Dub-STOP
Skrillex is in town tonight and I couldn't think of a more appropriate time to share a review I wrote over the summer concerning my thoughts on dubstep. (A normal person would just say "dub-step sucks" but a snarky 300-word explanation gives it more credence, right?) It is as follows:Few would deny that all music today from rap, reggae, alternative – all the way to jazz takes its roots back to rock and roll. Somewhere along the evolutionary line of music, a malignant tumor appeared: a cacophony of sound that is seemingly rooted in the sounds of glass in a blender, extra-terrestrials at war, and a constantly skipping record.
Dubstep originated in south London, crediting itself as electronic dance music primarily produced with reverberant drum machines, heavy bass lines, synthesizer keyboards, and clipped samples. What started out in the early 2000s in the underground club scene infiltrated its way into the mainstream in 2011 to which it fell under commercial radar after pop-icons Britney Spears and Rihanna promoted dubstep tropes.
When I decided to tread the waves of dubstep popularity, I took the advice of a dubstep enthusiast and listened to an influential artist named Bassnectar. Bassnectar, like many dub-step artists, take samples of other artist’s music and “remixes” them. By remix I actually mean subverting songs to the point where it becomes incomprehensible noise. I am convinced this genre exists solely to ruin my favorite songs. I am also convinced that Michael Bay would make a prime dub-step artist because he already takes artistically promising concepts and loads it with CGI and explosions until it becomes preposterous.
In an attempt to find the root cause of discord to my ears, I dissected a song to hear where dubstep houses its discerning threshold.
In “Brief Introduction on Dubstep Production” by Dubba Jonny, he voice-overs a track naming all the ingredients integral to a dubstep song while it simultaneously plays in the background. Typically, a tempo of 140 beats per minute is selected.
“First we begin with a simple kick and snare pattern.”
This appears to be a solid foundation.
“Next it’s time to add some hi-hats and symbols to fill the spaces.”
Great.
“Add some modulated bass lines and be sure to make them heavy.”
Warning: heads become susceptible to bobbing at this point.
“Now you are ready for the most important part of any filthy dubstep anywhere – the drop.”
Cue the aforementioned cacophony of sound and a grab bag assortment of sound effects. The misstep appears to be that the drop, being the thesis to any dubstep track, is ironically its nadir.
