From the Dubstep Dossier to Future Grooves, TGRI Online is committed to bringing you the newest, cutting-edge sounds in bass-heavy music. Still, we sometimes take for granted the fact that the world at large isn't as familiar with Rusko, Skream and the like as we are - even if they will be soon.
Seemingly with that in mind, DJ D Painter's latest podcast - recorded live from Jamaica - is titled "Dubstep for Dummies." Rather than a history of dubstep, the podcast is perfect for the uninitiated: dubstep of the moment, including remixes of "Forever" and "Womanizer" and a few recent essentials ("Innocence," Sub Focus' take on "Hold On"). Quick and to the point, "Dubstep for Dummies" is the perfect gift for that bass-less somone in your life.
D. Painter Podcast 04 track list:
01. Ctrl Z & Freestylers ft. Navigator - Ruffneck 09 (Excision & Datsik Remix) 02. Drake & Eminem - Forever (Nero Remix) 03. TC - Where's My Money (Caspa Remix) 04. Jakes - Warface 2010 05. Benga ft. Eve - Me N My (Up In The Club) 06. Crookers ft. Kelis - No Security (Rustie Remix) 07. Diplo ft. Lil Jon - U Don't Like Me 08. Liquid Stranger - Mission AD 09. 12th Planet ft. Juakall - Reasons (Doctor P Remix) 10. Ladybox - Cookies Fly (12th Planet & Flinch Remix) 11. Britney Spears - Womanizer (Borgore Remix) 12. Nero - Innocence 13. Rusko ft. Amber Coffman - Hold On (Sub Focus Remix)
While D. Painter drops the 101, Jess Jubilee's recent mix for Dubspot is a masters class in dubstep, UK funky and future grooves. The Nightshifter/Flashing Lights basshead mixes in can't-miss tracks by Ramadanman, Kingdom and Ikonika, along with a brilliant transition from LOL Boy's "123" to Brick Bandit Tim Dolla's "Number Advisory." It's like a twisted Sesame Street lesson.
Dubspot podcast episode 9 - Jubilee track list:
01. Kyla – Daydreaming (Lil Silva Remix) 02. Dj Shaun – D – ALien Spaceship 03. Mujava – Source of Drums 04. Bambounou – Nappy Head 05. Distal – Apple Bottom 06. Ramadanman – Work Them 07. Canblaster – Clockwork 08. DJ Donna SummerxGucci Mane – Fighter (Jimmy 2 Times Aw Man Blend) 09. R1 Ryders – Hydraulic 10. DJ Bigga – Boeke Anthem 11. Untold – Anaconda (Guarachero Refix) 12. Roska – Squark (Guarachero Refix) 13. LOL Boys – 123 14. Tim Dolla – Number Advisory 15. Blondes – Spanish FLy (Brenmar Remix) 16. Kingdom – Fogs 17. Baobinga – Ride It (Untold Remix) 18. Ikonika – Aqueous Cream 19. Jubilee interview
As a genre, dubstep has reached a precipice. With successive releases by Rusko and Skream, and the highly-anticipated released by Magnetic Man around the corner, the mainstreaming of dubstep appears to have begun. The beats are still aggressive, the bass is still wobbly, but the music is easier to digest, due in large part to trance-like diva vocals. Unlike the darker, groovier luvstep, this "popstep" is just that - suitable for larger audiences ready to dance. Here are a few of the songs (and videos) you need to know:
Rusko, with a little help from Dirty Projector Amber Coffman, broke the scene wide open with "Hold On." And if the crowds in the video are any indication, he may be on to something. All of a sudden, his upcoming Britney Spears collaboration makes a lot more sense. Also of note: his remix of Lady Gaga's "Alejandro."
Magnetic Man, the dubstep supergroup formed by Brits Skream, Benga and Artwork, has scored a top ten hit in the UK with "I Need Air." The trio destroyed the crowd at Hard NYC, a performance that certainly converted non-believers.
The next single off Magnetic Man's October 4 debut is the shifty "Perfect Stranger," featuring UK funky chanteuse Katy B. The song alternates between downtempo verses and a breakbeating chorus, and it closes out Magnetic Man's recent Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1.
No mention of Katy B can be made without also dropping her solo single (over a Benga track), the addictive "Katy B on a Mission."
For fans of electronic music who want to see the scene grow while also maintaining some sense of musical integrity, popstep is a way forward. While it may be anathema to dubstep purists, wouldn't you rather see the likes of Rusko and Skream headlining three nights at the 9:30 Club?
