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Author Topic: Dubstep- what's all that about?  (Read 8962 times)

trolley

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Dubstep- what's all that about?
« on: 17 Aug 2008, 14:32 »

Do you have to be on drugs to like/enjoy Dub-step? Serious question.

To avoid sounding like a troll, I'll elaborate. Lots of people I have encountered have recently been going on about "blah blah dubstep" and "man, that is a thumping gutter line!" etc etc. And I jolly well can't understand it.
I tried to give it a listen. I've explored a few artists to see if there's variation or excitement. And there's really not. It's just a slow thump to beat of the sound of an old car engine dying. But to misquote Will Ferrel, "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! Does noone else see this?!
All these people I know/meet just keep bleating on about how exellent this 'dirty' sound is. The only was I can see it being exciting is if I was off my face on something illegal. And since I don't take drugs, I feel I may just be missing the point, like how I never realised that the reason everyone else in clubs could always seem to outlast me by hours was because they were smacked off their tits and I was could never compete.

So I repeat, do you have to be on drugs to listen to Dub-Step, and so  should I just stop trying?

*lurk lurk lurk*
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Oli

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #1 on: 17 Aug 2008, 14:35 »

I imagine some people enjoy dub-step while not on drugs. Probably.
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pat101

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #2 on: 17 Aug 2008, 17:01 »

I'd say I'm one of them.

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #3 on: 17 Aug 2008, 18:04 »

Ditto. It makes a nice noise, and I like nice noises. I'd listen to dubstep sitting in my room reading. And it doesn't require drugs - in fact it's not really the sort of music I would advise taking drugs to listen to, even.

Now happy hardcore, the stuff you hear on dance compilation CDs advertised on TV? That's something you need drugs to enjoy, I'd say.

EDIT: WOOOO LEET POSTS. Also, I agree with the poster below.
« Last Edit: 17 Aug 2008, 18:35 by supersheep »
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bbqrocks

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #4 on: 17 Aug 2008, 18:34 »

That's something you need drugs to barely tolerate.

Hard drugs.
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s42

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #5 on: 17 Aug 2008, 19:05 »

It's fine without drugs, but it definitely needs its own environment. It's not something I listen to all the time, but there is a mood where dubstep really hits the spot.
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Hat

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #6 on: 17 Aug 2008, 19:12 »

Also it would be nice to believe that only people chopped out of their heads listen to Happy Hardcore, but basically that is being way too optimistic about humanity in general.
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öde

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #7 on: 17 Aug 2008, 22:46 »

Try listening to Burial.
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ViolentDove

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #8 on: 18 Aug 2008, 16:38 »

You cannot expect to enjoy every music type ever.

That's just unreasonable.

I enjoy dubstep because it's like drum & bass had a kid with dub, and it grew up listening to the British trying to make hip-hop in a post-apocalyptic London. I'm sure that there are some people for who this description sums up many things they hate in one genre.

Also, generally I dance to it. So it helps if you listen to it in a club and like dancing, maybe?
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Dimmukane

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #9 on: 18 Aug 2008, 18:58 »

You don't have to be on drugs to appreciate any music, ever.  That is a dumb listening requirement.
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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #10 on: 18 Aug 2008, 19:09 »

I like Burial and some Boxcutter. I don't know much about dubstep, so I hesitate to say I like it. But I really really like Burial's new one "Untrue". The depth and darkness of the sound, it's warm but still strangely distant. Sort of like walking home by a bunch of clubs and hearing the music thumping through the walls.

Still, some music just doesn't speak to people, some people don't like the repetition of a lot of dance music and some people think a lot of rock is cheesy as hell. If you don't dig something, there's nothing wrong with you, but there's also nothing wrong with anyone else if they do.
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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #11 on: 18 Aug 2008, 20:13 »

I've never actually  listened to Burial before and I really liked that track that was linked a few posts ago . . . except for the vocals, which I found really quite annoying. Do all of his songs have vocals like that, or are they mainly instrumental?
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öde

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #12 on: 18 Aug 2008, 20:20 »

The vocals change from being like that to almost unnoticeable - as if they were another synth. I hope you can get over the vocals though, Burial is so so great. I've got some other dubstep mixes from Aaron Spectre and Vex'd which are awesome too - they range from the post-apocalyptic London stuff to sounding more  rootsy Rastfarian.
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ViolentDove

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #13 on: 18 Aug 2008, 22:32 »

First album and singles have much less in the way of vocals. The second album is much more vocal heavy.
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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #14 on: 18 Aug 2008, 23:07 »

As far as I'm concerned, what you need from dubstep is a lot of bass. Like, rattle your teeth bass. There was a Distance album that was uploaded to much acclaim a month or two ago in the mediafire thread. That's quite thick in the bass department, I highly recommend it. I'll also plug Planet Mu again. It's a very good place to find dubstep these days.

