Filter house

History and character

House built on disco samples — strings, brass, funk guitars, vocals — cut into loops, reinforced with house drums and animated by filters. The term "disco house" was in use in Europe even before 1996 (along with "nu-disco" and "new disco") for French house, which in Greece was promoted exactly that way; "filter house" refers to the variant in which the automated low-pass/high-pass filter is the true solo instrument. Disco house and French touch overlap a great deal: this entry looks at the international phenomenon, not just the French one.

The roots lie in the re-edits of New York disco DJs and in garage, then in the house of the late 1990s: Armand Van Helden (U Don't Know Me, 1999), Spiller (Groovejet, 2000), Stardust, Daft Punk, Roger Sanchez, Bob Sinclar, Fedde le Grand, up to Eric Prydz — Call On Me (2004), which took the filter on a Steve Winwood sample to the top of the charts. In the 2010s–2020s the tradition lives on in Purple Disco Machine, Dimitri From Paris, Folamour, Mousse T and generally in nu-disco and "re-edit" house.

Aesthetic: party, 1970s nostalgia, orchestral groove, euphoria without aggression; the track "breathes" following the opening of the filter.

Scales and keys

Convention: Roman numerals refer to the major scale on the same tonic (uppercase = major, lowercase = minor, ° diminished, ø half-diminished, + augmented; b/# = degree lowered/raised relative to the major scale: in A minor F = bVI, G = bVII). The notes and chords below are calculated exactly from the formula.

Major with sevenths and ninths

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 — steps: T T S T T T S
• On Bb: Bb C D Eb F G A
• Diatonic triads: Bb I · Cm ii · Dm iii · Eb IV · F V · Gm vi · Adim vii°
• Seventh chords: Bbmaj7 Imaj7 · Cm7 ii7 · Dm7 iii7 · Ebmaj7 IVmaj7 · F7 V7 · Gm7 vi7 · Am7b5 viiø7
• Characteristic note: the maj7 (A) and the 9th (C): rich disco chords (Bbmaj9, Ebmaj7, Cm9).
• Use: ii–V–I, IV–V–iii–vi progressions, strings and piano; vocals in major pentatonic.
• Common mistakes: pop voicings in triads.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 — steps: T S T T T S T
• On F: F G Ab Bb C D Eb
• Diatonic triads: Fm i · Gm ii · Ab bIII · Bb IV · Cm v · Ddim vi° · Eb bVII
• Seventh chords: Fm7 i7 · Gm7 ii7 · Abmaj7 bIIImaj7 · Bb7 IV7 · Cm7 v7 · Dm7b5 viø7 · Ebmaj7 bVIImaj7
• Characteristic note: the major sixth (D): the i7–IV7 (Fm7–Bb7) of the funk/disco vamp.
• Use: two-chord loops with bass in octaves.
• Common mistakes: Db in the melody over the Bb7.

Aeolian (nocturnal disco)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: T S T T S T T
• On A: A B C D E F G
• Diatonic triads: Am i · Bdim ii° · C bIII · Dm iv · Em v · F bVI · G bVII
• Seventh chords: Am7 i7 · Bm7b5 iiø7 · Cmaj7 bIIImaj7 · Dm7 iv7 · Em7 v7 · Fmaj7 bVImaj7 · G7 bVII7
• Characteristic note: the b6 (F): "dark" and melancholy disco, in the style of Moroder or space disco.
• Use: i–bVII–bVI–bVII loops, octave bass arpeggios.
• Common mistakes: confusing the Aeolian b6 with the Dorian 6 when layering a second sample.

Major pentatonic

• Formula: 1 2 3 5 6 — steps: T T T+S T T+S
• On Bb: Bb C D F G
• Characteristic note: openness and joy without tension.
• Use: disco vocal hooks, brass and string riffs, guitars.
• Common mistakes: using it without the passing tones of the major scale in string fills.

