Dubstep.org is a blog about the history and definition of dubstep. Dubstep originated in South London, England in the late 90s. The genre emerged from several musical styles including 2-step garage, broken beat, grime, drum and bass, reggae and dub. Dubstep has traditionally been a combination of deep sub basslines and matching beats played at 140bpm. The genre can be traced back to early 2000 where producers such as El-B, Zed Bias and Groove Chronicles were producing the earliest examples of the sound.
In 2005 Dubstep began to hit the mainstream with large scale radio play on stations such as Rinse FM and BBC Radio 1Xtra. In 2006 an online forum was set up to bring together artists, DJs and fans of the genre, which is still active today. Since then Dubstep has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with artists such as Skream, Benga, Digital Mystikz, Loefah and Mala signing major label record deals while others like Rusko and Caspa were booked for US tour dates based around their popularity in the UK.
In late 2008 the genre began to evolve rapidly with artists such as Burial incorporating more melodic elements into their tracks. The following year artists such
The definition of dubstep is everywhere these days. From the pages of Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, to primetime television and radio, dubstep has blown up beyond the confines of its underground roots. Even so, there are still those who don’t know what dubstep is.
In an attempt to help spread the word about this music genre, we have created this blog to help educate those who may be wondering what the definition of dubstep really is. Below we will give an overview of the dubstep definition, history and future outlook.
Defining Dubstep: A Brief Overview
For starters, one needs to understand that dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) that originated in England in the early 2000’s. The music was first created when producers started fusing two-step garage beats with reggae/dub bass lines. The name “dub” comes from the Jamaican dub reggae sound that was combined with two-step garage beats. As for the “step,” it comes from stepping on a car’s gas pedal (stepping on your cars step). The result was a new form of music that has quickly become one of the most popular genres in EDM today.
Dubstep has a lot in
Definition of Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music. The main characteristics of dubstep are the deep bass and sub-bass, the highly syncopated rhythmic patterns, the syncopated rhythm, and the use of half-time beats. Dubstep is also known for its dark, metallic sound and its slow tempo. The term dubstep was originally used to describe a style of drum and bass music that featured sparse, half-tempo beats, but later included other genres such as hip hop and garage.
The beginnings of dubstep can be traced back to the early 1990s in London. During this time period, many artists began experimenting with different sounds and styles in order to create new music. These experiments eventually led to the creation of what is now known as dubstep. Many people believe that it was during this time period that dubstep gained popularity in England because it was able to take advantage of the large number of Jamaican immigrants who lived in London at that time. There are some who claim that this influx of Jamaicans into London helped to fuel the development and spread of dubstep because these people brought with them their own unique culture which included a new type of music called reggae.
What is Dubstep?
The definition of Dubstep is hard to nail down, as it has shifted significantly over the years. I think the best way to describe it, is heavy bass music with a 2 step feel. Many people have different opinions on what dubstep really means. I’ve heard some people say that dubstep music must have a wobble bass and be around 140 bpm to qualify. Other people say that the genre began in London with Skream and Benga, while some people say it’s just any type of electronic music with sub bass.
For me, I consider dubstep to be a genre of electronic music that developed out of UK garage in the late 90s, and became it’s own style in 2005-2006, when producers like Coki, Skream, Rusko and others started experimenting with heavier sounds, more aggressive basslines and samples from Jungle/D&B.
I think it’s important to remember that there are many different styles of dubstep out there today. There are tons of producers who label their music as “dubstep”, but don’t make anything even remotely similar to what others consider to be dubstep. This is not necessarily a bad thing though! On the contrary, I think this genre has developed
What is Dubstep?
Dubstep is a genre of electronic music that emerged from South London in the late 1990s. Although the origins of the name can be traced as far back as 1998, when a local DJ by the name of “Oris Jay” began experimenting with broken beat and two step garage, it was not until 2002-2003 that a recognizable genre had begun to take shape.
The first songs were characterized by driving, half-time beats and heavy, sub-bass lines. The tempo (around 140bpm) was slower than dance music at that time, but faster than other genres that still influenced early dubstep such as 2-step garage, grime, speed garage, jungle and reggae. The tempo has often been described as “lurching,” with some dubstep artists producing tracks around 130bpm.
The original impetus behind dubstep’s development was to break from 4/4 time signature of all other dance music in favor of a more “minimal” sound. This emphasis on spaciousness and flow has led many to compare the genre with techno and ambient music.
In recent years, dubstep has broken through into the mainstream dance music scene in the UK and US. Some producers such as Flux Pavilion have seen
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London, England. It emerged in the late 1990s as a development within a lineage of related styles such as 2-step garage, broken beat, drum and bass, jungle, dub and reggae. In the UK the origins of the genre can be traced back to the growth of the Jamaican sound system party scene in the early 1980s.
The music generally features sparse, syncopated drum and percussion patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub bass frequencies. The earliest dubstep releases date back to 1998, and were usually featured as B-sides of 2-step garage single releases. These tracks were darker, more experimental remixes with less emphasis on vocals, and attempted to incorporate elements of breakbeat and drum and bass into 2-step. In 2001, this and other strains of dark garage music began to be showcased and promoted at London’s night club Plastic People, at the “Forward” night (sometimes stylised as FWD>>), which went on to be considerably influential to the development of dubstep. The term “dubstep” in reference to a genre of music began to be used by around 2002 by labels such as Big Apple, Ammunition, and Tempa, by which
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London, England. It emerged in the late 1990s as a development within a lineage of related styles such as 2-step garage, broken beat, drum and bass, jungle, dub and reggae. In the UK the origins of the genre can be traced back to the growth of the Jamaican sound system party scene in the early 1980s.
The music generally features sparse, syncopated drum and percussion patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub bass frequencies. The earliest dubstep releases date back to 1998, and were usually featured as B-sides of 2-step garage single releases. These tracks were darker, more experimental remixes with less emphasis on vocals, and attempted to incorporate elements of breakbeat and drum and bass into 2-step. In 2001, this and other strains of dark garage music began to be showcased and promoted at London’s night club Plastic People, at the “Forward” night (sometimes stylised as FWD>>), which went on to be considerably influential to the development of dubstep.
The term “dubstep” in reference to a genre of music began to be used by around 2002 by labels such as Big Apple, Ammunition, and Tempa, by