A History of Dubstep and Songs Worth Listening To
...This might be it
Parts Of A Dubstep Song
"As in classic UK garage music, dubstep historically has been compromised of a few sections. The second section...the bass drop...is what made dubstep so popular in the first place..."
- The intro
- The bass drop
- The main riff (or mid-section)
- The outro
What Is Dubstep?
Let's think electricity for a second. If you can hear the sound in your head, you're on the right track. Dubstep is like electricity, but instead, the electrical sound is your sub-bass "wubbing" in your speakers somewhere around 90Hz. That's a low sound, that's why it's called sub-bass.
Ammunition Records coined the term "dubstep" to describe the music around 2002. A club called "Forward>>" was dedicated to playing the genre of music featuring distortion effects, sub-bass and virtually all those "electrical" sounding noises.
After getting attention from BBC Dubstep became a world-wide phenomenon incorporating synthesizers, keyboards, turntables, drums, and a "Filthy dub" of instruments imaginable. Almost anything can be made into Dubstep. Almost.
Dubstep is...
“tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals.” -AllMusic
How dubstep can affect your brain
- How Sound and Music Affect Our Brain: A Guide To Music's Psychological Triggering Of Emotion
Why are we affected so deeply by music? The answer is as much simple as it is complicated. Music can be used to relax, incite, inspire, excite, an entire plethora of emotions can be surfaced or repressed by music.
Dubstep Fans...
Tu further attempt an understanding of what inspired Dubstep, we can turn our attention to the video below. Ladies and gentlemen, Dubstep Guns.
- Intro: 0:26 - 0:59
- Bass Drop: 1:00 - 1:13, 1:28 - 1:40, 1:58 - 2:20
And now, some Dubstep...
The collection of songs is very limited compared to what is out there now. Scroll to the bottom for a good link on where to discover a lot more.
Klaypex is known for a more prevalent electronic integration into their songs. That plus trance, one could argue. Really cool idea for the "Rain" video. Bass drop at 0:57
"Lights" has this similar techno-trance feel with a bass drop at 0:56.
A longer dubstep mix by DJ Mindfield. Chill-Out Dubstep.
Modestep is a bass heavy band from London (surprise). Their debut is "Feel Good" and this song, "To The Stars" was number 9 on the UK Dance charts. Somehow space and dubstep seem to complement each other well in this video.
Mimosa is known for incorporating techno into their dubstep. As opposed to most Skrillex songs, Mimosa's dubstep has a more definite beat and rhythm.
We can't have a dubstep article without mentioning Skrillex. "Bangarang" is a good song with a definite bass drop at 0:27. In fact, if you listen closely this song even tells you when the bass drops happen. Listen for the quick "bass drop" at 0:26. Skrillex songs are particularly known for their dramatic bass drops.
In "Reptile" the drop is at 0:35
These "Breakbeat Banditos" got together after they talked and discovered their similar tastes in music. Definitely a more drumstep sound in this song. Bass drop at 0:35.
One of UKFDubstep's first songs on Youtube. The popular dubstep channel got their start 3 years ago when they uploaded their first song Black Sun Empire - Hyper Sun, which featured heavy emphasis on the actual dubstep.
In Nero - Act Like You Know the bass drop is dragged on but starts at 1:23
Fractals by Seven Lions has an epic bass drop at 1:45 and another at 3:13, give it a listen.
Seven Lions - Fractals
What's on UKF?
Klaypex: "Ready To Go" Album
This collection of songs is very limited compared to what is out there now. A good place to start is on Youtube, by checking out UKF Dubstep's channel. (UK Funky...bad name, good music). They bring together a multitude of bands that compose dubstep and it's a good way to discover bands you like.
UKF on Youtube
- UKFDubstep - YouTube
A channel here to promote the latest and greatest high quality dubstep! Check out the UKF website for the latest news, mixes, releases and post up your unsigned tracks for feedback at http://www.ukfmusic.com