# Dubstep



## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

I've just recently gotten into dubstep. For those that don't know, dubstep is a form of electronic dance music derived from drum and bass and 2-step garage, with influences from several other genres. Wikipedia has more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubstep

I have a few questions:

How many people around here enjoy dubstep? To what extent?
If you do like dubstep, can you post some of your favorite tracks or recommend some to me?
Lastly, why is the presence or absence of wobble bass (the WUBWUBWUBWUB thing) considered an indicator of quality by many people?


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I like it, I've got a compilation 2 cd set, but mainly I listen to it on radio.

There's a good dubstep performer called *Skrillex*, one of his hit songs that gave a big profile to the genre was called something like _Scary monsters and nice sprites_. Cool song & it's also got a nice kind of inclusive message behind it.

I basically only listen to it, enjoy it, I'm not an "expert" in dubstep by no means. I think it's a great new genre with heaps of potential...


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

@Sid James: I've been liking quite a bit of Skrillex. "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," "Ruffneck," and "Bangarang" I enjoyed especially. I also really like Zeds Dead's remix of "Nights in White Satin."


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

yeah its awesome.


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Ugh I really hate to be one of these people, you should listen to whatever you like. But Skrillex is awful, his music is mindnumbing and it has all the subtly of two car factories f******. Dubstep was originally about dark, atmospheric, detailed, complex and subtle musical development, now it is simply about the sickest base drop and banging choons.

And now for my next trick, after insulting dubstep fans, I will go after prog rock fans. This

__
https://soundcloud.com/erwtenpeller%2Fwar-of-the-worlds
 is a great dubstep remix of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds, so much better and more fitting to the theme of alien invasion than the original cheesy prog version.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

quack said:


> Ugh I really hate to be one of these people, you should listen to whatever you like. But Skrillex is awful, his music is mindnumbing and it has all the subtly of two car factories f******. Dubstep was originally about dark, atmospheric, detailed, complex and subtle musical development, now it is simply about the sickest base drop and banging choons.


Ah, that explains it... Of course, the point of electronic dance music is dancing (or what passes off as dancing nowadays), and subtlety isn't very effective for that purpose. However, I don't dance or visit night clubs, so now I know what to listen for. Thanks!


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I don't understand what the point of this music is aside from 'oooh bass - wow more bass - and oooh trippy bass sounds'. To me it sounds like DJ's take a regular song add the 'wubwub' bass to it and wala like 27 million youtube views.

If this form of music was originally about (to quote quack) "_dark, atmospheric, detailed, complex and subtle musical development_" I'd love to hear some examples of dubstep pieces that exhibit those qualities.


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Well I am no real expert on dubstep or any genre really, just a dilettante with tastes for all sorts of music, i'm sure a real dubstep expert would pour scorn on my choices.

The first thing to note only the modern stuff like shrillix, disparagingly called brostep, is really like electronic dance music. The earlier stuff before 2008 was much more atmospheric, less dancey more like reggae dub music, probably fails at complex for a classical listener but it is less of an assault to the head.

Here's a phew


























I'd have to say the moody blues dubstep you mentioned sounds terrible to me as well, simply some old song with tonnes of WUBWUBWUB put behind it. There is nothing wrong with the heavy wobbly WUB baseline, but it has become way over used and these days it is usually a sign of lazy unimaginative dubstep. I really like techno, drum and bass and other loud repetitive types of electronic music, this isn't just about modern dubstep being noisy it is more about it being dull.

Here's some cool uses of dubstep outside the club music type groove:











Ok that's a lot of homework for you, but if you only listen to one thing I would suggest the war of the world's remix, best use of dubstep I have heard.

Ack too many vids in one post


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

quack said:


> Well I am no real expert on dubstep or any genre really, just a dilettante with tastes for all sorts of music, i'm sure a real dubstep expert would pour scorn on my choices.
> 
> The first thing to note only the modern stuff like shrillix, disparagingly called brostep, is really like electronic dance music. The earlier stuff before 2008 was much more atmospheric, less dancey more like reggae dub music, probably fails at complex for a classical listener but it is less of an assault to the head.
> 
> ...