Apparently there's some sort of rhythmic signature to dubstep, but fuck if I can explain it (the "step" in dubstep, I guess). I think I've noticed it in a number of different songs from different artists. It's quite pleasing, if you enjoy repetitive patterns in your music (and I do very much).
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nufan

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #15 on: 19 Aug 2008, 06:43 »

I listened to the latest Burial album, and while I liked Archangel, that was the one song on it. Just about every other fucking song had the exact same tempo, the exact same crackling vinyl hiss, the exact same drum beat and only a slightly different vocal sample. Which is a shame, as it could have been so good.
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öde

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #16 on: 19 Aug 2008, 07:06 »

It's more meditative than anything else, I guess.
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exomni

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #17 on: 19 Aug 2008, 13:47 »

The Dubstep scene has some of the most talented and creative artists playing today.

If you are listening to Dubstep on your shitty 5.1 computer speakers, then fuck off.

Dubstep is made to be played on the biggest system possible if you can't see your chest vibrating, you are not listening to it properly. If you're listening to recorded stuff, check out anything by Burial, but Dubstep is just infinitely better live.

I'd recommend Kode 9, but like I said, infinitely better live and I really don't even know what albums he has. The way he mixes his bass is simply mindblowing, the samples are just perfection.

I'd also recommend downloading the Breezeblock Dubstep Warz episode. It's, you know, Radio 1, but the music kicks ass if you find a high-quality rip and have a good system. Half of the stuff that goes on in Dubstep won't even register on most computer speakers.
« Last Edit: 19 Aug 2008, 13:52 by exomni »
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bbqrocks

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #18 on: 19 Aug 2008, 14:14 »

Ok, so how much would this good speaker system cost me?
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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #19 on: 19 Aug 2008, 17:03 »

If you are listening to Dubstep on your shitty 5.1 computer speakers, then fuck off.

Whoa, ease up there. "Obnoxious" is not a good default position for a new person. You're not going to endear yourself to anyone here by telling us to fuck off before we even know who you are.
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ImRonBurgundy?

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #20 on: 19 Aug 2008, 17:06 »

Ok, so how much would this good speaker system cost me?

Dubstep is not the song of the common man, apparently.
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ViolentDove

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #21 on: 19 Aug 2008, 17:27 »

It's mainly that you need a sub in addition to your normal speakers, as half the sounds in dubstep are at quite a low frequency. You don't need a $20,000 sound system or anything.

A good pair of headphones would probably do the trick as well. I don't know... like I said before, for me it's going out music, not so much listening at home music. There is actually a pretty big difference between hearing this kind of music (drum & bass is the same) played on your home system, compared with a 15-20 Kw soundsystem in a club with a crowd of people dancing around like idiots. It's how the majority of the music was intended to be listened to.
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jeph

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #22 on: 19 Aug 2008, 19:52 »

There's a big difference between ANY music played at home-listening levels and building-shaking live volume. Mogwai live and Mogwai on record are practically different bands just due to sheer volume.

I don't claim to know anything other than the very basics about dubstep ("hey that Burial fellow is quite good!") but I like what I've checked out so far.
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nufan

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #23 on: 20 Aug 2008, 02:50 »

Music should sounds good at any level, on pretty much any speakers, so long as there is no noticeable hiss. Don't give me any of this "you need good speakers to enjoy it" shit, 'cos I just don't buy it.
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McTaggart

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #24 on: 20 Aug 2008, 02:59 »

You need a little bass. There's no way that I can believe that your 'crappy computer 5.1' won't cut it. Anyway, it sounds like the effect the guy who wrote that was talking about you're not gonna get in your bedroom unless you pack 30 more people in there and get yourself a dj and a light show.
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ViolentDove

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #25 on: 20 Aug 2008, 03:48 »

Music should sounds good at any level, on pretty much any speakers, so long as there is no noticeable hiss. Don't give me any of this "you need good speakers to enjoy it" shit, 'cos I just don't buy it.

