NEW Dubstep vs OLD Dubstep

frozen smoke · 06-06-2013, 03:05 PM

The dubstep genre has changed over the last 6+ years. Whats your take on the evolving genre. Do you like the newer pew pew type of dub, or the Dank wobbles that use to echo your brain matter?

frozen smoke · 06-08-2013, 07:11 PM

This is a comment forum. Wanting to know your thoughts on how dubstep has evolved and what you think of it.

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 06-08-2013, 07:24 PM

all dubstep is terrible

Freebase Dali · 06-08-2013, 10:21 PM

Back when the music could have been called UK Garage, Grime, Dub and 2-Step, it was great. Now, it has the potential to be great, but most of the focus goes into the wrong things. The best thing about the realness that was evolving in the UK was the vibe. It didn't rely on anything other than that, and the gallop of the beat. Since then, the focus has shifted to other aspects that, while they could be considered evolutions, they're not evolving from the same place.

Personally, I don't appreciate what most people call "brostep". I do, however, enjoy the roots. And if there are people out there that can't tell the difference between then and now, then I feel sorry for them.

Gavin B. · 06-09-2013, 07:33 AM

I'm not even sure what dubstep really is. I've heard a cross-section of music described as dubstep, but I don't really don't see a common link, except perhaps the use of off-tempo electronic rhythms with an aggressive bass line. But at least twenty sub-genres of electronic music have the same musical characteristics.

I wonder about the use of the word "dub" in dubstep because none dubstep music I've heard has any sort of resemblance to the dub music that has it's roots in the Jamaican dancehalls in the Seventies.

To confuse matters even more, the All Music Guide places a baffling array of seemingly unrelated artists in the dubstep genre such as: Burial, Kode9, James Blake, Cooly G, Gil Scott Heron, Allison Moyet, Korn (???), Mount Kimbie, Scientist, Ikonika, and Eskmo.

According to AMG, "dubstep" is a sub genre of "jungle/drum 'n' bass" genre which is a sub-genre of "electronic" music. The proliferation of pop music genres over the past 2 decades is enough to confuse even the most avid fan.

There are over 50 sub-genres of electronic music alone and I feel stupid because I need a PhD in musical taxnomy to understand all of the subtle distinctions within the science of musical classification. It's all electronic music to me.

I don't even want to get into sub-genres of pop & rock music because there's nearly 500 sub-genres of pop and rock. It appears that someday in the near future, every rock band will have it's own unique musical sub-genre.

I think music company executives & music retailers are responsible for creeping expansion of genre nomenclature, in the past 20 years. Genre has become a marketing tool used by music company executives and music retailers to target specific demographic groups to sell music to.

For example nearly anyone over the age of 40 knows what techno music is, but fewer 40+ folks know what drum 'n' bass or jungle music is. And almost no one over the age of 40 knows what dubstep music is. That's because the term "dubstep" is used almost exclusively to market music to 18-30 year old demographic of music buyers.

Engine · 06-09-2013, 05:39 PM

In 2002 the magazine XLR8R put out an issue about the emergence of dubstep. I still have the copy that I bought on the stands, having never heard of dubstep.

Here the magazine writes that a BBC Radio 1 DJ credits XLR8R with coining the term, although the writer of the article is not sure if that's correct.

Anyone paying attention to electronic music since the early 00s can easily tell the difference(s) among dubstep that has been made since then. Like Freebase said, it's not a linear progression of a certain sound.

In that issue of XLR8R many unknown DJs are written about. One duo that definitely helped start the 'genre' (and one of my personal favorites) is Horsepower Productions. I consider them 'old' dubstep, although they don't represent the entire early scene which I think stems from a pretty simple equation: UK garage + Dub + 2-Step. But even that simple combo yields extremely varied results.

Here's a song HP made in 2004

And one in 2009

'New' dubstep is less easy to define because there are so many styles incorporated into the music that gets that tag. I think what Freebase called 'brostep' is generally what people think of when they hear the word now. Like this Zomboy stuff from, I think, 2013 (I personally think it sounds awful)

Of course there's a lot more than that coming out currently. Tempa is a label that has released reliably good stuff both old and new.

Freebase Dali · 06-09-2013, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engine

In 2002 the magazine XLR8R put out an issue about the emergence of dubstep. I still have the copy that I bought on the stands, having never heard of dubstep.

Here the magazine writes that a BBC Radio 1 DJ credits XLR8R with coining the term, although the writer of the article is not sure if that's correct.

Anyone paying attention to electronic music since the early 00s can easily tell the difference(s) among dubstep that has been made since then. Like Freebase said, it's not a linear progression of a certain sound.

