How to Write Outsider House Songs

You do not need permission to sound weird. Outsider house music celebrates the left of center. It is the bedroom cousin of club house that shows up late wearing thrift store gloves and a scratched vinyl jacket. This guide teaches you how to make outsider house tracks that feel lived in, oddly intimate, and dangerous in a comforting way.

We will cover what outsider house is, the sounds that define it, simple production recipes, lyrical approaches if you want vocals, mixing and mastering tips, and ways to release and perform tracks so they actually reach ears. Every technical term will be explained in plain language. Expect relatable examples, tiny exercises you can do right now, and a few jokes that will age like instant noodles. If you are a millennial or Gen Z producer who wants tracks that sound human and a little haunted, this is for you.

What Is Outsider House

Outsider house is a sub style of house that favors grit over polish, emotion over perfection, and human imperfections over sterile digital clarity. Think vintage drum machines recorded through cheap inputs, tape hiss that smells like regret, and shuffled grooves that sit slightly off the grid. The phrase outsider house came from a group of producers who rejected glossy club house and instead embraced raw textures and home recorded aesthetics.

The tracks often have:

• lo fi textures and analog noise
• softly sung or heavily processed vocals that sound personal
• drum programming that feels human and imperfect
• atmospheric rooms and oddly placed samples
• minimal but emotionally potent chord moves

Imagine a house track that is less about a clean DJ set and more like a late night mixtape from an emotionally unstable friend. That is outsider house.

Key Terms and Acronyms Explained

If you know some of these already skip ahead. If not this is your cheat sheet.

• DAW stands for digital audio workstation. This is the software you make music in. Popular DAWs include Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and FL Studio.
• BPM stands for beats per minute. This is how fast the track moves. House usually sits between eighty eight and one hundred and twenty BPM. Outsider house often prefers slower tempos to let the mood breathe.
• EQ stands for equalizer. It is a tool to shape the tone of sounds. Think of it like sunglasses for frequencies.
• FX stands for effects. Reverb, delay, distortion, and modulation are FX. They are the sauce that makes sounds feel like real places or memories.
• VST refers to virtual instruments and effects that you load inside your DAW. They are software plugins that sound like synths, reverbs, and compressors.
• LFO stands for low frequency oscillator. It is used to modulate parameters slowly. You can use it to make volume wobble or filter sweep rhythmically.
• ADSR stands for attack decay sustain release. It is the shape of a sound over time. Turning the attack up makes a sound creep in slowly. Turning the release up makes it fade out like a sigh.

Essentials of the Outsider House Sound

Outsider house is less a strict recipe and more a set of attitudes. If you are trying too hard to copy it you will sound like a tiktok parody. Instead absorb the spirit and apply simple rules of thumb.

• Texture over perfection Record through cheap inputs, add tape noise, and leave small mistakes.
• Groove with a human shiver Slightly swing the hi hats, let the kick feel round instead of clicky, and avoid perfectly quantized patterns.
• Space is part of the mood Use roomy reverbs, far mic sounds, and distant percussion. Make ears imagine an empty warehouse that used to be full.
• Vocal proximity Record vocals close and imperfect. Alternatively, treat vocal samples like found objects and place them weirdly in the mix.
• Minimal movement Keep arrangements sparse. A hypnotic loop with small variations is more effective than a complex arrangement.

Tempo and Groove

Tempo sets the physical mood of the track. Outsider house tends to sit lower than classic Chicago house. Try working between eighty eight and one hundred BPM. Slower tempos let textures and micro timing breathe. At slower tempos a slightly late snare or an early hi hat becomes meaningful. Let these micro timing choices act like conversational pauses in a messy story.

Groove comes from timing and velocity variations. Velocity describes how hard a drum or note is played. Human players naturally vary timing and velocity. To simulate human feel:

• nudge some percussion off the grid slightly later or earlier
• vary velocities so hits are not all at the same volume
• use swing or shuffle in your drum sequencer but not everywhere
• occasional ghost notes between beats create intimacy

Practical example: Program a basic kick on beats one and three. Put a clap on two and four. Add a hat pattern that plays eighth notes but delay every second hat by about 10 to 40 milliseconds. That delay makes ears lean in like someone whispering in a crowded room.

