Monday, April 9, 2012

Dubstep and its place in the Electronic World

I have had mixed feelings about dubstep for awhile now. My first introduction to it was hearing Nero. I actually enjoyed their tracks, but was a little off put by the more electro sounds.

I never really tried to learn about the origins of dubstep, but I am sure it is an offshoot of Drum & Bass. However, I did learn that artists Skream and Benga of Croydon, UK really were instrumental in breaking this sound to the general public, especially in Europe.
Then enter Skrillex. The buzz surrounding him gained momentum at lightening speed, and before you could blink, he was making millions, and becoming the face of dance music. His style is not one that I could relate to at all. Sounding much more robotic, with random noise that could be likened to tools such as drills and chainsaws, there was no typical musical pattern that I was used to. And I could not believe that he was representing the music that I loved from an early age. It was kind of like how the puritans of dance music get angry about the newer movers and shakers. In the end, I decided that I didn't need to listen to him, and that in general, hate will kill you from the inside.  He was doing what he loved, it was making him happy and successful, why should I try to bring him down? Bloggers and those on social media can waste all their time bashing other artists, OR they can try to promote people that they are rooting for. So that is what I have opted to do.
I realized my personal preference was UK dubstep. American dubstep definitely seems to have a bit more of a disorganized sound.

This track by Sub Focus is a great example of the type of dubstep I prefer:

Laidback Luke took to the remix, giving it a more hard house sound complete with classic build-ups and drops
UK dubstep that has a garage spin to it is even more palatable for me. Aptly named "Get Out My Head" I sincerely had this song in my head for a really long time.
Like everything in life, music evolves. Some embrace change, while others are more reluctant to embrace it. I believe both can co-exist, but I prefer at least trying new things rather than not trying at all and having an opinion about it. I'm glad I took the time to at least listen to some dubstep, and figure out what I like, because there are some really talented dubstep artists, and even they often do not conform to one sound. Rustie is the perfect example:

No comments:

Post a Comment