An Introduction To Dubstep.

[Cowabungaa]

I don't really 'get' dubstep. It sounds to me a bit like it's supposed to be clubbing music, but I can't imagine dancing to it. I mean it doesn't really have a beat, hell it thrives on breaking a beat.

It doesn't sound like something you'd relax to either. At the same time it sounds very aggressive and intimidating but also extremely lethargic. Honestly I can't imagine what you'd do while listening to this music.

Yeap, dubstep just confuses me, and because of that also fascinates me, in a morbid and scared kinda way. Sometimes I can't help but listen to it, but honestly I don't know why. Right now I'm just sitting here, looking puzzled, listening to Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. Why?!

However, if any song of any genre has "THUD THUD THUD THUD" anywhere in it, I'm not interested.

Does that include a "thud" like this:
Because big-ass drums that are actually played is a whole 'nother story. Taiko has that as well, man I'd love to see a live performance of Kodo. Or better yet, join in.

 

[Fishyash]

The dubstep most people tend to listen to is not my kind of style.

I am more into the dubstep that doesn't go BWAOWOWOAOWOWOWAOWOWAOOW RRERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR BWBVBVBVBVBVBWBWBWBBOWBOWBOVBVB

I am more into stuff like this. I am not a big dubstep fan so I don't really know where to look to see any dubstep like this:


I don't feel it as a genre to dance to (my favourite kind of music in general), so I would rather go for a more emotional direction when listening to it, and it's pretty effective!

EDIT: Just want to semi-rant about dubstep some more lol.

The main reason that I get repelled away from dubstep is how... I can't really find a better way to put it- "un-musical" it sounds (technically not true) as most artists focus more on the noise than the notes.

That's my take on it anyways. I don't think dubstep is bad to listen to, I used to detest it, but like most genres, they grow on you. Everyone should consider this to be honest because from my experience, it's true.

EDIT #2: To expand upon me saying I don't really consider it a genre to dance to, I can say that without a doubt that if you combine the raw power and deepness (I mean by low frequency by the way) bass from dubstep combined with the extremely fast pace beat from drum and bass and you have one hell of a party. ...not that i've been a part of that kind of stuff... just sayin'.

 

[penguindude42]

Pretty much, breakbeat and drum & bass are better than dubstep in every way

...In your opinion.

I think a lot of the people bashing it here are missing the point of the thread, that point which I illustrated quite clearly if you'd read the OP.

Either way, if you'd listed reasoning behind your opinions I'd be much more willing to appreciate and respond to your post.

I'm not even a fan of it, I just think that you should at least reason your decisions. I see too much of this already for Hip-Hop.

Yea, fair enough.

YOU DARE MISSPELL "YEAH" IN MY LAIR!?

YOU MUST DIE!!! *zaps you with disco lightning fingers*

~Tom</3

 

[ThisIsSnake]

http://verydemotivational.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/demotivational-posters-dubstep.jpg

Music has to have passion, skill or emotion behind it for it to be worth listening to. Remixes and electronic music just sound crap to me.

 

[UmJammerSully]

Put very simply, I'm not a fan of the "wubwubwub" which seems to be one of the main characteristics of dubstep. :/

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

Meh. Some guy was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool" so everyone else was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool". It's just a meme, don't even worry about it. In a couple months, the only people who will remember it are the people who think "the cake is a lie" is funny.

Well, you certainly don't understand it at all. That's ok though, it's not for everyone.

...I won't even bother.

OT: Now that I think about it, I've never come across a remix of Metroid music. Hopefully that'll be fixed soon.

I wouldn't, considering the fact that you don't like it doesn't make it a meme...

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I always start wanting it to break into a 4 to floor when I hear it, or at least a double tempo drum n bass rhythm.

 

[Gitty101]

Dubstep is an acquired taste no doubt about that, but there are so many artists out there, each with their own signature sound.

Personally I would recommend anything from DatsiK or Excision, they've done some good work. Also, try "Hangin'" by Genetix.

 

[Phlakes]

I wouldn't, considering the fact that you don't like it doesn't make it a meme...

Really? Because I don't remember saying I don't like it-

Meh. Some guy was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool" so everyone else was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool". It's just a meme, don't even worry about it. In a couple months, the only people who will remember it are the people who think "the cake is a lie" is funny.

Huh. Guess I never did.

OT again: I actually came across a dubstep Metroid remix yesterday. For clarification-

Now that I think about it, I've never come across a remix of Metroid music. Hopefully that'll be fixed soon.

I'm glad it was fixed.

 

[OutcastBOS]

Eh...I'll tolerate it, but if I listen to techno, trance is more my style.

 

[Mister Eff]

dubstep is horrible.

i would barely classify it as music to be honost... most of it is little more then static and white noise. Honostly, a great majority of 'dubstep' pushes the tonal range which is acctually uncomfortable or painful to most people. And a great many more then that throw simple concepts such as music theory out the window

it is audio confusing, hardly ever flows, and commits so many musical no-nos that it is litterally painful for me to listen to most itterations of dubstep.

Pretty much exactly how I feel. Loads of my friends love it, which makes me feel a bit left out. But I really just cannot stand it.