Um, yeah. Like I said, it's not so much good speakers as any speakers that will play low frequencies. If you can't hear half of what's going on in a song because your speaker won't play the sound the track is trying to make, then it's hard for the track to sound good.

There's a big difference between ANY music played at home-listening levels and building-shaking live volume. Mogwai live and Mogwai on record are practically different bands just due to sheer volume.

Yeah, this is true! I guess what I was trying to say is that most dubstep is written with the express idea of playing it fairly loud, with bass, for people to dance to, and not as much for the average sit-down home listening. Much like most other dance music. Note the qualifiers, 'cause there is definitely music within these kind've genres that's perfectly fine for sitting down and listening to at home. Whereas music like folk acoustic or something probably wouldn't suffer as much from the home listening experience.

Anyway. This thread has gone on for much too long without mix!

Here is a short mix from Joker. It's got a bunch of the "big name" producers in dubstep at the moment, like Skream, Kode9, Headhunter, and Pinch.

streaming or download.

Enjoy or not!

Edit for tracklist:

1-Natasja-ilderbrand i byen-2000F REMIX
2-Swagger-Benny page
3-Snake eater-Joker
4-You dont Know what love is -2000f-JKamata
5-Solid state-Joker
6-Tempered-Rustie
7-Filth-Skream
8-Narsty Narsty Narsty-Scratcha.D.V.A
9-Get ya cock out-Rusko
10-3K lane-J@kes & Joker
11-Holly brook park-Joker
12-Sushi brain-Headhunter
13-Konfusion dub-Kode9
14-Back 2 the future-Gemmy
15-Need You-Darkstar
16-80s-Joker
17-Get up instrumental-Pinch
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pinkpiche

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #26 on: 20 Aug 2008, 08:09 »

You cannot expect to enjoy every music type ever.

That's just unreasonable.

That's what I try to tell everybody.

Just accept it man. It's not for you..
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Sylens21

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #27 on: 21 Aug 2008, 09:40 »

I love electronic music, but why haven't I heard of this?  This sounds like it could be on its own plane of awesome.
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bbqrocks

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #28 on: 21 Aug 2008, 10:07 »

Is a dubstp spree on the mediafire thread needed?

Or have I already missed it..
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pinkpiche

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #29 on: 21 Aug 2008, 10:40 »

You missed it.. There's Burial, Distance, 2625 and a whole lot of old skool stuff too.
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ViolentDove

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #30 on: 21 Aug 2008, 16:51 »

Can we put mixes in the mediafire thread, or just albums?

Otherwise, I might make a mix thread.
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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #31 on: 21 Aug 2008, 16:54 »

There's already a mix thread, actually. Dormant, but it's there.

And there's no restrictions on putting mixes up in the mediafire thread, I don't think.
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PassiveTheory

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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #32 on: 23 Aug 2008, 03:46 »

Burial.

That's all you need.
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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #33 on: 23 Aug 2008, 09:06 »

It's mainly that you need a sub in addition to your normal speakers, as half the sounds in dubstep are at quite a low frequency. You don't need a $20,000 sound system or anything.

Wait, you can get 5.1 sound without a subwoofer?
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Re: Dubstep- what's all that about?
« Reply #34 on: 30 Aug 2008, 14:14 »

If you play 5-channel sound through full-range* speakers you don't need a sub; if you have speakers that are not full range, your system's "bass-management" directs the bass from all the channels into your sub, and if you have five full-range speakers, the LFE channel is directed into all of them.  Note that the .1 (LFE channel, for Low Frequency Effects) is not correctly used for music at all**.  It was introduced for cinematic effects (like earthquakes) at a level that would have caused distortion in the other channels of the analogue systems in use at the time. 

* "full-range" means "going lower than most domestic subs", not "slightly bigger than my computer speakers"

** Many people on the Internet and even some record producers do not understand this.  But I'm right.

« Last Edit: 30 Aug 2008, 14:18 by pwhodges »
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