Dubstep
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Dubstep is 140-BPM sound-system music with half-time drums, sub-bass pressure, sparse syncopation, dark atmospheres, and basslines that move through wobble, growl, or dubwise weight. Early tracks are often spacious and meditative, with snares on the third beat, ghostly chords, and a physical low end designed for large systems rather than laptop speakers.
History
Dubstep emerged in Croydon and South London from darker UK garage, 2-step, dub reggae, grime, and broken beat, with Big Apple Records, FWD>>, Rinse FM, DMZ, Tempa, and Hyperdub providing crucial infrastructure. Skream, Benga, Digital Mystikz, Coki, Loefah, Kode9, Hatcha, Distance, and Youngsta shaped the first wave, while Burial showed the style's haunted, album-length potential. By the late 2000s, wobble-heavy and North American branches moved toward brostep, but deep dubstep and 140 scenes continued the original sound-system lineage.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- AllMusic
- Resident Advisor
- UKF
- Discogs