Dubstep

Extract

Electronic dance music genre that has roots in England, particularly South London. It evolved during the first decade of the 2000s and rapidly rose in popularity on a global scale. The term “dubstep” derives from Jamaican dub music and two-step garage, a British genre that emphasizes a kick drum on alternating beats (as opposed to the regular four-to-the-floor pulse of techno and house music). The key to the dubstep sound is a strong bass line, characterized by sub-bass frequencies (below 90 Hz). The sparse, syncopated rhythm of dubstep operates on two levels: while the tempo is in the range of 130 to 140 beats per minute, the placement of various melodic and rhythmic elements generates the feel of half that speed, about 70 beats per minute. Dubstep tracks often have a dark, spacey sound, and although some have vocals, most are instrumental. Many of dubstep’s sonic characteristics were strongly influenced by drum ’n’ bass, a genre popular in the 1990s....