So I have a couple of Coworkers that are really into dubstep. I'm in my late 30's. I understand that music changes, But I just don't get dubstep. I've tried to listen to it with headphones (good ones, so I can hear the Bass "drop", and all the little "wub wub wubs") I can't seem to pick a melody out of it. I don't hear any sort of layering. what am I missing? am I listening to it wrong? I figure if this is the future I may as well understand it. Said co-workers have said it's all about the beat and the "drops" which seems kinda empty to me. The beats are too simple, some of them too sporadic. Do I need to be high? I just don't get it. Am I missing something? My coworkers mostly listen to Skrillex which according to some online reading, is not true dubstep. I don't know, Maybe this is that day when I realize I'm my parents.
You're ahead of me. I've never even heard of that. "I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me."
Just like with most music, there's a lot of mediocre to crap dubstep alongside a few great numbers. That mediocre to crap dubstep is as you say, lacking in melody and just consists of the beats and wubs that define dub. I'm not the biggest dubstep fan, but I was first introduced to it through the 'artist' Bass Nectar, and the few tracks of his I heard I enjoyed immensely. So check him out, and if you don't like it then it's not for you.
It's all about timing and sample choice. Like most music, the dubstep genre is filled with a lot of "so/so" entries, some really bad ones, and some very good selections. It's all a matter of taste, and what kind of sampling you like. For example, I'm a fan of Burial. This is his song "Archangel": [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlEkvbRmfrA[/yt] Another one of his songs, "Shell of Light": [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS2wE7BZel0[/yt] This is my style of dubstep, due to the atmosphere and "tone" of the music, the type of sampling, and the timing used in meshing it together. Of course, there are many more different styles. For example, there's "She Moves She" by Four Tet: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kAqjtRCfsM[/yt] Those are examples of smooth, introspective dubstep works. If you're more popbeat/emo, there's dubstep like stuff from Skrillex: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJVmu6yttiw[/yt] I'll say it right now, I'm not really a fan of Skrillex, but to each their own.
Not sure if Deadmau5 is dubstep or just EDM, but I really like his stuff. This DJ instructional track explains exactly how that kind of music works: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKBSQwK8_c8[/yt] He's got a sense of humor, and I like that. But I digress.
Dubstep uses a combination of "tuplets" and irregular downbeat. The music above is in standard time, and used a non-syncopated rhythm, so it's not really dubstep. Still, it's very good.
This is my style of dubstep, due to the atmosphere and "tone" of the music, the type of sampling, and the timing used in meshing it together. Of course, there are many more different styles. For example, there's "She Moves She" by Four Tet: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kAqjtRCfsM[/yt] [/QUOTE] I kinda liked this one...It kinda sounded like The "maker" of this got into a fist fight with a sentient accoustic guitar for a little bit, but it was interesting....will be checking out more of his/her/their? work, I can say with certainty the "wub wub wub" stuff isn't for me though.
I don't really know or understand what dubstep is, but it reminds me of Pogo's remixes, which make me extraordinarliy happy: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVxe5NIABsI[/yt]
Well, i do like some dubstep type songs... [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVq2yMuAMVQ&ob=av2e[/yt] [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJVQJ4-n_cA[/yt]
the only dubstep i know is the seven nation army remix used on the GI Joe Retaliation trailer which was annoyingly catchy.
This is the first time I've ever heard of "dubstep" Can't really say that I care for it. The music in those youtube videos above were horrible. To each his own I guess (I'm also 25 years old, don't really consider myself old )
I've heard of it before and even had the bad luck of hearing some of it, too. I'm not much younger than you, and I think it's horrible. I even went to the trouble to listen to a minute or two of every song linked to in this thread, and the only one which I would ever consider listening to again was "Bangarang" because it had the hilarious ice cream truck driver in the video. I want to know what the age demographic is on this stuff. I'm curious about who listens to this.
I like Magnetic Man, though this with Katy B is what first made me listen to them [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ZftrTodU0[/yt]
Sounds like low rent jungle music and drum and bass... Yeah, I'm from the nineties when they invented the stuff. Dubstep sounds like a cheap knock off. Can't think of an original tune, so nick an existing one and 'layer' the beatz. I haven't heard anything original in music in almost 20 years.
I am kind of picky about dubstep, but there is some good stuff out there: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyvuc_GjzfU[/yt] (May not be dubstep but deadmau5 is always a good choice.) [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofgHmumPTL4[/yt] And oblig Skrillex: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cXDgFwE13g&ob=av2e[/yt] Oh, and this video kind of explains: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FasBeVv639s[/yt]
It's not my kind of music, and I won't have it on my headphones while strolling around, but I understand the appeal as a kind of club music. Now I rarely go to clubs any more, but I remember how it was to listen to trance, techno, or underground. Horrible music to my hears, but a lot of fun for clubbing.