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Urban House Next Big Thing

Some industry insiders are predicting that next year could be a huge year for house music. Trends suggest young people are abandoning hip hop, grime and garage for 'urban house'.

Some industry insiders are predicting that house music will become the next big urban movement, blud.

Paul McKenzie, editor of Touch Magazine, one of the UK's most influential urban music mags, said: "House just never seemed to cross over, but with grime and garage getting so ugly, house is becoming more and more popular.

Attitude-Free

"A new younger generation are coming through who are saying to themselves, 'You know what? I don't fancy going somewhere tonight where I might get shot.

"I don't want to go to a club where I'm going to get beaten up.'

"House is attractive because it's attitude-free."

Defected Records' Toni Tambourine agrees that urban house could be the next big thing.

"I was recently contacted by Austin Daboh, music co-ordinator for BBC 1xtra," he told DJmag.com.

"Daboh said that house music was becoming more and more popular on the station, and he wanted to make our deep house record by Fish Go Deep, 'The Cure and the Cause', 1xtra's record of the week."

Urban Youth

Toni believes that's significant because 1xtra is the UK's premier black music radio station and an important indicator of coming trends amongst urban youth.

DJ Technic's 'Gabryelle', another house record on Defected, has also been caned on 1xtra.

But even more indicative of the urban house potential is the fact that Twice As Nice, usually a bastion for garage and r&b, has requested eight Defected house tunes for their next CD compilation.

Soulful, funky house

"When people talk of 'urban house', what they really mean is funky, soulful house," said McKenzie, whose magazine is running a special feature on the genre in December.

"Soulful, gospel-inspired house has urban sensibilities, it's got black soul.

The urban scene won't be kicking off to the Fergies or Pete Tongs of this world, but they might get into Norman Jay, and Paul 'Trouble' Anderson."

2007 Huge Year For House

Aaron Ross, 1xtra's soulful house DJ agreed: "Because garage and grime is so hard these days, a lot of people miss the soulful stuff.

In the last few months, I've seen a lot of old drum & bass fans and old garage heads in house clubs.

Next year will be a huge year for house."

Whilst it would be difficult to prove that gun crime and gang violence is a direct result of the grime and garage scenes, it's clear that those scenes are currently losing supporters because they reflect a lifestyle that flirts with violence and hostility.

With London gun crime on the rise, it seems house music might be the alternative choice for urban youths seeking a safer, hassle-free night out.