i was just thinking today about dubstep's potential for growth in the US, and i fear that it just might not realistically take off beyond the very bottom of the underground. i hope i'm wrong, but my reasoning is pretty simple:
1) cost of flying UK djs to do US gigs. as the terror threats increase (especially on flights between the US and UK) and fuel prices increase, airplane fairs are going to increase ridiculously and it just won't be economical to fly UK djs over to the US. in any new underground scene that is very localized (in this case to London), much like drum & bass was in the early and mid 90s, you really need the founders and "dons" of the genre to play live for a new audience. is this really going to be feasible? local crews and djs will probably sprout up here and there, but they probably won't have access to dubplates and other real musical links to the UK. also, being that the US is so huge, the unity and cooperation that you see in the UK culture will be lost on US heads. the scene will be very weak and fractured.
2) accessibility of the music, and price of vinyl. i'd be spinning dubstep out yesterday. . . .if i could afford it! with import vinyl priced at nearly $12 a piece (for two 5 minute tracks!) not including shipping charges (because few local shops actually carry dubstep) it's just not economical at all to spin a new genre with an extremely limited audience. i invested thousands of dollars on drum&bass vinyl over the past 10 years (each vinyl costing about $10 originally), and, although I still love the genre and show a ton of support, simple economics has really killed it for me. seems like most people i talk to can't afford to buy vinyl anymore (or are getting sick of paying so much, and thus steal mp3s) and the scene has suffered. it's largely stagnant, boring, poorly organized, unprofessional, and there's very little legit money being made. you can only do it "for the love" for so long without totally burning out. it'd be nice to buy dubstep mp3s (thanks bleep.com), but availability is still very limited and most places i spin at don't have CDJs (i hate them anyway) and i'm still a ways off from investing in a new laptop and serato.
anyway, not trying to hate or be totally pessimistic, but i'm a bit worried about the future of the music here. thoughts or opinions?
future of dubstep in the USA?
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theverdict
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sindell357
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People are going to have to put thier money where their mouth is. If you believe in something, you will do it becuase you are passionate about it and you think its worth the time/effort/money/whatever. You will do whatever it takes without fear or reservation.
The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. You might loose some $ and take risks along on the journey ahead but look at it this way - thats the price of having good taste in music and going against the mainstream.
The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. You might loose some $ and take risks along on the journey ahead but look at it this way - thats the price of having good taste in music and going against the mainstream.
Re: future of dubstep in the USA?
sorry I just don't think that's an excuse, there's a fair few MP3 sites etc now and a half-decent selection already, with lots more to come no doubt. If there was into a tune that I couldn't (afford to) buy on vinyl, but I could buy, burn and play it, then I would. In fact I have with a few tunes.tone.def wrote: seems like most people i talk to can't afford to buy vinyl anymore (or are getting sick of paying so much, and thus steal mp3s)
As for the whole USA thing, I wouldn't be surprised if the scene takes off in quite an independent way soon, esp labels & producers. What with this forum, barefiles.com, Rinse and a few online shows like Wedge etc, people worldwide are switching on to new music much quicker - compare the relatively rapid spread of dubstep to, say, the rate at whichDnB spread stateside 10 yrs ago (sorry to draw the parallel yet again).
Just from the rapid growth we've seen in 2006, there's labels starting up, nites all over the US, DJs flying in most months to one city or another...
BLACK BOX & BOX CLEVER
paulie wrote:Thinking >>>> everyone else on this forum.
In 6 years the scene has spread more than (im sure) most people thought it ever would in such a short time. I keep hearing of heads popping up all over the world. Maybe its more expensive and might be more difficult for it to grow in the US but nothings stopping you bro. Hound your local record store to stock up, play them some tunes!!!!
Just keep on it, theres nothing to say it cant be a healthy scene anywhere in the world
Heads always come together
Just keep on it, theres nothing to say it cant be a healthy scene anywhere in the world
Heads always come together-
bob grommit
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Re: future of dubstep in the USA?
