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beach house

Beach House

Spain · 2010s
ChillDancingDreamyHappySentimental

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Description

Beach house is a sun‑drenched, laid‑back branch of house music that blends four‑on‑the‑floor rhythms with Balearic and tropical colors. It favors warm acoustic timbres (guitars, marimbas, steel‑pan‑like mallets), mellow sax or flute hooks, light percussion, and airy pads over aggressive drops.

The style is designed for daytime listening—beach clubs, poolside sets, road trips—so tempos sit in the comfortable 104–118 BPM range, grooves are smooth and mid‑tempo, and harmonic language leans toward major keys, gentle extended chords, and nostalgic, feel‑good progressions. Production emphasizes clarity, headroom and soft side‑chain movement, creating a breezy, salt‑air atmosphere that’s both danceable and relaxing.


Sources: Spotify, Wikipedia, Discogs, Rate Your Music, MusicBrainz, and other online sources

History

Early influences (1990s–2000s)

Balearic beat culture in Ibiza (Spain) and Mediterranean resort circuits normalized unhurried house tempos, eclectic instrumentation, and sunrise/sunset programming. Parallel currents—lounge, chillout, downtempo, and nu‑disco—supplied the mellow sonics and ‘vacation’ mood that would become the core of beach house.

Codification in the streaming era (2010s)

During the 2010s, the global rise of tropical house and the playlist economy ("sunset", "poolside", "beach club" curations) consolidated a recognizably beach‑minded house sound: four‑on‑the‑floor grooves softened by acoustic guitars, marimba/steel‑pan‑style plucks, sax riffs, and breathy vocals. DJs and producers oriented sets toward daytime venues and coastal festivals, adopting restrained dynamics and warm, mid‑tempo BPMs.

Expansion and hybridization (late 2010s–2020s)

Beach house aesthetics permeated pop‑EDM crossovers, lounge‑house, and chill house. Producers integrated organic percussion, Latin and Afro‑Caribbean rhythmic inflections, and Balearic harmonic sensibilities into radio‑friendly formats. The result is a globally recognizable, mood‑driven micro‑scene that thrives in beach clubs from Ibiza and Mykonos to Tulum and Bali, as well as in streaming contexts built around “feel‑good” and “summer” moods.

How to make a track in this genre

Tempo, groove, and rhythm
•   Aim for 104–118 BPM with a steady four‑on‑the‑floor kick. •   Use light, syncopated percussion (shakers, congas, rim‑clicks) to add movement without crowding the mix. •   Side‑chain the bass and pads subtly to the kick for a gentle ‘breathing’ feel; avoid heavy pumping.
Harmony and melody
•   Favor major keys and feel‑good progressions (I–V–vi–IV, ii–V–I variants). Add 7ths/9ths for Balearic warmth. •   Write singable toplines or instrumental hooks (sax, flute, nylon‑string or muted electric guitar, mallet plucks). •   Layer airy pads or chorus‑washed guitars to create a wide, sunlit backdrop.
Sound palette and arrangement
•   Combine organic timbres (acoustic guitar, hand percussion, marimba/steel‑pan‑like synths) with clean electronic foundations (sub‑bass, rounded kicks, crisp hats). •   Keep drops understated; rely on groove, hook, and texture more than impact. Arrange for long‑form mixing (DJ‑friendly intros/outros, 16–32‑bar sections). •   Use gentle transitions: filter sweeps, reverse cymbals, and short risers rather than maximalist builds.
Vocals and lyrics
•   If using vocals, keep them intimate and breathy, focusing on themes of summer, travel, love, nostalgia, and carefree moments. Call‑and‑response ad‑libs or chopped vocal riffs work well as hooks.
Mixing and mastering
•   Prioritize clarity and headroom. Tame low‑mid buildup (200–400 Hz) and keep highs smooth (no harsh fizz). •   Bus compression should glue without squashing the relaxed transient feel; LUFS targets can be slightly less loud than mainstage EDM to preserve dynamics.

