[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL "What the F is Dub Step?"
03.07.12
BY MIKEY MIGO
Sometimes I’m just late to the party. For more than the past few months I’ve heard murmurs, jokes, and talks about a new music genre on the scene called “Dub Step”. I just never took myself towards the trendy light, I guess. I didn’t indulge at all. I heard snippets and had a vague idea of what it was, but I’m not “up on it” as the kids would say.
Now that it seems everyone is tired of, or at least acceptant of, “dub step” I suppose it’s time for this “Johnny Come-Lately” to investigate what I’m missing.
Musically there seems to be roots in old school drum and bass tracks. They use a lot of samples, loops, and programming often at extreme rhythms cramming in as many beats as humanly possible. Some groups and DJ’s will include vocals, but it’s not necessarily a huge part of the sound. The use of distortion is common as well. You’ll hear what is called a “wobble bass”. It’s exactly what it sounds like it. It’s that throbbing “wah wah wah” sound that seems to be in every dubstep track.
Dubstep is an import from the UK. So if we’re going to blame anyone for this new genre trend, it’s them! I’m not sure, but I guess you can send all hate mail in relation to dubstep to the Queen.
It’s club music. Its roots go back to the turn of the century. In 2001, a club was opened and provided the first space that was solely dedicated to the genre. “Forward>>”, the dub club, was the haven for producers to showcase their darker and more experimental beats. The club’s exposure rose. They had a radio show and more and more producers and artists showed up. Meanwhile, smaller record stores were starting to push dubstep artists. It would slowly grow from a “scene” to a “movement”.
In 2003, the genre would swallow up a more jungle bass and more reggae-style tempo. More DJs came on the scene and more and more dub step releases were finding their way into the mainstream. Eventually, the term “grime” starts getting used. It like that term a lot better. It reminds me of grunge, but this can be cleaned with Clorox and a scrub brush. “Grime”, “Dubstep”, or whatever… it’s pretty much the same thing.
BBC Radio 1 started to show the style some love. A show on the station would be broadcast with DJ Mary Anne Hobbs. Around the same time, bigger and more trendy US cities were dabbling in “dubstep nights”. Slowly and surely the genre’s awareness expanded.
By the end of 2009, most “hip” music publications had covered dubstep. It was popping up before then as well. Popstars and hip hop artists were using dubstep influences for awhile. 2009 was the genre’s “break out year” though for sure. It blew up pretty big in the UK. Dubstep was gaining momentum, artists were making names for themselves, the internet buzz was rising, and soon American artists would put their twist on it. The American style is more aggressive. It’s often built around a darker tone. It’s more metallic, more robotic, and stays in similar registers as normal heavy rock. It’s presented almost as “neo-goth-techno”… or something weird like that. It’s very distinct.
I listened to a bit of everything I could find from old La Roux to Skrillex to dubstep beat boxing street performers. I’ve heard plenty of “dub step remixes” in my time. I understand the appeal. To me, it’s industrial techno. I’ve always been a fan of bands like Nine Inch Nails, Prodigy, Mindless Self Indulgence, or even Depeche Mode. A lot of the programming and darker dance remixes sound EXACTLY like what’s being passes off as new and fresh. I suppose everything cycles. It’s time for something in the realm of “new wave” and “industrial” to pop back up. I’m not going to ever specifically go after music for specific genre purposes. If something is good, then it’s good. I’m open to “dub step” just the same. At least now I’ll be able to know what I’m listening to.
Are there any other dubstep artists that I absolutely must hear?
What are YOUR thoughts on dubstep?
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