Fighting Music: Dubstep Edition
Looking for some new music to get you pumped up for your next workout? Check out our latest Dubstep Edition of Fighting Music – it’s sure to get you amped up and ready to take on anything!
The Basics of Dubstep
Dubstep is a type of electronic dance music that has become popular in recent years. It is characterized by heavy basslines and syncopated rhythms. If you’re new to dubstep, this article will give you a basic understanding of the genre.
What is dubstep?
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in the late 1990s. It is characterized by a distinctive bass sound that often features heavy drops and syncopated rhythms. Dubstep music is often created with software such as Ableton Live or Logic Pro.
The dubstep sound has its roots in the UK grime and garage scenes, as well as Jamaican dub and reggae music. Dubstep tracks typically feature a 4/4 time signature and are often around 140 beats per minute.
The genre began to gain mainstream popularity in the early 2010s, thanks in part to the success of artists such as Skream, Benga, and Burial. In recent years, dubstep has continued to evolve, incorporating elements from other genres such as trap and future bass.
Where did dubstep come from?
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the late 1990s. It is generally characterized by sparse, syncopated rhythmic patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub-bass frequencies. The style emerged as a development of breakbeat hardcore, a fusion of previous British rave music styles.
The earliest dubstep releases date back to 1998, and were mostly centered around the label Big Apple Records. These early tracks were darker and more experimental than the dubstep that would gain mainstream popularity in the early 2000s. Dubstep began to achieve mainstream success in the UK in 2003, when it entered into the top 40 singles chart for the first time.
In 2004, dubstep began to gain popularity in North America, particularly in Canada and the United States. The style began to enter into mainstream pop and electronic dance music in 2010, with artists such as Katy B and Rusko releasing commercial hits. In 2012, dubstep producer Skrillex won three Grammy Awards for his work in the genre.
Since its inception, dubstep has been heavily influenced by other genres of electronic dance music, including 2-step garage, grime, drum and bass, and electronica. It has also been influenced by Jamaican dancehall and reggae music.
What are the basic elements of dubstep?
The basic elements of dubstep are dark, repetitive basslines, half-time rhythms, and intense shuffling hi-hats. These elements are combined to create a music that is both aggressive and driving. Dubstep is often characterized by its wobbly, distorted basslines and syncopated rhythms. It is frequently used as a soundtrack for dancefloor battles and is also popular in clubs and on the radio.
The History of Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the late 1990s. It is generally characterized by sparse, syncopated rhythmic patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub-bass frequencies.
Early beginnings in the UK
The earliest incarnation of Dubstep was founded in the early 2000s in the United Kingdom. Originally a offshoot of 2-step garage, dubstep emerged as a distinct genre in its own right with a focus on dark, minimalistic soundscapes and heavy basslines. This new style of music quickly gained popularity in underground clubs and soon began to make its way into the mainstream.
While Dubstep has always been rooted in the UK, the genre has slowly begun to gain traction in the United States as well. In recent years, several American artists have begun to experiment with the sound, resulting in a new wave of Dubstep that is uniquely influenced by both American and British culture.
The rise of dubstep in the 2000s
In the early 2000s, dubstep began to emerge as a distinct genre in London clubs. Producers like Plastician and Hatcha started to play dubstep tracks in their sets, and a small but passionate community of fans began to coalesce around the sound.
Dubstep’s sound was characterized by its deep basslines, often produced with sub-bass sine wave synthesis, and sparse, syncopated drums. Building on the work of2-step garage producers like El-B and Horsepower Productions, early dubstep tracks often featured dark, source-sampled Amen breakbeats.
As the genre developed, producers began to experiment with different sounds and tempos. A hallmark of early dubstep was the ” half-time” feel of many tracks, which Slowthai referred to as “the hip-hop of 140 BPM.” This slow tempo allowed producers to create songs with complex basslines by using long, patient builds and releases. It also made it possible to incorporate elements of other genres into dubstep tracks; for example, many early dubstep productions drew heavily from Jamaican dancehall.