Drums and Sampling

Drums are central to outsider house but they are treated like objects you found in a thrift store. The goal is character not punch. Here are recipes to get drums that feel human and weird.

Drum sourcing

• Use old drum machines if you can. If not, use sample packs and then process them badly on purpose.
• Record household items. Tap a coffee tin and treat it as a tom. Record room sounds and use them for percussive textures.
• Layer samples. Pair a soft vintage kick under a cleaner modern one. Then lower the clean kick so it supports but does not dominate.

Processing tips

• Use distortion gently to add harmonic grit. A little saturator can make a drum sample sound older and more alive.
• Use bit reduction to introduce digital artifacts. This is intentional ugliness that becomes part of the charm.
• Apply a touch of reverb and then compress to bring percussion into the same room as the rest of the track.
• Use transient shaping to soften attack or to let clicks peek through. Transient shaping controls the initial hit of a drum.

Relatable scene: You are making a beat in your kitchen at midnight. The cheap mic captures the refrigerator hum. You accidentally clap to the fridge and it sounds cool. Keep that take. Replace the perfectly quantized clap with the fridge clap. Now your track has a memory.

Synths, Pads, and Textures

Synth parts in outsider house are often minimal and sometimes ambiguous. They provide mood more than melodic hooks. Your goals are warmth, movement, and lo fi coloration.

Choosing sounds

• Warm analog pads with slow attack
• Noisy square or saw waves that have been filtered and saturated
• Field recordings turned into droning textures
• Simple arpeggios run through tape emulation

Sound design recipes

1. Start with a basic synth patch with a mellow filter cutoff.
2. Add a small amount of noise in the synth engine to humanize the tone.
3. Route the sound through a tape emulation plugin for hiss and compression.
4. Modulate a slow LFO to the filter cutoff for breathing movement.
5. Place the sound slightly off center in the stereo field to prevent it from feeling too neat.

Real life metaphor: A pad should feel like an old sweater you keep on the back of your couch. It is comforting and it carries faint traces of someone else who once sat there.

Bass and Low End

The bass in outsider house does not need to be club crushing. It needs to be felt more than heard. A rounded, slightly distorted bassline that moves slowly will support the groove without competing with the texture work.

• Use a warm sine or rounded triangle wave for sub bass.
• Add harmonic distortion so the bass is audible on phone speakers.
• Keep the bass rhythm simple to avoid clutter.
• Sidechain the bass lightly to the kick if you need groove space but avoid the aggressive pumping used in EDM.

Vocals in Outsider House

Vocals are optional. When they appear they tend to be intimate and strange. Vocals can be sung, whispered, half spoken, or heavily processed samples pulled from found sources. The point is to sound vulnerable and oddly personal.

Recording vocals

• Record close to the mic. Embrace the breath and mouth noise.
• Use a low cost preamp or route through a cassette simulation to get warmth.
• Allow imperfections. Tiny pitch variations make vocals human.

Processing vocals

• Try heavy compression to bring the voice forward like a private confession.
• Use tape saturation to add artifacts and color.
• Apply granular delay for moments where you want the voice to fragment like a memory.
• Pitch shift small amounts to create doubled takes without recording twice.

Example use case: Record one quiet vocal take that is half sung and half spoken. Duplicate it. On the duplicate pitch shift down by a few cents and add chorus. Place one take dry and one with long reverb. The result will feel like two versions of the same person arguing in a small room.

Lyrics and Themes

If you use lyrics think personal and imperfect. Outsider house lyrics are not confessional in a polished singer songwriter way. They are fragments, half sentences, overheard texts, and flickers. Focus on single images rather than long explanations.

• Use short lines that act like a camera flash
• Include everyday objects to root emotion in specificity
• Repeat a small phrase to make it feel ritualistic
• Leave sentences unfinished to create mystery

Relatable example: Instead of I miss you a line could be Your toothbrush still stands like a quiet accusation. That image says more and is less polished.