Dubstep is at the fork in the road that every genre eventually reaches: the point where artists either attempt to crossover, or forgo mainstream success and go further underground. Like Rusko before him, dubstep pioneer Skream has opted for the former with his latest album, Outside the Box (dropping in early August). Unfortunately, a number of half-measures finds Skream uneasily positioned between the two paths.
Outside the Box features many of Skream's trademarks: stuttering two-step beats, sparse compositions, and robust bass. It suffers, however, by not putting its best foot forward. After the echo-filled atmospherics of "Perforated," the album slips into the lame chiptune of "8-bit" (unaided by the milquetoast rapping by Murs) and then "CPU," which highlights the regrettable vocoded lyric "I am your computer" ad nauseum.
The album picks up from there, with some strong vocal-led tracks (the diva R&B of "I Love the Way" being the strongest) and "Fields of Emotion," the song most reminiscent of Skream's breakthrough hit "Midnight Request Line." Lead single "Listenin' To the Records On My Wall" is all rave nostalgia, the titular records some combination of jungle and drum & bass. The video for "Listenin'..." is an ambitious take on creation, a theme that fits the nature of the song.
"Wibbler" attacks like old-school Skream with its unrelenting, headbanging wobble; it's the lone aggro track on the record. The rest of Outside the Box combines warm synths and relatively straight-forward beats. "The Epic Last Song" tries to live up to its grandiose title with a jungle backbeat and colliding synthlines.
Skream teams up with La Roux on "Finally," but can't quite capture the magic of his "In for the Kill" remix; the build to the chorus relies too much on the thin voice of La Roux's Eleanor Jackson. The track will probably be the album's second single, which speaks to the overall quality of the album as a crossover attempt.
In crafting dubstep palatable to a mainstream audience, Skream removes too many of its hard edges. The mellow tracks aren't minimal, they're just boring. The problem is reinforced by the weakness of the album openers. Despite a few highlights, not living up to the high standards he has set makes the album a disappointment. Contrary to the title, Skream doesn't move Outside the Box, he just chips away until there isn't much left of it.
Dubstep pioneer Skream has a busy summer ahead of him. The 24-year old producer (born Oliver Jones) had two of the biggest bangers of 2009, with his remix of La Roux's "In For The Kill" and his original composition "Burning Up." His 2010 is set to meet and exceed those heights.
Benga, Artwork, and Skream are Magnetic Man
First up is new material from Magnetic Man, the dubstep supergroup comprised of Skream, Benga, and Artwork. Readying their debut full-length, the trio will drop lead single "I Need Air" on July 26th. The single, with vocals by Angela Hunte, has cross-over written all over it. Magnetic Man will also be hitting major summer festivals, but alas, none in the US.
When not recording and performing with his partners-in-grime, Skream is preparing for an August release of his second full length, entitled Outside the Box. As a treat for fans, he recently dropped four free tracks on Twitter.
The Freeizm EP (a play on earlier Skreamizm EPs) contains two originals and two remixes. "Cut Like a Buffalo" gives an ominous, garage-feel to the Dead Weather track. Pitchshifted vocals on "Show Me Love" are attributed to "Robert S" - instead of club queen Robin S - on a reworking of the dance classic (and TGRI theme song).
On his original compositions, "Pitfall" is more harder-edge dubstep and "Minimool" is sweeping future funk (not quite minimal, as the title would suggest). Are these Skream's best tracks? Not by a long-shot. But they whet the appetite of fans waiting for an album full of bangers like these:
Every musical movement has a standard-bearer: a proud flag waver and ambassador to the masses. For dubstep, that role is clearly and ably filled by Rusko, the L.A.-based, Leeds-born DJ and producer. From his 2006 production debut "SNES Dub," to breakthrough track "Cockney Thug," to his earthshaking remix of Kid Sister's "Pro Nails," Rusko's output has found its way into sets by everyone from Diplo and Switch to Pete Tong and Annie Mac. With his full-length debut O.M.G.! (Mad Decent), Rusko presents what may be dubstep's first crossover album.
O.M.G! is a tour through the various permutations of dubstep, with each of the 14 tracks honed by Rusko's ear for melody and hooks. The album kicks off with "Woo Boost," a squealing, grinding assault complete with air raid siren (check out the alternate, drug trip of a video below). The throbbing wobble that has come to define dubstep is present here, and is a constant force throughout the album. The hardest dubstepper appears at the backend of the album: "Oy," featuring the Crookers, is a reminder that Rusko hasn't gone totally pop.
