| House music has always been about the crowd and | | | | 2. Mellower disco samples. While disco house as a |
| for the crowd. House music producers, since the very | | | | genre is usually open to a wide variety of different |
| first embryonic sounds spilled out of the Warehouse | | | | disco sounds, soulful house usually restricts itself to |
| club in Chicago, have done their best to build a solid, | | | | mellower grooves, preferring to let the vocal take |
| organic connection with dancers and listeners. As | | | | center stage and have the bassline and strings act as |
| times and trends have changed, so have the tunes, but | | | | supporting players rather than in-your-face leads. |
| one genre of house that has remained fairly prominent | | | | Muted guitars and electric pianos are much more |
| is soulful house. This style combines elements from | | | | common than blaring horns and big drums. |
| vocal, funky and disco house, but also adds some | | | | 3. Deeper lyrics. Soulful house music tends to take a |
| distinguishing characteristics of its own. Like funky | | | | more in-depth look at the stories that are told through |
| house, soulful house music has ties to the early | | | | its lyrics. These tales are usually quite emotional or |
| masters of R&B, but instead of following the | | | | personal, giving listeners the feeling that they are |
| funkier sounds that emerged in the 1970's, soulful | | | | hearing the singer's deepest confessions. Some soulful |
| house went in a more emotional direction. Let's | | | | house, particularly if it samples from or is modeled |
| examine some of the ingredients that can help define | | | | after the 1960's might even contain a social message |
| a soulful house track. | | | | beyond the more common peace and unity feel of |
| 1. A powerful, resonant vocal. In soulful house music, | | | | standard house. Soulful house often leaves listeners |
| the vocal is often the key building block around which | | | | feeling as though they have replenished their inner |
| the rest of the track is arranged. A singer's | | | | being. |
| performance in this genre is often more textured and | | | | 4. A chill vibe. Out of all the house genres, soulful house |
| subtle than in vocal house, where power usually rules | | | | might come closest to resembling pop music, thanks to |
| the day. This calls for production that can reveal the | | | | its combination of non-aggressive sounds and more |
| texture of a singer's voice, highlighting the many payers | | | | complete lyrical content. An overriding 'chill' feeling |
| of a performance. The goal is to capture the same | | | | permeates most examples of this genre of house, |
| aesthetic as is found in down-tempo, popular soul | | | | which has lead to its great popularity in lounges and |
| music and combine it with a house groove. | | | | other relaxed bar environments. |