Dubstep & Society

[djfurness]

Hello all,

As part of my course in college I have to write an assignment about how a specific style of music has effected contemporary society, and have obviously picked Dubstep. I want to pull in a lot of quotes and opinions of different people involved in the scene to get an accurate overall reflection on how the genre has mutated and spread throughout society in the past 5/6 years. The main things I am focusing on and questioning are the following;

1. How has Dubstep spread to become the monster that it is today? What atracts people to the genre?
2. How has it become the music of choice for so many thousands of teenagers and youngsters across the globe?
3. What is a 'Dubstepper'? Is there a certain fashion Dubsteppers wear? What would a stereotypical Dubstepper look like?
4. Are there factions and splits in the scene? How come so many opposing styles of music get put under the Dubstep blanket? (Please do not turn this thread into a Deep vs Wobble argument, its boring as fuck.)
5. What effect does it have on society as a whole? How has the use of the music spread out into other forms of media? How does the music interact with society? What does the future hold for the genre after its suden rise in popularity?

There are more questions but Id like to get peoples opinions and viewpoints on these 5 first, really interested in what people have to say. Again, don't turn this into a bitch fest, I am after serious opinions.

Thanks,

Rich

[ashley]

Hello all,

As part of my course in college I have to write an assignment about how a specific style of music has effected contemporary society, and have obviously picked Dubstep. I want to pull in a lot of quotes and opinions of different people involved in the scene to get an accurate overall reflection on how the genre has mutated and spread throughout society in the past 5/6 years. The main things I am focusing on and questioning are the following;

1. How has Dubstep spread to become the monster that it is today? What atracts people to the genre?
2. How has it become the music of choice for so many thousands of teenagers and youngsters across the globe?
3. What is a 'Dubstepper'? Is there a certain fashion Dubsteppers wear? What would a stereotypical Dubstepper look like?
4. Are there factions and splits in the scene? How come so many opposing styles of music get put under the Dubstep blanket? (Please do not turn this thread into a Deep vs Wobble argument, its boring as fuck.)
5. What effect does it have on society as a whole? How has the use of the music spread out into other forms of media? How does the music interact with society? What does the future hold for the genre after its suden rise in popularity?

There are more questions but Id like to get peoples opinions and viewpoints on these 5 first, really interested in what people have to say. Again, don't turn this into a bitch fest, I am after serious opinions.

Thanks,

Rich

• Because it's 'cool' and 'hip' and trendy. A lot of us grew up into it, led into it by a family relative or a close friend. Others found it by mistake, such as going to a DNB night and ending up in Room 2. Others just saw it in a magazine, heard it on TV or in the charts and jumped on that way.
• It isn't, because of all the fringe music at the moment it's impossible to listen to Dubstep exclusively. Not saying it in a negative way, but it's a lot different than it used to be, micro subgenres of Dubstep etc - I think people getting into Dubstep through whatever channel has actually opened their eyes up to other types of music and again, see #1.
• New era cap, kid robot t-shirt, jeans, vans, maybe the odd bit of Supreme clothing or Topman attire
• See #2. There are musical splits, wobble vs deep. The introduction of future garage, people having problems with going to DMZ and being prsented with Swamp 81.
• Depends what angle you look at it from, inside or out. Outside I see it as a genre of music thats replacing garage as such, something fresher with a breath of life, on the inside I see it as a genre with very little violence and with a lot of people on the same vibe (unless you go to a club where someones putting on a night and targetting people cos its a night out and not necessarily dubstep).

[Input_1]

Of course there was the "what is this music called" period, where it was really a really small branch of darker 2-step. Which then was termed "Dubstep" so alot of garage fans were drawn to this little emerging scene. As it progressed as a genre, alot of little branches came off the sound, with all-sorts of influences all under the umbrella 'Dubstep', the most popular with younger kids, perhaps mainly those who are new to UK Underground, didn't really follow it from the past (For a number of reasons, age, location and so on) is 'Filth'. I put up the 'Is filth ruining the scene" post, which really wasn't a hit, i regret it now. I learnt from that thread that it's an argument that happens a lot, and a plethora of opinion and taste is out there.
http://www.dubstepforum.com/is-filth-ru ... %20ruining
You can all argue on there, not here.