I see. So using wobble bass in dubstep has become somewhat akin to using an Alberti bass in modern classical? It seems that dubstep was originally similar to impressionist music in that the goal was atmosphere and subtlety, while brostep is more direct and in-your-face.

Searching for "brostep" on Wikipedia redirected me to this section of the article on dubstep:


Wikipedia said:


> In 2011, Dubstep gained significant traction in the US market by way of a post-dubstep style known as 'brostep' with the American producer Skrillex becoming something of a figurehead for the scene. In September 2011 a Spin Magazine EDM special referred to brostep as a "lurching and aggressive" variant of dubstep that has proved commercially successful in the United States.[108] Unlike traditional dubstep production styles, that emphasize sub-bass content, brostep accentuates the middle register and features "robotic fluctuations and metal-esque aggression." According to Simon Reynolds, as dubstep gained larger audiences and moved from smaller club based venues to larger outdoor events, sub-sonic content was gradually replaced by distorted bass riffs that function roughly in the same register as the electric guitar in heavy metal.[109]
> 
> The term brostep has been used by some as a perjorative descriptor for popular Americanised Dubstep. [110] Dubstep purists have leveled criticisms at brostep because of its preoccupation with "hard" and aggressive sounding timbres. In the UK brostep has been jokingly called "bruvstep" and "mid-range cack". US producers often drew inspiration from British producers who tended to work less with sub-bass and more with mid-range sounds such as Caspa, Rusko, and Vexd[111]. Rusko commented in an interview on BBC's 1Xtra radio show that "brostep is sort of my fault, but now I've started to hate it in a way...It's like someone screaming in your face for an hour...you don't want that."[112] Skream has commented "I think it hurts a lot of people over here because it's a UK sound, but it's been someone with influences outside the original sound that has made it a lot bigger. The bad side of that is that a lot of people will just say 'dubstep equals Skrillex'. But in all honesty it genuinely doesn't bother me. I like the music he makes."[113]
> 
> Other North American artists working more with midrange frequencies rather than bass are Canadian producers Datsik and Excision, whose approach has been described by Mixmag as "a viciously harsh, yet brilliantly produced sound that appealed more to Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails fans than it did to lovers of UK garage," along with 12th Planet and Bassnectar, who are acknowledged as early pioneers of the subgenre.[114]


Huh. Also, thanks for the recommendations. This clarifies things for me immensely. I'll listen to the War of the Worlds remix when I find time to.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

^ Thanks for posting those vids quack. I'll check them out. I was talking to a fairly knowledgeable guy I work with today about dubstep, he thinks its like any other form of music - there is good and bad stuff out there, and now that its getting popular you have a lot of imitators and fakers etc. as you will come across with any music. These were some of the names he recommended as good dubstep:

Benga
Rusko
Joe Nice
12th Planet


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

It's wierd how if any genre is given some "profile" by someone who makes a hit in it, eg. Skrillex with dubstep or brostep or whatever (again these obsessions with labels), people come out and pull him down and compare him to the "real" stuff of that genre that happened before.

Doesn't work with me guys, it's just the old highbrow attitude. Like When Bob Dylan went over to using electric guitars, his fans who were purists were apalled. He was called everything from a sell-out to a musician with no artistic integrity or vision, etc. But most of his fans adapted to this change, and he's gotten more fans since.

So I'm dubious of this kind of thing we call here in Australia the "tall poppy syndrome." Grow big enough and get anywhere in your chosen field - esp. in terms of earning good money - & people for whatever reason (jealosy, ideology, spite?) will pull you down.

Speaking for myself, I've liked all the dubstep I've heard on air & what little of it I have on disc. I actually like those bass sounds and distortions/warps, etc. It's bringing the kind of "imperfect" sounds into music, that before might have been kept out or seen as "bad." I just like the sounds, that's it. Don't give a rat's about anything much else.