The gas prices are out of our hands. If you wanna bring someone over, you do it. Simple as that. At the end of the day, it's just money and at least you are getting a good buy for your money. Even if you lose a bit of cash at an event, helping educate the heads here is worth it...not to mention the amount of fun to be had!!tone.def wrote:i was just thinking today about dubstep's potential for growth in the US, and i fear that it just might not realistically take off beyond the very bottom of the underground. i hope i'm wrong, but my reasoning is pretty simple:
1) cost of flying UK djs to do US gigs. as the terror threats increase (especially on flights between the US and UK) and fuel prices increase, airplane fairs are going to increase ridiculously and it just won't be economical to fly UK djs over to the US. in any new underground scene that is very localized (in this case to London), much like drum & bass was in the early and mid 90s, you really need the founders and "dons" of the genre to play live for a new audience. is this really going to be feasible? local crews and djs will probably sprout up here and there, but they probably won't have access to dubplates and other real musical links to the UK. also, being that the US is so huge, the unity and cooperation that you see in the UK culture will be lost on US heads. the scene will be very weak and fractured.
As far as accessibility to tunes (dubplates), not sure I follow you on that. Maybe not as many events in a concentrated area as there is in the UK, but I assure you, there are many heads here pushing the sound strong and with quite an arsenal of fresh new releases and unreleased dubs.
Concerning the unity being lost because the US is so big, I think it is just the opposite. Since the US is big, we have to work more closely together and cooperate in order to make anything happen. And there are many of us trying to make waves. trust!
tone.def wrote:2) accessibility of the music, and price of vinyl. i'd be spinning dubstep out yesterday. . . .if i could afford it! with import vinyl priced at nearly $12 a piece (for two 5 minute tracks!) not including shipping charges (because few local shops actually carry dubstep) it's just not economical at all to spin a new genre with an extremely limited audience. i invested thousands of dollars on drum&bass vinyl over the past 10 years (each vinyl costing about $10 originally), and, although I still love the genre and show a ton of support, simple economics has really killed it for me. seems like most people i talk to can't afford to buy vinyl anymore (or are getting sick of paying so much, and thus steal mp3s) and the scene has suffered. it's largely stagnant, boring, poorly organized, unprofessional, and there's very little legit money being made. you can only do it "for the love" for so long without totally burning out. it'd be nice to buy dubstep mp3s (thanks bleep.com), but availability is still very limited and most places i spin at don't have CDJs (i hate them anyway) and i'm still a ways off from investing in a new laptop and serato.
anyway, not trying to hate or be totally pessimistic, but i'm a bit worried about the future of the music here. thoughts or opinions?
So the accessibility factor. Sure vinyl is expensive. Sure most shops in the states don't carry dubstep but if you search, you can find spots many online spots with decent prices on vinyl with fairly cheap shipping as well.
Check RedEye. I promise they won't disappoint.
There a re a few solid digital download sites but if you're scared of CDJs then no need to go that route. Not sure why the hatred but that's your own things.
I have always been a vinyl afficianado and a pursit for many years. I collected drum and bass for 10 years and have about 6K records in total. But over time my mind set changed when I realized, if I have tunes that I feel need to be heard by the public and only have it on CD, does that mean I should deprive the heads of good beats because it's on CD and I don't like playing CDs. Nah, I just roll with the punches and take it as a chance to educate the listeners as much as myself with changing technology.
I don't think you have anything to worry about concerning the future of music stateside.
There are too many people that love this music with all their being. Too many wicked producers stateside that are doing big things.
I say just drop any inhibitions you have, get more involved, and enjoy the ride.
