[article] the epidemic of passable tech house
interesting read. I think it’s all just a sign of the times. Anyone can make a track these days. Anyone can publish a track.
Thoughts? (please be polite to each other)
That’s exactly how it’s always been.
Fucking dull.
Tech House in that sense might be the most boring genre ever. Even though the producers do have skill and release on big labels, the sound is simply as flat as a pancake. It’s funny how the producers make it so obvious that they produce boring music. They even seem to select the most lackluster vocals from the entrire sample pack. Listen to these beatport hits, anything more to say?
I have to admit that sometimes I do get into the mood of listening to such kind of music when I have conversations with people laying down on the meadow and we look for some background noise.
But as a DJ this sound could actually be quite cool to play. Use 4 Decks, set loops and add effects and play around. Maybe we all didn’t understand that Tech House is actually Tool House and designed for exactly that purpose.
Maybe a bit of exaggeration but you guys get the point 
I don’t know if i can agree with either of you. I think people like Shonky, Claude Von Stroke, Perfect Driver Records, Chus and Ceballos, Shiba San do a good job of presenting their idea of Tech house.
Just like all of dance music, once people started moving into a new genre they buried it in trash that you have to pick around to find the good stuff.
Fucking Seb Fontaine.
I swear to god he played the same song for 2 hours once…
Some of these big artists HAVE to put their own flavor on their tracks like the artists/label you mentioned.. They have their own sound and style while a lot of tech house producers do not. It’s especially obvious when you talk about UK type tech house… Fucking EVERYTHING is starting to sound the same. As a tech house producer myself, I try to put my own twist on my tracks as best as I can. It’s hard to stand out in this genre, but it’s even worse when talented producers settle with simply fitting in.
isn’t that the challenge of being an artist? Develop your own style and stand out?
Is it alright that I don’t have a clue what you’re all talking about?
And, while I’m asking questions, are ‘tech house’ and ‘techno’ the same thing?
I should probably Wikoogle this whole ‘house’ thing, carry on…
As a DJ, you should probably have at least a basic understanding of what some of the bigger genres in electronic music are…
No, tech house and techno are not the same thing, though they share elements (tech house fuses techno and house, to some extent). Generally, tech house tends to be slower, with a lot more groove/swing to the rhythm. It has afro-influence in a lot of tracks.
While I hear what you’re saying, I don’t think it’s technically possible for any one DJ to know everything about every genre (even on a ‘basic’ level), especially when it’s a genre that one doesn’t like/listen to on a regular basis.
Thank you for the explanation.
You don’t need an intimate knowledge of every genre. But no knowing tech house is like no knowing D&B or Dubstep.
I’m probably a true Luddite, but I actually don’t know Dubstep. I’ve heard of it, but I have never knowingly listened to any of it. D&B is a different story, although I’m not sure what the exact distinction is between it and Jungle but I’m told there is one (or maybe many).
My first experiences with House was, and forgive me if I’ve got the names wrong, Farley Jackmaster Funk or something like that. Anyway, it was for me at the time a boring, repetitive drone that I could live without and I pretty much have ever since. Sometimes, certain tunes have broken through my self imposed wall of isolation and been greeted with an approving, rhythmic head nod, but those occurrences are rare.
I don’t listen to the various forms of Metal or Rock either, but again every once in a blue moon something sneaks through the chinks in my armour. Having said that, I definitely have more House in my collection than I do Rock but not enough of either to do a gig, let alone broach either subject with any sort of authority…
I’m surprised that you say you have “defenses” up for music that you’d potentially enjoy?
Your initial position, as a music lover before a DJ, should be to be open to any type of music.
The trouble is the vast majority of the time I won’t enjoy it. Worse still, some of it actually offends me. This isn’t limited to those genres, of course, there are plenty (much more than I would like) of examples of poor to offensive offerings within the genres I do enjoy (on the whole) too. However, the amount of music, past and present, that I do enjoy is huge and significantly outweighs the stuff (that I actually hear) that I don’t like. I expect that I miss out on a lot but not enough to worry about…
Forgive me…but what do you like?
Also, I’m not sure I’ve heard music that I’d actually call offensive.
I’m not a big fan of Air Supply…
You’d think that would be everyone’s end goal but some really just want to sound like everyone else and fit in because they can’t stand out.
Dance music genres, hmm..
The best DJ’ing style as far as I’m concerned is balearic…anything goes. But of course you get Garage DJ’s, Tech House Dj’s, Techno Dj’s, Trance Dj’s, House Dj’s, EDM, Dj’s, Progressive House… Agghh, it stinks. So boring.
Dj’s make their names in a certain genre, and they’re stuck. That’s what they’re known for and that’s it! Used to be so fantastic when a DJ would just drop something so unexpected in, but it worked. Going out and just hearing one level, same, same, same. Couldn’t tell where one track started and another finished.
Counterpoint: ‘Balearic’ is just a snobbish term for ‘open format’.
Really!? 
If that makes you happier.