& one revolutionary idea to finish (or a question) : Why don't we just call all music "music" and get rid of all the useless labels and jargon?...


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Sid James said:


> & one revolutionary idea to finish (or a question) : Why don't we just call all music "music" and get rid of all the useless labels and jargon?...


Well because to a large extent music is about self expression, even if it is just the music you listen to people think it defines who they are and they have to exclude large swathes of music in order to seem discriminating and not just passive consumers. But then again I tend to think of genres as a marketing myth, labels promoted to sell stuff more effectively.

I think the enmity against Skrillex is partly about fame and popularity, but his music is pretty basic compared to the earlier dubstep and people aren't liking their genre hijacked by a poor imitation. Rather like classical fans despairing when people say they like classical and all they know is a few film scores, which hardly display the depth of classical music.

Dubstep did start very sparse almost ambient and slowly gained the WUB, but now it is just slapped on everything and is cranked up to 11, nothing wrong with a bit of wobble, it is cool, but soon that is all most of these songs have.

5 Years of Hyperdub
Dubstep Allstars series
This is Dubstep series
I Love Dubstep

Are all good compilations of earlier stuff, the first two closer to the sparse and ambient style, the other two more for the wobble

Skream
Kode9
Digital Mystikz
Loefah
Plasticman

Are all good early pioneers as well as Benga and Rusko (don't really know the other two tdc mentioned) but the dubstep sound has moved on, brostep is significantly different to be thought a different genre I believe, although I am sure there is better stuff than Skrillex out there.


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

The disco of the 2000s.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

I've been looking into your recommendations, Quack, and have been enjoying what I've been hearing. However, I still enjoy tracks with more wobble bass--and even brostep--for their own merits. Consequently, I've been sorting things into three YouTube playlists: Dubstep, WubWubWub, and Brostep. That way, I can choose what to listen to based on what mood I'm in.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Can't say i'm into it but I've jammed it in my car courtesy of my nephew and niece


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## matsoljare (Jul 28, 2008)

It's the shape of punk to come.


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## MrPlayerismus (Jan 2, 2012)

Never gotten into the music,but I am not 'prejudiced' against any kind of music.I think some people have done covers of pretty famous orchestral pieces into techno,or dubstep?I am a bit confused because I haven't done any research on that.But the music itself was pretty enjoyable.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Is this dubstep that you guys are talking about? It sounds like techno stuff. There was structure. But I can't tell the difference between this piece and other techno stuff that might be played (not that I listen to much).

This piece was way, way more enjoyable than extreme random noise "music".


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Is this dubstep that you guys are talking about? It sounds like techno stuff. There was structure. But I can't tell the difference between this piece and other techno stuff that might be played (not that I listen to much).
> 
> This piece was way, way more enjoyable than extreme random noise "music".


We were actually talking about stuff more like this:






And sometimes this:


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Dubtep sucks. Is this seriously what kids are into? Skrillex? All it is is a bunch of loud bass. It is silly music. Every dubstep song I've heard on the radio is trash and I will base my entire opinion on every work within the genre based on an obvious form of commercialised music.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Kopachris said:


> We were actually talking about stuff more like this:


I see. Likewise, I wouldn't be able to tell if that was dupstep compared with other similar sounding music with a bass beat. It didn't do very much for me, but at least it did a lot more than other "art music" of the extreme avant-garde.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

I think it would help if you learned how dubstep came to be and its defining characteristics. There was the 2-step music from the Garage scene in the UK which married into dub music from Jamaica and Drum & Bass. There is a lot of cross-pollination in the electronic music scene. It helps to paint the bigger picture when you study each individual scene.


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

Keeping the thread alive...

HYETAL - PIXEL RAINBOW SEQUENCE





Tessela - Acid Test 





SP:MC & LX One - Hunted





Regis - Blood Witness


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

No mention of Shackleton.

