The Origin Of Dubstep Music

Dubstep first appeared in the late 90’s in South London. As a genre of electronic dance music, dubstep is known for its prominent sub-bass frequencies and syncopated rhythmic patterns.

Works by Zed Bias, Steve Gurley, and Oris Jay in 1999/2000 are considered as the proto-dubstep sounds. The term “dubstep” was first coined around 2002 after the emergence of various proto-dubstep labels, including Soulja, Tempa, Vehicle, Road, Texture, Shelflife, and others.

The club night event, Forward>>, founded in 2001, was important for the early development of dubstep. It was the first major venue for dubstep producers to showcase their works.

The Big Apple Records, located in Croydon, South London was also crucial, because it brought key dubstep artists, like Skream and DJ Hatcha, into prominence.

The Growth Of Dubstep

In 2003, DJ Hatcha took dubstep into a new direction by adding new elements, like reggae-style dubplates. In the same year, the Filthy Dub event gave an opportunity to important dubstep artists, like Skream, N Type, Benga, Chef, Walsh, Cyrus, and Loefah to make their DJ debuts.

A dubstep label, Rephlex, released two music compilations, Grime and Grime 2, that included various dubstep tracks, which drew more attention towards the dubstep genre.

A DJ from Baltimore, Joe Nice, first popularised dubstep in North America around 2006/2007. Since 2008, dubstep is no longer a UK-centric scene, various female DJs, writers, and producers began making headway into the dubstep scene.

As early as 2007, popular artists like Britney Spears already included some dubstep elements into their music. Through assimilation with various genres, dubstep continued to enjoy global recognition.

The Post-Dubstep Era

The year 2011 is widely considered as the start of the post-dubstep, also known as bass music or UK bass. It’s a club music with significant influences of dubstep, as well as early R&B and ambient music. 

However, post-dubstep didn’t become a fully distinct genre because it’s a mix of various musical styles. Since mid-2014, the mainstream popularity of dubstep started to decline, with former dubstep artists transitioned to other genres.

Skrillex started producing trap and pop tracks. James Black and Mount Kimbie moved into soulful or experimental electronic music. Skream is now focusing more on techno and house music, while Loefah shifted away from dubstep and is now playing UK bass.

Contact Horizons Music

To learn more about the origin of dubstep music, contact Horizons Music today and shop a wide selection of new and vintage vinyl.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it on your favourite social media sites.