Progressive House Essentials

In the early ’90s, Britain provided its own trancey take on classic house. Where acid house had previously borrowed from both the Chicago sound and Detroit techno while adding squelchy bass lines, progressive house stripped those abrasive noises away in favour of more ambient textures. Thanks to the efforts of pioneering acts such as London duo Leftfield and Kent-born electronic siblings Orbital, its euphoric vibe ruled the dance-radio airwaves for the first half of the decade and helped establish a mainstream clubbing culture in the UK. The same thudding bass and ethereal touches permeate many of its most memorable songs, including Orbital’s breakthrough classic “Born Slippy” and James Holden’s remix of Nathan Fake’s “The Sky Was Pink”. Artists who’ve since picked up the repetitive-beats baton include Canadian DJ deadmau5, who toughens up prog house with EDM beats, and London indie synth-poppers Hot Chip, who add some nerdy joie de vivre.