New documentary celebrates Chicago house music’s 40th anniversary

A new documentary celebrating 40 years of Chicago’s house music scene is set to premiere tonight (8th November).

House Music: A Cultural Revolution tells the story of the genre’s evolution via archival footage from the scene’s early years and interviews with the people who were there from the start. It focuses on how Chicago’s Black and gay clubs gave the genre a space to grow, and also looks at how the sound has inspired some of the best-known pop music artists of the present day, including Beyoncé.

In an interview with Chicago Tonight, the documentary’s producer, Barbara Allen, said: “The film talks a lot about the community… the congregation of people that make house music. Once you get the beat, it becomes almost chanting with your body – where you all get in the same groove as you would in a chant but you do it with your body and you’re dancing.”

House Music: A Cultural Revolution debuts on Chicago TV station WTTW at 8pm CST, forming part of the ‘Chicago Stories’ strand of documentaries.

Revisit DJ Mag’s guide to 10 essential house music documentaries you can watch online here.