DJ and producer Irwin “Chip E.” Eberhart says his contributions to the creation of the House music genre – alongside his crew of Kurt Landrum, Eric Taylor and Joe Smooth – often go unrecognized.

“A lot of people make the assumption that House music just accidentally happened, but it didn't,” he told Rundown podcast host Erin Allen. “There was an existing House culture, but there was no genre of House until Kurt Landrum, Joe Smooth, Eric ET Taylor, and myself put together the Jack Trax EP.”

“We intentionally created what we felt was a new type of music,” he added. “It’s not just dance music, it’s not just the evolution of disco, but it was an engineered sound. That’s why today, every single track on Jack Trax stands the test of time, because it is the blueprint.”

On this episode, Chip E. talked about his early life in Chicago and his path into music production, the creation of the Jack Trax EP and the origins of House, and why he thinks his crew hasn’t gotten its proper due. He also talked about why he loves this genre of music ahead of his headlining performance at Wicker Park Fest on July 28.

‘Godfather of House’ Chip E. calls his Jack Trax EP ‘the blueprint’ of the genre 17:42 Share

The Rundown | Chicago News

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‘Godfather of House’ Chip E. calls his Jack Trax EP ‘the blueprint’ of the genre