Ghettotech

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Two of the heavy hitters of the genre; DJ Funk (to the left) and DJ Assault (to the right).
Two of the heavy hitters of the genre; DJ Funk (to the left) and DJ Assault (to the right).

Ghettotech is a form of electronic dance music originating from Detroit. It combines elements of Chicago's ghetto house with electro, hip hop, techno, and grafts the perceived raunch of Miami Bass as the vocal stamp of the music. It is usually faster than most other dance music genres, at roughly 145 to 170 bpm, and features often pornographic lyrics. As DJ Godfather puts it, the beats are really gritty, really raw, nothing polished."[1]

The spelling and indeed the use of the word "Ghettotech" is contentious, although Disco D is credited with developing the term during his days as a teenager on the scene.[1] Other spellings include Ghetto Tech, GetoTek, Ghettotec, and other names include Detroit Bass (sharing the title with Detroit area Electro), Booty Bass (sharing the title with Miami Bass), and Booty Music (an umbrella term under which the genre falls). Indeed, black artists, critics, and fans of electronic music have even made the point that "Ghettotech" is a word created and solely used by white people in a gesture that at once judges the music and distances it from themselves, the voyeuristic listeners.

The Ghettotech style was created by a few DJs and producers mostly working in Detroit, with a strong influence from Miami Bass and continuing influence from Chicago's ghetto house. It has existed in Detroit since approximately 1994.

Ghettotech is is an integral part of the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, an annual event. The Detroit Ghettotech style of dancing is called the jit. It is an improvisational fast booty shake whereas Chicago's Ghettotech dance style is the juke where the focus is on the footwork.[2]

[edit] World Music & Ghettotech

"Global ghettotech," an intentionally sardonic term coined by ethnomusicologist Wayne Marshall, describes a loosely-defined aggregate of club and soundsystem-based music from around the world currently championed by certain American and European DJs and the music media. [3]

In a sense, the audience for this survey of styles updates the similarly generalized “world music” audience of the 80s. However, global ghettotech is not a world music-style celebration of exotic sounds, but DJ mixable hybrids constructed from drum machines and synths available the world over. This music is designed to hit hard on the dancefloor, not background conversation at your local café. These musical genres are inspired by the organ-rattling bass of massive speaker towers, sexually-charged dancers, and fierce (even violent) rivalries between local MCs, DJs and producers. [4]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

  • 4 Player Records: Pan-European label Started in February 2004 by a DJ / Producer collective with members in Germany, Scotland, The Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden. Focused on releasing Detroit and Chicago influenced ghettotech, electro, ghetto house, and electro-bass club tracks.
  • Booty.be: Belgian Promotion website for Booty, Ghettotech,LA Booteehop and Miami Bass. News section with latest related news. Events page and Music download section with mixes from Belgian artists and DJ's.
  • Open Directory Ghettotech category: regularly updated links