Organic house

History and character

A subgenre that puts acoustic instruments and natural sounds at the center: percussion inspired by African and Middle Eastern drums (bongos, congas, darbuka, frame drum), guitars, violin, oud, vibraphone, kalimba, flutes, voices and ambient recordings, over a slower, more meditative house groove. Music with these characteristics appears around 2017 at festivals and outdoor parties such as Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle and Desert Hearts; it draws on deep house, melodic house, electronica, downtempo and Afro house.

Beatport officially introduced the “Organic House / Downtempo” category in June 2020, citing a trend toward “deeper, more meditative and sometimes slower” shades of house; similar tracks had previously ended up under electronica, deep, melodic or Afro house. Key names: Lee Burridge and his All Day I Dream, Lost Desert, Sébastien Léger, Oliver Koletzki, Roy Rosenfeld, Bedouin, Damian Lazarus, Jean Vayat, Hraach, Blond:ish; labels such as All Day I Dream, Sol Selectas, Songuara, Cafe De Anatolia, Melody Of The Soul, Hoomidaas, Amulanga. In 2024 WhoMadeWho won the Organic House category at the DJ Awards.

Aesthetic: daylight, desert and nature, spirituality, warmth; soft, swaying hypnosis rather than club energy.

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: in A minor F = bVI, G = bVII). Notes and chords below are calculated exactly from the formula.

Aeolian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: T S T T S T T
• On D: D E F G A Bb C
• Diatonic triads: Dm i · Edim ii° · F bIII · Gm iv · Am v · Bb bVI · C bVII
• Seventh chords: Dm7 i7 · Em7b5 iiø7 · Fmaj7 bIIImaj7 · Gm7 iv7 · Am7 v7 · Bbmaj7 bVImaj7 · C7 bVII7
• Characteristic note: the b6 (Bb): warm melancholy.
• Use: i–bVI–bVII loop (Dm–Bb–C), pads, arpeggiated guitars.
• Common mistakes: chords that are too “pop”: better to use sus2, add9, open fifths.

Phrygian dominant (Middle Eastern color)

• Formula: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: S T+S S T S T T
• On E: E F G# A B C D
• Characteristic note: the b2 (F) together with the major third (G#): the augmented second F–G# gives the “Eastern,” desert color typical of oud, violin and vocals in many organic tracks.
• Use: oud or flute riffs, vocal melodies, pads on E with movements toward F.
• Main chords: E (I), F (bII), Am (iv), Dm (bvii) — chords built on the other degrees are rarely used.
• Common mistakes: using a natural G (minor third) in the bass while the melody uses G#; caricaturing the color with too many ornaments.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 — steps: T S T T T S T
• On A: A B C D E F# G
• Diatonic triads: Am i · Bm ii · C bIII · D IV · Em v · F#dim vi° · G bVII
• Seventh chords: Am7 i7 · Bm7 ii7 · Cmaj7 bIIImaj7 · D7 IV7 · Em7 v7 · F#m7b5 viø7 · Gmaj7 bVIImaj7
• Characteristic note: the major sixth (F#): light inside the minor.
• Use: i–IV vamp (Am–D) with guitars, kalimba.
• Common mistakes: mixing it with a natural F in the same phrase.

Minor pentatonic

• Formula: 1 b3 4 5 b7 — steps: T+S T T T+S T
• On D: D F G A C
• Characteristic note: five open notes: ideal for kalimba, flutes, voices.
• Use: hypnotic 1–2 bar riffs, vocal melodies.
• Common mistakes: phrases that are too dense: leave space and silence.

Harmonic minor

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 — steps: T S T T S T+S S
• On A: A B C D E F G#
• Diatonic triads: Am i · Bdim ii° · Caug bIII+ · Dm iv · E V · F bVI · G#dim vii°
• Seventh chords: Am(maj7) i(maj7) · Bm7b5 iiø7 · Cmaj7#5 bIII+maj7 · Dm7 iv7 · E7 V7 · Fmaj7 bVImaj7 · G#dim7 vii°7
• Characteristic note: the leading tone (G#) and the augmented second F–G#: dramatic/Eastern color in the cadences.
• Use: i–V cadences (Am–E) in the breaks, violin lines.
• Common mistakes: treating harmonic minor and Phrygian dominant as different worlds: they are the same scale seen from the fifth degree (E Phrygian dominant = A harmonic minor starting from E).