I'm confused what dubstep actually is anymore. Bass heavy, sparse minimal techno is what I thought it was about, but it seems a lot is closer to D'n'B now. I've even seen someone described as post-dubstep.

Is Andy Stott dubstep?


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## Iforgotmypassword (May 16, 2011)

Cnote11 said:


> Dubtep sucks. Is this seriously what kids are into? Skrillex? All it is is a bunch of loud bass. It is silly music. Every dubstep song I've heard on the radio is trash and I will base my entire opinion on every work within the genre based on an obvious form of commercialised music.


Actually I've heard some dubstep that I really dug. It sounded nothing like Skrillex however, since his music is horrible. What I heard, was much more minimalistic and thus (I being a minimalist at heart) was quite interesting actually.


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

Iforgotmypassword said:


> Actually I've heard some dubstep that I really dug. It sounded nothing like Skrillex however, since his music is horrible. What I heard, was much more minimalistic and thus (I being a minimalist at heart) was quite interesting actually.


He was being sarcastic


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

The early, more dub influenced dubstep (Hello! That is where it got its name from) is magnificent! It went from a more minimalist and dark genre to brostep mania.


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## Iforgotmypassword (May 16, 2011)

Philip said:


> He was being sarcastic


Yeah, I caught that after i posted, but figured that my comment was still valid regardless.



Cnote11 said:


> The early, more dub influenced dubstep (Hello! That is where it got its name from) is magnificent! It went from a more minimalist and dark genre to brostep mania.


Care to post some of your favorites? I'm interested in learning more about the more underground rhythm oriented electronic music.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Yeah, I'd certainly be willing to give an overview of some of the stuff that was influential and its offshoots. Guess I'll be busy tomorrow.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

I thought this was lovely and pretty easy on the eyes to watch as well


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## Iforgotmypassword (May 16, 2011)

Lunasong said:


> I thought this was lovely and pretty easy on the eyes to watch as well


Eh. Sounds alright, but she's not even playing the violin part in the video which makes it a bit corny. I guess she's a dancer too?

.. I've never really understood dancing I guess.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Yeah it certainly seemed like she was miming... I never did get around to posting those dubstep videos, and I'm too entrenched in Der Ring at the moment to do anything but!


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## Metalkitsune (Jul 11, 2011)

Cnote11 said:


> Dubtep sucks. Is this seriously what kids are into? Skrillex? All it is is a bunch of loud bass. It is silly music. Every dubstep song I've heard on the radio is trash and I will base my entire opinion on every work within the genre based on an obvious form of commercialised music.


This.

Wub,Wub,Wub,Wub.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Well after my trip to Cancun recently I gotta say I have a much better appreciation for it. But then again, what doesn't sound good when you're surrounded by a bunch of gorgeous, drunks ladies wanting to dance very physically? I've actually always been into audio and another great thing about this music is that it very much tests the range and possibilities of very high-end stereo systems and sounds pretty awesome while doing so.


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

from my perspective, i see alot of potential with the timbral feel of dubstep, after listening to 4 - 5 tracks from that war of the worlds remix, it really makes the genre shine more. Theres so much to explore with this stylistic form, such as polyrhythms and meters, polytonality, impressionism/etc/etc

It would be interesting to incorporate some of these elements into maybe a symphonic work, although attaining some wobble on double bass would be pretty dam hard...


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## dmg (Sep 13, 2009)

This guy is pretty good.


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

aha! I HAVE FOUND THE SOUND OF DUBSTEP - now I must write:


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Omg, that's so funny. That's brilliant! That really does sound like brostep. As for the sound of the dial-up internet, I'm quite fond of its noises. I never had dial up, so I never had to experience the frustrations associated with that noise!


