THE PARADOX - BOC and what they call DUBSTEP

[kelp]

At least provide a link to real dubstep!

always a classic : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKF783vCW6A

[BunnyRabbit]

answer me this,

If one were so inclined... to make an electronic music track and distort samples of their composition, does that make their genre "Dubstep"?

The answer is clear and 100% rhetorical. No, it bloody does not.

This spawns another question, however...

Are we being too quick to judge new music, when we categorize this way?

Yes, I bloody think so.


It's a Paradox.

Please, share your lovable thoughts.

There's no paradox that I can see.

Distortion goes back to the very roots of amplification and recording. It's inherent to all non-acoustic music. Dubstep is just a drop in the ocean of music using distortion.

Dubstep is a label applied to a certain genre that has, as it so often does, got out of hand.

As was already said it, it happens to all popular genres because the labels are at best flawed and often totally obscure and meaningless without a wealth of reference points. They're there to give you an idea of what it's similar to, not pen it into a strict set of rules. People would say about disco being played at the Warehouse in Chicago "oh, it's that 'house music". Years later I can still say that's a house track and people get what it is without coming back after hearing it and saying "but there's no piano!", or whatever. Genres are useful for those that actually listen to a lot of new music and see patterns in certain areas as artists bounce off each other and scene grow around clubs or whatever. They tend to mislead and confuse the less informed particularly they move into the pop arena and so you get this back and forth about what is and isn't.

I'm still being told indie bands from Manchester were doing house music in the 90's (okay The Doves actually were as Sub Sub, but anyway). It's really annoys me because it's so wrong it hurts. At that time I was pretty much set against most of my friends who were into indie (another abused label) so it was important to me as teenager to get the definition straight and thus define myself. But, whaddaya gonna do? I'm more relaxed about it now but it can still niggle me.

I could go on for pages about this, but the bottom line is calling BOC dubstep or certain tracks dubstep is, whilst wrong, probably helpful to some. If you've only ever heard a tiny amount of non-chart music comparing Burial to BOC is more useful than not.

[Moz]

At least provide a link to real dubstep!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju2mVve1XsU
I once read a nice and somewhat satirical description of dubstep that it makes you feel like being claustrophobic and trapped in a submarine on the bottom of Thames. That Loefah tune is exactly that. Also if you're interested, try listening in a pirate radio context from which it emerged. I play this set quite a lot:
http://deepfoc.us/mixes/youngsta-task-b ... 5-12-2005/

[kelp]

At least provide a link to real dubstep!

http://rebelbass.blogspot.co.uk/2007/12 ... s-one.html

http://rebelbass.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04 ... ops-2.html

http://rebelbass.blogspot.co.uk/2008/05 ... ops-3.html

http://rebelbass.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07 ... ops-4.html

http://rebelbass.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06 ... ops-5.html

basically all you need to know

[seanandcandy]

i only listen to real dubstep like birds of canada

[Sun Drugs]

At least provide a link to real dubstep!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZb_UxGUbd4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrXr-dXSDYE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg0mDyelSrA

These are some good tracks that the vast majority of ignorant tards would call "Dubstep".

It isn't dubstep, it's just electronic music.

no offense mate but those songs could lead people in the wrong direction, this is what id call dubstep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVpjPuzlvus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9pBI2GSJrY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-kGWoHc1EI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYU6t-NsWI4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZqJT2dyp5c

for those who dont know, or those who have only heard dubstep through media its approx 140 bpm.
Originally came from a mixture of dnb, jungle and more so garage and 2step hence the awesome shuffles. Genre blew the fuck up as America took hold of it, the forward thinking american producers have been pushed aside and the genre is in a horrible state as people think that the bro sound is good.
Its gone on to spawn a horrible brother in Trap.
It helps to learn about how hardcore turned to jungle then to dnb and how garage evolved to get a good understanding of the genre. sad how its down the drain
Most of the decent labels have moved on to more experimental techno which is great.