How to choose between scales

• Warm melancholy and pads: Aeolian.
• Desert, East, oud and violin: Phrygian dominant / harmonic minor.
• Light and openness: Dorian.
• Melodic percussion instruments (kalimba, marimba, handpan): pentatonic.

A common trick: bass and pad on a fixed tonic (pedal), melody alternating Aeolian and Phrygian dominant for a color that “breathes”.

Harmony

Function

Static and modal: pedals, 1–2 chord loops, open fifths, sus chords. The harmonic sense comes from the modal melodies and the textures.

Techniques

• Tonic pedal (bass or drone) for 16–32 bars.
• Sus2/sus4 and add9 chords, open fifths so as not to pin down the mode.
• Alternation i–bVII or i–bII (Phrygian dominant: E–F).
• i–V cadences only in the breaks (harmonic minor).

Harmonic rhythm

Very slow: one chord every 2–8 bars.

Examples

• Dm(add9) pedal with guitar.
• E–F–E (I–bII–I) in E Phrygian dominant.
• Am–G–F–E (i–bVII–bVI–V): the “Andalusian” descent.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

• Feel: swaying and relaxed, moderate swing (54–58% MPC; FL 15–30) on shaker and percussion.
• Polyrhythms: percussion figures in 3 against 4, 2-bar patterns.
• Microtiming: hand-played or humanized percussion, slightly behind the beat.
• Energy: constant and soft; no violent drops.

Drums

Kick

On every quarter note, soft and round (fundamental 45–55 Hz, almost no click), decay 250–350 ms; sometimes a frame drum or low drum kick underneath for warmth.

Clap and snare

Light clap or snap on 2 and 4, often replaced by wood rim, cajón or tambourine; natural reverb.

Hi-hat

Hats barely present; their role is taken by shaker, maracas, shekere.

Percussion (the center)

Bongos, congas, darbuka, frame drums (bendir, riq), cajón, udu, bells, handpan; 2-bar polyrhythmic figures with many ghost notes. Each percussion instrument in a precise stereo position.

Dynamics and ghost notes

Wide dynamics: slaps and open tones loud, ghost notes at 20–50%.

Interaction with bass and vocals

Soft, long bass, sometimes just a drone; the percussion converses with the melodies.

Sections

Intro of percussion and ambiences; bass and pad enter; melody; break with acoustic instruments and no kick; soft re-entry.

Fills and transitions

Darbuka or frame drum fills, cymbal swells played with mallets, ambiences.

Sound choice

Recorded acoustic percussion, natural samples; avoid “dry” drum machines.

Typical mistakes

Quantized percussion; too many bright sounds; a tech house kick.

Bass

• Sound: soft and warm: sine/triangle, filtered synth bass, fretless electric bass or double bass; sometimes a tonic drone.
• Register: D1–D3.
• With the kick: long notes with light sidechain (2–4 dB) or sparse syncopations.
• Notes: tonic, fifth, octave; few notes.
• Rhythm: 2-bar patterns, plenty of space.

Harmonic instruments

• Acoustic/classical guitar and clean electric guitars with delay: arpeggios.
• Soft pads, strings, drones.
• Piano, Rhodes, vibraphone, marimba, kalimba, handpan.
• Oud, saz, sitar in some productions.

Melody and vocals

• Vocals: ethereal chants, phrases in different languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Spanish, African languages), wordless vocalizations, often distant in the reverb.
• Backing vocals: textures, distant doublings.
• Solo instruments: violin, flute (ney, duduk, bansuri), oud, guitar, sax.
• Effects: long reverbs (hall 3–6 s), tempo-synced delays (1/4, dotted 1/8) with moderate feedback, light chorus, tape saturation.

