dubplate culture...

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dubmugga
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dubplate culture...

Post by dubmugga » Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:43 pm

http://breakbeatworldwide.com/home/modu ... opic&t=611

anyone care to add ???

I remember not so long ago, correct me if I'm wrong I think it was on the skream interview at blackdowns site...

...where he was championing himself as the man with the latest dub cuts and how you need to be playin that shit out or you just ain't in the game and then reading that his sister was the AMMUNITION/FORWARD co founder making things that little bit easier

Did that bit get edited out or am I on the wrong trak ???

but yeah is passing around exclusive VIPs on CDR good for business given that dubstep is not that big a scene nor is it particularly dance oriented and maybe even not suited to the 12' vinyl format ???

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Re: dubplate culture...

Post by alex bk-bk » Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:54 pm

dubmugga wrote:http://breakbeatworldwide.com/home/modu ... opic&t=611
not suited to the 12' vinyl format ???
course it is !

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Post by orson » Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:56 pm

what ???

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Post by blacklay » Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:59 pm

i think that you're on the wrong track, the dub plate king you are on about with the fambly connections is youngst (correct me if i'm wrong). and i think it was on the drums of the south blog.

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Post by paulie » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:18 pm

^ yep that was Youngsta.

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Post by dubmugga » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:42 pm

yeah sorry bout that Skream... :oops:

...but anyway is passing out exclusive CDR business good for the scene as a whole or just the lucky DJ's who can get em ???

and why hold out for a 12' release if the tune can get out faster on CDR...

I don't buy that whole "warm" vinyl sound unless you can eq the system in each room for each trak then punters aren't gonna give a shit and serato scratch is gonna be the standard soon anyway methinks

http://drumzofthesouth.blogspot.com/200 ... rview.html

I: As someone who works in a record shop and is also a DJ, what do you think of the fact that there are so many dubplates yet so few releases?

Y: Well it's to do with politics and the way sales work. It would be lovely if all the stuff that was on dub was released. There are a lot of tunes that me or Hatcha or one of them boys play that don't go out, because there aren't enough labels. From that fine line of stuff that is out there, the labels are picking the very best of what hyped up the most, what dropped the best. Because the market for this sound isn't that big yet, it would be a risk putting something out which isn't as strong. Say you picked the hottest two tracks out of ten, and put them out, what would be the point in putting out the rest if they're not as hot as the others? Once the market grows, more of the dubplates that get forgotten about will come out...everything I cut is well worthy of putting out.

I: You're known for having some of the freshest, most sought after dubs in the scene which undoubtedly adds to your popularity- do you think more releases would affect the way people react to your sets?

Y: No because I'd still be one step ahead. I'm on the front line. Part of the thing about Forward>> and DMZ is that you get to hear stuff that you haven't got. If the market gets wider and more and more people are buying the tunes, I'll still be that first man with it anyway. I'm not really bothered in that aspect, I want there to be more tunes, more releases, I want more people to give me competition within my scene, I want to have to merk people!

I: So is the competitive aspect of dubplate culture part of the appeal of DJing?

Y: No, no, part of it is that I love it! I'm doing what I'm doing and finding that what I put my heart, effort and mind into naturally, is becoming popular. Even if it stopped becoming popular, I'd still be in it, still be doing it. I don't know if I'd have to start working on a labour site to eat, but I'd still have to mix as a hobby if that was the only way it could be. It's the one thing I love; music and this particular music in general.

I: To date I've only ever seen you play from dub or vinyl. What are your views on CD-J's?

Y: Each to their own but to be honest, it aint even a case of whether you prefer CD or dubplate; it actually sounds better on a dub and that's the bottom line. Dubplate sounds better, someone's mastered it for you more or less, whereas if you play it straight from a CD, it hasn't been touched. The benefit of having a dubplate is that you've got sound through a needle which is totally different to a digital sound and you've got the bonus of a dub being warm. All of them things just piss over CD.

I: So you'd rather fork out £30 per dubplate then use CD's for pennies?

Y: Yeah, I figure as long as I can afford to do it, I'd rather cut dubs. Even if I couldn't do it, I'd play vinyl, I'd have to.

I: What's your advice for the hundreds of bedroom DJ's trying to break through?