Certain boc tracks could be identified as dubstep, but they also fit more closely with the Autonomic sound tempo and vibe wise. But they've always used a lot of bass in their tracks, probably a bit ahead of its time. The production they were pulling out years is where people are getting to now with probably a more modern studio setup. IMO boc are pioneers in electronic production for this reason

http://www.club-autonomic.com/ - educate, the mixes are great, normally they have an influences section that quite often feature BOC and other 90's Warp and IDM artists. Any fans of boc will easily relate to the sound i think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWFN8iaMwK0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyZvCF9Yz6g

[kelp]

for those who dont know, or those who have only heard dubstep through media its approx 140 bpm.
Originally came from a mixture of dnb, jungle and more so garage and 2step hence the awesome shuffles.

here it is in 1986 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JESe446Wojk

[Melts]

I used to think dubstep was really just the logical progression from jungle to jungle dnb to garage then dubstep. It was like each time there was more space in the beat, more room for breath, also more frogs croaking and owls hooting. It seemed like a downward shift, once driven by uppers n extacy, now seems ruled by slowburning suprchronic blunts. Just peep the dancefloor at the first live dub shows. Everybody standing still head nodding. I also thought burnt out jungle dnb producers in late nineties that were still feelin it as it faded, would immediately jump to dubstep. I mean its all sequoia logs tumbling anyways...

[kelp]

jungle dnb

Have never heard it in my life called Jungle Drum & Bass

[Sun Drugs]

I used to think dubstep was really just the logical progression from jungle to jungle dnb to garage then dubstep

yeah its interesting how a lot of producers have slowed down to 120bpm now as well. Its going full cycle again. Pretty exiting times in music if you ask me
A lot of forward thinking music at the moment is so diverse in its influences its really unlike any period before i think.
Every week there are good releases coming outta somewhere

[The Telepathic Kid]

*throws his hands up in the air*

I don't care. I don't care any more.

[Melts]

jungle dnb

Have never heard it in my life called Jungle Drum & Bass

I used to hear it often a parties in Seattle at NAFF and USC '94-96'. 360bpmcrews-nitsu I recall and others. It was just deeep sub bass like normal jungle but definitely pure fast good old amenbreak dnb over it.
I loved it so much I stayed in the jungle rooms all night man...

[Melts]

A lot of forward thinking music at the moment is so diverse in its influences its really unlike any period before i think.

That echos my thoughts on the witch stuff. Holy CRAP its diverse! And the influences being combined is unprecedented.
Sometimes if i listen to 5 witchy tracks im like wut in tha f just happens?! Youd swear it was 5 genres.

[kelp]

jungle dnb

Have never heard it in my life called Jungle Drum & Bass

I used to hear it often a parties in Seattle at NAFF and USC '94-96'. 360bpmcrews-nitsu I recall and others. It was just deeep sub bass like normal jungle but definitely pure fast good old amenbreak dnb over it.
I loved it so much I stayed in the jungle rooms all night man...

I'm not trying to be annoying or anything but i started heavily listening (and then DJing) dance music from around '91 onwards following each genre as it arrived. UK invented hardcore, jungle and then drum & bass, i don't recall hearing any drum & bass earlier than about '96. In '94 i can still remember listening to pirates and still hearing hardcore (albeit the darker side) being played at that point and jungle was certainly around then but no dnb.

[Melts]

i don't recall hearing any drum & bass earlier than about '96. jungle was certainly around then but no dnb.

now u got me diggin my brain crates...

Maybe it was more 96ish, but still I swear! ...are u sure?lol

To imagine to dnb i heard in 96 really bing that new is shocking to me.

I know seattle should have lag behind UK, but seattle did have a unique lil scene.

...but hadn't Dill also laid "JDnB" as im describing before 96?

...time flies when you're remembering the time of times...

[iec]

getting in a tizzy about genre names is the worst thing ever

dubstep is one of those labels applied to large swaths of music by people who have no idea what they're talking about (see: "hipster" or from a few years back "alternative" or "indie")

it started out as something that was a real thing but now is just sort of a word that means nothing and is made to upset people basically

pick your own genre tags, sort your library, and don't let other peoples' opinions bother you

[b0qurant]

I think this is one of two things:

1. A lack of vocabulary on the end of music journalists regarding electronic music (obviously there are some organizations that know how to talk about electronic music, but Rolling Stone? Eh ... ), thus leading to frustration on the educated-electronic-music-fan's side

2. Frustration with the cultural and intellectual implications of the word "dubstep"

[Melts]

iec and boq... I definitely agree, but heres what I remind myself:

If I am a professional percussion instructor and a kid comes in for a class and says "Teach me how to play dubstep on a kit!" I'd like to at least know where to start let alone know what the kid meant. You can put swing drums to cannibalcorpse and to the teacher, thats not DM its swing.

[vballs]

I thought id see what this dubstep crap is all about so I searched youtube to have a little listen to the aforementioned musical genre.

How anyone can relate this to Boards of Canada's music is completely unfathomable to me. For the love of God why are people trying to put BoC`s genius creations into this Genre of complete dog crap?

Unbelievable

[kelp]

Because BoC sound just like : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23-grgPDdhw