In that issue of XLR8R many unknown DJs are written about. One duo that definitely helped start the 'genre' (and one of my personal favorites) is Horsepower Productions. I consider them 'old' dubstep, although they don't represent the entire early scene which I think stems from a pretty simple equation: UK garage + Dub + 2-Step. But even that simple combo yields extremely varied results.

Here's a song HP made in 2004

And one in 2009

'New' dubstep is less easy to define because there are so many styles incorporated into the music that gets that tag. I think what Freebase called 'brostep' is generally what people think of when they hear the word now. Like this Zomboy stuff from, I think, 2013 (I personally think it sounds awful)

Of course there's a lot more than that coming out currently. Tempa is a label that has released reliably good stuff both old and new.

I agree 100 percent.
The newer "dubstep" is only incorporating 2 things from traditional Dubstep, and that's the tempo and beat structure, and even that is only to an extent. Everything else is derived from genres such as Electro, Drum & Bass, etc. When you think about it, today's Dubstep can't really be classified as Dubstep if we're looking at roots, but an offshoot of it. Much in the way that we can't simply call a Neurofunk tune "Drum & Bass" while thinking of the kind of Drum & Bass we had in the '90s.

In Drum & Bass, we started off with more Jungle type stuff, and it splintered off from there. Among other subgenres, we ended up with Techstep, which eventually evolved into what we know as Neurofunk today. While it's still all Drum & Bass, the distinction serves as an indicator. If I want to listen to some Liquid D&B, I know what to look for. If I want to listen to some Neurofunk, I also know what to look for. And if I want to listen to some Jump Up, or some Dark Step, I also know where to go. While they're all technically Drum & Bass, the attention to styistic difference serves a handy purpose.
So, in that respect, simply referring to everything Electronic that plays at 140BPM in half-time and includes some D&B sounding bass as Dubstep is probably a handicap for people that don't know the difference.

I don't care if they do or not... I just think they'd be better off knowing what the hell it is they're listening to.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 06-11-2013, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

Back when the music could have been called UK Garage, Grime, Dub and 2-Step, it was great.

Sure was, this is from 2003, they mention it on here and they didn't even know what sort of music it was - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiMZAPIfZxI

Dubstep and Grime are especially close though because they evolved at the same exact time from the same people, place and radio stations. One merged into Hip-Hop and the other developed into Brostep.

Also seems like Dubstep evolved from stoner music to pillhead music. Once it started to get popular the crowds and fan base changed. I'd say it's more like Dance music now.

Quote:

Now, it has the potential to be great, but most of the focus goes into the wrong things. The best thing about the realness that was evolving in the UK was the vibe. It didn't rely on anything other than that, and the gallop of the beat. Since then, the focus has shifted to other aspects that, while they could be considered evolutions, they're not evolving from the same place.

I've heard very little creativity from the modern Brostep stuff tbh. The emphasis seems completely on how ridiculous you can make the bass sound or how aggressive you can make the snare or whatever. It's toss. Sukh Knight is sort of a hybrid of the two styles though and does it very well I think.

There is good stuff being made, but I cannot be bothered to sift through the massive amounts of shit to find it anymore.

Quote:

Personally, I don't appreciate what most people call "brostep". I do, however, enjoy the roots. And if there are people out there that can't tell the difference between then and now, then I feel sorry for them.

.

aylictal · 06-20-2013, 08:38 AM

i'm very selective with dubstep... theres only a few that really do it for me.

i really liked the xilent - choose me dubstep song. i also liked the seven lions across the great divide track.

most dubstep however, is just nerve wracking i feel though.

jackhammer · 06-21-2013, 05:41 PM

Basically what has happened is that Dubstep is now commercialised and it is one of the few sub genres of Electronic music that has really become huge but of course that leads to a whole rash of inferior music and then it evolves again into something else with the original sound of dubstep almost obliterated but hey that's the mainstream for you.

I like some tracks from what is now classed as Dubstep but my heart is definitely in the original atmospheric sound of Dubstep.

Gavin B - I can certainly understand you not quite getting where the Dub aspect fits into the music but try giving Benga's Diary Of An Afro Warrior album a listen and you can certainly hear Dub even though it is distilled and the affinity to stripping down songs and putting them back together again with lots of effects which is part (only one admittedly) of what Dub is about.

06-06-2013, 03:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
frozen smoke Groupie Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 14	NEW Dubstep vs OLD Dubstep The dubstep genre has changed over the last 6+ years. Whats your take on the evolving genre. Do you like the newer pew pew type of dub, or the Dank wobbles that use to echo your brain matter?

