In the realm of underground dance music, the first decade of the new millennium must surely belong to dubstep. Born out of the fertile dregs of UK garage and the burgeoning grime scene, and cultivated by pirate radio, it has captured a huge slice of what was once drum n bass’s core audience and now dominates it’s older cousin. With the benefit of a bit of perspective, here’s our six-point dubstep crib sheet.
Big Apple Records
Unarguably pivotal in the development of the early dubstep scene was this small record store in Croydon. In the late ’90s-early ’00s this shop became a meeting point for key players in this new musical movement and was frequently visited by such luminaries as Radio 1’s Plastician and N Type of Rinse FM, as well as the Digital Mystikz themselves – Mala and Coki. Behind the counter you were very likely to spot some future stars of dubstep including Hatcha – who fronted the first famous Dubstep Allstars Mix CDs – and Skream, probably dubstep’s most well known artist.
FWD>>
Crucial to the growth of dubstep was this night held originally at the Velvet Rooms in Soho. Founded in 2001, FWD>> (pronounced Forward) provided a venue for dubstep producers to meet and compare productions. The bass heavy sounds of Skream, Benga, Oris Jay and Kode 9 would be heard booming through the Soundsystem, while in the crowd many of today’s most famous dubstep artists could be seen swaying in time with the dubstep and dark garage rhythms.
Horsepower Productions
‘In Fine Style’
Credited as the first album release on Tempa records in 2002, Horsepower Productions seven track longplayer hinted at the sound of what dubstep would become. With its mutated garage drum patterns and emphasis on the bassline, ‘In A Fine Style’ was a breath of fresh air in the, what some considered, commercially polluted UK garage scene of the time. Although it can’t really be described as an album of pure dubstep, its influence can certainly be felt in the records that followed it.
Vex’d
‘Degenerate’
Released in 2005 by the ever forward-thinking label Planet Mu, the ‘Degenerate’ album by Vex’d really set the mark in terms of production standards and sound design innovation. It’s a dark and twisted journey into cavernous bass, surgical drums and analogue drones. Moody, futuristic, even industrial in some parts, this album was – and still is – groundbreaking in so many ways. Truly essential.
Skream
‘Midnight Request Line’
One of the first dubstep tunes to garner peak time commercial radio play, thanks partly to John Peel. ‘Midnight Request Line’ is one of Skream’s earliest releases having hit vinyl in 2005 on Tempa as the label’s fourteenth release. Its signature half-time beat would become a trademark for this new sound and provided inspiration to many aspiring artists.
Rusko
‘Cockney Thug’
Released in 2007 as the A-side of the ‘Babylon’ EP, ‘Cockney Thug’ was an instant hit – and with DJ support from world-renowned artists such as Diplo this track was to be heard far beyond its small UK home. Its insidiously catchy trumpet melody, unashamedly wobbly bassline and ironic British gangster banter have meant that this tune has become the dubstep equivalent of Marmite, you either love it or you hate it.
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Words by Jed Solawe