A pleasant surprise is the influence of rave and house on the album, elements Rusko only hinted at previously, on tracks like "Love is Real" off his Babylon, Vol. 1 EP. "Hold On" and "Feels So Real," featuring Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors and Ben Westbeech, respectively, are straight-up dance tracks, with pop hooks as essential as the basslines. "Kumon Kumon" sounds like a Skream track, with its jungle loop, Casio synth, and heavy dose of laser effects. Any of these three are guaranteed dance floor killers.
On a few tracks, like "You're On My Mind Baby" and "Raver's Special," the vocals are vocoded and autotuned in a way that is fresh and exciting. The Black Eyed Peas and T-Pain may have done it to death, but Rusko is undeterred in using the technique, and makes it work. Rusko even pays tribute to the dub in dubstep, playing up the dancehall influences in the Rod Azlan toaster "Rubadub Shakedown" and album finale "District Line." The reggae tunage would feel right at home in a Major Lazer set, with enough bass to get a crowd grooving.
If 2010 is the year that dubstep crosses over, it may just be on the back of hip hop collaborations and remixes. Gucci Mane, on "Got Da Groove," is the perfect fit for a trap-step track. Rusko bends but doesn't break Gucci's vocals, utilizing them as just another instrument to sample. It's not a standout track, but it points budding dubstep producers in the right direction.
O.M.G! is a complete album, perfect both for true bassheads and dubstep novices. Followers of Rusko's young but promising career will recognize tracks from his Mishka Keep Watch! mix, now as fully formed songs. However, the LP is not a rehashing of previously released material, but a formalizing of where Rusko, and by extension, dubstep is in the middle of 2010. If you still haven't gotten into dubstep, this is exactly the album that will make you a believer. Just put it on your system, crank the bass until the neighbors call the cops, and take part in the visceral experience that only dubstep provides.
Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the verge of a breakthrough. This inaugural column is inspired by the life-changing bass of the U Street Music Hall, and will focus on a few of the subsonic sounds coming to a system near you.
Rusko, the king of wobble, dropped the video for Woo Boost this week. The track is the lead single off his Mad Decent debut, O.M.G! As I’ve written about previously, Rusko is leading the way in the dubstep world with a singular sound that is aggressive and abrasive yet eminently listenable, like Charlie Brown’s teacher on acid. The video is the perfect visual complement to the ostentatious tunage. Obnoxious and glaring, the clip is a collage of broken video effects, swirling fluorescents, and a Union Jack-draped Rusko rocking a keytar. It is a total guilty pleasure, in all of its seizure inducing glory. The most defining visual is Rusko tearing through the green screen; it’s like watching the violent birth of something twisted and wrong. Enough words, watch the damn clip:
But before I left, I trekked down to Miami once more, this time for Rusko: DJ and dubstep producer extraordinaire, and one of the winners of 2009 (a more complete list of things that didn’t suck in 2009 is coming tomorrow – procrastination for life!). The 24-year-old is one of the driving forces in a style that we at TGRI Online think will be huge next year, and while I have seen Rusko rock a room before, I couldn’t miss a stateside gig in my backyard.
Ever since 2 Live Crew decided to be as nasty as they wanted to be, Miami and bass have been forever intertwined, influencing local scenes and styles from Atlanta to Baltimore. So I was interested to see how bassheads in the 305 would react to the distinct wobble crunk that the Leeds-born, LA-based Rusko generates.
Just down the street from the Vagabond in Miami’s Design District is White Room. The venue is basically a warehouse adjoined to a large open-air space that holds canopy lounges that wouldn’t get much use anywhere else this time of year. After a few local dubstep producers and MCs warmed up the crowd, the mullethawked feature DJ took the stage.
Rusko is one of the most active DJs I’ve ever seen. At all times, he’s either jumping up and down or air conducting, convulsing as if his movements control the treble, mids and overwhelming bass pouring out of the speakers. The crowd eats it up, doing their best to dance along to a style that is admittedly not the most dance-centric electronic music. The few kids trying to light show with glow sticks were dismissed out of hand: “Why don't you wait for fucking Ultra for your twirly little shit?!” However, the pseudo-ravers were hardly the worst audience members: a few couples decided to demonstrate crowdfucking - or something close to it - and it wasn’t pleasant.
Still, we were able to enjoy the dubstep clinic that Rusko put on, much like he did at Hard NYC. From contemporaries Zomby and Doorly, to remixes of Gucci and Kid Sister, the set included everything that demonstrates dubstep’s promise right now. The best part is initially recognizing a song, before it devolves into the glitched out sounds of the apocalypse that have come to define dubstep. And it was good to see it work where bass was born.
