New Directions: 2step, Minimal and Beyond...

[south3rn]

The 2step swing thing would be a welcome throw back in my opinion..
I'm also feeling the minimal thing quite a bit (tons of techno djs in my city are all over this right now).

To be honest though, I'm most excited to see the North American mutation of the sound.
It might not be heard yet.. but talking with other stateside people you can certainly feel the energy that something is bubbling under the surface.
it's just a matter of time before North Americans start putting out uniquely sounding "stateside" dubstep citing their homegrown sounds for influence..

cosign.

[sek [espionage]]

The 2step swing thing would be a welcome throw back in my opinion..
I'm also feeling the minimal thing quite a bit (tons of techno djs in my city are all over this right now).

To be honest though, I'm most excited to see the North American mutation of the sound.
It might not be heard yet.. but talking with other stateside people you can certainly feel the energy that something is bubbling under the surface.
it's just a matter of time before North Americans start putting out uniquely sounding "stateside" dubstep citing their homegrown sounds for influence..

cosign.

feelin me?? when I'm not playing strictly dubstep parties.. I'm usually playing a mash sound of hiphop, detroit electro, gutter and dubstep.. people fucking love it.
I dont want to jump to any conclusions but from the conversations I've had with some UK peeps.. I get the impression that names like Aux88 mean very little over there.


Lot's of potential stateside! Shit's got me super excited!

[incyde]

totally agree with ya man. its all about pushing boundaries, changing sounds, breaking "rules", to keep it evolving. if it stays the same for too long it starts to get old and gets harder and harder to change the longer it stays that way. even though i am loving the sound dubstep has at the moment, its got so many more directions it could go, so much potential. that's whats so cool about it. its not like dnb with mostly recycled beats and tracks that mostly sound identical. for example one track i feel is totally out there for me is bury the bwoy... it totally works with otehr dubstep tracks but its just so different also. big up mala for that.

[4linehaiku]

My number one hope for 2007: more rhythmic uncertainty.
I don't mind if it's minimal 4/4, 2step swing, kickdrum gallops, or something completely new (though the latter would probably be best). I just want to hear tunes that make me dance like I don't know what I'm doing.

I wouldn't mind more feminine pressure either, but that's because I find the concept absolutley wonderful. It makes me smile everytime I think about it. Not sure why. I guess I'm just a bit wierd.

[d man]

as i said many a time its about the shepherds and not the sheep.......

there are too many sheep!!

catch urban graffiti show tuesdays 8til 10 react fm (now there's a plug if ever i seen 1 lol)


safe


D

[shonky]

Must say that I've hardly heard any releases recently that have really hooked me - tracking down old 2 step on e-bay and realising how varied the rhythms were (some of those old El-b tunes where the beats almost disintegrating are insane). Think there's still decent halfstep out there, but it usually seems to come from those other influences who add something new.

Hasn't a lot of this got to do with what's selling though? Speaking personally, I don't really see the point in doing something that's self-expression via someone else's self, kind of ruins the point.

Most of my tunes have been 2 step based and it still seems to me that a return to the source might be a good move for the scene. Checking that first Horsepower album showed plenty of different styles and the beats go from minimal bass to cut up breaks - that sort of variety could go a long way to redressing the balance.

To be honest though I've been feeling this since the halfstep debate from last year and it seems to me that there's more tunes coming out, but the innovation's dropped drastically with recent releases (and I don't really need pale imitations of what's gone before).

[2000f]

1) The integration of oldskool sounds; the re-injection of swing. 2step nostalgia. blackdown has talked about the phenomenon of the old sounding new and i don't think it's a dead end to explore this; swing as the antithesis of cold half step. this is something i think is important. the dubstep / garage connection is getting lost. i'm particularly feeling what TRG is doing with this. I don't want revival, i want to see innovation with swing in dubstep.

I agree totally, and have been producing some 2-step influenced bits for a half a year or so. 4x4 influence is also evident.

[tranquera]

Nice topic! We have important issues here! I'd like to contribute with my point of view really soon...

[blood_on_neon]

If Bury de Bwoy had come out three years ago it would've been called hard minimal techno. Just goes to show the potential size of the dubstep 'umberella'.

So, assuming we're sticking with the term, what are the bottom-level unifying characteristics of dubstep?

For me, in order of importance:

1. Ample bass content

2. Interesting rhythmic content

3. Approximate tempo

That's it.

[dj $hy]

Bigit boom for bringing it up!

I have to agree with what’s been said about Dubstep almost being tagged as an LFO sound. I love the LFO sound don’t get me wrong but now a days it seems to be just about the bass. But there is only so many parameters you can assign to an LFO, its been done now!

Personally I've been here form day one and have done the minimal thing, done the LFO's and now its time to move upwards. I'm from the harder, darker end of the scale and I'd like to see tracks with just a bit more that some delayed FX's and a wobbly bass line! I want feeling, Reso for one is someone pushing a new level in production. I'm looking for more rather than less. Something other than a catch bass rift to get my head nodding.

As D-Man says its better to be a shepherd than a sheep!