06-08-2013, 10:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
Freebase Dali Partying on the inside Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,584	Back when the music could have been called UK Garage, Grime, Dub and 2-Step, it was great. Now, it has the potential to be great, but most of the focus goes into the wrong things. The best thing about the realness that was evolving in the UK was the vibe. It didn't rely on anything other than that, and the gallop of the beat. Since then, the focus has shifted to other aspects that, while they could be considered evolutions, they're not evolving from the same place. Personally, I don't appreciate what most people call "brostep". I do, however, enjoy the roots. And if there are people out there that can't tell the difference between then and now, then I feel sorry for them. __________________

06-09-2013, 07:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	I'm not even sure what dubstep really is. I've heard a cross-section of music described as dubstep, but I don't really don't see a common link, except perhaps the use of off-tempo electronic rhythms with an aggressive bass line. But at least twenty sub-genres of electronic music have the same musical characteristics. I wonder about the use of the word "dub" in dubstep because none dubstep music I've heard has any sort of resemblance to the dub music that has it's roots in the Jamaican dancehalls in the Seventies. To confuse matters even more, the All Music Guide places a baffling array of seemingly unrelated artists in the dubstep genre such as: Burial, Kode9, James Blake, Cooly G, Gil Scott Heron, Allison Moyet, Korn (???), Mount Kimbie, Scientist, Ikonika, and Eskmo. According to AMG, "dubstep" is a sub genre of "jungle/drum 'n' bass" genre which is a sub-genre of "electronic" music. The proliferation of pop music genres over the past 2 decades is enough to confuse even the most avid fan. There are over 50 sub-genres of electronic music alone and I feel stupid because I need a PhD in musical taxnomy to understand all of the subtle distinctions within the science of musical classification. It's all electronic music to me. I don't even want to get into sub-genres of pop & rock music because there's nearly 500 sub-genres of pop and rock. It appears that someday in the near future, every rock band will have it's own unique musical sub-genre. I think music company executives & music retailers are responsible for creeping expansion of genre nomenclature, in the past 20 years. Genre has become a marketing tool used by music company executives and music retailers to target specific demographic groups to sell music to. For example nearly anyone over the age of 40 knows what techno music is, but fewer 40+ folks know what drum 'n' bass or jungle music is. And almost no one over the age of 40 knows what dubstep music is. That's because the term "dubstep" is used almost exclusively to market music to 18-30 year old demographic of music buyers. __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt

06-09-2013, 05:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
Engine air quote Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: pollen & mold Posts: 3,108	In 2002 the magazine XLR8R put out an issue about the emergence of dubstep. I still have the copy that I bought on the stands, having never heard of dubstep. Here the magazine writes that a BBC Radio 1 DJ credits XLR8R with coining the term, although the writer of the article is not sure if that's correct. Anyone paying attention to electronic music since the early 00s can easily tell the difference(s) among dubstep that has been made since then. Like Freebase said, it's not a linear progression of a certain sound. In that issue of XLR8R many unknown DJs are written about. One duo that definitely helped start the 'genre' (and one of my personal favorites) is Horsepower Productions. I consider them 'old' dubstep, although they don't represent the entire early scene which I think stems from a pretty simple equation: UK garage + Dub + 2-Step. But even that simple combo yields extremely varied results. Here's a song HP made in 2004 And one in 2009 'New' dubstep is less easy to define because there are so many styles incorporated into the music that gets that tag. I think what Freebase called 'brostep' is generally what people think of when they hear the word now. Like this Zomboy stuff from, I think, 2013 (I personally think it sounds awful) Of course there's a lot more than that coming out currently. Tempa is a label that has released reliably good stuff both old and new. __________________ Like an arrow, I was only passing through.

06-21-2013, 05:41 PM	#10 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Basically what has happened is that Dubstep is now commercialised and it is one of the few sub genres of Electronic music that has really become huge but of course that leads to a whole rash of inferior music and then it evolves again into something else with the original sound of dubstep almost obliterated but hey that's the mainstream for you. I like some tracks from what is now classed as Dubstep but my heart is definitely in the original atmospheric sound of Dubstep. Gavin B - I can certainly understand you not quite getting where the Dub aspect fits into the music but try giving Benga's Diary Of An Afro Warrior album a listen and you can certainly hear Dub even though it is distilled and the affinity to stripping down songs and putting them back together again with lots of effects which is part (only one admittedly) of what Dub is about. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

06-08-2013, 07:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
frozen smoke Groupie Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 14	This is a comment forum. Wanting to know your thoughts on how dubstep has evolved and what you think of it.

06-08-2013, 07:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
~~Sansa Stark~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Eyrie, Vale of Arryn, Westeros Posts: 3,234	all dubstep is terrible

06-20-2013, 08:38 AM	#9 (permalink)
aylictal Groupie Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 19	i'm very selective with dubstep... theres only a few that really do it for me. i really liked the xilent - choose me dubstep song. i also liked the seven lions across the great divide track. most dubstep however, is just nerve wracking i feel though.