Progressive house is a very broad sub-genre of house
music. In the late 90's, the sub-genre initially became attributed to Sasha & John Digweed's Northern Exposure album mixes, which is often seen as the genre's inception.
Progressive house entered into a 2nd phase in the
mid to late 00's. This phase is often and largely attributed to the works of deadmau5, as well as Pryda and Kaskade.
The early to
mid 2010's marks prog house's successful assimilation into mainstream pop
music. This period is the peak of mainstream prog house, with Avicii's "Levels" and SHM's "Don't You Worry
Child" being one of the many tracks that managed to become a worldwide
hit. Also notable are Zedd's Clarity and deadmau5's The Veldt.
From 2015 and onwards marks its slow demise in the realm of mainstream
music, and now only remains in the underground scene.
There is really no right way to define progressive house
music, as its sound is quite eclectic. Aside from technical differences, the main key differences between prog house and other similar genres (
e.g.
trance, deep house, techno) are the feelings and emotions associated with it. Prog house is generally more
happy and uplifting compared to techno (i.e. more melodic). And unlike uplifting trance, it lacks the energetic qualities and instead makes you feel calm, meditative, and peaceful. It can also elicit feelings of nostalgia.
For examples of what 'true' progressive house sounds
like, check out MrSuicideSheep's 'Taking You Higher' Mixes.
Mary: OMG I think I just found my new favorite genre! Progressive
house!
Justine: Oh cool, never heard of that genre before
Mary: It's EDM but it's nothing like you'd hear at a nightclub. When I listen to these songs I imagine myself chillaxing on a beach or going on a cruise
Justine: Oh wow that sounds amazing! Where can I find some songs like that?
Mary: I just look up 'progressive
house mix' on
YouTube and start binge-listening to those. My favorite prog house artist so far is Dinka.