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

Philip said:


> Keeping the thread alive...


burial - kindred


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

WUBWUBWUB

also, I like some of the dubstep music I've heard. I enjoy the music of Skrillex. Personally I don't see why it makes some people go crazy about how amazing they think it is, and I was quite perplexed by the hype when it first started to get big. Its not bad music at all, I just don't really see this as some glorious revolutionary thing. Now, an electronic dance piece thats not in a duple meter? Thats cause for revolution :3


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> I enjoy the music of Skrillex.


BurningDesire: Mozart is bad, Skrillex is good


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Philip said:


> BurningDesire: Mozart is bad, Skrillex is good


I have never seriously said that Mozart is bad. I have said it jokingly (usually to make a point).


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> I have never seriously said that Mozart is bad.


BurningDesire: Skrillex is good


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Philip said:


> BurningDesire: Skrillex is good


yes. thats better ^^


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Is this dubstep that you guys are talking about? It sounds like techno stuff. There was structure. But I can't tell the difference between this piece and other techno stuff that might be played (not that I listen to much).
> 
> This piece was way, way more enjoyable than extreme random noise "music".


X3 When I read your posts I imagine Handel saying it, and its funny to imagine him talking about Skrillex.


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2012)

As a regular visitor to Metacritic, I like to browse their best of year lists for something new. That's how I came across Amadou and Mariam, Fleet Foxes... and Burial. I have two CDS, _Untrue _and _Street Halo_. I'm particularly fond of _Untrue_, especially _Archangel_, _Near Dark_, _In McDonalds_, _UK _and _Raver_. Wonderful atmosphere, great on headphones (if you've got decent ones).


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

Philip said:


> burial - kindred


And that is the only good dubstep ever made.

Except Desolate.
Sven Weisemann is a genious


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## Mercury (Aug 9, 2012)

Dubstep music can be ranked on a very simple scale.

0 - Very Bad
1 - Very Good

If it is done well, it can be very expressive. If it is done badly, it can give you a headache for days.

Of course, this assumes that you like dubstep to begin with. Some people just aren't into it, and that's fine. Personally, I kind of like it.


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

People make a distinction between "real" dubstep and "brostep", but it seems to me the exaggerated extremities of the latter category define the genre, in the sense of public consciousness. I don't really see what stylistically separates Burial from a ton of garage/electronic ambient music predating dubstep.

Dubstep is a label I think artists can quite safely wash their hands of.


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

Burial is more post-dubstep than anything, with an accentuated minimal electronic feel, contrary to other post-dubstep acts such as SBTRKT or James Blake (which both put out amazing albums in 2011), for example.

Brostep (read Skrillex) is not even dubstep -- it's a mainstream spin-off of one type of post-dubstep.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

I agree with this intelligent poster above me ^


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Philip said:


> Burial is more post-dubstep than anything, with an accentuated minimal electronic feel, contrary to other post-dubstep acts such as SBTRKT or James Blake (which both put out amazing albums in 2011), for example.
> 
> Brostep (read Skrillex) is not even dubstep -- it's a mainstream spin-off of one type of post-dubstep.


Post-dubstep? Really? Is that really a thing? How about I compose a piece of Post-alternative-ultra-modernist-neo-romantic-super-heavy-heavy Disco-Polka. Its played on a piano with strings made out of bacon through a vintage Marshall amp from the 60s that is place in a tank full of water, where a mic picks up the sound and sends it out through a speaker lifted from a toy keyboard and placed in a tin can, which is then mic'd and amplified through a P.A.

Genre names/classifications are so dumb.


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> Genre names/classifications are so dumb.


Not really... genre is a natural occurrence. If names for genres, styles, forms didn't exist, somebody ought to come up with a way to classify music which sounds similar, has a certain type of instrumentation, is from a particular era, and in general music which has the same basic characteristics.