 

[General_Potatoes]

Im gonna go with people who don't like it. Its just a really stupid thing. It has no feeling or emotion put into it like REAL music.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

I wouldn't, considering the fact that you don't like it doesn't make it a meme...

Really? Because I don't remember saying I don't like it-

Meh. Some guy was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool" so everyone else was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool". It's just a meme, don't even worry about it. In a couple months, the only people who will remember it are the people who think "the cake is a lie" is funny.

Huh. Guess I never did.

OT again: I actually came across a dubstep Metroid remix yesterday. For clarification-

Now that I think about it, I've never come across a remix of Metroid music. Hopefully that'll be fixed soon.

I'm glad it was fixed.

Allow me to requote:

Meh. Some guy was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool" so everyone else was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool". It's just a meme, don't even worry about it. In a couple months, the only people who will remember it are the people who think "the cake is a lie" is funny.

Yeah, from that post I can see you clearly like dubstep. Don't be snide, you may not have explicitly said 'I dislike it' but the implication of your posting shows that in any case you don't like it.

Huh. Guess you did.

 

[Phlakes]

le snip

I'd just like to clarify that my brain is inside my head. I think I'm slightly more qualified to say what I feel or think.

Anyway, I don't dislike dubstep. What I dislike is the idea of memes. When people who have never even heard of Portal start going off about cake think they're being clever, that's what I dislike. Or whenever people hear someone say "rainbow" they automatically spout off "DOUBLE RAINBOW!" because someone showed them that autotuned video.

The same thing has happened to me, with the people I know, with dubstep. I see people who act like it's the best thing ever only because it just got popular on the internet, and then a couple weeks later never talk about it again.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

le snip

I'd just like to clarify that my brain is inside my head. I think I'm slightly more qualified to say what I feel or think.

Anyway, I don't dislike dubstep. What I dislike is the idea of memes. When people who have never even heard of Portal start going off about cake think they're being clever, that's what I dislike. Or whenever people hear someone say "rainbow" they automatically spout off "DOUBLE RAINBOW!" because someone showed them that autotuned video.

The same thing has happened to me, with the people I know, with dubstep. I see people who act like it's the best thing ever only because it just got popular on the internet, and then a couple weeks later never talk about it again.

Now that I agree with. No offence to the people you know, but those are the idiots who'll spout anything they think will score them a cheap laugh. There are many people, myself and some close friends included, who genuinely enjoy dubstep for the sound.
Yeah it's funny at first when someone made a dubstep of the pokemon theme or something, but as you said, and I quite agree, there's a side of it that is sadly just becoming a tired joke. A kind of template that goes 'WOULDN'T IT BE FUNNY IF SOMEONE MADE A DUBSTEP OF _____"
That side has gotten tiresome but thankfully it isn't the whole of the genre.

 

[II2]

Dubstep isn't a favorite for me, but here's the best of what I've heard:

 

[Tallim]

Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis. I mainly hate it because it got played to death in my workplace coupled with the fact that it's incredibly catchy and always gets stuck in my head.

Spoiler: Chelsea Dagger

 

[Weaver]

I would just forego dubstep. I hated it when Wobble started creeping up in the late 1990s and I still hate it to this day.... with pretty much the sole exception of what chase & status put out. It baffles me how dubstep became so popular when Wobble was essentially treated as an inside joke in the rave scene (at least in the Eastern NA Scene), eg; wobble tracks would be played ironically.

Why not belgian jumpstyle? Hardcore? IDM? D&B? Why dubstep of all bloody things? I guess it just pisses me off when my sister visits me one day asking if I know about "This new dubstep thing" not realizing it's been around for probably 11 years as a recognized genre.

 

[II2]

Meh. Some guy was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool" so everyone else was like "hey guys dubstep is so cool". It's just a meme, don't even worry about it. In a couple months, the only people who will remember it are the people who think "the cake is a lie" is funny.

For what it's worth, by way of origin, Dubstep was really taking off and becoming a big niche thing around 2006, almost half a decade ago, in the UK, fueled by fans of Breakcore, IDM and DnB. Some people liked it, some didn't.

I agree with your assessment that it's explosion of popularity has kinda an exponential effect as the style became an internet meme - infused a combination of word of mouth, more commercially viable US based producers and merging with the 'remix whatever' youtube poop sorta stuff... but...

It will probably be remembered and reproduced/emulated on a smaller scale long after it's hay day has come and gone, just like most every style of music.


---
tl;dr - Avid listeners and composers knew about it before it got big and will remember it after. The general internet explosion of it as a viral breakout and will die eventually.

 

[Dexiro]

Is Dubstep itself not just an intro to better electronic music?

What do you think is better electronic music? I must admit to not exactly being well educated about the music scene but then again it's all subjective. Where does one progress to from Mt Eden and Skrillex and their ilk?

Depends on preference really, it just seems that Dubstep is a lot of peoples first insight into these kind of genres.

Noisia is a favourite of mine that I think is kind of similar to dubstep, but I'm not guaranteeing everyone will like them. Worth a try though I suppose.