By NaJade · DJ in Bangkok · Published October 27, 2026
This guide is part of EDM genres explained.
The genre named almost by accident — and the bassline you’ll recognise in two seconds.
If you were anywhere near a club or a festival around 2014, you heard future house even if you didn’t know the name. Bouncy four-to-the-floor drums, a deep house groove, and a bassline that sounds like warped metal being bent in real time. It grew out of deep house and UK garage, hit the charts fast, and quietly became one of the building blocks of modern commercial dance music. Here’s what defines it, where it came from and how to use it as a DJ.
Future house is a style of house music that emerged around 2013–2014, mixing deep house grooves and UK garage swing with heavy, metallic, pitch-bending basslines. It usually sits at 124–128 BPM. Tchami named it, and Oliver Heldens and Don Diablo took it into the charts and onto festival main stages.
Where Future House Came From
The name came from French producer Tchami, who tagged his 2013 SoundCloud remix of Janet Jackson’s “Go Deep” as “future house.” He later said he never meant it as a genre — more as a label for house music that hadn’t been invented yet. The tag stuck anyway.
The breakout came from the Netherlands. Oliver Heldens released “Gecko” in 2013, and the vocal version “Gecko (Overdrive)” with Becky Hill became a UK chart hit in 2014. Alongside Don Diablo, he pushed the sound from small clubs to the biggest stages. According to Wikipedia’s future house entry, Beatport added it as an official genre tag in 2016.
What Future House Sounds Like
| Element | What to listen for |
|---|---|
| Tempo | Usually 124–128 BPM, most often 126 or 128 |
| Drums | Four-to-the-floor kick, crisp claps, garage-style shuffled hats |
| Bass | The signature: a metallic, rubbery bass with pitch bends and filter movement, often built with FM synthesis |
| Melody | Short, catchy hooks; the drop is driven by the bass, not big chords |
| Structure | Clear EDM-style builds and drops, usually in 16- and 32-bar phrases |
| Vocals | Chopped vocal hooks, or full pop toplines on crossover hits |
The easiest test: if the drop is mostly one bouncy, wobbling bass note doing all the talking, you’re probably listening to future house.
Future House vs Similar Genres
| Genre | Typical BPM | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| Future house | 124–128 | Metallic, bending bass; EDM drops |
| Deep house | 118–124 | Warmer, jazzier chords, softer bass, less drop-focused |
| Tech house | 124–128 | Groove-led, minimal melody, longer DJ-friendly builds |
| Bass house | 124–128 | Grittier, heavier, more aggressive bass |
| Big room house | 126–130 | Huge leads and breakdowns, simpler drums |
| UK garage | 130–135 | Swung two-step rhythms instead of a straight kick |
Future house also shares DNA with Australian future bounce, the bass house wave that followed it, and the more commercial “slap house” of the late 2010s. For the bigger family tree, see our guide to house music subgenres.
Key Artists and Tracks to Start With
- Tchami — his “Go Deep” remix and early originals defined the darker, groovier side.
- Oliver Heldens — “Gecko (Overdrive)” and “Koala” are the textbook examples of the bouncy, melodic side.
- Don Diablo — took the sound onto festival main stages with a brighter, pop-leaning edge.
- Malaa, Curbi, Mesto and Joe Stone — worth exploring for the deeper, bass-led and clubbier versions.
Search “future house” on any download store or record pool and you’ll find thousands of tracks. Start with the artists above, then follow the labels they release on.
How to Mix Future House as a DJ
- It blends easily with tech house and bass house because the tempos match. Moving from deep house means nudging the BPM up a few points over a couple of tracks.
- Mix on the phrase. Future house is built in clear 16- and 32-bar blocks, so line up your drops. See how to count bars and phrases.
- Watch the low end. Two future house basslines at once turn to mud. Swap the bass with the EQ at the drop instead of overlapping — our guide to using EQ when DJing covers bass swaps.
- Use it as a peak-time lift. One or two well-known future house tracks can lift a progressive or melodic set without changing the tempo much.
A Note From NaJade
I came into DJing through progressive house, and future house was the first “other” genre that made sense in my sets. It sits in the same tempo range and has the same build-and-release structure, but the bassline brings a cheekier, more playful energy. On a Bangkok rooftop at 11pm, when people are starting to dance but nobody wants anything too heavy yet, a classic future house track does exactly the right job. I don’t play whole sets of it, and some of the 2015-era tracks sound dated now. But as a tool to shift the mood without breaking the flow, I still reach for it often. If you play melodic or progressive house, keep a small folder of it ready.
Related: EDM genres explained, what is progressive house, what is electro house, and house music subgenres. Artist background: Oliver Heldens on Wikipedia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What BPM is future house?
Who invented future house?
What is the difference between future house and deep house?
Is future house still popular?
What makes the future house bass sound?
Can you mix future house with progressive house?
About the Author
NaJade is a Bangkok-based DJ playing progressive house, melodic EDM, pop, and Thai music across clubs, rooftops, and weddings in Thailand. He teaches beatmatching and mixing to beginners both in person in Bangkok and online over Zoom. When he’s not behind the decks, he’s documenting the journey on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.