Spotify playlist: 70 definitive deep house tracks

Deep house. It’s a broad term and one that gets thrown around pretty loosely when it comes to the tunes filling up Beatport charts and Spotify playlists.

Simply put, a panpipe does not make a deep house track and neither do over-processed drums rigidly sequenced to a grid. No, the genre that has its roots deep in the city of Chicago is full of soul, swing and moody keys. So. Many. Keys.

A slower tempo, brooding bass, jazzier percussion, minimal vocals, droning synths and chromatic key changes are all characteristic of the deep house sound and perfect for losing yourself to. You’ll find no inoffensive lounge vibes in sight and the jacking rhythms of garage house are at a minimum. This is just about bumping grooves.

This playlist traces how deep house has evolved from Mr Fingers’ classic ‘Can You Feel It’, taking in the attitude-fuelled ‘I Got That Feeling’ by Dreamer G, the rainforest soundscapes of Ron Trent and through to today’s top producers channeling the sound and twisting it in new ways.

Submerge yourself below.

Louis Anderson-Rich is Mixmag's Digital Intern. Get deep with him on Twitter