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Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London, England. It emerged in the late 1990s as a development within a lineage of related styles such as 2-Step Garage, Breakbeat, Drum & Bass, Jungle, Dub and Reggae. In the UK, the origins of the genre can be traced back to the growth of the Jamaican sound system party scene in the early 1980s. The genre generally features syncopated drum and percussion patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub bass frequencies, as well as shuffled or incorporating tuplets. The tempo is almost always in the range of 140–150 beats per minute, with a clap or snare usually inserted every third beat in a bar, providing the characteristic half-time "feel", essentially halving the tempo of the drums only, inducing the sentiment that the songs are slower than they actually are.[1]

One characteristic of certain strands of dubstep is the filter-modulated bass, often referred to as the "wub", where an extended bass note is manipulated rhythmically. This style of bass is typically produced by using a low-frequency oscillator to manipulate certain parameters of a synthesiser such as volume, distortion or filter cutoff. The resulting sound is a timbre that is punctuated by rhythmic variations in volume, filter cutoff, or distortion. This style of bass is a driving factor in some variations of dubstep, particularly at the more club-friendly end of the spectrum.[2]

The color associated with the genre before genre colors were phased out was: Purple (Hex: #8D04E1) (RGB: 141, 4, 225)

Subgenres[]

Brostep[]

A subgenre of dubstep brought to popularity by the likes of Skrillex, Zomboy, Getter, Kill The Noise and Eptic which took off in the American scene and is still popular to this day. It features intricate, modulated basslines consisting of interlaced bass chains produced with characteristic, diverse, gritty, heavily processed "growl"-styled synths, possessing formant quality, created with active filtering motion. Emphasis is placed on a deep sub bass, a heavy, sharp transient / attack, halftime (one snare per bar) drums, snares that are usually designed with relatively long white noise / reverb tails, simple triad supersaw chords which may be used as fills. The subgenre has also been heavily influenced by dub reggae at its beginnings, borrowing "ragga"-styled vocals, as well as video game / chiptune music. Iconic elements such the Reso bass, formant basses and high pitched, screechy Crookers / Pressure Cooker FM-styled synths are often heard, and ample drop atmospheres are created with crowd chanting noises and background arpeggios, designed to fill space.

Briddim[]

A combination of Riddim and Brostep, taking the drop structures and sound design of riddim into a brostep context. It appeared around 2015, being popularized by the dubstep label Never Say Die.

Tearout[]

Tearout brostep, known simply as tearout, emerged from deathstep and uses many similar elements such as machine gun bass and screechy sound design. It is differentiated by a more "blown out" sound from heavily distorted bass and a chaotic feel with a faster and denser flow. It was popularized by artists such as Marauda and SVDDEN DEATH, and prominently featured on brostep record labels such as Never Say Die and its sublabel Black Label. It is unrelated to an older style of dubstep known as tearout dubstep.

Color Bass[]

A subgenre of dubstep that sits between the supersaw-focused Melodic Dubstep and the heavier, more aggressive style of dubstep heard in Brostep or Riddim. The name was coined by the producer Chime, who has been spearheading the rise of the subgenre in recent years alongside artists such as Ace Aura, Papa Khan and Sharks.

Deathstep[]

Qualities of this genre include its very dark, ominous and evil atmosphere which is established through very heavy distortion / saturation and significant amounts of compression; this goal is also accomplished through the use of ample choral sections, off beat minor choral chords, wide, dark orchestral sections accompanied by frightful vocal samples. A renowned feature of this genre are the triplet, heavily percussive basslines that are usually not as intricate or diverse as in Brostep, supported by dissonant melodies. Very heavy drums are sometimes layered to confer them a metallic / odd harmonic resonance, and heavily processed growl fills are used, together with dark background elements. This subgenre is produced exclusively with a minor key in mind.

Liquid Dubstep / Chillstep[]

The polar opposite of Brostep, Liquid Dubstep is a lot more relaxed, calming, in its atmosphere, features liberal use of reverb and reverb fills. The subgenre takes a more minimalistic approach to its structures and places heavy emphasis on a deep sub bass layer, supported by wide, ethereal plucks and ample pads. This subgenre is envisioned as very atmospheric. Cinematic pulsing rhythms can be supported by orchestral, choral, vocal and acoustic layers to create a vast, euphoric soundscape. Filtered reese-styled basses can also be occasionally heard.

