Saturday 15 January 2011

Is This The Beginning Of The End For Dubstep ?

If you’re interested in the chronicles of pop music then take note of this moment. Since dubstep has now fully crossed over and has started to become the default setting, it’s now becoming dangerously ubiquitous. From the breakdown on Britney’s new single to this; the collaboration between Example, the cringe-worthy hair-gelled lad who came good with the dance-your-ass off feelgood pop-banger Kickstarts and Skream, the dude who created the first potent mainstream dubstep influenced remix on La Roux’s In For The Kill. It’s a heavily throbbing beast of a tune, designed for turning the base boost to the maximum, a hot-blooded killer even – but we ask you, is it also the moment when dubstep becomes the norm, the mainstream, the can’t get away from it on UK-radio moment and what follows is a raft of second rate dubstep influenced artists, loved by ordinary lads out on the town on a Friday night, getting pissed, pulling girls and getting in fights? As good as this track is, is it the beginning of the end for dubstep?

Of course dubstep forums have been asking this question for years now, and there’s no sign of its weighty momentum slowing, but in terms of creativity of this genre and with BBC Radio 1heavily locked into its sound, can we soon expect dubstep to become known as landfill dubstep ? Fashion and pop music go hand in hand, and history shows that eventually they go out. Or will the genre evolve and morph and become the main influence of musical style this decade ? According to this the only way is up!

Away from this debate a quick mention for the video of this song – shot in Brighton, just down the road from our hometown of Portsmouth, much of the action is set in Audio, a venue that Breaking More Waves has spent many hours watching bands play in. The video is the classic boy out on the lash, forgets girlfriend tale, but watch it for the ‘twist’ at the end – it’s a mini soap opera in just under four minutes.



Skream and Example - Shot Yourself In The Foot Again by Ministry of Sound

6 comments:

Simon said...

Surely dubstep first started to take heavier breaths when Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers unveiled his 'indiestep' direction, "the dirt of dubstep but then also the sing-along-ability of an indie song". It's the new grindie. http://is.gd/Gm3AgV

Scryst said...

Based on previous articles like this you've written I'd say you are about 1 year too early, but by the end of summer everyone will be sick of dubstep once its been rinsed out everywhere.

Jamie said...

I'm a Brighton bloke and Audio's one of my favourites )

As for the potential demise of dubstep, I agree with Scryst - not yet. But these things come in cycles so it won't be more than twelve months (one would think) before it begins to become stagnant.

Breaking More Waves Blog said...

Thanks for your comments guys.

Well if we're giving it a year then I guess in a way, if this comes true then this is the starting point of the end.

To use that well worn cliche, only time will tell....

Anonymous said...

aww. "cringe worthy gel haired lad"? lol. i like example a bit. more the singles have stood out with me than the rest, though. i don't think dubstep's headed for demise. i don't think a time limit should be associated with it either. trends are trends. ebb and flow, dear friends.

Breaking More Waves Blog said...

Yes I's agree that in terms of the Example album the singles are the best songs by quite a way.

As for trends ? Sure ebb and flow, but sometimes its fun here to make predictions......(and then see how wrong I am at a later date)