Nu-disco

Nu-disco (or sometimes referred to as disco house or electro-disco) is a 21st-century dance music genre associated with a renewed interest in 1970s and 1980s disco, early to mid-1980s Italo disco and French House, as well as other synthesizer-heavy European dance styles. The genre was especially popular in the mid 2000s.

History

The moniker appeared in print as early as 2002, and by mid-2008 was used by record shops such as the online retailers Juno and Beatport. Originally, they associated it with re-edits of classic disco records and a handful of European electronic producers who made music in that style. It is also used by Beatport, alongside alternative dance, to describe the music on several American labels that were previously associated with the genres electroclash and french house.

In 2002, The Independent described nu-disco as the result of applying "modern technology and pin-sharp production" to ′70s disco and funk. In 2008, Beatport described nu-disco as "everything that springs from the late 1970s and early 1980s (electronic) disco, boogie, cosmic, Balearic and Italo disco continuum.Spin magazine placed an umlaut over the "u" in "nu", used the term interchangeably with Eurodisco, and cited strong Italo disco as well as electroclash influences, while many other labels refer to it as "Nu Disco," sans the hyphen. As of 2015, remixes and disco edits of old songs sit side-by-side with highly original productions on websites such as Beatport and Traxsource.

House music

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in Chicago, circa 1984. House music quickly spread to other American cities such as Detroit, New York City, and Newark – all of which developed their own regional scenes. In the mid-to-late 1980s, house music became popular in Europe as well as major cities in South America, and Australia. Early house music commercial success in Europe saw songs such as "Pump Up The Volume" by MARRS (1987), "House Nation" by House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House (1987), "Theme from S'Express" by S'Express (1988) and "Doctorin' the House" by Coldcut (1988) in the pop charts. Since the early to mid-1990s, house music has been infused in mainstream pop and dance music worldwide.

Early house music was generally dance-based music characterized by repetitive 4/4 beats, rhythms mainly provided by drum machines, off-beat hi-hat cymbals, and synthesized basslines. While house displayed several characteristics similar to disco music, it was more electronic and minimalistic, and the repetitive rhythm of house was more important than the song itself. House music in the 2010s, while keeping several of these core elements, notably the prominent kick drum on every beat, varies widely in style and influence, ranging from the soulful and atmospheric deep house to the more minimalistic microhouse. House music has also fused with several other genres creating fusion subgenres, such as euro house, tech house, electro house and jump house.