Microhouse is best described as 'housey minimal techno' rather than 'house with techno elements'

Microhouse (also called buftech or simply minimal) is a subgenre of house music strongly influenced by minimalism and 1990s techno, with roots in minimal techno, bitpop, and house. It is often contrasted with tech house: where tech house is thought of as ‘house music with elements of techno’, microhouse is more aptly described as ‘housey minimal techno’ — a marriage of the funky, groovy backroom-house feel with the driving, repetitive sound of techno. Emphasis falls on cushiony kick-drum thumps and hi-hats, with faint textures from synthetic strings and dreamy keyboard tones. It emerged in late-1990s Europe.

Examples

Jan Jelinek’s work as Farben (‘Loop-finding-jazz-records’) and Luomo’s ‘Vocalcity’ album are hallmark microhouse recordings that established the sound.

Assessment

Explain the distinction the source draws between tech house and microhouse, and why microhouse is called ‘housey minimal techno’ rather than ‘house with techno elements’.