Genres and labels are usually dismissed by artists who want to believe that their sound is unique, or that their music comes solely from an intuitive creative process and shouldn't be put in a box. But the reality is that there's always another artist out there which has had the same influences and writes music in the same style to at least some extent. Not to say that there aren't genre defining artists, however most aren't.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Philip said:


> Not really... genre is a natural occurrence. If names for genres, styles, forms didn't exist, somebody ought to come up with a way to classify music which sounds similar, has a certain type of instrumentation, is from a particular era, and in general music which has the same basic characteristics.
> 
> Genres and labels are usually dismissed by artists who want to believe that their sound is unique, or that their music comes solely from an intuitive creative process and shouldn't be put in a box. But the reality is that there's always another artist out there which has had the same influences and writes music in the same style to at least some extent. Not to say that there aren't genre defining artists, however most aren't.


I think he was referring to the actual genre _names_, not genres themselves. On your point, though, reminds me of how Ian Anderson hated the idea of Aqualung being considered a concept album and then wrote Thick as a Brick.


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

Kopachris said:


> I think he was referring to the actual genre _names_, not genres themselves.


Yes! I meant the phenomenon _as well as_ the names, that's why i explicitly said:



Philip said:


> If *names* for genres, styles, forms didn't exist


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> Post-dubstep? Really? Is that really a thing?


The tag 'post-dubstep' makes a lot of sense when you follow the evolution of dubstep. Post-dubstep incorporates elements of dubstep in a broader framework of electronic music, occurring subsequently to the mainstreamization of said genre. It's all very cohesive.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Philip said:


> Not really... genre is a natural occurrence. If names for genres, styles, forms didn't exist, somebody ought to come up with a way to classify music which sounds similar, has a certain type of instrumentation, is from a particular era, and in general music which has the same basic characteristics.
> 
> Genres and labels are usually dismissed by artists who want to believe that their sound is unique, or that their music comes solely from an intuitive creative process and shouldn't be put in a box. But the reality is that there's always another artist out there which has had the same influences and writes music in the same style to at least some extent. Not to say that there aren't genre defining artists, however most aren't.


No, most artists do not like being shoe-horned by a narrow-minded, ill-defined system like the genre system. Music is more complicated than that. Most of the genre names are pitifully vague, and then there's the endless subgenres, especially within electronic dance music, that are pointless. Genre really doesn't tell you anything about the music, it tells you what to stereotypically expect, and I don't think that's a particularly wise way of viewing music.


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

1. Rusko - Bionic Commando (Dubstep Remix)
2. Stephen Walking - Pokmon Mansion (Dubstep Remix)
3. Backlash - An 8Bit Dubstep Track
4. Lost Woods - Ephixa 5 (Dubstep Remix )
6. Dub Fiend - Tetris (Dubstep remix)
7. Stephen Walking - Lavender Town (Pokemon Dubstep Remix)


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> No, most artists do not like being shoe-horned by a narrow-minded, ill-defined system like the genre system. Music is more complicated than that. Most of the genre names are pitifully vague, and then there's the endless subgenres, especially within electronic dance music, that are pointless. Genre really doesn't tell you anything about the music, it tells you what to stereotypically expect, and I don't think that's a particularly wise way of viewing music.


That sounds like a lot of complaining and not much proposing of better alternatives. The genre and style hierarchy and relations were not imposed by anybody, they simply evolved as an efficient way of organizing music. Are you saying that people should stop saying terms like "electronic music" when referring to music made with electronic equipment? What if they still do, will they be punished?

Seems exactly like the case of an artist who doesn't want to be pigeonholed. Your ego certainly doesn't fit in a box, but your music does, i'm afraid.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Philip said:


> That sounds like a lot of complaining and not much proposing of better alternatives. The genre and style hierarchy and relations were not imposed by anybody, they simply evolved as an efficient way of organizing music. Are you saying that people should stop saying terms like "electronic music" when referring to music made with electronic equipment? What if they still do, will they be punished?
> 
> Seems exactly like the case of an artist who doesn't want to be pigeonholed. Your ego certainly doesn't fit in a box, but your music does, i'm afraid.