By 2006-2007, dubstep had begun to gain mainstream attention in the UK;Wiley’s “Eskimo” was one of the first dubstep tracks to crossover into the mainstream charts, peaking at #12 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2008, BBC DJ John Peel died; his radio show had been an important platform for dubstep artists in the early days of the genre.
In 2010, dubstep entered the US mainstream with Skrillex’s single “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”; although not strictly a dubstep track (it incorporates elements of electro house and fidget house), it helped introduce American audiences to the sound of dubstep. That same year, Burial’sUntrue was nominated for a Mercury Prize – further evidence of dubstep’s growing popularity outside of its underground origins.
Since then, dubstep has continued to evolve; while some artists have stayed true to its roots in 2-step garage and grime (e.g., Joy Orbison, Disclosure), others have pushed the genre in new directions (e.g., AlunaGeorge). In recent years, American artists like Seven Lions and Alison Wonderland have also made waves in the dubstep scene.
Dubstep’s influence on other genres
While dubstep may not be as popular as it once was, its influence can still be heard in many other genres of music. One of the most obvious examples is trap music, which often incorporates heavy bass lines and wobbly synths reminiscent of early dubstep tracks. You can also hear elements of dubstep in drum and bass, EDM, and even pop music. Many artists have experimented with incorporating dubstep-style drops into their songs, resulting in some pretty interesting hybrid tracks.
The Future of Dubstep
Dubstep has been around for a while and it’s definitely here to stay. The genre has evolved and changed over the years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, dubstep is only getting bigger and better. Let’s take a look at the future of dubstep.
Where is dubstep headed?
The future of dubstep is uncertain. The genre has become increasingly popular in recent years, but it has also faced criticism from some quarters. Some believe that the style is becoming too commercialised and formulaic, whilst others argue that it still has plenty of potential for innovation.
One thing is clear – dubstep is no longer the niche genre it once was. It now commands a large and loyal following, and its influence can be heard in a wide range of other styles of music. Whether this popularity will continue to grow or eventually fade remains to be seen, but for now, dubstep looks set to remain a key player on the music scene.
What are the latest trends in dubstep?
In its broadest sense, dubstep is a type of electronic dance music that evolved out of the 2-step garage and breakbeat hardcore scenes in the early 2000s. It is typically characterized by a sparse, syncopated rhythm with deep basslines and jarring, distorted synth melodies.
In recent years, dubstep has seen a surge in popularity both in the UK and the US, thanks in part to mainstream artists like Skrillex and Katy B. However, the genre has also been criticized for becoming too commercialized and formulaic.
So what does the future hold for dubstep? Here are some of the latest trends:
1. Wonky Dubstep: This subgenre is characterized by off-kilter rhythms, often with odd time signatures, and features elements of glitch hop and IDM. It’s often experimental and chaotic in nature, and sometimes has a dark or sinister edge. Some notable wonky dubstep artists include Starkey, Joker and Burial.
2. Atmospheric Dubstep: As the name suggests, this style focuses on creating an atmospheric or ambience soundscape, rather than relying on traditional song structures. Tracks are typically meandering and ethereal, with focused on mood and texture overdrop-heavy basslines. Artists like Mount Kimbie and James Blake are often classified as atmospheric dubstep.
3. Emo Dubstep: This relatively new trend emerged in the mid-2010s as a way to fuse together elements of emotive electronic music with classic dubstep sounds. Emo dubstep is often characterized by slow tempos, ethereal melodies and thematically dark lyrics. Some notable emo dub step artists include Yesod Williams (better known as judgedread) and Purity Ring (whose song “Fineshrine” was included on Pitchfork’s “Best New Music” list in 2012).
What does the future hold for dubstep?
No one can say for sure what the future holds for dubstep, but it seems clear that the genre is here to stay. Dubstep has become one of the most popular genres in electronic music, and its popularity shows no signs of slowing down. With its catchy melodies and heavy basslines, dubstep is perfect for both dancing and listening. And with so many different subgenres, there is something for everyone.
What does the future hold for dubstep? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: dubstep is here to stay.
