In the ever-evolving world of electronic music, new micro-genres are constantly emerging, shaping the scene and sound in exciting ways. Stutter House is one such micro-genre, also known as Tremor, Tremolo, or Flutter House.
Unlike some other sub-genres or scenes, Stutter House primarily revolves around a unique production effect: a pulsing or stuttering vocal, lead, or synth pad sound. Its popularity is largely attributed to London producer Fred Again. This producer has been relentless in his output, having been mentored by electronic music legend Brian Eno and producing music for top artists like Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, and FKA Twigs.
However, the sound of Stutter House is so closely associated with Fred Again that his name is as synonymous with the genre as T-Pain is with Auto-Tune.
The technology behind Stutter House is not groundbreaking, but its simplicity is part of its appeal. Plugins like Cableguys Shaperbox and Xfer Records LFO Tool have popularized the Stuttering or Tremolo effect, allowing producers to easily replicate this effect. In recent months, many production tutorials have emerged explaining how to achieve this effect.
Emerging Music#
"Stutter House" as a micro-genre is gradually gaining momentum, with tracks like SILK's "Quiver," released by EMI three months ago, amassing over ten million streams on major platforms.
However, despite the attention Stutter House is garnering, there is controversy over whether it should be considered a distinct genre.
Jack Bridges, Senior Label Relations Manager at SoundCloud, stated, "I personally don’t think it’s a genre in itself. It’s more a moment in a set that can create a build-up, a peak, a change in direction or energy. Two or three tracks in a row can be too much for listeners. When you hear Fred Again’s set, even if he’s not playing this stuttered vocal music one after another, it’s interspersed."
Similarly, while this particular production effect is not strictly new, playlists are emerging around it. Moreover, this sound has permeated other genres, particularly Drum & Bass, as seen in Moonboy's "Need U."
If you're unsure where to start with Stutter House, here are six tracks to get you going.
Fred Again – ‘Marea (we’ve lost dancing)’ feat. The Blessed Madonna#
This is undoubtedly one of the tracks that pioneered the Stutter/Tremolo House music style. Released in February 2021 by Atlantic Records, the collaboration between Fred Again and The Blessed Madonna helped crystallize the sound characteristics that would later become so familiar. Pay attention to the lead synth, which showcases its gentle, slightly melancholic qualities through soft attack and tremolo effects. Additionally, Fred Again's Bleu is another Stutter House track that I quite enjoy.
SILK – ‘Quiver’#
"Quiver" is a work released by SILK in December 2022, pushing the stutter/tremolo sound effects to the limit within the context of the London-centric micro-genre. Tremolo (volume modulation) is applied to any applicable track. The lead vocals, backing vocals, and off-beat synth pad in the intro have all been processed with Stutter/Tremolo House effects. The Musiio label also picked up on the more vibrant and crazy tags, as well as a noticeably higher tempo, indicating a shift in sound.
BUNT – ‘Clouds’#
German electronic music duo BUNT (real name Levi Wijk) describes their music as Folk House, but that hasn’t stopped their single "Clouds" from landing on multiple Stutter House playlists. Released in January 2023 by Arista/Sony Music, both the original and sped-up versions have been successful. Starting from 0:39, you can hear the true stutter/tremolo effect, giving the Musiio-tagged AI a celestial and uplifting quality.
Forester – ‘All I Need’#
California duo Forester injects electronic dance music elements into their track "All I Need." Released in September 2022 by Palm Tree Records (a joint venture with Sony Music), the production features sampled vocals, distorted guitars, and laser gun sound effects. This is clearly inspired by European Stutter House music, but it uses less ethereal tremolo/flutter effects and showcases more muscular galloping and production polish. Ideal for air-punches, not spaced-out nodding.
The Chainsmokers & Ship Wrek – ‘The Fall’#
Electronic music duo The Chainsmokers have accumulated billions of streams on music streaming platforms with hits like "Don't Let Me Down" and their collaboration with Coldplay on "Something Just Like This." The New York-based musicians teamed up with Los Angeles duo Ship Wrek to produce a popular track called Stutter House. Released in June 2022, the importance of this track lies in its fluttering vocal pad intro. The use of rising and falling tremolo is a common sonic feature of the other tracks in this piece. (See also ODESZA's "The Last Goodbye.")
TOM SANTA – ‘We Don’t Ever Stop’#
Melbourne local Tom Santa pushes the style in another direction once again. While this track features typical vocal stuttering, his beat pattern triggers the Breakbeat tag. Although "We Don’t Ever Stop" (released in October 2022) is likely a response to Bicep's "Glue" (2017), it could also serve as a stepping stone for Drum & Bass to adopt the tremolo/stutter sound.