How to choose between scales

The key is the sample's (check it with an analyzer such as Tunebat or by ear) and the mode follows the chord that dominates the loop: maj7/ii–V → major; m7–IV7 → Dorian; m–bVI–bVII → Aeolian. Everything you add (bass, synth, vocal) must stay in the same scale: a frequent mistake is playing an Aeolian bass under a Dorian sample.

Harmony

Function

Harmony "borrowed" from disco: 1–4 bar loops with seventh, ninth and sus chords, secondary dominants, strings and piano. In a loop the cadence loses strength and becomes a cycle.

Techniques

• 2- or 4-bar loops of the sample; layering a second sample in the same key for variations.
• Reinforcing chords (Rhodes, pads, strings) that follow those of the sample.
• Filter as form: closed = verse, open = chorus.
• Borrowings: bVII in major, major IV in minor (Dorian).

Harmonic rhythm

Often 2 chords per bar in the original disco record; in house the loop gets longer (1 chord per bar).

Examples

• Cm9–F9 (ii9–V9 in Bb) in a loop.
• Ebmaj7–Dm7–Cm7–F7sus4 (IV–iii–ii–V7sus4 in Bb).
• Am–G–F–G (i–bVII–bVI–bVII) nocturnal disco.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

• Feel: disco: sixteenth-note hi-hats, open hat on the offbeat, light swing (52–56% MPC).
• Pumping of the loop with the kick (bus compression or sidechain).
• Accents: snare + clap on 2 and 4, tambourine on the offbeat.
• Microtiming: that of the band in the sample; the added house drums must be aligned (stretch/swing them to follow).

Drums

Kick

On the quarter notes, powerful and compressed (909 or a reinforced disco sample); fundamental 55–70 Hz.

Snare and clap

Disco snare + clap on 2 and 4; in modern productions a clean clap layer.

Hi-hat

Closed hats in sixteenth notes with accents on the eighth notes, open hat on the offbeat (the disco "tss"), tambourine on the offbeat.

Percussion

Congas, bongos, cowbell, bells from the sample or added; shaker.

Dynamics and groove

Drums + sample compressed together (pumping); moderate velocities; original disco tom fills.

Interaction with bass and vocals

Bass in disco octaves; sampled vocal looped between the snare hits.

Sections

Filtered intro, progressive opening, break with strings/vocal only, drop with filter open.

Fills and transitions

Disco tom fills, stops, filter closing suddenly before the drop.

Sound choice

909 + disco samples; bright but not modern hats (LP 14 kHz).

Typical mistakes

Modern drums that clash with the sample; no bus compression.

Bass

• Sound: disco electric bass (fingers or slap), Moog/Juno synth bass, the sample's bass.
• Range: E1–E3.
• With the kick: disco octaves (low note on the downbeat or the eighth note, octave on the next eighth note) or funk syncopation; sidechain 3–6 dB.
• Notes: root, octave, fifth, b7, chromatic approach notes.
• Rhythm: eighth-note octaves or funk sixteenth notes.
• Examples: the octaves of Purple Disco Machine; the funk bass of 1970s samples.

Harmonic instruments

• Disco strings (sampled or Augmented Strings), stabs and rising lines.
• Piano and Rhodes: seventh chords.
• Funk guitar: muted sixteenth notes (Nile Rodgers style).
• Brass: brass stabs.
• Clavinet: funk riffs.

Melody and vocals

• Vocals: a looped disco/soul sample or a new soul vocal; short hooks.
• Backing vocals: from the sample or 3-voice disco choirs.
• Melodies: strings, brass, simple synth leads.
• Effects: filters, phaser, tape delay, plate reverb.