Y: I know that everyone says it, but follow what you really love and just keep doing it. Even when times seem hard just keep going. It's like being a footballer this music shit, it's a tough game unless you're hooked up to the max' with contacts. It's such a big popular thing to wanna do but if you're that good, you'll get noticed eventually, just like if you're that good a football player.

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Post by dq » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:51 pm

Dubplate culture has always been a complicated issue, even for drum n bass, because it's inherently elitist and could be seen as alienating potential consumers of the sound. However it does impose a very high level of quality control on the music and gives it a definite mystique. When that 2 year old Skream beat finally hits the shops the demand is through the roof.

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Post by rickyricardo » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:42 pm

dq wrote:Dubplate culture has always been a complicated issue, even for drum n bass, because it's inherently elitist and could be seen as alienating potential consumers of the sound. However it does impose a very high level of quality control on the music and gives it a definite mystique. When that 2 year old Skream beat finally hits the shops the demand is through the roof.
Exactly...it's just good business sense, right from Economics 101. Scarcity actually serves to create demand, whereas surplus decreases it.

Though most people prefer to think of themselves as autonomous consumers, scarcity has a psychological effect on most that generates desire. That desire only grows the longer a commodity is unavailable, and leads to fetishising (attributing almost mystical qualities to the commodity). So this has the effect that people who at first might not even be that into a tune at first feel compelled to buy it b/c it took so long to come out, and over time they have convinced themselves that they absolutly must have it.

For example...if/when "Conference" ever drops, you better believe I'll scoop it up. But truth is, it took me about a year before I even began to like the track. Now, whenever I hear it, I get a warm feeling inside, bob my head, etc. And that's not to take anything away from the tune, it's heavy, but if it had dropped back when it was originally made I probably wouldn't have bought it, or thought about it since.

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Post by zefa » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:58 pm

I don't think it's great for the scene as a whole, especially not a scene as young as dubstep. Yes, there is an argument for DJ's having exclusive tunes and that is fine, it happens in every scene as new tunes get road tested for crowd response etc...but sitting on tunes for months and years, and the constant moving of release dates is not acceptable IMO.

I appreciate that it takes money to release records, but in order to survive record sales are vital. Selling online is a great way of doing it, and cuts out the need for distribution, people can press up their own 'plates if they wish, but making the music more accessible is surely the way ahead in terms of pushing the music forward.

Don't get me wrong, i love vinyl, and buy mostly everything on 12" format if i can, but i would be forced to by mp3's if this was the preferred format of release and would do this to get hold of the tunes. I think that in order to push this music further there needs to be more organisation, this means putting the music out there for people to hear, then maybe a wider audience will be drawn to dubstep...but maybe thats the whole point peeps want the scene to stay small and exclusive. I see your point about quality control, but quality control can still be maintained if the tunes are released...just my 2 pence...

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Post by dubway » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:34 pm

RickyRicardo wrote:
dq wrote:Dubplate culture has always been a complicated issue, even for drum n bass, because it's inherently elitist and could be seen as alienating potential consumers of the sound. However it does impose a very high level of quality control on the music and gives it a definite mystique. When that 2 year old Skream beat finally hits the shops the demand is through the roof.
Exactly...it's just good business sense, right from Economics 101. Scarcity actually serves to create demand, whereas surplus decreases it.

Though most people prefer to think of themselves as autonomous consumers, scarcity has a psychological effect on most that generates desire. That desire only grows the longer a commodity is unavailable, and leads to fetishising (attributing almost mystical qualities to the commodity). So this has the effect that people who at first might not even be that into a tune at first feel compelled to buy it b/c it took so long to come out, and over time they have convinced themselves that they absolutly must have it.

For example...if/when "Conference" ever drops, you better believe I'll scoop it up. But truth is, it took me about a year before I even began to like the track. Now, whenever I hear it, I get a warm feeling inside, bob my head, etc. And that's not to take anything away from the tune, it's heavy, but if it had dropped back when it was originally made I probably wouldn't have bought it, or thought about it since.
i have the same feeling

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Post by dubway » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:36 pm

Zefa wrote:...but maybe thats the whole point peeps want the scene to stay small and exclusive.
i was thinking that for a loong time.. now? i don't think about it any more
but definitely like it like this :wink:

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zefa
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Post by zefa » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:42 pm

Fair enough dubway...i love this music, having played techno for years i discovered 2 step and it changed my world, dubstep was the music id been searching for...then the half step stuff came along and that was even better...i guess i want the people i play it to in clubs to be as excited as i am about it...and for that they need to hear the tunes...