Melodic Dubstep[]

As the name would imply, the subgenre heavily places emphasis and relies on melodic structures, such as wide layered chords to create ample, powerful synth leads, and lighter sound design which can evoke more euphoric atmospheres. Melodic dubstep producers also frequently feature singers who usually deliver sentimental, passionate verses as to fit the drops. The subgenre can borrow sound design from Brostep. Tracks in this genre can evoke many emotions and featuring a wide variety of styles, such as dramatic and uplifting.

Neurostep[]

Originated from the fusion of Neurofunk and Dubstep, it features crunchy, distorted reeses derived directly from Neurofunk, intensely filtered, "sine compression" basses, a cold, robust, mechanical and dark atmosphere, science-fiction influenced soundscapes, very deep sound design, and cymbal patterns accompanying the heavy drums, which are occasionally very syncopated. Reverb and delay are often used in a psychedelic manner, and granular synthesis can play an important role in this subgenre.

Riddim[]

A more minimalistic subgenre founded on simple, repetitive, two-sided "seesaw" / "swing" rhythms formed usually from wide, sometimes percussive, detuned, metallic-styled basses, designed with the use of "reverb" filters, phasers / phaser filters, flanger filters and comb filters. It's very common for the snares on beat 3 to be replaced with a kick layered with a clap. Modern riddim has developed to intake influences from brostep, blurring the lines between the previously named genres and the fusion. The drum patterns are usually straight and feature little syncopation. It can feature a wide use of reverb, triplet bass patterns and off beat chants.

Future Riddim[]

Future Riddim is a form of Riddim pioneered by the producer Oolacile. In contrast to Riddim's harsh and atonal sounds, Future Riddim is has futuristic, melodic, and vibrant synth leads inspired by Future Bass and to a lesser extent Melodic Dubstep.

Tearout Dubstep[]

Tearout dubstep is an early style of dubstep with an emphasis on aggressive midrange sound wobbles. Its main features are more simplistic / minimalistic, with very distorted basses (similar to industrial) created from basic waveforms (such as the sawtooth, triangle, square or sine wave) through processes such as FM (Frequency Modulation) synthesis. It later evolved into Brostep.

UK Dubstep[]

As a descendant of 2-Step Garage and Dub Reggae, this subgenre features less of an emphasis on abrasiveness and aggressiveness than the Brostep of today, instead focusing on very deep atmospheres. This subgenre can feature more off-kilter, syncopated rhythms. Intricate, varied bass chains are not the focus of this subgenre.

References[]