[jack sparrow1]

werd boomy!

would love to see more skippy 2 step vibes on the scene for sure

been hearing a lot of techno esq stuff too which is really good too

for me im all about deep rollers this year fuck the slow stuff imo

i said imo so dont have beef

[flipw]

Maybe free/cheap mp3s contribute to the lack of innovation Boomnoise described and the quality control issues others have mentioned

when paying for vinyl/cd I think you try hard to buy something good that's not the same as a tune you already have in your collection.
with mp3s what does it matter if theres only a slight variation? it costs you little/ nothing
changed your mind and decide to bin the tune - again very little cost if any
in this way "same same but different" and mediocre producers are given space in the scene they don't deserve

Also

I'm not sure what effect dubplate culture has on the scene. Such a gap in dubplate and actual release date could be leading to the tail wagging the dog?
tunes that have been caned for months have a sort of second coming that brings no new ideas to the scene.
compare to early years of "dance music" when you'd hear something fresh in a club/on radio and usually within a few weeks the big tunes you heard were in your local shop. If released a year later most of those tunes would have sounded good but old. That scene seemed dynamic and constantly moving fwd.

feelin the vibes of latest releases of Peverilist, Mala, LD and view them as risk takers.
I think it's up to DJ's and punters to encourage such innovation and discourage a formulaic approach for dubstep.

I like to hear grime, reggae, breaks and techno all brought into the mix.

[blood_on_neon]

Get what you're saying about the mp3 thing, but it's two-sided: people can hopefully access weirder stuff which might otherwise be denied immediate exposure.

[cody]

What got me hooked on dubstep was that it was a departure from the existing dance music played that I listened to c. 2005. Especially dnb, as a jungle purist at heart I felt post 2002 (well post 1995 really!), dnb tunes had all slotted into a series of moulds and each 'new' track still sounded like a four bar sequencer on repeat, no matter whther they were labelled 'liquid' 'tech' or god help me, 'jump-up'. I got into dubstep via grime, going on a solo mission to fwd. Although I had been to big dub nights, so I knew about the 'sound system' ethos, nothing prepared for what I was about to hear. Like boomnoise said, it was the 'faaaaackin 'ell' experience of hearing music that I didnt really know what it was, but instantly loved it at the same time.

Fear not, I dont think we are at saturation point yet with dubstep!

True, 06 was probably the year of the halfstep wobbler and I would agree that sound may be a little jaded... The 2 step throw back, IMO pioneered by burial is a good look, and im feeling the bouncy IMO techno influeneced tunes like losing control. But what must not happen is for a repeat of the wobbler phenomenon and for a spate of producers to go 'right, ive got to make a swing beat tune, or I have to make a techy banger'.... NO! Carve your own style, dont imitate. Appreciate tunes, it is natural to be influenced by something you like, but dont make this the only influence on your sound. If a producer has only one influence then surely it must be hard for thier music to be anything other than one dimensional? It doesnt matter what you like, be it rocksteady, rock and roll or swampcore tech-step psy-jungle, the more you open your ears to new sounds the more innovative you music you can make. Its like if you only knew five words, then every sentance you made would just be permutations of the same five words. Get me?

I trust in the innovators, producers, djs and enthisiasts in the scene not to let it stagnate. The fact the sound is GLOBAL from croyden, to tokyo, to san francisco must be a good thing. For me the juju and the narco.hz label with releases from tes la rok and djunya forthcoming have the fwd mentality. As does goth trad from japan and closer to home Im feeling zomby reso and cotti's work.

Dubstep is not in the same postion as say, the england football team. It has been through a slight fad, but KEEP HOPE!! I will only give that up when I go to fwd and everyone is standing still by the bar...

Big up boomnoise. Good thread. Now my keyboard is warmed up on with my dissertation!

>>

[primate]

man there's plenty to look forward to. leftfield artists like geiom, bass clef and shackleton are tearing this scene a new arsehole. techno producers like neil landstruum are bringing the oldschool hardcore sound back and americans like juju are giving us all a run for our money. just listened to mundo's "still stand rasta" and got that "faack meeee" effect. Sweden's L-wiz is doing great things. All is not lost....

[sully_shanks]

more attention to detail. more edits. more progressiveness n twists n turns.
i think skreams recen movements are telling of steps in the right direction. it did seem like his style could become a bit characaturish. n with him bein such a prominant (crossover) figure, its good to see him pushing things again.
halstep wobblers n skankers are not gonna survive 2007.

[brklss]

Dubstep...

Sorry mate, but if you don't like the sound you have two options:

a) stick with it and appreciate what artist do
b) make your own sound

But just because you don't like certain flavours/directions the music is going doesn't mean that others has to change their way of producing music.

Edit:
Actually, just listen carefully to Burial, Kode9, Boxcutter, Applebim, Shackleton, Tech Itch, Hijack.

[autonomic]

mundo's "still stand rasta"

that's a remix of a 2002 tune back to the future.

[dub boy]

excellent post

I subsribe to the Kode9 theory.... tempo & subbass and then the producers imagination on top.

I think the 2step grooves & minimal vibes are hot right now but I hope this doesn't become the trend for 07 as halfstep became the trend for 06.... that got very dry & I really hope that doesn't happen again.

Less imitation, more innovation!

I'm feeling the more leftfield stuff the most, as I always have. Artists like Bass Clef, shakleton, Peveralist, atki2, Hijak, Pinch, Mundo, Kode9 etc have always been where my dubstep tastes are at. All have very unique ditinct styles with the only real similarities being the tempo and the fat as f**k bass!

[kate_]

Something I have noticed that I would like to see more of is the almost minimal techno 4x4 beats that some dubstep songs will go into for a moment. (Skream does it sometimes, almost as a fill or a build up, before it goes back to halfstep) I always wanted to find some producers that rode that thin line between garage and house while keeping it drenched in deep sub bass. Any advice from you guys on producers doing more of that?