GROMMIT- (Weight) ATX
WEIGHT - Friday nights @ Plush
WEIGHT - Friday nights @ Plush
let's be honest.
there's DNB and then there's Dubstep.
two different sounds - 2 different audiences.
yes they share some musical characteristics, but the overall feel is different.
we are getting alot of people at our events that wouldn't go to a drum'n'bass event. especially the ladies.
and as far as dubs, you can ask for mp3's from producers and always cut a dub in the states if you need. plenty of shops around town.
i feel you about the travel costs and space between cities.
just takes clever business minds i suppose.
there's DNB and then there's Dubstep.
two different sounds - 2 different audiences.
yes they share some musical characteristics, but the overall feel is different.
we are getting alot of people at our events that wouldn't go to a drum'n'bass event. especially the ladies.
and as far as dubs, you can ask for mp3's from producers and always cut a dub in the states if you need. plenty of shops around town.
i feel you about the travel costs and space between cities.
just takes clever business minds i suppose.
Last edited by airtight on Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
really glad to see everybody's positive and moving forward regardless.
sorry for the pessimism, but i guess i might be coming at this from a different point of view. i've been involved with underground electronic/dance music for the better part of 12 years now and the past 4 of those i've spent working in the music business.
my life and very livelihood (ie. putting food on the table) depends on music and the culture(s) surrounding it. so, not only do these kinds of scenarios and questions intrigue me on the level of simple "fan" or "dj," but on a professional level too as music and the business behind it (yes, all music takes some level of business to support it) are ever changing. in my experience, simple "love" for the music isn't enough to support or grow a scene like this in the long run, but i hope i'm wrong in this case.
to respond to a few of your responses:
dubplates. yes, indeed US heads can get files and make their own plates, but i hope there's some level of integrity and honesty behind this as tracks will inevitably start floating around illegally or fall in the hands of those not intended. also, if the d&b scene is any indication, the UK heads will be stingy with their dubs, and the music just won't get around to those who want it or want to hear it.
music production. yes, indeed US heads are and will start to make their own tracks on their own equipment and create their own local scenes independent of the UK, but does this unify a young genre of music or fracture it? enrich it, or dilute it?
accessibility of the music. contrary to what UK heads might think, it's tough getting UK vinyl in the US. there are so few vinyl stores anymore, although there are mailorder sites online. problem here is we pay huge import prices (or "import fees" and shipping costs), and stuff doesn't get here until a while later (sometimes weeks). i couldn't get my hands on a copy of the Burial CD for almost a month as nobody here carried it and i didn't want to pay over $30 to get it shipped from the UK. bbs carries dubstep, but that shit is so expensive and it runs out so fast (they probably don't stock very much of it at one time). bleep.com is good for picking up music from a few labels, but still, new tracks don't get posted for ages because inevitably labels want to sell out of the vinyl first. the latest DMZ tunes haven't been posted, or Blackdown's "crackle blues (burial remix)," tunes i'm dying to get.
anyway, big up to those carrying the torch. respect to Joe Nice and those selflessly moving the scene forward stateside. looking forward to seeing the music grow, and loving every minute of it.
sorry for the pessimism, but i guess i might be coming at this from a different point of view. i've been involved with underground electronic/dance music for the better part of 12 years now and the past 4 of those i've spent working in the music business.
my life and very livelihood (ie. putting food on the table) depends on music and the culture(s) surrounding it. so, not only do these kinds of scenarios and questions intrigue me on the level of simple "fan" or "dj," but on a professional level too as music and the business behind it (yes, all music takes some level of business to support it) are ever changing. in my experience, simple "love" for the music isn't enough to support or grow a scene like this in the long run, but i hope i'm wrong in this case.
to respond to a few of your responses:
dubplates. yes, indeed US heads can get files and make their own plates, but i hope there's some level of integrity and honesty behind this as tracks will inevitably start floating around illegally or fall in the hands of those not intended. also, if the d&b scene is any indication, the UK heads will be stingy with their dubs, and the music just won't get around to those who want it or want to hear it.
music production. yes, indeed US heads are and will start to make their own tracks on their own equipment and create their own local scenes independent of the UK, but does this unify a young genre of music or fracture it? enrich it, or dilute it?
