House vs. Electro — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 8, 2024
House music features a rhythmic consistency ideal for dancing, with soulful melodies, whereas Electro is marked by its heavy use of synthesizers and futuristic sounds.
Difference Between House and Electro
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
House music originated in the early 1980s in Chicago, characterized by its repetitive 4/4 beats and often soulful, melodic elements. Electro, on the other hand, emerged around the same time but emphasized robotic and mechanized sounds, making extensive use of synthesizers and drum machines.
The tempo of house music typically ranges from 118 to 135 beats per minute, making it very danceable. In contrast, Electro often features faster tempos and more abrupt rhythmic patterns, appealing to a different kind of dance energy.
House music is deeply influenced by elements of disco, soul, and funk, leading to rich, layered tracks often enhanced with vocals. Electro music, whereas, leans towards the experimental, incorporating digital sounds and effects that give it a distinct, futuristic vibe.
The structure of house music tracks generally builds around a groove with subtle changes and dynamic builds, intended to keep dancers engaged. Electro tracks, on the other hand, might include more abrupt changes and pronounced hooks that can stand out more distinctly in a playlist.
The audiences for each genre also slightly differ; house music has a wide appeal and is featured in many mainstream clubs and radio stations. Electro, while also popular, often caters to a niche audience that prefers its edgier, less mainstream sound.
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Comparison Chart
Origin
Early 1980s, Chicago
Early 1980s, Detroit and Europe
Beat
Steady 4/4 rhythm
Varied, often includes breakbeats
Influences
Disco, soul, funk
Synth-pop, funk, hip hop
Typical Instruments
Synthesizers, drum machine, piano
Drum machine, synthesizers
Sound
Soulful, melodic
Robotic, futuristic
Compare with Definitions
House
Emphasizes groove and atmosphere in its tracks.
The DJ's house set created a mesmerizing atmosphere on the dance floor.
Electro
Known for its experimental and edgy vibe.
His taste in electro shows his preference for more avant-garde music.
House
Influenced by disco, funk, and soul music.
You can hear the disco influences in many old-school house songs.
Electro
Appeals to a niche audience in the electronic music scene.
There's a night dedicated to electro music at the club every month.
House
Popular in mainstream clubs and radio.
This house song has topped the dance music charts for weeks.
Electro
A style of electronic music known for its futuristic and synthetic sound.
The soundtrack featured classic electro tracks from the 80s.
House
A genre of electronic dance music with a rhythmic, soulful beat.
The club played some classic house tracks that had everyone dancing.
Electro
Utilizes heavy synthesizers and digital effects.
Electro music often sounds like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie.
House
Often features repetitive 4/4 beats and rich melodic vocals.
She loves the vibrant, upbeat sound of house music at festivals.
Electro
Originated from the fusion of funk, synth-pop, and hip-hop.
Electro evolved as DJs experimented with new sounds in the early 80s.
House
A house is a single-unit residential building, which may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Houses use a range of different roofing systems to keep precipitation such as rain from getting into the dwelling space.
Electro
An electrotype.
House
A building for human habitation, especially one that consists of a ground floor and one or more upper storeys
House prices
A house of Cotswold stone
Electro
An electronic style of hip hop; electrofunk.
House
A building in which people meet for a particular activity
A house of prayer
Electro
(archaic) To electrotype.
House
A religious community that occupies a particular building
The Cistercian house at Clairvaux
Electro
An electrotype.
House
A legislative or deliberative assembly
The sixty-member National Council, the country's upper house
House
A style of electronic dance music typically having sparse, repetitive vocals and a fast beat
DJs specializing in techno, garage, and house
House
A twelfth division of the celestial sphere, based on the positions of the ascendant and midheaven at a given time and place, and determined by any of a number of methods.
House
Old-fashioned term for bingo
House
(of an animal or plant) kept in, frequenting, or infesting buildings.
House
Relating to a firm, institution, or society
A house journal
House
Provide with shelter or accommodation
They converted a disused cinema to house twelve employees
House
Provide space for; contain or accommodate
The museum houses a collection of Roman sculpture
House
A structure serving as a dwelling for one or more persons, especially for a family.
House
A household or family.
House
Something, such as a burrow or shell, that serves as a shelter or habitation for a wild animal.
House
A dwelling for a group of people, such as students or members of a religious community, who live together as a unit
A sorority house.
House
A building that functions as the primary shelter or location of something
A carriage house.