Best playlists

The Sound of Beach House
The Sound of Beach House
Every Noise at Once
Beach House
Beach House
Chosic
Beach House Mix
Beach House Mix
Spotify
Best of Beach House
Best of Beach House
volt.fm
Best user-generated playlists
Best user-generated playlists

Main artists

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Anthem Falls

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Influenced by
House
House is a dance music genre that emerged in Chicago in the early 1980s, defined by a steady four-on-the-floor kick drum, off-beat hi-hats, soulful or hypnotic vocals, and groove-centric basslines. Typical tempos range from 118–130 BPM, and tracks are structured in DJ-friendly 16–32 bar phrases designed for seamless mixing. Drawing on disco’s celebratory spirit, electro-funk’s drum-machine rigor, and Italo/Hi-NRG’s synth-led sheen, house prioritizes repetition, tension-and-release, and communal energy on the dancefloor. Its sound palette often includes 808/909 drums, sampled or replayed disco/funk elements, filtered loops, piano/organ stabs, and warm, jazzy chords. Over time, house diversified into many substyles—deep house, acid house, French house, tech house, progressive house, and more—yet it remains a global foundation of club culture, known for emphasizing groove, inclusivity, and euphoria.
Deep House
Deep house is a subgenre of house music characterized by warm, soulful textures, jazz-influenced harmony, and understated, hypnotic grooves. It typically runs around 115–124 BPM, favoring subtle swing, syncopated percussion, and rounded, mellow basslines over aggressive peaks. Sonically, deep house draws on extended chords (7ths, 9ths, 11ths), Rhodes and M1 organ timbres, airy pads, and tasteful use of reverb and delay to create a spacious, emotive atmosphere. Vocals, when present, often reference soul and gospel traditions, delivering intimate, reflective themes rather than big-room hooks. The style emerged in the mid-to-late 1980s as producers fused Chicago house rhythms with jazz-funk, soul, and garage house sensibilities, resulting in a smoother, deeper take on the house blueprint.
Tropical House
Tropical house is a mellow, melodic offshoot of deep house that blends a four-on-the-floor pulse with sun-soaked timbres like steel drums, marimba, pan flute, and warm acoustic guitar. It typically runs around 100–115 BPM, favors major-key progressions, and foregrounds breezy hooks over heavy drops, making it feel more like a summer pop record than a club banger. Vocals often carry romantic, nostalgic, or escapist themes—beaches, sunsets, and travel—while the production emphasizes soft percussion, sidechained pads, and a smooth, rolling sub. The genre rose to global prominence mid-2010s through hit remixes and crossover singles that brought house aesthetics into mainstream pop radio.
Balearic Beat
Balearic beat is a sun‑drenched, eclectic form of dance music and DJ practice that emerged from Ibiza’s open‑air clubs in the mid‑to‑late 1980s. Rather than being a tightly codified sound, it is defined by a warm, Mediterranean feel, a relaxed but insistent four‑on‑the‑floor pulse, and an anything‑goes approach to selection that blends house, italo‑disco, synth‑pop, new wave, Latin, funk, reggae, dub, and soft rock into a seamless, euphoric flow. On the dancefloor it tends to sit around 100–122 BPM, leaning on congas and hand percussion, jangly or nylon‑string guitars, spacious pads and reverb, and basslines that are groovy more than aggressive. The result is a transportive vibe associated with sunset sets, terraces, and outdoor nights—music chosen for feeling and context as much as for genre.
Lounge
Lounge is a mid-20th-century style of easy listening that blends jazz harmony, light orchestral arranging, and Latin/exotica rhythms into suave, unobtrusive music designed for relaxation and sophisticated ambience. Typically associated with cocktail lounges, tiki bars, and the hi‑fi/stereo boom, it emphasizes lush strings, vibraphone and marimba timbres, brushed drums, gentle horns, and occasional wordless vocals or whistling. Melodies are memorable yet restrained, arrangements are polished, and production often highlights spacious reverbs and playful stereo effects. A 1990s revival reframed lounge as retro‑chic, intersecting with downtempo, chillout, and nu‑jazz while preserving its trademark mood: warm, cosmopolitan, and stylishly relaxed.
Chillout
Chillout is a broad, downtempo-oriented style of electronic music designed for relaxation, decompression, and after-hours listening. It emphasizes spacious atmospheres, gentle grooves, and warm timbres over intensity or virtuosity. Emerging from the “chill-out rooms” of UK and Ibiza clubs, the sound blends ambient pads, soft 4/4 or broken-beat rhythms, and melodic fragments drawn from lounge, jazz, bossa nova, and Balearic traditions. Typical tempos range from about 70–110 BPM, with extended chords, subtle basslines, and abundant reverb and delay to create a sense of depth and calm. Though often used as an umbrella for related styles (ambient, downtempo, trip hop, lounge), chillout retains a distinct focus on mood: it privileges texture, space, and gentle momentum, making it a staple for late-night sets, beach bars, and home listening alike.