accessibility of the music. contrary to what UK heads might think, it's tough getting UK vinyl in the US. there are so few vinyl stores anymore, although there are mailorder sites online. problem here is we pay huge import prices (or "import fees" and shipping costs), and stuff doesn't get here until a while later (sometimes weeks). i couldn't get my hands on a copy of the Burial CD for almost a month as nobody here carried it and i didn't want to pay over $30 to get it shipped from the UK. bbs carries dubstep, but that shit is so expensive and it runs out so fast (they probably don't stock very much of it at one time). bleep.com is good for picking up music from a few labels, but still, new tracks don't get posted for ages because inevitably labels want to sell out of the vinyl first. the latest DMZ tunes haven't been posted, or Blackdown's "crackle blues (burial remix)," tunes i'm dying to get.
anyway, big up to those carrying the torch. respect to Joe Nice and those selflessly moving the scene forward stateside. looking forward to seeing the music grow, and loving every minute of it.
Re: future of dubstep in the USA?
there are US dj's that cut their own dubstep dubplates from mp3's received...:cough joe nice & dave q:tone.def wrote:i was just thinking today about dubstep's potential for growth in the US, and i fear that it just might not realistically take off beyond the very bottom of the underground. i hope i'm wrong, but my reasoning is pretty simple:
1) cost of flying UK djs to do US gigs. as the terror threats increase (especially on flights between the US and UK) and fuel prices increase, airplane fairs are going to increase ridiculously and it just won't be economical to fly UK djs over to the US. in any new underground scene that is very localized (in this case to London), much like drum & bass was in the early and mid 90s, you really need the founders and "dons" of the genre to play live for a new audience. is this really going to be feasible? local crews and djs will probably sprout up here and there, but they probably won't have access to dubplates and other real musical links to the UK. also, being that the US is so huge, the unity and cooperation that you see in the UK culture will be lost on US heads. the scene will be very weak and fractured.
2) accessibility of the music, and price of vinyl. i'd be spinning dubstep out yesterday. . . .if i could afford it! with import vinyl priced at nearly $12 a piece (for two 5 minute tracks!) not including shipping charges (because few local shops actually carry dubstep) it's just not economical at all to spin a new genre with an extremely limited audience. i invested thousands of dollars on drum&bass vinyl over the past 10 years (each vinyl costing about $10 originally), and, although I still love the genre and show a ton of support, simple economics has really killed it for me. seems like most people i talk to can't afford to buy vinyl anymore (or are getting sick of paying so much, and thus steal mp3s) and the scene has suffered. it's largely stagnant, boring, poorly organized, unprofessional, and there's very little legit money being made. you can only do it "for the love" for so long without totally burning out. it'd be nice to buy dubstep mp3s (thanks bleep.com), but availability is still very limited and most places i spin at don't have CDJs (i hate them anyway) and i'm still a ways off from investing in a new laptop and serato.
anyway, not trying to hate or be totally pessimistic, but i'm a bit worried about the future of the music here. thoughts or opinions?
dj'ing has never been a poor man's game. airfares have been ridiculous lately, but until airlines stop flying on fuel, we'll be paying top $. pay for the music you love.
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sek [espionage]
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exhibit A that there is an audience for dubstep in the USA and people willing to put their money where there mouth is to bring top talent:
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.sw ... 5614756476
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.sw ... 5614756476
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parson atx
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its frustrating to work your ass off and get no support
i know where the original poster is coming from, being burned the fuck out on dnb myself
its discouraging how much scene similarities there is
i dunno i just woke up
the way to get a US scene started though would be support US artists and get out of the mentality that its gotta come from england to be true dubstep
that whole mentality kept US jungle down for 10 years
i know where the original poster is coming from, being burned the fuck out on dnb myself
its discouraging how much scene similarities there is
i dunno i just woke up
the way to get a US scene started though would be support US artists and get out of the mentality that its gotta come from england to be true dubstep
that whole mentality kept US jungle down for 10 years
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sek [espionage]
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