On the use of the terms " dub " / " dubplate

intoccabile · Post by **intoccabile** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:39 pm

I'm sure most of you will have noticed this small shift in dubstep semantics as well.

My firm belief was that a dub or dubplate ( correct me if I'm wrong ) was an exclusive track or remix pressed on an acetate or vinyl disc of 12, 10 or 7 inches in diameter. To me, a dub was indistinguishable from the physical format on which these pieces were pressed.

Now I don't know anymore !

From what I gather, the terms dub and dubplate seem to be more and more synonymous with track. The expression : " I have a new dub ", to a lot of people will mean : " I have a new track ". " New dubs on myspace " means " new track on myspace ". Dub section of the forum... tune section of the forum. Ad infinitum... Now, the format on which the tracks are presented, be it mp3, cd, Flac, etc. seems of little importance.

Why this shift in the use of the terms " dub " or " dubplate " ?

What I am seeing is a shift in semantics due, in part to the depragmatisation of the dub " ethos ".

What do I mean exactly by " depragmatisation " of the dub ethos ?

The dub " ethos " seems to be ( of couse it might be a false induction of my part ) less and less rooted in those specific practices ( cutting exclusive tracks, versions, giving them to dj's, etc. ) that made the " original " dub culture what it was. It is somewhat becoming a ghost, a mere abstraction of it's former self. How we use the terms dub and dubplate seems to be a reflection of that...

I wouldn't be able to explain the why and the how of depragmatisation ( the fact that the dub ethos is less and less rooted in certain practices ), but I do know that the technological paradigm in which we live in isn't helping things. Why cut a plate, if I can drop wavefiles, mp3's regardless of bitrate, in the dance ? It would be just a waste of money and time. I know that's how a lot of dj's think. This technological paradigm, to me, and in this specific context ( the dubstep scene ), serves as an impulsion towards depragmatisation.

Thoughts ?

Ok, I'm going back in the studio.

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:42 pm

i'unno if people use 'dub' for 'track' they're just plain wrong. it's like saying 'jay-z came up to me and gave me a ticket to his concert and told me to come have a drink with him after' when what actually happened was u went shop n bought a ticket to his concert and will probably have a drink with your mates in the wetherspoons near hammersmith apollo afterwards

thinking · Post by **thinking** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:42 pm

I'm with you mate, a dubplate is a dubplate, an unreleased tune is an unreleased tune.

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:44 pm

oh and yeh on the ghost thing... it not just being ghostly as a term, but also as a practice these days... i did my diploma dissertation thing on dubplates n spoke to a guy at music house (wookie's bro, can't remember his name) n he said they were really suffering since cd decks and mp3 mixing came out. and there's that thing of they're gunna stop producing the polymer used to make vinyl by 2012 or something...

tronman · Post by **tronman** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:45 pm

i imagined you to look like this whilst reading your post

but you're right.

tronman · Post by **tronman** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:46 pm

Delendi wrote:spoke to a guy at music house (wookie's bro)

i've got a name in my hand i think you just dropped it.

intoccabile · Post by **intoccabile** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:46 pm

When I post a " free " dub on a forum, is it still a dub ?

Well, not only is it not presented on a physical format, but the element of exclusivity is lost as well, since everybody can own my dub now.

I guess it doesn't really matter since the meaning of the terms dub and dubplate ( among other things ), for a lot of people, has been lost.

tronman · Post by **tronman** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:47 pm

nah ppl just beg it init. simple

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:48 pm

tronman wrote:
Delendi wrote:spoke to a guy at music house (wookie's bro)
i've got a name in my hand i think you just dropped it.

uh?

tronman · Post by **tronman** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:50 pm

lol it was a joke. nevermind

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:53 pm

didn't say it as a name drop... just thought someone here might know the guy i'm talkin about n throw a name at me! i'm thinking jason, but that might be wookie's real name. it's gunna bug me now.

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:54 pm

LEON. i can sleep easy tonight lol

thehovsep · Post by **thehovsep** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:56 pm

well, I think that the dubplate is still very well alive, yet Intocc, we are here in montreal, where the nearest dubplate cutter that I know of is in the states.

So for example I can drop that 'My Love" remix JSL did without a certain sense of exclusitivity... which personally doesn't really affect me.

Speaking of "dubs" though... I heard WAAAY too many hot tracks that you said were yours at the Usine a couple of weeks back. keep it up, you have your own sound going, it's cool.

I might need you for a night all the way in July, I'll email you at some point.

But yes, you are right, the terms "dub" and "dubplate" are being used quite freely and are not "respecting" their given definitions.
but does it matter? in the technological age, surely words and terminologies can evolve.

safe

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:57 pm

nah. it's a noun, it is what it is. it can't evolve!

tronman · Post by **tronman** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:59 pm

Delendi wrote:thinking jason, but that might be wookie's real name.

:thumbs up smilie:
man like chu
:wookie:

thinking · Post by **thinking** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:59 pm

thehovsep wrote:But yes, you are right, the terms "dub" and "dubplate" are being used quite freely and are not "respecting" their given definitions.
but does it matter? in the technological age, surely words and terminologies can evolve.

what, when dubplates still exist?? Should we be calling CDs "records" or "twelves"??

Sorry, prob sounding pedantic but this whole issue does irk me somewhat. I try to keep it to myself but I'm obviously not the only one.

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:01 pm

lol yes jason and leon chuh... thems the ones. dunno if any dubstep gets done there. seems to all be at transition? they do a lot of reggae at music house tho.

Littlefoot · Post by **Littlefoot** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:05 pm

to me.. dub is the dub version og tunes (in lots of genes), which is what dubstep is born of, its just "dubs" as opposed to tunes with a vocalist etc, aka music based and away from any beefing or bad pop vocal.. so when someones talking dubstep, and they go "heres my latest dub" to me its a bit like someone making "beats" for hip hop.. "yeah i make beats" "yeah i make dubs"

if that makes any sense, im so quiet

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:07 pm

yeh that meaning for 'dub' evolved from the original one at some point... maybe cos dub the music took reggae songs and drained them of most of the vocals?

thehovsep · Post by **thehovsep** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:08 pm

ThinKing wrote:
thehovsep wrote:But yes, you are right, the terms "dub" and "dubplate" are being used quite freely and are not "respecting" their given definitions.
but does it matter? in the technological age, surely words and terminologies can evolve.
what, when dubplates still exist?? Should we be calling CDs "records" or "twelves"??

Sorry, prob sounding pedantic but this whole issue does irk me somewhat. I try to keep it to myself but I'm obviously not the only one.

hm yeah, i guess you are right. I'm terrible with terminologies and such... but as far as i am concerned, there are no dubplates, as like i said before, there is nowhere to cut them within a 20 hour drive or something. so fuck that. but if i could i would, and judging from say kode9's wax sack, the dubplate still exists, and when i was referring to terminologies evolving, that was directed more so towards the word "dub".

in the end it's more like "whatever", you know

On the use of the terms " dub " / " dubplate

On the use of the terms " dub " / " dubplate

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