Dubstep, however, isn't a genre of music meant to emanate from iPod earbuds. A lot of the music we listen to can play easily in many different types of environments, whether it's on a car stereo, an MP3 player or even tinny computer speakers.
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This isn't just your typical club experience - this is dubstep.ĭubstep is a subcategory of electronic dance music, or EDM, an umbrella term for music made with computers and intended to be broadcast over nightclub sound systems. The low end of the track is so bass-heavy, so consistently rumbling, that your body seems like it's vibrating. Mala appears with the Outlook Orchestra at the Southbank Centre this Sunday 2nd December – find tickets here.You step onto the dance floor, and the first thing you notice about the music is not only the shuffling tempo and the dark, minor-key feeling - you can actually feel the music.
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It’d been sampled by The Game, A$AP Ferg, Lil Dicky, and ‘Look at Me’ by XXXTentacion.” It’s been remixed by many other producers, almost monthly get edits and remixes sent to me. “I’m picking this one as it’s been re-sampled by so many people. When I rediscovered it a couple of years later, I laid down the drums, made the arrangement and that was that.” ‘Changes’ “This started out as just a jingle idea and it was left on my hard-drive for a couple of years. Nasty bassline, heavy drums and mad digital synths.”Īs a bonus, Mala gave us the tracks of his own he feels are his fan’s favourites: ‘Anti War Dub’ “So much can be said about Skream, that’s what I love about this track. “Technically, musically and rhythmically this track shows us why Benga was one of the most exciting producers in dubstep.” 10. I love that spirit and mentality because it’s the approach many of us came with in the scene’s infancy. In a way this is an example of breaking the boundaries of what a genre ‘should’ sound like. “This is my favourite track from the LP called ‘Volume 1’. I think this track is a great example of that Silkie vibe.” 8. Silkie’s grooves and colours always uplifts a dance. “Silkie brought a different musicality to a genre which was often very minimal, dark and heavy. “I love the flutes and the grooves on this track, and the way the bassline drives. Benny Ill and DJ Hatcha – ‘Highland Spring’ This really fused his Japanese roots with UK sound system culture.” 6. This was his first release on Deep Medi, back in 2007. “Goth-Trad was responsible for putting Japan’s dubstep scene on the map. It is one of the most recognisable basslines in the genre. Kromestar remains a prolific producer still today, but this track has stood the test of time. “This was my record label’s first release, Deep Medi 001. One of the heaviest basslines ever designed.” 4. “This track laid down the blueprint for the minimal/half-step style of bass music which still gets produced today.
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This track still shuts down a rave every time.” 3. I was so amazed someone I knew so well could produce something so abstract and alien. We grew up together – I remember the first time I heard this, in his car at the end of my street. He was one of the first to do it and still to this day no-one can really recreate the sound of a Coki bassline. “This track by Coki is one of the tracks that laid the blueprint for a style of dubstep basslines that would shape the genre for years to come with his signature ‘wobble’. Not one of his earliest tracks but for me shows the diversity our music genre had with its use of interesting samples as well as a heavy soundsystem stamp. “I guess you could say Kode9 was instrumental in the creation of dubstep as a genre. Mala has always been someone happy to give credit where it’s due, and, ahead of the show on Sunday, he’s put together this playlist of his all-time-favourite, low-end mining anthems.
Dubstep plus#
This weekend, he’s going to be exploring the history and influence of the genre at London’s Southbank Centre with the 20-piece Outlook Orchestra, who’ll be offering up new interpretations of Mala’s own productions and remixes, plus a host of tunes dusted off from the Deep Medi and DMZ back catalogue. The Deep Medi label head and Digital Mystikz co-founder’s influence can not be overstated – having entered London’s underground scene as a jungle MC as a 14-year-old, he went on to run seminal clubnight DMZ and worked on a wealth of his own, speaker-obliterating productions both in London and in Cuba, collaborating with local musicians there. Known as one of the eminent originators of dubstep, the deep, dark and meditative genre simply wouldn’t exist without Mark Lawrence, aka Mala.