Maybe a video game ad filled to the brim with screechy bass wobbles and aggressive drums? The truth is, like with so many genres, dubstep first emerged as a hyper-regional underground scene before eventually hitting the global mainstream and even turning into something of a musical meme. In this article, let\u2019s take a look at one of the most misunderstood and arguably sonically diverse genres in modern music, with a legacy that made countless people (including myself) fall in love with music production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dubstep is an electronic dance music genre featuring sparse, syncopated drum rhythms and deep, pulsating basslines<\/a> played at around 140 BPM (beats per minute).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also something to be experienced: imagine a dark warehouse where crowds gather among towering sets of loudspeakers. DJs propel low-end sounds relentlessly and MCs improvise vocal rhymes in support. There\u2019s a temporary lull in the music, and a palpable anticipation builds before the next groove drops in, pummeling the empty space with waves of sub-bass frequencies you can feel resonating through your chest. The audience erupts with a renewed energy and you hear chants of \u201crewind\u201d and \u201cpull up,\u201d appealing to the DJ to start the tune all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At its very best, dubstep is emotive, immersive, and communal. The essence of this movement and its music can be summed up by the lasting catchphrase of producer unit and record label DMZ:<\/a> \u201cCome meditate on bassweight.\u201d The manner in which this bassweight gets delivered to the listener is completely up to the artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New subscribers can try all of Splice\u2014including 200 monthly sample download credits, full access to all premium INSTRUMENT presets, and more\u2014for $4.99\/mo.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n What would become a worldwide phenomenon by around 2010 had very humble beginnings almost a decade earlier\u2014so let\u2019s rewind. Dubstep’s origin point lies in England, particularly the unassuming South London neighborhood of Croydon. This is where a group of producers\u2014some local, some from neighboring cities\u2014began to gather and combine elements of UK garage, grime, dub reggae<\/a>, and drum and bass<\/a> in new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was partly in reaction to the increasingly polished and commercial direction of UK garage at the time in particular\u2014many artists sought to strip the music back to its raw, more underground roots. This overlapped with a growing desire to push sonic boundaries and create a moodier, more atmospheric sound that reflected the urban environments they lived in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In true music nerd fashion, these producers began gathering and showcasing their explorations to one another in small venues\u2014it was always about the music, after all. Ideas were constantly bouncing around, and the sound developed more rapidly as it began to be showcased in local record shops like Big Apple Records, on pirate radio stations like Rinse FM, and at club nights like FWD>>. These gatherings began drawing interest from outside of London as well as other parts of Europe and beyond. By the mid-2000s, underground dubstep events were springing up in the United States, as part of larger European festivals, and on more prominent radio stations like the BBC\u2019s Radio 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the late 2000s, dubstep had grown from a niche sound into a global movement, laying the groundwork for a full mainstream crossover. Like a snake eating its own tail, its sound had gone from polished to experimental and back to commercial again with a more manic, maximalist, and melodic tilt that’s what many identify with the term dubstep today.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dubstep got its name from existing musical genres and movements that pioneering producers were reacting to and drawing influence from. The \u201cstep\u201d comes from the established 2-step, garage, and drum and bass aesthetics these artists were remixing into much more minimal, syncopated, and bass-heavy tracks. The \u201cdub\u201d comes from its foundation in dub reggae music,<\/a> which itself was traditionally known for remixes focusing on the rhythm section (the drums and bass) along with a heavy and often psychedelic use of effects like reverb<\/a> and delay.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, dub reggae\u2019s intrinsic link to Jamaican sound system culture can be seen in the dubstep scene\u2019s focus on live DJing, MCing, and exclusive acetate records known as dubplates.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the original sound of the movement that began with a bunch of producers bouncing ideas around and innovating in reaction to the existing mainstream of UK dance music. Hardcore fans will simply refer to it as dubstep, but the sonic variety found across the 2000s and early 2010s is truly noteworthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each artist put their own unique stamp on things, using dubstep\u2019s relatively straightforward production framework as an easel upon which to paint and emphasize their own musical backgrounds. Let\u2019s explore the wide stylistic range of the genre during this period with a list of influences that\u2019s nowhere close to being exhaustive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Garage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The earliest roots of dubstep overlap heavily with the aforementioned desire to reimagine popular UK garage and 2-step through a darker, more minimal lens. These exploratory productions by artists like Horsepower Productions, El-B,<\/a> and Zed Bias (check out his Splice pack<\/a>) often employed elements from drum and bass along with dissonant harmonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHistory of dubstep music<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When was dubstep created?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why is it called dubstep music?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSubgenres of dubstep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
(Deep) dubstep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n