Arrangement and Structure

Outsider house tracks are often loop based. The trick is to make small changes that feel meaningful. Build tension by removing elements rather than adding too many. Listeners should notice when you take something away.

Simple arrangement map

• Intro with texture and a hint of drums
• Main loop with drums, bass, and a pad
• Break with stripped drums and a vocal fragment
• Return with additional percussion or a new melodic counter
• Outro that fades into field recordings or tape noise

Use drop outs and returns as emotional punctuation. A moment of silence or near silence before a beat comes back will feel powerful if done sparingly.

Mixing Tips That Preserve Character

The goal of mixing outsider house is not to make everything surgically clean. The goal is to make the track feel coherent while preserving the character that makes it interesting.

• Use subtractive EQ to remove clashing frequencies but do not over sterilize texture
• Apply gentle compression to glue elements but keep dynamics where they matter
• Automate reverb sends to create space that changes over time
• Use stereo imaging to place elements wide or narrow but avoid over widening the low end
• Resist the urge to fully remove tape noise or hiss if it adds mood

Practical trick: Create a parallel channel for your drums where you crush them with heavy saturation and compression. Blend that parallel channel back under the dry drums to add bite without losing the original timing feel.

Mastering Pointers for Outsider House

Mastering outsider house should respect the genre intimacy. Loudness is less important than vibe. Aim for competitive levels but avoid squashing dynamics completely.

• Use a gentle limiter with few dB of gain reduction for loudness
• Apply subtle multiband compression only if necessary to tame tonal imbalances
• Use mid side processing sparingly to keep low end focused in mono
• Reference other tracks in the genre to match perceived tonal balance

Remember: It is better to lose a little loudness and keep the track breathing than to have a loud lifeless result.

Common Mistakes and Easy Fixes

We have all made these mistakes. Here are quick fixes that will save hours of pain.

Overproducing

Problem: You add layers until the track sounds like a cafeteria band. Fix: Remove any element that does not tell the story. Listen with headphones and mute one element at a time. If the track survives the mute it probably was filler.

Quantizing everything

Problem: Perfect timing kills groove. Fix: Keep a few elements slightly off grid. Humanize velocities. Add ghost notes. The listener will thank you with attention.

Polishing away character

Problem: You remove tape hiss and all analog charm. Fix: Keep a low level of noise. If needed, add a subtle tape emulation or room noise track and blend it low under the mix.

Over processing vocals

Problem: Vocals become unrecognizable and lose intimacy. Fix: Keep one dry vocal track with minimal processing. Use a second heavily processed layer for texture. Blend them to retain human presence.

DIY Exercises to Build Outsider House Skills

These drills are designed to get you making tracks tonight. Each one takes about thirty to sixty minutes.

Exercise 1. The Found Sound Loop

1. Record three random household sounds. Phone notification, boiling kettle, a book thud.
2. Chop them into one bar loops in your DAW.
3. Place a kick and a simple hat pattern around the loop. Keep the loop as the main rhythmic element.
4. Add a pad and a sub bass. Let the loop influence where the drums sit in the groove.

Exercise 2. The Imperfect Vocal

1. Record one line of text spoken quietly into your phone or mic. Keep breaths and mouth clicks.
2. Duplicate the take. Pitch shift one by a few cents down.
3. Add long reverb to one and a short delay to the other. Pan them differently.
4. Build a minimal beat under it and keep the vocal as the hook.

Exercise 3. The Tape Crush

1. Take a clean drum loop and route it through a tape emulation plugin.
2. Use bit reduction or subtle distortion after the tape plugin.
3. Blend in the dry loop to retain attack. Use a wet dry control to taste.
4. Create a second pattern with small timing shifts and alternate between the two patterns every eight bars.

Gear and Plugin Recommendations

You do not need expensive gear. Low cost options with personality are better than sterile high end gear for this sound.

