Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog records for the items in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features various electronic resources having to do with house music. Thanks, Nikoloz!
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago’s underground club culture during the early to mid-1980s. Pioneered by DJs and producers like Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, and Marshall Jefferson, house evolved from disco by incorporating a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat, typically at 120–130 BPM, and mechanical rhythms created using drum machines like the Roland TR-808 and TR-909. The genre is characterized by deep basslines, synthesizer riffs, and off-beat hi-hats, claps, or snares, often layered with sampled vocals or instrumental loops from disco, soul, or funk. House music gained mainstream popularity by the late 1980s, influencing pop artists like Madonna, Whitney Houston, and Lady Gaga, and producing hits such as “Pump Up the Jam” and “Show Me Love.” Its production relied on affordable electronic equipment, making it accessible to independent creators, and its structure typically features repetitive eight-bar sections, slowly building layers of sound and texture.
House music encompasses a wide range of subgenres, including acid house, defined by the squelchy sounds of the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer. Tracks often include minimal vocals, with repeated phrases or words, and are structured around intros, choruses, and outros, with longer 12-inch mixes for clubs and shorter radio edits. The genre emphasizes the lower-pitched bass register, creating a sparse yet rhythmic texture. House music’s global influence expanded from Chicago to New York, London, and beyond, becoming a staple in both mainstream and underground scenes. Its legacy continues through its impact on dance music, its presence in clubs and on radio, and its role in shaping modern pop and electronic music.
Some of the electronic resources featuring house music that the Music Library has access to include:
Streaming albums (like this one) via Alexander Street
Encyclopedia articles with bibliographies to help you start your research (like this one on house from Grove Music Online)
If you’d like to learn more about House music, the Music Library also boasts a wide variety of books, CDs, and more! You can use OneSearch to locate our holdings.