Dubstep

Since music is music, there are many subgenres that have emerged over time thanks to technology, trends and fusions with other musical styles...

And well, unless you were completely disconnected, it is likely that you already know what dubstep is because DJs like Skrillex, Bassnectar, Excision and Kill the Noise have made it reverberate in every corner of our beloved planet.

So... well... let's get down to the most important thing in Dubstep...

First, a bit of history… Dubstep is a genre that emerged in the late 90s and early 2000s in London, England. However, it was not until 2002 when the term "dubstep" began to be used as a name for this subgenre...

This is one of many electronic and garage styles to come out of South London clubs supported by small independent labels…..

These "experiments" used to be published on the B-side of the commercial garage white labels of those days...

The story goes that the term Dubstep was coined when Ammunitions Promotions, who ran the Forward club, wanted to give a name to this new music… This place is considered the precursor of the new electronic music, since in their radio program Rinse FM they gave space for different labels and artists who were creating new music taking influences from what they already knew, and experimenting a bit.

How to recognize dubstep?

Well, musically, this style is characterized by being based on rhythms that incorporate notes played with shuffle. The tempo is always kept in a range between 130 and 148 bpm and something important is that the rhythm of dubstep does not usually follow four-to-the-floor patterns….

In fact, dubstep uses rhythms inherited from other electronic styles such as 2-step and drum and bass based on different time signatures….

One of the most recognizable features of dubstep is a type of bass line called a "wobble bass" in which an extended bass note is musically manipulated creating that oscillating sound.

It is also common in dubstep to use a powerful snare. But besides all this, if there is something that characterizes Dubstep, besides all the madness of its sub-bass and synthesizers, it is what is called «Syncopation» or «Syncopated Rhythms»: What is this? Well, basically it is a compositional strategy destined to break the regularity of the rhythm, by means of the accentuation of a note in a weak or semi-strong place of a measure.

That is to say, a total reversal of conventional music through the breaking of the rhythm. This Dubstep resource, when used properly, is exactly what all of us who are fans of this subgenre love.…

The story of how it evolved is the typical one we all know: It became very popular in England, then it spread through the internet like a virus, and finally it has become another product of the music industry and there are more and better exponents every time. ….

Let's move on to the subgenres and derivatives... Although in these parts there are always differences of opinion, since not all songs can be sub-catalogued, as there are countless styles of their own, which is why many songs cannot be applied to them. categories beyond Dubstep….

DUBSTEP SUBGENRES

The Brostep.

And we start with the Brostep, which was launched to fame by Skrillex… The brostep is characterized by having metallic and fluctuating sounds that often remind us of the characteristic Heavy Metal guitar base… Here is an example…. https://youtu.be/DpS7nCweYZ

Chillstep / Future Garage

We continue with a subgenre that is closely related to the Liquid Dubstep and Melodic Dubstep categories, it is Chillstep, which comes from "Chill out" which means to relax, since it mixes the wobble bass characteristic of dubstep with relaxing elements such as a soft female voice or even The Sound of Nature….

The chillstep rhythm oscillates between 120 and 140 BPM, being relaxed with a modern electronic touch, with a serious base and stress-relieving theme. This genre is also known as Future Garage.

glitchstep

There are some who say that Glichstep is also a subgenre of dubstep…Glitchstep mixes elements of Glitch with Dubstep.

The basic characteristics of the Glitch are the succession of samples that apparently give the sensation of reproduction and sound errors but placed in a meticulously ordered way so that order can be created out of chaos.

dirty dubstep

In these categories we have Dirty Dubstep, which is generally that dubstep that is more heavy or hardcore. For this reason, its base is appreciably more powerful and its high-pitched sounds are more squeaky.

Liquid Dubstep

Liquid dubstep is a "soft" dubstep, it is related to Chillstep... Liquid Dubstep encompasses smooth lines, however they do not have to reach the point of relaxing, in addition, in this genre vocals appear

masculine, but the feminine ones continue to predominate, as was the case in Chillstep. In addition, the base is little fluctuating.

melodic dubstep

Melodic dubstep is also related to Liquid Dubstep and Chillstep. In them the vowel is generally soft-spoken.

Melodic dubstep gives greater importance to the melody, which is why it not only gives importance to the drops, and in them, often, the melody hides or covers the wobble bass, which passes into the background.

In it, sharp and even "squeaky" lines appear, as long as they are arranged in an orderly manner according to the melody and not as Glitches. Furthermore, in Melodic Dubstep, almost all "robotic" sounds are abandoned.

Riddim Dubstep

Riddim dubstep is a dubstep trend that appeared around 2015. Despite the fact that we've been hearing it a lot lately on the dance floors and seeing it even in the soup, this sound has been around for years in select places like London, Montreal, Paris and New York.

Its history is similar to that of any other popular genre, beginning in the United Kingdom and invading the underground scene until migrating to the United States.

Their sound is characterized by the use of a synthesizer, which is modulated in a variety of different ways making something simple and interesting; it's really repetitive, bouncy, using minimal effects and sound effects on its acapella vocals.

The riddim is generally in the 140 bpm range and is quite redundant, following the mathematical formula of the kick-clap-kick-clap and usually drops in around 25 seconds, much like dubstep songs in the 2010s- 2011.

deathstep

Deathstep fuses Death Growls and the ferocity of Deathcore with the electronic rhythms of Dubstep, making a musical combination that is different from the conventional.

drumstep

The drumstep is a combination of the Drum and Bass and the Brostep. It is characterized by having the basses and sub-bass of the Brostep and a continuous battery of the Drum and Bass, making the songs reach 190 bpm. Check: https://youtu.be/3dXzvpYy0_c

post dubstep

That is why I tell you that this classification thing becomes quite complicated. This type of music usually references early dubstep productions, as well as UK Garage, 2-step and a few other genres.

Producers of music that has been described as post dubstep have also incorporated elements of early 2000s R&B and ambient music.

This last genre has been specially sampled by three artists who are specifically recognized as post dubstep producers: Mount Kimbie, Fantastic Mr Fox and James Blake. The tempo of music known as post dubstep is approximately 140 to 175BPM.

dubstyle

Dubstyle is the name given to the genre fusion of hardstyle and dubstep. Dubstyle tends to take the kick of hardstyle tracks, while combining them with the rhythm, groove, and tempo and effects of dubstep.