Dubstep Hits

 Freestylers

Cracks (Flux Pavilion remix)

 Redlight

Get Out My Head

(Trypt Remix)

 Skrillex

This is a Shark Attack

 Bassnectar

Bass Head

 Gotye

Somebody that I used to know (KDrew Remix)

Dubstep. It’s hard to define, yet it’s something that almost everyone is familiar with. Dubstep is a type of electronic dance music that originated in the London dance scene. It can be identified by the drops, the heavy beats, wobble bass, fast tempos and electronic sounds. It’s a flexible genre of music with many different definitions, varying from person to person.

“My friends and I always joke that dubstep sounds like transformers having sex,” sophomore Kendra Dahl said.

Dubstep started as an experimental genre that resembled garage and grime music. It began in small clubs and music scenes and quickly spread internationally during 2005 and 2006. It’s widely popular at raves and festivals.

Some of the sub-genre names that can be found are two-step, post-dubstep, bass music, snorestep, mechastep, vocal dubstep and brostep. Although it is a “joke sub-genre,” brostep is said to be the most recognized. Artists like Skrillex and Datsik are often labeled as brostep.

“I love dubstep music, but I also love electronic. I don’t really put it into genres,” freshman Connor Wicknick said.

Wicknick said he is a huge fan of dubstep, and he often DJed parties at home in Washington.

“It’s been made into who has the biggest drops,” Wicknick said. “It’s all about the sub-bass. When you’re at a show, you can just feel it. Your body just vibrates.”

The term first came into use in 2002. DJs often mix their own dubstep on the spot at clubs. Usually, at big raves, some of which have  more than 10,000 people attending, the tracks are prerecorded to avoid mistakes during the shows.

“A really good DJ knows what will make a crowd go wild,” Wicknick said. “ It’s cool to see a DJ enjoying himself.”

The feel of most dubstep songs is usually dark and in a minor key. The wobble bass is a common sound heard in the music.

Popular artists, such as Britney Spears and FloRida use dubstep in their music. Dubstep DJs will often take popular songs and remix them into electronic and dubstep songs.

“When you’re at a show or a rave, everyone realizes that everyone looks like an idiot dancing around,” Wicknick said. “It’s just a giant dance party.”

If you want to hear some more dubstep, check out thissongslaps.com and getliftedtonight.com.

Dubstep has become increasingly popular in the U.S., especially among the younger generations.

“I like to put on dubstep, turn the speakers up and feel the bass,” Dahl said. “It’s a great feeling, and it’s just fun.”

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Kelsey Sutton/Copy chief
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at [email protected].