The lion house at the zoo.
House
A building devoted to a particular activity
A customs house.
A house of worship.
House
A facility, such as a theater or restaurant, that provides entertainment or food for the public
A movie house.
The specialty of the house.
House
The seating area in such an establishment
Dimmed the lights in the house to signal the start of the show.
House
The audience or patrons of such an establishment
A full house.
House
A commercial firm
A brokerage house.
House
A publishing company
A house that specializes in cookbooks.
House
A gambling casino.
House
(Slang) A house of prostitution.
House
A residential college within a university.
House
Often House A legislative or deliberative assembly.
House
The hall or chamber in which such an assembly meets.
House
A quorum of such an assembly.
House
Often House A family line including ancestors and descendants, especially a royal or noble family
The House of Orange.
House
One of the 12 parts into which the heavens are divided in astrology.
House
The sign of the zodiac indicating the seat or station of a planet in the heavens. Also called mansion.
House
House music.
House
To provide living quarters for; lodge
The cottage housed ten students.
House
To shelter, keep, or store in a house or other structure
A library housing rare books.
House
To fit (something) into a socket or mortise.
House
(Nautical) To secure or stow safely.
House
To reside; dwell.
House
To take shelter.
House
A structure built or serving as an abode of human beings.
This is my house and my family's ancestral home.
House
An apartment building within a public housing estate.
House
(uncountable) Size and quality of residential accommodations.
House
A building intended to contain a single household, as opposed to an apartment or condominium or building containing these.
House
The people who live in a house; a household.
House
A building used for something other than a residence (typically with qualifying word).
The former carriage house had been made over into a guest house.
On arriving at the zoo, we immediately headed for the monkey house.
House
A place of business; a company or organisation, especially a printing press, a publishing company, or a couturier.
A small publishing house would have a contract with an independent fulfillment house.
House
A place of public accommodation or entertainment, especially a public house, an inn, a restaurant, a theatre, or a casino; or the management thereof.
One more, sir, then I'll have to stop serving you – rules of the house, I'm afraid.
The house always wins.
House
(historical) A workhouse.
House
The audience for a live theatrical or similar performance.
House
A theatre.
After her swan-song, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
House
(politics) A building where a deliberative assembly meets; whence the assembly itself, particularly a component of a legislature.
The petition was so ridiculous that the house rejected it after minimal debate.
House
A dynasty; a family with its ancestors and descendants, especially a royal or noble one.
A curse lay upon the House of Atreus.
House
(metaphorical) A place of rest or repose.
House
A grouping of schoolchildren for the purposes of competition in sports and other activities.
I was a member of Spenser house when I was at school.
House
An animal's shelter or den, or the shell of an animal such as a snail, used for protection.
House
(astrology) One of the twelve divisions of an astrological chart.
House
(cartomancy) The fourth Lenormand card.
House
A square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece.
House
(curling) The four concentric circles where points are scored on the ice.
House
Lotto; bingo.
House
(uncountable) A children's game in which the players pretend to be members of a household.
As the babysitter, Emma always acted as the mother whenever the kids demanded to play house.
House
A small stand of trees in a swamp.
House
(sudoku) A set of cells in a Sudoku puzzle which must contain each digit exactly once, such as a row, column, or 3×3 box in classic Sudoku.
House
(music genre) House music.
House
(transitive) To keep within a structure or container.
The car is housed in the garage.
House
(transitive) To admit to residence; to harbor.
House
To take shelter or lodging; to abide; to lodge.
House
To dwell within one of the twelve astrological houses.
House
(transitive) To contain or cover mechanical parts.
House
(transitive) To contain one part of an object for the purpose of locating the whole.
The joists were housed into the side walls, rather than being hung from them.
House
(obsolete) To drive to a shelter.
House
(obsolete) To deposit and cover, as in the grave.
House
(nautical) To stow in a safe place; to take down and make safe.
To house the upper spars
House
To eat.
House
A structure intended or used as a habitation or shelter for animals of any kind; but especially, a building or edifice for the habitation of man; a dwelling place, a mansion.
Houses are built to live in; not to look on.
Bees with smoke and doves with noisome stenchAre from their hives and houses driven away.
House
Household affairs; domestic concerns; particularly in the phrase to keep house. See below.
House
Those who dwell in the same house; a household.
One that feared God with all his house.
House
A family of ancestors, descendants, and kindred; a race of persons from the same stock; a tribe; especially, a noble family or an illustrious race; as, the house of Austria; the house of Hanover; the house of Israel.