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Post by ufo over easy » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:45 pm

dubmugga wrote: Y: Each to their own but to be honest, it aint even a case of whether you prefer CD or dubplate; it actually sounds better on a dub and that's the bottom line. Dubplate sounds better, someone's mastered it for you more or less, whereas if you play it straight from a CD, it hasn't been touched. The benefit of having a dubplate is that you've got sound through a needle which is totally different to a digital sound and you've got the bonus of a dub being warm. All of them things just piss over CD.

Maybe that'd be true if he started cutting dubs somewhere that doesn't completely kill the top end and make it sound like pillow case music.
:d:

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zefa
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Post by zefa » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:48 pm

dubway wrote:
Zefa wrote:...but maybe thats the whole point peeps want the scene to stay small and exclusive.
i was thinking that for a loong time.. now? i don't think about it any more
but definitely like it like this :wink:
Why?

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Post by dubmugga » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:50 pm

u must be gettin the good stuff on CDR dubway while we still pay for vinyl...

...personally i don't think dubstep is dance club music and therefore not ideally suited to vinyl

while scarcity might create demand it also pushes the price up...

...and there really is no need to be paying shitloads for a couple of tunes on vinyl anymore nor waiting months for it to apper either

it's not like there's any serious money to be made anyway...

...the money is in gaming platforms, movie licensing and advertising, basically licensing

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dubway
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Post by dubway » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:57 pm

Zefa wrote:...i guess i want the people i play it to in clubs to be as excited as i am about it...and for that they need to hear the tunes...
hmmm... not sure about that..
do you think that ppl are excited at DMZ cos they already heard the tunes? :idea:
isn't dubstep about fresh sound?

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zefa
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Post by zefa » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:58 pm

I think that dubstep can work well in clubs, the variety is great, ranging from 2 step to half step 4x4...i love listening to a well crafted half step set...fecking wicked stuff...

I agree that waiting for ages is infuriating esp as the artist could post new tracks online and peeps could pay them straight to download...

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zefa
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Post by zefa » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:02 am

dubway wrote:
Zefa wrote:...i guess i want the people i play it to in clubs to be as excited as i am about it...and for that they need to hear the tunes...
hmmm... not sure about that..
do you think that ppl are excited at DMZ cos they already heard the tunes? :idea:
isn't dubstep about fresh sound?
Depends...listening to rinse fm, you hear the tunes before you hear them in a club and get excited about them...

You play in a club, peeps feel the tunes, ask what they are...but oh no as the dj is playing 'plates then they cant recreate that club moment in their bedroom etc, make mixtapes, make their mates listen to it as they cant buy them...

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dubway
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Post by dubway » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:05 am

Zefa wrote:
dubway wrote:
Zefa wrote:...but maybe thats the whole point peeps want the scene to stay small and exclusive.
i was thinking that for a loong time.. now? i don't think about it any more
but definitely like it like this :wink:
Why?
i don't know.. i just love it. why do you love your girlfriend? (you don't analize that stuff)
i believe to these ppl. they know what they are doing.. in the and of the day - it's their music - they should deicide who to give it

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zefa
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Post by zefa » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:09 am

dubway wrote:
Zefa wrote:
dubway wrote:
Zefa wrote:...but maybe thats the whole point peeps want the scene to stay small and exclusive.
i was thinking that for a loong time.. now? i don't think about it any more
but definitely like it like this :wink:
Why?
i don't know.. i just love it. why do you love your girlfriend? (you don't analize that stuff)
i believe to these ppl. they know what they are doing.. in the and of the day - it's their music - they should deicide who to give it
I can't deny that...i love it too, and yes the artist can decide who to give it too but id say that was pretty narrow minded...if the music's good then why not share it...how did you get in to dubstep...i guess you heard a tune and thought, rah, this is it!! Then went looking for more tunes to buy...

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