Instruments

Acoustic percussion (bongos, congas, darbuka, frame drum, cajón, udu, handpan, shaker), guitars, oud, violin, ethnic flutes, kalimba, vibraphone, piano, pads, soft synth bass, vocals, ambient recordings.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Jun-6 V — Warm pads: Slow pads with Chorus I, 1 s attack, filter closed to 40%: invisible harmonic support.
• Augmented Strings — Strings and textures: Long strings and hybrid textures for the breaks; HP 200 Hz.
• Augmented Voices — Ethereal voices: Vocal pads and distant choirs for atmosphere.
• Prophet-5 V — Soft plucks: Plucks with a closed filter and 400 ms decay, in tempo-synced delay.
• Mini V — Soft bass: Triangle with a closed filter, long decay, no glide.
• Buchla Easel V — Organic textures: Complex oscillator and low pass gate for “natural” percussive sounds similar to wood and bells.

Song structure

Tracks of 6–9 minutes; everything builds and falls gradually.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Warm, natural, spacious: rich and realistic percussion, soft bass, sweet highs, lots of space. Dynamics preserved. References: All Day I Dream productions (Lee Burridge & Lost Desert), Bedouin, Sébastien Léger.

Kick

HP 30 Hz; +1.5 dB at 50 Hz; −3 dB at 300 Hz; LP 6–8 kHz (no click); light compression; mono.

Clap, rim, cajón

HP 200 Hz; −2 dB at 3–5 kHz if harsh; room/plate 1.2 s; rim 20–30% to the side.

Percussion

• EQ: HP 60–100 Hz for large drums, 300 Hz for small ones; −2 dB at 400 Hz; slap +1.5 dB at 4 kHz; LP 14 kHz.
• Compression: bus 2:1 attack 20 ms GR 2 dB; light parallel.
• Saturation: tape.
• Space: one shared natural room (0.8–1.5 s) + dotted 1/8 delay on sporadic phrases.
• Panning: realistic ensemble (L20–L60 / R20–R60), shaker opposite the congas.

Bass

HP 30 Hz; fundamental 45–80 Hz; −2 dB at 250 Hz; LP 2 kHz; opto 3:1 GR 3 dB; mono; sidechain 2–4 dB.

Guitars, oud, violin, flutes

• EQ: HP 100–150 Hz; −2 dB at 250–400 Hz; presence +1.5 dB at 2–4 kHz; LP 12–14 kHz.
• Compression: opto 2–3 dB.
• Space: plate 1.5–2 s + 1/4 or dotted 1/8 delay (feedback 30%, LP 4 kHz); long hall for the violin.
• Stereo: guitar 30% L, oud 30% R, violin wide with reverb, flute centered.

Pads and textures

HP 150–200 Hz; LP 8 kHz; hall 4–6 s; very wide; sidechain 3–5 dB.

Vocals

HP 80 Hz; −2 dB 300 Hz; opto 3–4 dB; de-esser; +1.5 dB 3 kHz; long hall (3–5 s) with 50–80 ms pre-delay + 1/4 delay; centered or slightly distant.

FX

Natural ambiences (HP 200 Hz, low level), cymbal swells, reverses.

Buses and groups

Perc bus, acoustic bus (guitars/oud/violin), music bus, vocal bus; tape on all of them.

Sidechain

Light: bass 2–4 dB, pad 3–5 dB, reverbs 2–3 dB.

Master

EQ (HP 25 Hz, shelf −0.5/−1 dB above 12 kHz if too bright) → tape → compressor 1–2 dB → limiter. Target −11/−9 LUFS integrated, true peak −1 dBTP, crest factor 10–13 dB: dynamics are part of the genre.

Common mistakes

Dry, quantized percussion; different reverbs on every instrument (incoherent space); harsh highs; tech house loudness that destroys the acoustic dynamics.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Lee Burridge & Lost Desert — Float On
• Bedouin — Flight of Birds

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Reference listening

• Lee Burridge & Lost Desert — Float On (All Day I Dream)
• Lee Burridge & Lost Desert ft. Junior — Lingala (All Day I Dream)
• Bedouin — Flight of Birds
• Matthew Dekay & Lee Burridge — Für Die Liebe