Electro house

Electro house (also known as dirty house, electrotech, and often shortened to electro) is a subgenre of house music that rose to become one of the most prominent genres of electronic dance music in 2004-today. Stylistically, it combines the four to the floor beats commonly found in House music with harmonically rich analogue basslines, abrasive high-pitched leads and the occasional piano or string riff. The tempo of electro house ranges approximately from 125 to 135 bpm.

The use of the word "electro" to describe this style of modern house music is contentious, and creates an ambiguity between electro house and the 1980s electro movement, by which it was influenced.

Roots
The most obvious precursor to the modern electro house scene is the electroclash movement of the early 2000s; largely a re-run of the early 1980s synth pop sound, but deliberately made cruder and more raw-sounding than the primitive records on which it was based. More recently, some of the artists and labels involved with the sound, such as Crosstown Rebels, have found a new direction in electro house. Some artists associated with the electroclash movement, such as Felix da Housecat, noticeably used elements of house in their music at the time and have since come to be seen as highly influential. French electro, such as Mr. Oizo, has also been considered an influence.

Previously and concurrent to electroclash, tech house was developing. Traditionally, the most noticeable influences of tech house were from Detroit techno, such as sweeping strings and 909 beats, but it developed a dirtier sound in the early 2000s, owing largely to a trend of acid house revival, shown by artists such as David Duriez and the Brique Rouge label.

In 2003 some tribal house DJs such as Steve Lawler, while previously associated with the darker-hued sounds of progressive house, began to use analogue basslines, starting a sound dubbed 'dirty tribal'. Concurrently, the breakbeat scene was creating similar sounds with the popular tech-funk style. It was around this time that electro house properly began to emerge.

Electro house today


The sound became steadily more popular throughout 2006. Bodyrox's single "Yeah Yeah" featuring Luciana was labelled by several BBC Radio 1 DJs "the biggest tune of the summer of 2006", and the remix by D.Ramirez gained worldwide popularity, particularly in the Ibiza clubbing scene. Another key point was when Tocadisco's remix of "Walking Away" by The Egg gained significant media coverage after being featured on a TV advert for the Citroën C4. A mashup of the track with "Love Don't Let Me Go" by David Guetta was also later released as a single, which reached #1 in the charts in Spain and #3 in the UK.

As of 2007, the sound has been recognised as one of the most dominant movements in House music,[citation needed] surpassing funky house in popularity,[citation needed][10] with a large range of DJs and producers finding an interest in its dancefloor sensibilities and sense of fun, such as Dave Seaman from the progressive house scene; Tiefschwarz and Ben Watt who previously played deep house, Steve Lawler from the tribal sound, and popular Ibiza club DJ Lisa Lashes who is most known for her work in hard dance.

Electro house has also introduced electronic music to the indie rock scene through its links to the new rave movement. Artists such as Digitalism, Justice, and MSTRKRFT have pioneered a new sound in electro house which crosses over with new rave and alternative and indie rock, as well as its electroclash roots.

Akon

Biography

Although he was born in St. Louis, Aliaune Thiam -- aka Akon -- grew up in Senegal before he and his family (including his father, jazz percussionist Mor Thiam) returned to the United States and settled in New Jersey when he was seven. There he discovered hip-hop for the first time, as well as crime. He was eventually jailed, but he used the time to work on his musical ideas. Upon release, Akon began writing and recording tracks in a home studio.
The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal, which eventually released Trouble, Akon's debut LP, in June 2004. The album was an interesting hybrid of Akon's raps and silky, West African-styled vocals with East Coast- and Southern-styled beats. The success of the song "Locked Up" raised Akon's profile, and he followed up in the fall of 2006 with Konvicted. Soon enough, two of the album's singles, "I Wanna Love You" and "Smack That," had made their way to the upper regions of the Billboard charts. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

A prime house-pop group and consistent club act, Faithless is at its core a duo of producers Rollo and Sister Bliss. Before the group officially came together in 1995, Rollo had produced a previous club hit ("Don't You Want Me" as Felix in 1992), plus an album for Kristine W. and remixes for the Pet Shop Boys, Björk and Simply Red. Sister Bliss, a piano and violin prodigy from the age of five, converted to acid house in 1987, and quickly became one of the UK's best house DJs, also recording several singles as herself. Though the two had begun producing together as early as 1993, Faithless became a stable quartet two years later with the addition of vocalists Jamie Catto (previously in the Big Truth Band) and Maxi Jazz (from the Soul Food Cafe Band). The group reached worldwide status the following year with the singles "Salva Mea" (one of the biggest dance hits of the year), "Insomnia" and "Reverence." The debut Faithless album, also titled Reverence, appeared in late 1996 on Rollo's Cheeky Records, and was picked up for distribution by Arista the next year. Sunday 8pm followed in 1998, and was reissued in 1999 with a collection of remixes titled Saturday 3am. A comedown mix album, Back to Mine, appeared in early 2001, just before Faithless returned with Outrospective. In 2004 the band released the quieter than usual No Roots, with a new member (LSK) adding vocals. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide


The three principal members of Faithless are Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. Jazz acts as a vocalist in mostly rap format with lyrics that have strong spiritual or socio-political intent. Bliss constructs most of the music herself electronically, but is talented in playing the piano, violin, saxophone and bass. Rollo heads and produces the band. Lead female vocals for many of their songs are performed by Pauline Taylor, who also performed lead vocals for singles Rollo released under his monikers Rollo Goes Mystic and Rollo Goes Spiritual.


As well as these three members, Faithless have employed a guest member for each album. Jamie Catto was an original member of the band, but left after their second album, Sunday 8PM. On their third album, Outrospective, Zoë Johnston joined the lineup while their fourth album, No Roots saw LSK as Faithless member number four. The band often has various people do one-off features on their tracks, though one artist has managed to make a regular feature of her appearances. Singer Dido, who is Rollo's sister, recorded her first studio track with Faithless, "Salva Mea", and was reportedly paid with a curry. She has since featured on one track on each album, in order: "Flowerstand Man", "Hem Of His Garment", "One Step Too Far", "No Roots" and finally "Last This Day".

It was reported that Faithless were to split up after their latest tour in mid-2005. Speculation started after Rollo wrote in the liner notes of the No Roots booklet "We set out thinking it would be our last album, feeling maybe we have had our time in the sun".[1] However, a fresh clutch of live dates meant the tour actually lasted until December 2005. The band then released a greatest hits compilation, called Forever Faithless - The Greatest Hits, which reached number one in the UK.

Following the release of their greatest hits album, Faithless released a new studio album on 27th November 2006. The album, To All New Arrivals, from which the first single released was Bombs. The new album was followed by a major tour, The Bombs Tour.

Kim Porter says she broke up with Diddy

Kim Porter says she dumped Diddy.

"After 10 years, I have decided to end my on-again/off-again relationship with Sean `Diddy' Combs," Porter said in a statement Wednesday to syndicated entertainment TV show "The Insider."

"In ending this relationship, I made a decision that was in the best interest of myself, Sean and our family. I look forward to moving on with my life and my career, and wish him prosperity, health and happiness in life and in love," the 35-year-old model said. "We will remain friends and committed parents to our children."

Porter and Combs have three children: a 9-year-old son, Christian, and 6-month-old twin daughters, D'Lila Star and Jessie James.

The 37-year-old rap mogul announced their split earlier this week.

He has another son, Justin, with ex-girlfriend Misa Hylton-Brim.