Instruments

Samplers, TR-909, Juno-106, Minimoog, Rhodes, clavinet, funk guitar, electric bass, strings and brass (sampled or real), hardware or plugin filters, phaser, compressors.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Augmented Strings — Disco strings: Staccato and legato strings for stabs and Salsoul-style lines; HP 200 Hz, filterable.
• Clavinet V — Funk riff: Bright clavinet with autowah for the sixteenth notes.
• Stage-73 V — Rhodes: Seventh chords with slow phaser.
• Mini V — Disco bass: Bass in octaves: saw, filter 45%, decay 200 ms; no glide.
• Jun-6 V — Support pad: Warm pad under the sample with Chorus I.
• Solina V — String machine: Ensemble strings in the space disco style, to be filtered.

Song structure

Length 5–7 min (extended) or 3–3:30 (radio). The form follows the filter automation.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Warm, bright, compressed, with the loop breathing: bright strings and vocals, round bass, powerful but "vintage" drums. References: Spiller — Groovejet, Eric Prydz — Call On Me, Purple Disco Machine — Hypnotized.

Kick

• EQ: HP 30 Hz; +2 dB at 60 Hz; −2 dB at 300 Hz; +1 dB at 3 kHz.
• Compression: VCA 4:1, attack 20 ms; soft clipper.
• Saturation: tape. Stereo: mono.

Snare/clap

HP 150 Hz, +2 dB at 200 Hz and 5 kHz; FET 4:1 GR 4 dB; plate 1 s.

Hi-hat and percussion

HP 400 Hz, LP 14 kHz, dynamic EQ 8 kHz; panning hat 15% L, tambourine 25% R, congas L30/R30; short room.

Sampled loop

• Filter: automated 24 dB low-pass (300 Hz → 20 kHz over 16–32 bars), resonance 15–35%; automated HP in the breaks.
• EQ: HP 60–120 Hz (if there is a separate bass), −2 dB at 250–400 Hz.
• Compression/pumping: drums + loop bus 4:1–6:1, attack 5–10 ms, tempo-synced release (≈ 250 ms at 122 BPM), GR 6–8 dB; or sidechain 6–8 dB.
• Saturation: tape, possibly 12-bit bit reduction.
• Stereo: like the sample; light widening above 500 Hz.

Bass

HP 30 Hz, +2 dB at 80 Hz, +2 dB at 800 Hz, LP 4 kHz; opto 4:1 GR 4–6 dB; mono; sidechain 3–6 dB.

Strings, brass, guitars, piano

• EQ: strings HP 200 Hz, +1 dB at 5 kHz, LP 14 kHz; brass HP 150, +2 dB at 1.5–2 kHz; guitar HP 150, +2 dB at 2–3 kHz.
• Compression: light (2–3 dB).
• Space: hall 1.8–2.5 s on strings, plate on brass, room on guitar.
• Stereo: wide strings, guitar 40% L, clavinet 40% R, brass 30% L/R.

Vocals

HP 100 Hz, FET+opto compression (5–7 dB total), de-esser, +2 dB at 3 kHz, air shelf +2 dB; plate 1.5 s + 1/4 delay; centered.

Backing vocals

Wide (L/R 80%), compressed 6 dB, hall 2 s, 6 dB below the soloist.

FX

Filter sweeps, phaser, light risers, crash.

Buses and groups

Pump bus (drums + loop), music bus (strings/brass/guitars) with tape, vocal bus.

Sidechain

Loop 6–8 dB, bass 3–6 dB, pads/strings 4–6 dB.

Master

Chain: EQ (HP 25 Hz) → compressor 2:1 (2 dB GR) → tape → limiter. Target −8/−7 LUFS integrated, true peak −1 dBTP, crest factor 7–9 dB.

Common mistakes

Sample out of tune; a still filter; pumping that breaks up the vocals; doubled bass (sample + synth) in conflict; a master that is too bright.

Mix reference tracks

• Spiller ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) (2000)
• Eric Prydz — Call On Me (2004)
• Purple Disco Machine — Hypnotized (2020)

Reference listening

• Armand Van Helden — U Don't Know Me (1999)
• Stardust — Music Sounds Better with You (1998)
• Spiller ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) (2000)
• Eric Prydz — Call On Me (2004)
• Purple Disco Machine — Hypnotized (2020)