrea Doria
12. Get Naked - Smooth & J
13. Born Too Slow (Erick Morillo Main Mix) - The Crystal Method
14. Bogota/Exit 303/In The Music/Freaks Keep Rockin' - Deepswing
15. Ain't No Doubt (Roqsta Mix) - 12:01 Am Project
16. Take U There (J Flores & Steve Smooth RMX) - David Garcia
17. Money Shot/Deeper - Groove Junkies
18. Calinda Dub Mix - Ritmo-Dynamic
19. Like You Do Extended Mix - Philippe B.
20. Who Said Stuck In The UK - Planet Funk
21. Funk System - Mal Black
22. 3 AM - M.I.S.T. Vs. High Contrast
23. Soulshine - DJ Craze & Juju
24. Hardcore Mutha Fucka - DV Roxx
25. Sexy - Richard Humpty Vission
26. Never Let Me Down - Richard Humpty Vission
27. I Want To Be A Drummer Original Mix - Heavy Rock
28. Super Magnetic/I Said - Joey Beltram
29. Like A Saxmachine - Raul Rincon & Phonk Of Future
30. Everyone - Static Revenger Pres. The Freshmaka

― deej.. (deej..), Sunday, 25 December 2005 03:59 (twenty years ago)

I know this doesn't really fit under the thread topic, it was just the only result when i searched for the artist's name.

Regarding the original thread topic - you can still buy 12"s of that mid-90s jack house at gramaphone, and Power 92's DJ Boolu Master, who seems to be the hardest working DJ in the Chi right now, mixes the stuff in with his sets all the time - try 92.3FM Friday and Saturday nights, shit is wild.

― deej.. (deej..), Sunday, 25 December 2005 04:06 (twenty years ago)

Back to the Vission mix, which I clearly should have started a new thread for, it is on the side of cheesecake. But I like it a lot for it. The chicago radio parallel would be those crazy/cheesy B96 weekend night mixes, and clubs with eastern european women who smoke too many cigarettes and have sexy accents, slim jeans over heels and facial moles.

PS: I may have had a bit too much wine tonight. But yeah this is great.

― deej.. (deej..), Sunday, 25 December 2005 04:17 (twenty years ago)

I usually don't go in for these kinds of mixes, but there's just so much FUNK. Fat basslines, heavy drums, all kinds of respect for the low-end/groove that makes me think of that Mei Lwun mix from last year on speed without inhibitions.

― deej.. (deej..), Sunday, 25 December 2005 04:25 (twenty years ago)

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