Playing Devil's advocate, here, I think he has a point. Many genres and many pieces of music are just ambiguous. One person's rock is another person's country. One person's classical is another person's ambient. Even within electronic music, which is more rigidly organized than any other umbrella genre, there are works that don't fit neatly into any genre at all. Even the term "electronic music" breaks down when you either start adding acoustic stuff to what used to be purely electronic or you start adding electronic stuff to what used to be purely acoustic.

However, there's still no better way to classify music based on its properties.


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## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

Kopachris said:


> Playing Devil's advocate, here, I think he has a point. Many genres and many pieces of music are just ambiguous. One person's rock is another person's country. One person's classical is another person's ambient. Even within electronic music, which is more rigidly organized than any other umbrella genre, there are works that don't fit neatly into any genre at all. Even the term "electronic music" breaks down when you either start adding acoustic stuff to what used to be purely electronic or you start adding electronic stuff to what used to be purely acoustic.
> 
> However, there's still no better way to classify music based on its properties.


You're right. However, it doesn't have to be unambiguous, and even if it did, the consensus wins. If you want to see different but concrete ways of implementing it, compare the Last.fm tags system to the Discogs genre/style structure.


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## dmg (Sep 13, 2009)

This is still a thing??


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

I was going to start a new thread, but decided to resurrect this one, if that's alright. Basically, I'm a huge fan of dubstep, one of my favorite genres of music. I like all kinds of it, from the more original-sounding British dubstep to the really dirty "brostep" of Skrillex. It's all good.

This is one of my all-time favorite dubstep songs:






This one too:






Hope more people post!


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

Ravndal said:


> And that is the only good dubstep ever made.
> 
> Except Desolate.
> Sven Weisemann is a genious


If you like these two I'm sure you'd be able to find more you like. Burial-style dubstep is everywhere. I wouldn't know names though because I can't really be bothered to explore past Burial.

I do really love Burial though.

Burial is more post-dubstep than anything[/quote]

Isn't Burial one of the earliest producers?


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Here's a piece of dubstep music I really like


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## lll (Oct 7, 2012)

Schubussy said:


> If you like these two I'm sure you'd be able to find more you like. Burial-style dubstep is everywhere. I wouldn't know names though because I can't really be bothered to explore past Burial.
> 
> I do really love Burial though.
> 
> ...


By early i'm thinking more along the lines of: (early in date as well as in sound)

Slaughter Mob - L'Amour - HF005




Shackleton - Massacre - SCUBA005 





Though i am by no means a dubstep expert..


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## HoraeObscura (Dec 4, 2012)

not sure if it's dubstep though... but it's got the same vibe to it :


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## Fabian (Nov 30, 2013)

Here are my favorites:




this one is dnb but good




love this one


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## matsoljare (Jul 28, 2008)

This pretty much nails it:


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## Exordiom (Nov 27, 2013)

Dubstep is as pointless as ambiant music to me.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Anyone have any new dubstep finds?






This is a good "dirty" dubstep song that I found recently.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

Kopachris said:


> I've just recently gotten into dubstep. For those that don't know, dubstep is a form of electronic dance music derived from drum and bass and 2-step garage, with influences from several other genres. Wikipedia has more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubstep
> 
> I have a few questions:
> 
> ...


The wobble bass is exactly what turns me off of dub-step. It makes it all seem just the same, and incredibly boring rhythmically. I could ignore that if there were other redeeming qualities but I haven't found any. Of course, I'm not too big on electronic dance music in general, because I've never really seen the purpose of music that sounds geared toward getting people worked up. What are we getting worked up about exactly? I realize music can just be fun, but it's overbearing to me.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

I don't know, Shostakovich's symphonies get me more worked up than dubstep does 

The wobble bass is just one of the effects present in dubstep songs; there are plenty without it, though all dubstep songs have a heavy emphasis on bass in general and typically contain a slow beat, but that's what defines the genre in the first place.


