For the past years, Tropical house music has dominated music fans’ playlists when it comes to planning what kind of music to accompany them to a holiday or a weekend getaway with colleagues. When you look at the social media profiles of famous Djs like; Kygo, Sam Feld, or Robin Schulz, you will notice that their brand is all about the chill-vibe. Mostly, they post pictures of the beach, from a pool, from the private jet, or a festival with thousands of listeners. Their unique craft of making remarkable Tropical House hits has turned them into superstars of the music scene.
Looking back to 2014, the term “Tropical House” was introduced by chance by one Australian Dj, “Thomas Jack.” In one of his interviews, the 28-year-old Dj mentioned, “I loved summer vibes and the beach, so I thought tropical house would be a cool name.”
Tropical House music is not generally club music in which records are mixed with each other. The creators of Tropical House do not come from the club scene but rather from the vastness of online blogs and Soundcloud lists. This is also reflected in the fact that, unlike classic club DJs, they are very much in the focus of attention (this is the same case as for EDM), and a large fan base is forming around them. As DJs and producers, they make their music that is then distributed to the listeners. In contrast to EDM star DJs like Calvin Harris or Tiesto, Tropical house producers don’t rely on fat synthesizers and resounding bass drums but rather on relaxed sounds. Some Tropical House songs can as well have a slower tempo and are generally carefree in nature. (Alex Adair – Make Me Feel Better)
Popular Tropical House artists
MATOMA
Tom Lagergren, aka. Matoma is a Norwegian DJ, music producer, and remix artist born in the Southern Asnes in May 1991. His artistic work is stylistically influenced by elements from the genres of contemporary R&B, dance, pop, and Tropical House.
In 2015, Matoma launched his remix version of “Want That Old Thing Back,” a song by Notorious BIG, Ja Rule, and Ralph Tresvant released in 2007. Even if his “Old Thing Back” remix missed the entry into the top 100 of the Billboard list by only eight spots, the track reached gold status in the USA after a few weeks. Matoma recorded top 20 rankings throughout Scandinavia and entered the Irish and New Zealand charts.
KYGO
KYGO (real name: Kyree Gorvell-Dahll) is a Norwegian DJ and music producer from Bergen known for his unique Tropical House style. KYGO started his music journey as a six-year-old, taking piano classes for over ten years. At the age of 19, he began to produce electronic music.
His famous song “Stole The Show,” featuring Parson James, released in Germany in 2015, became one of his most successful singles. Released on the label “B1 Recordings,” the track had been previously available as a digital download by Sony in Norway. In Germany, the song received a platinum award for more than 400,000 units sold. With this song and other tracks, KYGO is regarded as a pioneer for the modern sound of Tropical House music.
SAM FELDT
Sam Feldt is a Dutch Tropical House DJ known in 2015 for his hit song “Show Me Love” with Kimberly Anne. Sam grew up in a musical home and started learning piano at the age of six. His father, by then, was a guitarist in a band.
Later Sam turned to electronic music and produced house music for a long time before putting his first pieces online in 2013. With remix versions of Sander van Doorn’s Guitar Track and Stay Alive, he reached number 1 on Hype Machine and seven-digit views on his SoundCloud page.
In February 2015, he released the popular “Show Me, Love,” a remake of Robin S’s 1994 hit. He had discovered the vocal version of the British Kimberly Anne on the Internet and made it his Tropical House version. The song was a success in the dance scene, and by the summer, it leaped into the official charts throughout Europe and Australia and even reached number 4 in the British charts.
