2-Step Revival

[slothrop]

People mention this from time to time as an ongoing thing. But who's actually doing the reviving?

I know a few producers and labels and DJs (the Hessle Audio crew spring to mind, Kode 9, Dusk and Blackdown) who are on it, but I'm not sure how many. Are any other big DJ's showing support? Or anyone else?

It's time to name and, er, acclaim.

[mrfixxy]

oneman and Spyro were rinsing the odd bit of 2 step at FWD last week, and much appreciated it was too.

EZ never left.

[ufo over easy]

I don't think it ever really happened, certainly not in the sense of the total revival people seemed to be talking about at one point. Maybe the perceived need for it kind of drifted away when the rhythms started to get busier across the board. Producers are making stuff with skippy swung rhythms, but not much of it is backward looking. Most of the good stuff seems to be different takes on those ideas.. which I think is more interesting anyway. Even the more overtly two-steppy things like TRG's tunes aren't particularly similar to what people really mean when they talk about two step of old.

[south3rn]

your mom is a 2 step revival

[mrfixxy]

I think there is an outside chance that the Niche sound (baseline 4x4) will blow up properly this summer, obviously its a totally different, beat but all the other sounds (bass, melody and dodgy singing) are a lot like mid to late 90's 2-step.

All it needs is a bit of sun and a few big tunes getting rinsed in the popular british holiday desitnations.

[slothrop]

Producers are making stuff with skippy swung rhythms, but not much of it is backward looking. Most of the good stuff seems to be different takes on those ideas.. which I think is more interesting anyway. Even the more overtly two-steppy things like TRG's tunes aren't particularly similar to what people really mean when they talk about two step of old.

I guess I was thinking of the revival of swingy 2-steppy rhythms rather than just trying to sound as much as possible like El-B... 2-step as a beat rather than 2-step as a genre.

[phobic]

your mom is a 2 step revival

joker

[shonky]

Listen to Whistla's show on sub tonight, that should be a good starting point. Do find it funny that a lot of people think of a 2 step revival as backward looking and then embrace minimal techno and a lot of stuff that wouldn't have been that out of place in downtempo mid 90's collections

[dj phonetic]

EJB & MC uno on rinsefm, maybe more garage in general but i really dig the show

[boomnoise]

*OLD SKOOL DUBSTEP*

[frebentos]

Point B...

[ufo over easy]

Do find it funny that a lot of people think of a 2 step revival as backward looking and then embrace minimal techno and a lot of stuff that wouldn't have been that out of place in downtempo mid 90's collections

aimed at me?I just said I didn't think any kind of revival had happened in practice like people seemed to be predicting. If it has, I don't hear it - bouncy rhythmic stuff is all over the shop but not a huge amount of it seems to be directly referencing the old school. even whistla's stuff doesn't sound much like what's gone before it.

seems like a weird way to dig at someone considering the stuff I DJ and how much old, backward looking stuff I play myself.

[shonky]

Do find it funny that a lot of people think of a 2 step revival as backward looking and then embrace minimal techno and a lot of stuff that wouldn't have been that out of place in downtempo mid 90's collections

aimed at me? I didn't say whether or not I thought it was a good thing or not, I just said I didn't think any kind of revival had happened in practice like people seemed to be predicting.

seems like a weird way to dig at someone considering the stuff I DJ and how much old, backward looking stuff I play myself.

No Ben, don't take offense. More to do with things I've heard before about "pushing things forwards" and your terminology just echoed in my post. Just interesting noting sometimes how one thing is seen as history and then something quite familiar (to me) gets introduced as "the new thing". Far better to have an attitude where you just pick the good stuff from whichever period. New isn't better, just more recent usually.

[ufo over easy]

bare editing from me inside the ride

I dunno really. Even if in practice something isn't really that new, I think it's a good attitude to have to strive towards that. I reckon you can tell the difference normally between whether someone is consciously or unconsciously ripping something that's happened before.. like with the new US/Canadian ragga jungle revival stuff, it just sounds like some wack gimmicky rip off thing. I'd pick the original stuff any day

[slothrop]

Just interesting noting sometimes how one thing is seen as history and then something quite familiar (to me) gets introduced as "the new thing". Far better to have an attitude where you just pick the good stuff from whichever period. New isn't better, just more recent usually.

I think the significant thing is that you're introducing something that's been around for a while but in a new context. So, for instance, although two step beats have been around a lot longer than halfstep beats, in the context of dubstep at the moment two step seems like a fresher and more surprising idea when you hear it out.

I'm all over Whistla, btw, top stuff.

[shonky]

bare editing from me inside the ride

I dunno really. Even if in practice something isn't really that new, I think it's a good attitude to have to strive towards that. I reckon you can tell the difference normally between whether someone is consciously or unconsciously ripping something that's happened before.. like with the new US/Canadian ragga jungle revival stuff, it just sounds like some wack gimmicky rip off thing. I'd pick the original stuff any day

When niche decides to drop a couple of beats out and become halfniche then we'll get the "definitely not 2 step cause that was a london thing and this is a northern thing that's got nothing whatsover to do with progressions of speed garage which was london and we're northern" thing started. But with more morphing basslines

Worth taking it as an influence but pointless recreating it. Jungle sounded good cause it was of that era, recreating it now is just nostalgia. Must say a lot of the recent 2 steppy dubstep does sound a bit too polished compared to the older stuff which had a bit more dirt under it's fingernails (even if they were diamond encrusted).

[ufo over easy]

but then re: jungle it's interesting to ask why the old stuff still sounds good today when the rip off stuff sounds so style, and how you can instantly tell between the two.. it's almost like a reflex for me. when I hear the ultra-fast 180bpm amens and sped up ragga vocals I immediately switch off - it doesn't even succeed in getting me nostalgic - although I suppose it couldn't really, I'm too young. so why is there a practical difference between me experiencing the old stuff for the first time and listening to a new ragga jungle record..

weird

[shonky]

but then re: jungle it's interesting to ask why the old stuff still sounds good today when the rip off stuff sounds so style, and how you can instantly tell between the two.. it's almost like a reflex for me. when I hear the ultra-fast 180bpm amens and sped up ragga vocals I immediately switch off - it doesn't even succeed in getting me nostalgic - although I suppose it couldn't really, I'm too young. so why is there a practical difference between me experiencing the old stuff for the first time and listening to a new ragga jungle record..

weird

Funny thing was I saw Bizzy B the other week who's done an amen'ed up dubstep tempo version of Skylarking which actually sounded very much like 93/94 jungle. I thought it was really good, apparently should be seeing a release at some point (probably on Mu I reckon)

[spooKs]

more to the point when/how/who do i have to massacre to get hold of the untold ep bennyboy

edit: forgot to had a sarcastic because its not actually 'more to the point'

also i'll never call you bennyboy again hopefully

[spooKs]

Funny thing was I saw Bizzy B the other week who's done an amen'ed up dubstep tempo version of Skylarking which actually sounded very much like 93/94 jungle. I thought it was really good, apparently should be seeing a release at some point (probably on Mu I reckon)

hubba hubba!