If you're into EDM, chances are you’ve come across slap house by now. This bass-heavy sub-genre has taken over clubs, festivals, and playlists everywhere. Though it only officially hit the scene in 2018, thanks to Dynoro’s chart-smashing track 'In My Mind,' it’s safe to say slap house isn’t just a passing trend.

Billions of streams later, that track and plenty more have helped carve out a whole new space in electronic music. In this guide, we’re going to explore the origins of slap house, highlight some must-hear tracks, and break down the key elements that give it its unique identity.

A Short History of Slap House

So, what is a slap house track and where does it stem from?

Slap house didn’t just appear out of thin air. It actually grew out of something called Brazilian Bass. Not a lot of people know that. Alok, one of the biggest names in the scene, claims to have kicked off the genre back in the mid-2010s. The sound we associate with slap house today, however, really made its debut in Alok’s remix of That’s My Way by Edi Rock and Seu Jorge.

Brazilian Bass pre-2016 had a similar vibe with that punchy, attack-forward bass, but it leaned more on synths and had less groove. But when Alok dropped All I Want with Liu & Stonefox, everything changed. Instead of stacking multiple bass layers, he went for a single, more organic bass in the chorus, a hybrid between a bass guitar and a synth. That mix of organic and synthetic bass really gave it a unique edge.

From there, Alok’s success skyrocketed. By 2017, tracks like Hear Me Now took things to a global level, with slap house officially making its way into the international spotlight.

Moving to Europe

By 2017, Brazilian Bass had run its course back in Brazil, but across the ocean, Lithuanian DJs like Dynoro and Lucky Luke were cooking up something new for European listeners. They called it Lithuanian House, but clearly, it was inspired by Alok’s slap house vibe.

Lucky Luke’s track "NTFL" set the tone for what would become standard slap house features. Listen to the track above and you'll hear your classic bass drop, legato reese bass, and triplet drop fills that became clichés of the genre.

The same thing went for Dynoro’s "In My Mind," which really helped cement that sound.

Fast forward to 2018, and Berlin DJ Vize hopped on the slap house train with a remix of Glad You Came by The Wanted. A year later, Vize released "Stars," and suddenly the genre wasn’t just a European thing. It was making waves globally. They even launched an official playlist, Vize Presents Slap House , which became a go-to for anyone wanting to get a taste of the genre.

Our Top 5 Slap House Tracks

1. Alors On Danse - DubDogz Remix by Stromae, DubDogz

If there’s one track that could be called the heartbeat of the slap house movement (in my very personal opinion), it’s this remix of Stromae’s Alors On Danse by DubDogz. It’s got everything from those signature vocal chops layered over a driving synth bassline, creating that infectious, can't-get-it-out-of-your-head vibe that’s very typical of slap house.

What really sets this track apart, however, is how perfectly it shows off slap house’s ability to take a well-known song and flip it into a whole new experience.

2. Sexy Chick by Galwaro, Helion, LIINII

Here’s another slap house track that goes all out. It packs a seriously powerful bass sound and groove that throws back to the early Brazilian Bass days. When this track came out in 2020, it became my high-energy Covid track for when I needed to inject a bit of fake packed nightclub vibes into my lockdown life.

3. Creep by R3HAB, GATTÜSO

Here’s yet another perfect example of a classic track getting the slap house treatment. Creep by R3HAB and GATTÜSO takes the iconic Radiohead hit and gives it a whole new vibe. This track shows just how well slap house can breathe new life into older hits, transforming them into something modern and exciting while still keeping the essence of the original intact.

4. Gangsta Paradise - ESH Remix by Ricii Lompeurs, KEAN DYSSO, ESH

Ricii Lompeurs, KEAN DYSSO, and ESH joined forces to create a killer slap house remix of "Gangsta’s Paradise," which keeps the iconic vibe of the original but cranks up the energy with the signature slap house bassline and rhythm.

It’s the perfect blend of old-school cool and new-school energy.

5. Lay Low by Tiësto

Tiësto, who is an absolute legend in electronic music world and needs no introduction, decided to dip his toe into slap house with "Lay Low," and it doesn’t disappoint.

Even though it’s got that deep, thumping slap house groove, you can still hear his unmistakable trance house touch throughout the track.

Top 5 Elements of Slap House

If you’re a producer thinking about making your own slap house track, there are a few things you’ll want to get right. Here are the top 5 elements to focus on if you want to nail that signature sound.

The Kick Drum

In slap house, the kick drum is king. A short, percussive kick is probably the most crucial element in the genre. You can go for the classic TR-808 kick if you’ve got it in your sample library, but if not, just focus on finding something with a snappy attack and short decay.

If the kick you’re using lacks that deep low-end, don’t sweat it. Just add some extra sub with a generator to fill out the bottom. And if you’ve got a kick you love on its own but it’s getting lost in the mix when the other elements come in, try layering it with a more percussive sample to keep that punch.

The Reese Bass

Next up is the Reese bass, another key element in slap house. It’s usually played in the low sub-bass range and gives the track that deep, rolling foundation that’s hard to miss.

You can create a Reese bass using a multi-oscillator synth by combining a sawtooth and square wave with a low-pass filter to smooth it out. Or, if you want to save some time, plenty of plugins come with Reese bass presets ready to go.

If you're new to sound design, check out the tutorial above to get the basics down and craft your own.

The Rhythm

Getting the rhythm right is crucial in slap house music. Most slap house tracks sit around 125 BPM, similar to deep house music, giving them a steady, driving groove perfect for the dancefloor.

Activating the swing in your DAW is key to really nailing the slap house feel. That swing adds the groove and bounce that makes the genre stand out from your standard house track, so don’t forget to dial that in when you’re laying down your drums.

Buildups

A lot of producers don’t give their buildups the love they deserve, but trust me, an effective buildup can make all the difference when it comes to delivering a killer drop. Sometimes stacking a few risers with a snare roll can get the job done, but other times you’ll need to go the extra mile to really amp up the energy.

One trick is to filter out frequencies or even put parts of your buildup in mono, then hit listeners with the full stereo spread when the drop hits. It adds that extra punch and space, making your drop land that much harder.

Chopped Vox

One of the best things about EDM vocals is how flexible they are.

You can chop them, stretch them, pitch them up or down, reverse them, and just about anything in between. In slap house, vocals are usually pitched heavily or formant-shifted to give them that unique, almost robotic feel.

There are tons of vocal plugins you can play with that pack a bunch of effects into one. Or, if you want to keep things more natural, try recording your own vocals a few steps higher or lower than your track, then pitch them back to the right key. It’s an easy way to get that pitched effect without losing the organic feel.

Slap House Still Kicking

While 2024 has seen the slap house genre take a bit of a backseat in terms of trendiness, that doesn’t mean slap house tracks are fading out of electronic dance music completely.

Slap house tracks are still being made, and you can hear plenty of signature slap house elements - those deep basslines, chopped vocals, and punchy rhythms - popping up in other dance music genres.

At the end of the day, music sub genre trends come and go, but slap house music has left its mark. Whether it’s dominating club playlists or just inspiring new takes in other styles, it’s still got a pulse. So, if you’re thinking about jumping in, don’t hesitate - there’s plenty of room to experiment and make your mark on the genre.