Deep house is a subgenre of house music that emerged in the 1980s. It initially blended elements of Chicago house with jazz-funk chords from the 1980s and touches of soul music. Larry Heard’s influential track “Can You Feel It” is often credited as a key milestone in its early development.

Deep house music typically features tempos ranging from 110 to 125 bpm, muted basslines, spacious use of percussion (often utilizing a Roland TR-909 drum machine), soft keyboard sounds (pads), advanced chord structures, ambient mixes, and soulful vocals. Lyrics often focus on positive or melancholic themes.

Deep house was pioneered by Chicago producers like Marshall Jefferson and Larry Heard (Mr. Fingers). Tracks such as “Mystery of Love” (1985) and “Can You Feel It?” (1986) played a significant role in shaping the genre. “Can You Feel It” is particularly notable for its deep bassline created using a Roland Juno-60 synthesizer.

Initially, the term “deep house” was used to describe the DJ work of Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy, who incorporated eclectic elements like disco, jazz, and underground music into their sets. In the 2000s and 2010s, deep house remained popular but began to encompass various bassline-driven house music styles.

Around August 2014, there was a sense that some house music was being labeled as deep house inappropriately. This led to the term being used to describe various types of bassline-driven house music, including genres like Brazilian bass and slap house.

How did deep house contribute to the evolution of house music?