I'm a bit of a stubborn old goat - I'm very well aware of that. Its basis is skepticism and a curmudgeonly cynicism of the "latest fad". Being of the original punk rock generation it been instilled in me to treat the latest "thing" with disdain until it can prove itself as a visceral experience as well as an artistic experience. And also in becoming a DJ you are constantly being subjected to the latest fads in dance music and a lot of those times if you are not "hip" and follow the fellow lemmings to the dance floor you are often left on the sides.
Some of these initial fads do become legitimate for me though, like dubstep is a good example of this. At first my initial reaction was "meh" - it needed to prove its worth to me musically and in the last couple of years it has. Its become an interesting fusion - reggatron, dub, ambient, a bit of DnB, free jazz elements, tribal, noise and glitch. I find good dubstep a great way to spice up a downtempo set, you've got the "musical space" of chill with the deep bass and beats that keep a body moving. As in all genres, 95% of it is crap (I get so tired of that "wah-wah-wah" triplet bass line that you hear in too much of dubstep - argh, stop!!!!!).What do I consider interesting in Dubstep? Its best to listen:
Pangaea - Memories.....a masterpiece in musical simplicity - a sound greater than the sum of its parts. And also a throbbing bass line that doesn't beat you over the head and yet gets that booty to shake:
Pinch - Get Up (feat. Yolanda).......again where subtlety wins out over beating your audience over the head, poly-rhythmic textures, great diva vocals and again a full luscious bass that caresses you on the dance floor:
The Xx - Heart Skips a Beat......Yes, its Brit pop with Dub beats, so sue me....its still a wonderful example of substance over style:
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