The old producer had opened his eyes. He wasn't leaning on the pillar anymore. He was standing straight, his cup forgotten on a crate. And he was smiling. Not a polite smile. A real one. He gave her a single, slow nod.
This was the year the "EDM" crowd grew up. The ravers who had spent 2013 headbanging to aggressive dubstep were now looking for something with more funk. Future House provided that bridge. It was technical enough to impress the purists, yet catchy enough to light up a mainstage crowd at Tomorrowland or Ultra. 2016 house music
While subgenres were flourishing, the titans of the industry were rewriting the rules of what a house music hit could look like. The old producer had opened his eyes
To understand 2016, you must first understand the dominance of Tropical House. And he was smiling
The change was almost instant. A girl near the front threw her hands up like she’d been touched by something holy. The guy in the bucket hat stopped arguing and started moving, his whole body loosening. One by one, phones went back into pockets. Faces turned toward the speakers.
It is crucial to note the distinction: "Deep House" in 2016 meant something different to DJ Mag than it did to purists. The "pop deep" sound (a 4x4 kick, a soulful vocal chop, and a simple bass pluck) was ubiquitous.
The breakout hit of this movement was Kungs vs. Cookin' on 3 Burners with "This Girl." Released globally in 2016, the track was a masterclass in editing. It took a relatively obscure funk/soul track and injected it with a driving, melodic deep house beat. It became a global anthem, topping charts across Europe and finding heavy rotation on American radio.