Has anyone famously spoken out about midrangebrosteptearout?

[joe muggs]

Sorry to harp on on this topic, I know it's the most boring thing in music BUT I've been asked to do an article explaining to outsiders the debate going on about different sounds. There are so many newcomers who are really puzzled when they hear, say, Caspa and Breakage on Annie mac, then someone plays them Pinch and DFRNT and says 'this is dubstep'.

I've got loads of quotes from Caspa/Skream/Plastician etc on why the hard/uptempo stuff is good and successful, and some good stuff from Blackdown and Geiom on why they don't like it, but I haven't got anyone who's willing to go on record really slating it or saying 'it's not dubstep'. Can anyone think of anyone prominent in the scene who has already said something like this?

I'm not trying to whip up artificial divisions here, seriously, and anyone who knows my work knows I take a balanced view of these things and I'm definitely not anti-jump-up myself - but I can't show a realistic picture of the scene in 2009 unless I can show how strong some people's views are...

[tobo]

I've only actually ever heard anyone say 'it's not dubstep' on this forum. The closest example I can think of someone 'more prominent in the scene' saying that is blackdown;

I think it’s probably also pretty clear from my writing, which I’ve tried to keep positive, that I really can’t stand the direction the majority of dubstep is heading in. Mid range distorted heavy metal is a total betrayal of everything we tried to build as a scene, whether the DJs/producers in question invented it themselves or cloned it off someone else. I still believe deeply in what dubstep is and can be, but if that’s it, count me out.

[DRTY]

I've only actually ever heard anyone say 'it's not dubstep' on this forum

[dutty_switch]

^^^basically.

I was hoping this 'Brostep' stuff was gonna disappear and be forgotten about quite quickly. Its not the sort of thing that needs more avertising.

Dubstep is varied, as is quite a lot of music. End of.

[2sense]

I'll go on record..saying..

Let people make the music they want to make.. If you don't like it.. don't listen.. none of these blog writers or 'big producers' own the term dubstep.. and the fact that this is even a real conversation in 'the scene' is laughable. I suppose its human nature though.. just like backpacking underground hip hoppers, arguing that solja boy isn't hip hop.

[joe muggs]

I've only actually ever heard anyone say 'it's not dubstep' on this forum. The closest example I can think of someone 'more prominent in the scene' saying that is blackdown;

I think it’s probably also pretty clear from my writing, which I’ve tried to keep positive, that I really can’t stand the direction the majority of dubstep is heading in. Mid range distorted heavy metal is a total betrayal of everything we tried to build as a scene, whether the DJs/producers in question invented it themselves or cloned it off someone else. I still believe deeply in what dubstep is and can be, but if that’s it, count me out.

Yep, that's it. That's a great quote actually... But I'd really like to hear it from another artist as well. Unfortunately dubstep artists are just too nice to slate anyone else's work

[deamonds]

hmm, not too sure about anyone actually saying "this aint dubstep" I think that would throw a spanner in the works for some of the producer’s who are making that style. On one hand you would have a trendsetter (whoever it would be would start something along the lines of bassline, but imagine just hard bassline. All. Hard. bassline….) who has dared to drop the controversial dubstep tag & take on a much more darker & macho route. On the other hand, this would alienate those who still contribute to the half step pattern, but are more dubbed out, and aren’t masculine all over, as they wouldn’t be happy with this “macho” only music tag, which this new scene has been born out of. There would be a number of producers complaining that there tunes, first recognised as dubstep, are now being singled out as “machorapemeinthefacestep” instead of what they intended to make. Dubstep would then be like UKG, loads of bangers, with no-one playing them, and inevitably you would see yourself going out to more “Old School Dubstep” Nights, than you do seeing the new artist’s (if there are any, and they wont get booked anyway, because everyone will be booking the macho step DJ’s)

My “vision” (if you will, for choice of a little less optimistic word ) anyway

[USTD]

I've only actually ever heard anyone say 'it's not dubstep' on this forum. The closest example I can think of someone 'more prominent in the scene' saying that is blackdown;

I think it’s probably also pretty clear from my writing, which I’ve tried to keep positive, that I really can’t stand the direction the majority of dubstep is heading in. Mid range distorted heavy metal is a total betrayal of everything we tried to build as a scene, whether the DJs/producers in question invented it themselves or cloned it off someone else. I still believe deeply in what dubstep is and can be, but if that’s it, count me out.

