Musical Marmite

Progressive House is musical Marmite - people seem to love it, or hate it.

I can see why people criticize it for being repetitive. A ProgHouse track will typically last 8 minutes, take 5 of those to evolve from minimal bleeps to something with a recognizable tune, go silent... Re-emerge with a subwoofy bass-line, and spend the last 2.5 minutes fading out. Yes, you could say it's pretty minimal.

But to me, that's the beauty of it. It's the subtle, intense beauty of waves lapping on a beach, of the sun slowly rising, of clouds passing by, almost unnoticed. Enveloping yourself in a ProgHouse mix slows the world down, which somehow clears the mind, accelerates thought, and makes everything go faster inside your head. Like people dancing under a strobe light, or the world gliding past behind a train window. If you don't get it, you don't: but for those fortunate enough to speak its language, Progressive House is a wonderful place to lose yourself once in a while.

If you haven't listened to much before and want to give it a go, I suggest you start with the following tunes to wet the appetite:



If you're ready to take it to the next level, I entreat you to check out the sound of Omni. A musical truffle I just stumbled upon, this Montreal based DJ/producer's Myspace features a few tunes + mixes that I soon hope to hear played all over London: 'Electric Music', as well a stunning trance remix by Nick Bugayev. Please buy them here - they're worth it.