DETROIT HOUSE

House Music may have been born in Chicago, but it lives at large and loud in the City of Detroit. Although new cultural events and the media are pushing the reemergence of house music right now, creators and experts within the space wouldn’t call this a comeback or even a revival. Detroit Artists and House Ambassadors like Eddie Fowlkes, Rick Wilhite and Mike Clark would insist House has never died. With the genre continuously expanding and evolving, it’s always unclear what kind of direction House is headed with the plurality of voices. Old heads have supported house culture in every nook and cranny for decades. DJ Brands of the yesteryears still sell tickets and draw the faithful. The new emerging underground music scenes worldwide break new House tracks every weekend at events. Young people scour the internet having discovered this music for the first time and start to search it out as well as attend events.

Many artists have found success with their distinct productions and Detroit swag marinated by undeniable dance beats. Detroit veteran DJ/Producers like Moodymann, Delano Smith, Omar S, Norm Talley and many others stay in high demand with the original House Heads and this new generation of House lovers. These veteran performers are well aware that the hometown is only one piece of the puzzle as their frequent appearances have taken the sound of Detroit, across the United States and overseas.

The new wave of House music from Detroit was firmly established in the past years with the rise of artists like Wajeed, Kyle Hall, Jon Dixon and more. Furthermore, we live in an era in which electronic music is no longer considered underground and has been sufficiently integrated into the core of mainstream culture. There are transplants like Pablo Ruiz G and LadyMonix that Detroit now proudly claims. And those who left, Steve Crawford, Reggie Dokes, Ash Lauryn and Kai Alce, years past but never forgot home base. Detroit House flows thru creative couples and sons and daughters of the generation before. The last few years have yielded a plethora of captivating newcomers, many whom are now making names in the scene, Hazmat, Isaac Prieto, G Nextt, sillygirlcarmen and others. The pool of nextgen House Artist will only grow, with the help of social media and streaming services like Sound Cloud and others that help create a platform, drawing in millions of fans and “clout”. Many Detroit house producers have found success both from their studio output and moving dance floors with their DJ skills. Both parts drive each other. Detroit DJs are respected Worldwide and the skillset and rep is something that keeps all Detroit DJs actively honing their craft. While many in the scene believe that the new generation of Artist and fans are a boon to the culture, the genre is continuing to evolve and expand which brings the question of sustainability into the conversation for the future.

A recent headline in Complex Magazine • Dance and House Ruled the Summer. What now? Writer Jessica McKinney wrote, “I don’t think people realize that their level of interest and support directly affects the livelihood of underground artists. So, it’s reliant on both the support of the general public and the music industry. It’s only as profitable as long as it’s marketable, and it’s only marketable if the community is supporting it.” Support! That is the key word. Support not just in your presence but also in your dollars. The music. The events. The Artists. The community. Support is what will give House culture a future. This year, we predict that it would be no different.

Check out the Charivari Detroit list of 50 (actually 49 • left one for you to pick someone) Detroit House producers who you should get to know and SUPPORT.