Disco / Dance Soul
familyStarted 1973Peak 1975-1982Last big hit still active
Soul and R&B engineered for the floor: four-on-the-floor kicks, hi-hat sixteenths, slap and synth bass, string sweeps and horn stabs under gospel-trained lead vocals. Spans lush Philly orchestral disco, electronic boogie, vocal house and the modern nu-disco revival, all sharing momentum and a body-moving pulse.
History
Emerged from Philadelphia soul and club culture as Gamble & Huff's orchestral grooves met underground dancefloors in the early 1970s. It mutated through electronic boogie and post-disco in the early '80s, fed Chicago/New York house mid-decade, and resurfaced as nu-disco from the 2000s. Throughout, the constant is danceable soul vocals over a relentless groove.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-disco
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_(genre)
- https://www.britannica.com/money/Philadelphia-International-Records-The-Sound-of-Philadelphia-1688473