Yep, that's it. That's a great quote actually... But I'd really like to hear it from another artist as well. Unfortunately dubstep artists are just too nice to slate anyone else's work

I blame Students for the current state of Dubstep. Students and Mistajam.

[deamonds]

that was a bit of a poor reply reading over it again, could have done that a bit better, but am in work and v busy

[djacroama]

just like backpacking underground hip hoppers, arguing that solja boy isn't hip hop.

very good point.

[joe muggs]

just like backpacking underground hip hoppers, arguing that solja boy isn't hip hop.

very good point.

sort of, except backpackers are peripheral to hip hop, and their claim of what is old-school is a bit false - they always hark back to DJ Premier and Pete Rock, and kind of ignore the fact that hip hop has always been partaaaaaaaaay music right back to "bang bang the boogie say up jump the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie"

whereas the people saying that dubstep's origins are in more deep and spacious sounds have a bit more of a case, as many of them were there when it started....

[chainsawclownstyle]

In general the people making the heavier styles are doing it in an effort to take direct aim at the head of those who make pretentious statements such as Blackdown is quoted above.

Particularly the shit about how he built the scene, and that sort of thing. I mean really?

[3/2kick]

each to their own eh?... just stick to what you like... by saying this mid-range wobble, bro, whatever.. or techno influenced or deep sub space stuff isnt dubstep... well i say to you your just ruining it for everyone else regardless of what they like. Someone out there started tearing out all this hyped wobbled because thats the best way they can express themselves and thats fine, others use more subtle tones and thats whats interesting about the scene. If someone told me my stuff wasnt dubstep thats fine, then it would be my sound

[joe muggs]

In general the people making the heavier styles are doing it in an effort to take direct aim at the head of those who make pretentious statements such as Blackdown is quoted above.

Particularly the shit about how he built the scene, and that sort of thing. I mean really?

REALLY? People are actually making tunes in order to piss particular people off? Are you sure about this?

[seckle]

i'm not going on record, as thats pretty silly to do in a scene thats supposed to be about experimentation and progression. i will say though, that comparing 2001, 2005, 2009 in this sound, and seeing where the beat building formulas started coming in is getting pretty close to the heart of the matter. the elephant in the room right now is really down to moderation. do we need to hear hours of one thing over another? as burial put it best, "male rage music" is a pretty stupid direction to go into, after 10 years of breakbeat, broken, 2step and amen.

[seckle]

In general the people making the heavier styles are doing it in an effort to take direct aim at the head of those who make pretentious statements such as Blackdown is quoted above.

Particularly the shit about how he built the scene, and that sort of thing. I mean really?

show us where blackdown has ever said "he built the scene"? i can't wait to read this.

[3/2kick]

sorry bit off topic but i get the feeling with the more people argueing over what the sound should be there'll be producers out there ignoring the arguements and quietly working on new master pieces... maybe we should keep pushing new sounds in different directions by being creative rather than forcing the whole scene to revert to one sound whatever it is... jsut a thought....

[-dubson-]

Mehhh dubstep should always be diverse, no one should be saying this isnt dubstep and that isnt dubstep.

[wooda916]

...Caspa and Breakage on Annie mac...

LOL at grouping caspa and breakage together. (together together...)

In general the people making the heavier styles are doing it in an effort to take direct aim at the head of those who make pretentious statements such as Blackdown is quoted above.

Particularly the shit about how he built the scene, and that sort of thing. I mean really?

he says "we" though, as in me, you and everybody, no?

[hawstyle]

I appreciate all styles of dubstep. I take the same approach as a dj as i have with jungle/dnb for the past 10 years. I like a lot of diffrent styles from mellow to hard, jazzy to dark, and everything inbetween. I love mixing tracks together that most people wouldent expect to hear and making it work. Just my opinion.