The last remaining pillar of their house,The one transmitter of their ancient name.
House
One of the estates of a kingdom or other government assembled in parliament or legislature; a body of men united in a legislative capacity; as, the House of Lords; the House of Commons; the House of Representatives; also, a quorum of such a body. See Congress, and Parliament.
House
A firm, or commercial establishment.
House
A public house; an inn; a hotel.
House
A twelfth part of the heavens, as divided by six circles intersecting at the north and south points of the horizon, used by astrologers in noting the positions of the heavenly bodies, and casting horoscopes or nativities. The houses were regarded as fixed in respect to the horizon, and numbered from the one at the eastern horizon, called the ascendant, first house, or house of life, downward, or in the direction of the earth's revolution, the stars and planets passing through them in the reverse order every twenty-four hours.
House
A square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece.
House
An audience; an assembly of hearers, as at a lecture, a theater, etc.; as, a thin or a full house.
House
The body, as the habitation of the soul.
This mortal house I'll ruin,Do Cæsar what he can.
House
The grave.
House
To take or put into a house; to shelter under a roof; to cover from the inclemencies of the weather; to protect by covering; as, to house one's family in a comfortable home; to house farming utensils; to house cattle.
At length have housed me in a humble shed.
House your choicest carnations, or rather set them under a penthouse.
House
To drive to a shelter.
House
To admit to residence; to harbor.
Palladius wished him to house all the Helots.
House
To deposit and cover, as in the grave.
House
To stow in a safe place; to take down and make safe; as, to house the upper spars.
House
To take shelter or lodging; to abide to dwell; to lodge.
You shall not house with me.
House
A dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families;
He has a house on Cape Cod
She felt she had to get out of the house
House
An official assembly having legislative powers;
The legislature has two houses
House
A building in which something is sheltered or located;
They had a large carriage house
House
A social unit living together;
He moved his family to Virginia
It was a good Christian household
I waited until the whole house was asleep
The teacher asked how many people made up his home
House
A building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented;
The house was full
House
Members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments;
He worked for a brokerage house
House
Aristocratic family line;
The House of York
House
The members of a religious community living together
House
The audience gathered together in a theatre or cinema;
The house applauded
He counted the house
House
(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided
House
The management of a gambling house or casino;
The house gets a percentage of every bet
House
Contain or cover;
This box houses the gears
House
Provide housing for;
The immigrants were housed in a new development outside the town
Common Curiosities
What is electro music?
Electro is a form of electronic music known for its use of heavy synthesizers, futuristic sounds, and roots in funk, synth-pop, and hip-hop.
What are typical instruments used in house music?
Typical instruments include synthesizers, drum machines, and occasionally pianos.
What is house music?
House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a rhythmic, soulful beat and often includes influences from disco, funk, and soul.
What are the origins of electro music?
Electro originated in the early 1980s, primarily influenced by developments in Detroit and European synth-pop and hip-hop.
How does house music differ from electro in terms of rhythm?
House music generally features a steady 4/4 beat conducive to dance, while electro may include varied rhythms and breakbeats.
Why is house music popular in clubs?
Its steady beat and melodic elements make it ideal for dance floors, leading to its widespread popularity in clubs.
Are vocals a common element in house music?
Yes, vocals are commonly featured in house music, often contributing to its soulful and melodic quality.
How do DJs typically use electro music in their sets?
DJs may use electro tracks to add energy and a unique sound to their sets, particularly appealing to fans of more avant-garde music.
What kind of atmosphere does house music create in a club?
House music creates a vibrant, engaging atmosphere ideal for dance and social interaction.
How do house and electro music influence today’s music scene?
Both genres have significantly shaped electronic music's development, influencing numerous artists and genres.
What makes electro music sound futuristic?
The use of digital synthesizers and effects contributes to its distinctive, futuristic sound.
How does the tempo of house music compare to that of electro?
House music typically has a slower tempo, conducive to continuous dancing, whereas electro can feature faster and more varied tempos.
What influences the sound of electro?
Influences include funk, synth-pop, and hip-hop, which contribute to its experimental and edgy vibe.
Can electro music be considered mainstream?
While electro has a significant following, it tends to appeal more to niche audiences within the electronic music community.
What are some key festivals for house and electro music?
Key festivals include Electric Daisy Carnival and Tomorrowland, where both genres are prominently featured.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.