I'm not much of a fan, personally, of filth. I'm attracted to the darker elements, because of the spaciousness in the tracks, uncluttered. The heavy feel, the sub bass, but also how some producers can make a track at 140 feel really sluggish and slow, like DMZ - Haunted, but other tunes at 140 can feel a lot more upbeat and bouncy, perhaps Breakage - Together is an example.

I also love the fact that you can't really define a dubstepper. There is such a range of people involved. Kode9 is a masters degree lectures, has written a book. Although the roots lie in London, because it has blown up in the way it has, and of course the internet plays a massive part, fans are across the world.

4.30 ish, he talks about people involved.




http://www.fact.tv/videos/watch/518

^^
"Illustrated by seminal tracks, revered journalist Simon Reynolds outlines his oft-quoted theory of a 'hardcore-continuum' that links all the UK's rapidly changing electronic music genres."

Really interesting, you'll find that really useful.


Hope this helps!

[Input_1]

http://www.dubstepforum.com/red-bull-mu ... 62395.html

RBMA lectures thread i put up, Mala one is belting.
They might help too. (:

[apmje]

Here is my two cents:

1. How has Dubstep spread to become the monster that it is today? What atracts people to the genre?
While the Dubstep sound is still fairly big, a lot bigger than the previous trend with teens. That being metalcore. The whole scene kid trend, which morphed into the hardcore kids and now into the dubstep kids who still all look exactly the same but have just infested a completely different musical scene and like ashley said, its because its 'hip' and 'cool'. It's trendy! And as soon as the next fad sweeps the internet and the sixth form colleges, dubstep will hopefully be left to it's own devices. Still, I doubt that...damage has been done.

If your talking about the people who actually listen to the music and care for the scene and the sound, it's the vibes that attract me to this genre. The low frequency's, the usually friendly people and the sheer diversity that actually is dubstep. I'm a part of a number of scenes but this one has the most diversity in respect to sound and some of the highest quality, you can tell people have a sheer love for this music! Shame it's been bludgeoned by idiots and sheep.

2. How has it become the music of choice for so many thousands of teenagers and youngsters across the globe?
See question 1, pretty much the same thing. It's trendy and cool. But it does resonate with a lot of others like I said. Myself, it's purely a vibe thing!

3. What is a 'Dubstepper'? Is there a certain fashion Dubsteppers wear? What would a stereotypical Dubstepper look like?
Don't have a clue and frankly, it doesn't matter who is classed as a 'dubstepper' or isn't classed as one. Like I said in my first answer, the trend has been passed from different genres and they all look the same but I don't think their is a specific style to true dubstep fans.

4. Are there factions and splits in the scene? How come so many opposing styles of music get put under the Dubstep blanket? (Please do not turn this thread into a Deep vs Wobble argument, its boring as fuck.)
Of course there is split's in the scene and it seems obvious you know exactly what the split is but I find yeah...the people who are into the purely sub bass, deep tunes are most respectful than the wobble loving general populace. We still like the wobble, just when it's done with some dignity and respect for the original sound. It's not that myself personally is scared of expanding the sound, it's just that the usual wobble stuff which is popular is generic. Exactly the same as when the metalcore scene developed into all its little genres, all the bands sounded EXACTLY the same.

5. What effect does it have on society as a whole? How has the use of the music spread out into other forms of media? How does the music interact with society? What does the future hold for the genre after its suden rise in popularity?

As society as a whole? Dubstep doesn't play that much impact...it's not going to reach that far, it's still an underground music scene. Just like all the scenes that have come before us, this is my youth and this is the sound that I'll remember when I'm old and remember myself raving to the bass. The scene will still thrive after it's no longer popular with the hipsters but hey, a lot of us will still be here and just enjoying the sound.

Thats my take on shit.

[lylo]

.

[ashley]

btw, mention how the availability of the internet has excelled the growth of the genre. a shit ton of people have broadband and visit youtube frequently.

Back when Jungle was booming the numbers were way different.

[mashmash]

just listen to simon reynolds blabbering on about it and you should get some good marks