"You can't put a man in a room with no sub woofers" - Mala
I'll just cut to the chase. I will admit that in the past I have often maligned dubstep and it's ever growing culture and following. In my days of musical snobbery it was impossible for anything to be good in my opinion unless it came out of a classic instrument and not computer software, but I have definitely realised the error of my ways. Having said that, some of my favourite acts have based their sound on mostly electronic music, such as The Prodigy and Enter Shikari, so I have still found time for it. The problem I initially had with the popular breakthrough of dubstep was that I felt a lot of the music was incredibly repetitive. The same drumbeat is used in every single song, but that's just how the tempo of dubstep works, and I guess that works for some people. It definitely got me dancing, which is what it set out to do, but at other times I just felt like cringing at the other sounds coming from the speakers. Take the synths, most of which sounded like 8-bit Super Mario - that really didn't interest me.
As for writing the music, it is a whole other ball game. When I'm playing guitar, I will change the songs I play depending on my mood. If I'm a happy bunny, I'll gladly play along to Green Day or Blink-182, if I'm sad I can relate more to the music of Radiohead and solemnly strum along to 'Street Spirit', or if I need to let out some angry energy then I'll play along to Rage Against The Machine and break some guitar strings. When it comes to writing songs, the emotions of the writer will shine through on their voice or instruments. Chances are if a songwriter is sad, they will start a song with some minor chords and let out their emotions. With dubstep or other computer related instruments I don't see how emotion can be expressed through the computer software. I respect that it is simply not a matter of pushing a few buttons, it is a lot more complex than that, but I don't get a sense of how dubstep artists can hold personal feelings towards certain songs like other artists do. Well, I decided I needed another perspective, so I messaged a couple of people (whose identities I will conceal for the sake of their dignity) on Facebook who I know have a talent for writing mixes on their computer. I asked them if they felt that creating dubstep on a computer can convey emotions well. The answers I got certainly varied, from one saying that it is difficult to do it when most DJs use major chords and usually don't sing lyrics, therefore unable to convey any real feelings, and from another, I got the following:
"Let's say you're on a date and the lady is coming, you've been seeing her for a while and she's stonking. You want her babies, hard. So you want to cook the best thing you can think of with the best ingredients and the finest spices. It needs to taste the best as you want to impress the best. When you stick a mix together, the notion is somewhat the same. The recipe is the music you hand pick, test, love. The woman on the other hand is a mistress. It's the one thing you understand, and the one thing that understands you. You want to show how much you love it, by dressing it in class, style and emotion."
Hmm... interesting interpretation to say the least; sexy too.
"Let's say you're on a date and the lady is coming, you've been seeing her for a while and she's stonking. You want her babies, hard. So you want to cook the best thing you can think of with the best ingredients and the finest spices. It needs to taste the best as you want to impress the best. When you stick a mix together, the notion is somewhat the same. The recipe is the music you hand pick, test, love. The woman on the other hand is a mistress. It's the one thing you understand, and the one thing that understands you. You want to show how much you love it, by dressing it in class, style and emotion."
Hmm... interesting interpretation to say the least; sexy too.
Now that dubstep has made it's way onto the charts, it has hit the mainstream with a vicious blow. Twitter exploded on Saturday 10th November when X Factor contestant James Arthur dropped a chorus of dubstep in his version of 'Hometown Glory' by Adele. It was all the talk again, and being a fan of that song in general, I thought I should check out what James had done to it. When a clip surfaced online, I have to say I was mightily impressed. Not only was James a great singer, but the dubstep tinge on what is a moving piano anthem was a fantastic twist. Then the judges have their say...
Louis: "Blah blah blah you're the next big thing blah blah blah pick up the phones and give me money"
Tulisa: "I'm not sure if you've seen my festival shows but I love a bit of dubstep"
Aaaaaand there we go, the reputation of dubstep is ruined once again, when it is overused by a shitstorm like Tulisa.
I do like the genre, I'm a fan of artists who have utilised dubstep in many songs like Skrillex, Deadmau5, Nero and Chase & Status, but I am aware that the underground fanbase aren't too pleased with how mainstream it is becoming, and when it is used by artists like Tulisa, and even hints of it in the new Little Mix single 'DNA', those underground fans must want to jump off a bridge, because it is frankly starting to take the piss. Once Bieber drops a fat dubstep beat on his next album with Lil Wayne and Drake rapping alongside, I expect an angry mob of millions who are cleaning their carbines and dusting off their machetes, and I pray to Thor that the situation never arises.