[ vte ] Alphabetical List of Dubstep Songs (Genre)
Tips
Tips The word "The" doesn't mean it occurs mostly in the "T" section; rather, it is excluded so that the next word after the word "The" (e.g.: "The Alchemist's Nightmare") will occur in that specific letter (e.g: "A").
C
call you outCalm DownCan You Feel It Now? (Bonus)Can't Let You GoCan't Let You Go (Ace Aura Remix)CarbonaraCard SharkCarouselChampion SoundChampions (Silverback Remix)Champions (Volant Remix)Cheat CodeCheat CodesCheat Codes VIPChroma (Pixel Terror)Chroma (Skybreak)ClaptrapCloak and DaggerClose EncounterClosure (ORIENTAL CRAVINGS Remix)code_bloodCoffee BlackColdCold GroundCold HeartedCold SkinCold Skin (INTERCOM Remix)Cold Skin (Koven Remix)Cold Skin (Mr FijiWiji Remix)Cold Skin (V!RTU Remix)Collapse (KUURO & hayve)Collapse (Pixel Terror & neverwaves)CollideCollide (Tut Tut Child Remix)Computa HakkaConsequence Of You (Deepstep Mix)ContactContraCosmic RayCosmology (Matt Fax Remix)Crashing HardCRAZYCrazy As YouCRY (Borgore Remix)
D
DaisiesDancing With MyselfDark Roomthe_darknessDataDawnDawn Will Bring Us DeathDaybreakDaydreamerThe Dead MarchThe Dead March (Jessica Audiffred Remix)The Dead March (Vastive Remix)DeadlockDeep In The NightDeep In The Night (Dion Timmer Remix)DelusionDestinyDestroying My World 2Die By My HandDie By My Hand (LOUIEJAYXX Remix)dilationDing DongdiscardedDisco DancerDisconnectedDisconnected VIPDisorderDisorder (Rebirth)DivisionDo ThatDoesn't Feel Like ChristmasDon't Bring Me DownDon't Forget MeDon't Let Me DownDon't Need YouDon't Push MeDon't StopDoppelgängerDouble Tap (SNR Remix)Downhearted (MIU Remix)Downhearted (Quiet Disorder Remix)Downhearted (Topi Remix)Dragon PiratesDreadDream In ColorDream In Color (AMIDY Remix)Dream In Color (Jason Ross Remix)Dream In Color (Stonebank Remix)DreamsDreams CollideTHE DROPTHE DROP (Dubloadz Remix)THE DROP (Fransis Derelle Remix)THE DROP (Wooli Remix)DROP EMDrop That ChildDrowningDubstep Killed Rock 'n' RollDying Star (2013)DystopiaDystopia 2077
F
FairytalerFakeFall (VESK GREEN & Blosso)Fall ApartFall Apart (GHENGAR Remix)Fall Apart (LAYZ Remix)Falling (Crankdat)Falling (Trivecta & Wooli)Falling ApartFalling Apart (Crankdat Remix)Falling For YouFalse DawnFAR OUTFarewellFeel AgainFeel AliveFeel Alive (Direct Remix)Feel It ComingThe FeelingFell DownFire AwayFire VortexFirst PlaceFlamewarFlashbackFlorescenceFlyFollow Me (Grabbitz)Follow Me (Tristam)Follow The Firefly LanternsFollow YouFollow You (VIP Mix)Follow You (Virtual Riot Remix)Follow You (Volant Remix)FollowersFor A MinuteFor HerFor The StarsThe ForceForeverFormFree My WorldThe French Don't Cry (Abdomen Burst 'Softbit' Remix)FreshFrom Here VIPFull ForceFull GrizzlyFull SpeedFUNNYFACE
S
SadbotSagaSame MistakeSanctuary (Ephixa Remix)SandstormSave MeSaving LivesSaving Lives (if found Remix)SayonaraThe Scarlet DawnScorpion PitScorpion Pit (Audeka Remix)Scorpion Pit (Disprove Remix)Scorpion Pit (VIP Mix)SCREAMSecret WeaponSecretsSeductionSee The LightSEE YOU DROPSeeking of the TruthSelf DestructSell Your SoulSeven Days (Gridlocked Remix)ShadowShadow PeopleShaku (2012)ShiftShut My MouthSight of Your SoulSingularitySkySkybreakerSleeplessSlow MotionSmokeSmileSnowblindSo Far AwaySome WobblesSome Wobbles (Noisestorm Remix)SomedaySomeone ElseSomeone Else (Blanke Remix)Someone Else (Bossfight Remix)Someone To ForgetSomething RealSovereignSparks (Album Mix)Spazz OutSpeaking Through Smoke DetectorsSpitfire (Stonebank Remix)Stained GlassStand By MeStars (Oliverse Remix)Start AgainStart ShitThe State I'm InStay (PhaseOne Remix)StayStay TonightStay With MeStill WalkingStop PretendingStormThe Story Goes (Album Mix)Strong ArmSublimateSubliminal (Even the Ghosts are Laughing)SubstanceSupercellSuperhuman (Spag Heddy Remix)SuperstarSurroundedSwarmSynergySystem Failure
T
Take 2Take It BackTake Me With YouTaking Over (SirensCeol Remix)Talent Goes ByTalk About It (Virtual Riot Remix)Talking Of AxesTell MeTell Me WhyTelling MeTest MeThat's On YouThinks Of HerThis Is Not the EndThought PoliceThrone of RavensThundergunThe TideTill I Make ItTimbaleTime Is By Your Side (Schodt Remix)Time To Say GoodbyeThe Time Traveller's ThemeTo Another Worldto_dustTo the LimitTogetherTomorrowTonightTop of the WorldTormentaTornadoTotally RadicalToxicTranquilityTransformationsTriceracopsTrue NorthTrust IssuesTruth (Candyland Remix)Truth (Dabin Remix)Tumbling DownTurbo PenguinTurmoilTurn AroundTurn It UpTurn It Up (Slushii & Afinity VIP)
V
The ValeValhallaVantablackVelvetVerminVertigoVexedViceVitamin RVoicesVoidwalkersVoyage
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