Dubstep

The BBC Collective online magazine has an interesting feature on Dubstep – a new sound emerging from London. Trying to break free from the formulated dance scene, its roots come from UK Garage and borrows from Dub, Reggae, Jungle, Trance and Grime.

It’s a peculiar turn of events for a scene with such an apparent disinterest in crossover success. There’s none of grime’s chart-focused bling or the over-reaching ambition (albums, “proper” instruments) that dulled jungle. Anything that distracts from the music is shunned. The dancefloor at (Shoreditch club) FWD is pitch black, whilst DMZ consists of two monster speaker stacks and little else. Kode 9: “There’s one blue light. The sub-bass makes the air heavy. It’s like doing a rave 20,000 leagues underwater on the seabed. You might see some fish, sharks, maybe a dolphin.”

Check the video. “It’s emotional music. It’s physical music. It’s amazing that more people aren’t going crazy over this – but I feel it’s going to happen,” one producer explains.

Dubstep DocuVideo
BBC Collective
Dubstep On YouTube