• DAW: Ableton Live for quick loop based work. Logic for deep editing. Use what you know.
• Mic: Any decent condenser or even a USB mic will do. The Imperfection is welcome.
• Virtual synths: TAL U No for analog feel. Vital or Serum for flexible textures. Use noise and detune.
• Tape emulation: RC-20 Retro Color for instant charm. Softube Tape for warmer options.
• Saturation: Decapitator or Soundtoys Saturn for harmonic grit.
• Delay and reverb: Valhalla Vintage Verb for space. EchoBoy for analog sounding delay.
• Granular FX: Output Portal or free granulator plugins to fragment vocals and textures.

Shipping and Releasing Outsider House

Releasing outsider house can be weird because your track sits between DJ sets and streaming playlists. Here are practical paths.

Release options

• Self release on Bandcamp to keep control and build a fan base that likes physicality.
• Submit to small boutique labels that specialize in experimental house.
• Put tracks on streaming platforms with thoughtful metadata and tags like experimental house and outsider house.

Marketing tips

• Create a visual world. Outsider house thrives with lo fi photography and VHS style artwork.
• Share short behind the scenes clips of your found sounds and recording mishaps.
• Pitch your tracks to curators on platforms like SoundCloud and Telegram style channels that focus on underground electronic music.

Playing Live or DJ Sets

Outsider house is flexible in performance. You can DJ with a vinyl or digital set or you can perform with a small live rig. Keep routines short and unpredictable to maintain attention.

• If DJing, blend tracks with long reverb tails to create overlapping atmospheres.
• If performing, bring a small sampler, an effects pedal, and a controller to mangle sounds in real time.
• Use silence as a tool. A moment of near silence in a club can make people re focus harder than a drop.

Examples and Analysis

Study a few tracks and notice details. Listen for how producers place vocals, where they let noise live, and how they make small changes feel big.

• Notice how percussion is often soft and textured rather than hard and clicky
• Listen to where a vocal is intentionally buried in the mix to become another instrument
• Pay attention to microscopic timing shifts that make loops feel like living things

Checklist: Make an Outsider House Track Tonight

1. Set tempo between eighty eight and one hundred BPM
2. Create a one bar loop using a found sound as the anchor
3. Add a kick and a humanized hat pattern
4. Design a pad with slow attack and tape emulation
5. Record a short vocal fragment with breath and mouth noise
6. Add light saturation and bit reduction for texture
7. Arrange in simple blocks and use drop outs for tension
8. Mix with subtractive EQ and keep a low level of room noise
9. Master gently with a limiter and a reference track
10. Release on Bandcamp and share a lo fi cover photo

Frequently Asked Questions

Is outsider house the same as lo fi house?

They overlap but are not identical. Lo fi house often emphasizes dusty chords and warm piano loops. Outsider house is broader and more experimental. Outsider house welcomes found sounds, vocal fragments, and timing oddities that may not appear in classic lo fi house.

What BPM should I use for outsider house?

Most tracks sit between eighty eight and one hundred BPM. Slower tempos make texture and micro timing choices more noticeable. Pick a tempo that lets your groove breathe.

Do outsider house tracks need vocals?

No, vocals are optional. When used they are usually intimate, fragmentary, or processed. Vocals can be a memorable hook but the genre also thrives on purely instrumental textures.

How important is analog gear?

Analog gear helps but is not required. Vintage gear contributes character. You can emulate analog behavior with plugins and take the same creative approach by adding imperfections intentionally.

How do I keep my track from sounding bedroom amateur?

Preserve the feels of a DIY recording while maintaining clarity and intention. Use EQ to remove mud, keep a focused low end, and make deliberate arrangement choices. The charm is in imperfection but the song still needs to communicate.

Can outsider house work in a club?

Yes but it will likely land in late night rooms or more intimate sets. Some tracks can be remixed into more club friendly versions while keeping their core identity.

Action Plan You Can Use Right Now

1. Open your DAW and set tempo to ninety BPM
2. Record or import one found sound that has character
3. Build a one bar loop around it and add a kick and hat pattern
4. Design a pad with slow attack and route it through a tape emulator
5. Record one vocal line. Keep breaths and small flaws. Duplicate and process one copy heavily
6. Arrange eight to sixteen bars and use a drop out to create tension before the loop returns
7. Mix lightly and master with a gentle limiter. Export and upload to Bandcamp with a lo fi cover image

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