Nu Disco
Nu disco is a 21st‑century reinterpretation of 1970s/early‑1980s disco, post‑disco, and Italo‑disco aesthetics filtered through modern house production. It favors warm analog timbres, live‑sounding basslines, four‑on‑the‑floor drums, and lush chords, but with contemporary clarity, arrangement discipline, and low‑end weight. Compared with classic disco or disco house, nu disco typically runs a touch slower and groovier, leans into Balearic and space‑disco atmospheres, and often blends boogie/funk instrumentation with synth‑pop and French‑house sensibilities. It is equally at home on sunset terraces and peak‑time dancefloors, embracing both nostalgia and modern dance utility.
Balearic Trance
Balearic trance is a sun‑drenched, melodic strain of trance that grew out of Ibiza’s open‑air club culture. It blends the genre’s four‑on‑the‑floor pulse and euphoric breakdowns with the eclectic, warm textures of Balearic beat and ambient house. Compared with more aggressive trance offshoots, it favors relaxed tempos, acoustic guitar flourishes, sea‑breeze pads, beachy field recordings, and wistful, major‑leaning harmonies. The result is music aimed as much at golden‑hour terrace sets and coastal drives as peak‑time festival moments. Signature traits include gently side‑chained pads, plucked arpeggios, nylon‑string or steel‑string guitars, airy vocal hooks, and long, cinematic breakdowns that resolve into understated, rolling drops.
Downtempo
Downtempo is a mellow, groove-oriented branch of electronic music characterized by slower tempos, plush textures, and a focus on atmosphere over dancefloor intensity. Typical tempos range from about 60–110 BPM, with swung or laid-back rhythms, dub-informed basslines, and warm, jazz-tinged harmonies. Stylistically, it blends the spaciousness of ambient, the head-nodding rhythms of hip hop and breakbeat, and the cosmopolitan smoothness of lounge and acid jazz. Producers often use sampled drums, Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric pianos, guitar licks with delay, and field recordings to create intimate, cinematic soundscapes. The mood spans from soulful and romantic to introspective and dusk-lit, making it a staple of after-hours listening, cafes, and relaxed club back rooms.
Indie Dance
Indie dance blends the melodic sensibilities and live‑band ethos of indie rock with the groove, repetition, and production techniques of club music. The result is a dancefloor‑friendly sound that keeps guitars, bass, and vocals in the spotlight while leaning on four‑on‑the‑floor drums, funky basslines, and luminous analog synths. The style typically sits around 108–124 BPM, favors warm vintage tones (Roland drum machines, Juno/Jupiter/Prophet synths), and draws on disco and new wave for harmony and rhythm. Hooks are carried by concise vocal lines and ear‑catching motifs, often delivered with the intimate, conversational tone associated with indie music.
Saxophone House
Saxophone house is a melodic offshoot of house music that foregrounds the saxophone as a lead instrument or recurring hook. Producers either record live alto/tenor sax lines or loop soulful jazz and lounge samples, then set them against a steady 4/4 house groove. Typically sitting around 118–124 BPM, the style blends deep house drums and warm sub‑bass with breezy chords, sun‑lit pads, and ear‑catching sax riffs that carry the topline much like a pop vocal. The result is feel‑good, summery dance music equally at home on beach stages, rooftop bars, and mainstream playlists. Its palette borrows from jazz harmonies, nu‑disco gloss, and tropical house atmospheres, while retaining the driving pulse and DJ‑friendly structure of classic house.
Has influenced
Chill House
Chill house is a mellow, laid-back strain of house music designed for relaxed listening as much as for dancing. It typically keeps a steady four-on-the-floor pulse but softens the impact with warm pads, gentle basslines, filtered chords, and spacious reverb. Compared with peak-time or club-focused house, chill house prioritizes atmosphere, smooth groove, and “sunset” vibes, often borrowing the hazy textures of chillwave and downtempo while staying within house’s rhythmic framework.
Sunset Lounge
Sunset lounge is a laid‑back, polished blend of downtempo electronic music and modern lounge aesthetics that is designed for early‑evening listening. It typically features slow-to-mid tempos, soft grooves, warm pads, gentle melodic hooks, and a “golden hour” sonic palette that sits between chillout, downtempo, balearic, and easy listening. Compared to club‑forward dance genres, it prioritizes atmosphere, space, and a smooth, unobtrusive flow suitable for lounges, terraces, beach bars, and curated sunset sets.
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