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## Brofski (Jul 31, 2014)

Was never really into the big heavy bassline stuff, but Burial is a gem of a producer. It's not what you'd think of when you first think of Dubstep. Chopped and screwed vocal samples, drums made from all sorts of samples (lighter clicks for example) and just layers slowly building on each other. Not a wub wub to be heard really. Some with not even any drums and little bass. I don't think people consider it dubstep these days, but I remember dubstep when it was starting out 10 years ago, and that was the only place fitted.











I love this remix. Suits the vocals so good.


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## Guest (Aug 1, 2014)

Lukecash12 said:


> The wobble bass is exactly what turns me off of dub-step. It makes it all seem just the same, and incredibly boring rhythmically. I could ignore that if there were other redeeming qualities but I haven't found any. Of course, I'm not too big on electronic dance music in general, because I've never really seen the purpose of music that sounds geared toward getting people worked up. What are we getting worked up about exactly? I realize music can just be fun, but it's overbearing to me.


And classical...with all those violins everywhere...makes it all sound the same!

"Worked up"? That's like asking why, if the point of doing exercise is to get sweaty, would anyone want to get sweaty.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

MacLeod said:


> And classical...with all those violins everywhere...makes it all sound the same!
> 
> "Worked up"? That's like asking why, if the point of doing exercise is to get sweaty, would anyone want to get sweaty.


Look, I understand your point and pretty much agree. And looking back at it, it appears to be a pretty inconsistent comment for me to make considering that I really like minimalism. I should have been more clear and said that the wobble bass follows the same syncopated rhythmic pattern, so when a whole genre of music has basically the same rhythmic progression, with basically the same type of timbre, I tire of it. But *that's just my personal tastes*, and apparently this musical idiom isn't used in all dubstep songs/pieces.

I totally agree that it isn't all the same, and you know as well as me that "it all looks the same" or "it all sounds the same" is merely another way of saying "I just don't care to learn much of anything about it, my a priori response will do just fine". I'm sure I probably could devote the time to digesting it, but I've so much to digest as it is and I'm sad to say that a lot of stuff that they make nowadays will probably never get my time of day. After enough stints with the plethora of new genres they've been churning out since the 90's, I just don't have much hope beyond a few decent recommendations to find something stimulating both thematically and intellectually. So I come here to see some new things, learn for instance that not all dubstep is going to annoy me with that musical device so I can try some of these references out, and otherwise benefit from the "safety net" while happily supplying it for others.


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## Guest (Aug 1, 2014)

I have only two 'dubstep' CDs - both by Burial. I listen and enjoy. The fact that they might or might not belong to a genre which might or might not be repetitive in the extreme is neither here nor there.

Of course, everyone is allowed personal taste - and distaste - but you're not allowed to be lazy about your expression of distaste - the internet forum police say so and will be along in a minute to charge you with loitering in a thread that should hold no interest for you - since you find dubstep boring - and seeming to diss the views of those who love it! :devil:


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

MacLeod said:


> I have only two 'dubstep' CDs - both by Burial. I listen and enjoy. The fact that they might or might not belong to a genre which might or might not be repetitive in the extreme is neither here nor there.
> 
> Of course, everyone is allowed personal taste - and distaste - but you're not allowed to be lazy about your expression of distaste - the internet forum police say so and will be along in a minute to charge you with loitering in a thread that should hold no interest for you - since you find dubstep boring - and seeming to diss the views of those who love it! :devil:


Meh, I've been trying some music from this thread and it's not so bad. I am glad a few members mentioned music without that idiom that irritates me. Burial isn't bad, it may take some time to digest properly (I'll need to take some antacid tablets first).


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

Been playing my dubstepalbums last few days to educate my teenagers (dubstep is way different these days...). The two Burial doubles that I have are still great. Also dug this one out of the crates.






Cheers,
Jos


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

The album "glyphic" by Boxcutter didn't realy survive the test of time. 
This track is still okay. (To me, that is)






Cheers,
Jos


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