Why do people like dubstep?

[WonderingNomad]

So I know a lot of guys and girls who really really like dubstep, and while I hate to admit it I just don't get it. I like the bass wobble and several of the other features in isolation but when they all come together they just sound like a bunch of sounds thrown together to me rather than music. Also, I don't really know how to dance to it. I don't know if it would be better when you're rolling or something but even so pretty much all music is good when on molly so I don't know what makes dubstep so special. Don't get me wrong...I'm not hating! If anything, I want to like it. I wikipedia'd it to try to understand it better, and I'm much better at defining dubstep now, but still I just feel like there's something I'm missing. I don't have much of a background in music in the sense that I don't play any instrument and I'm not familiar with any sort of musical theory. But I'm pretty open minded and can enjoy most genres. There are a lot of things that I feel like I didn't like until I really understood them (post-modern literature, for example) so I really do think I could enjoy dubstep if someone could explain it to me. Thanks!

[kholland65]

being someone who is a huge music geek, music collector, musician, and producer (even dubstep). I'll try and explain a bit about this.

I personally love dubstep but I think there are a few reasons for this.

I am also very into metal and heavy rock music as are a lot of other people. Dubstep has similarities in both tempo, and feel. Both genres are very powerful. Heavy bass, loud instruments, large temp changes, etc. The "bass drops" in dubstep are similar to the "breakdowns" in metal music. The "sounds thrown together" does have some dissonance to it which again goes hand in hand with metal music. Lots of tones without a sense of pitch and our are in minor keys. So what I'm getting at is I believe the first part is that is has pulled in many new electronic music fans due to its similar feel to a lot of rock music. It's the same reason artist like skrillex, are teaming up with bands like korn. Heavy rock music and dubstep go hand in hand.

Artist like skrillex and korn have also forced it into the mainstream. Skrillex is already known in the music industry (he is sonny moore from the band "from first to last").

I also think its simply different. Lots of people like to latch onto the "new thing", and right now that's dubstep. Electronic music in general is huge in Europe and has been for a while. In countries like the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Sweden, for example, electronic artists, or house artists, as they are more commonly called, are just as popular if not more popular than rock musicians. A producer/DJ Avicii for instance is their equivalent of our lady gaga or foo fighters. This trend is starting to move to America. Same reason most mainstream music involves club beats. Artists like taio crus, lady gaga, britney spears, lmfao, pitbull, jennifer lopez are all releasing music that is basically dance music when this wasn't the case 5-10 years ago. David guetta is a prime example. He has been very popular in france where he is from, but all of a sudden he now a major pop icon in the USA. Dubstep is a major subgenre of electronic music that especially appeals to Americans due to our history with rock, which as I stated before is similar in a lot of ways.

You don't really dance to dubstep. It's kinda one of those types of music where you just bang your head and wave your hand up in down (not fist pump), similar to listening to rap music which also has a slow tempo.

For the someone not used to dubstep or heavy music, it can take some time acquire a taste for it. Even still, its not for everybody. I personally latched onto it almost immediately because of my history both with heavy metal, electronic music, and even other even more dissonant artists like aphex twin and venetian snares who's music really can just sound like noise at times to those with an untrained ear.

[WonderingNomad]

Thanks for the very detailed response. This is the kind of answer I was hoping for! I definitely feel like it's something I could acquire a taste for, especially now that I understand it a bit better. And I definitely like what you said about the bass drops...I like that part too! Any suggestions for some good dubstep to get me started?

[kholland65]

I'll give you some mainstream artists right now as opposed to anything more underground. Check out skrillex, nero, fluxpavillion, Bar9,

[Justthinkingaloud]

I personally can't stand dubstep or techno. But I love everything else rap, country, rock, metal, classical. Dubstep and techno just give me a headache and I don't see much difference between the two... Don't take me wrong though cause I have tried listening to both... Although I do like some of the songs they put on the movie the transporter, don't know if they were considered dubstep or techno though, but that's about it for those genres for me.

[XRabbitHeartX]

I used to hate dubstep and also didn't see the point in it but then a close girlfriend of mine gave me some music and there was some dubstep on and it totally blew me away. For the first time I really just...got it and I jammed on it for 3 days straight over my ear phones everywhere I went. Since then my opinion have changed completely and I love it. But the vibe has to be right. I mean I can't sit around reading a book while listening to dubstep but before a awesome night out or driving in your car with dubstep playing just makes for such a epic experience. I can't describe it. It's all about feeling the beat and focusing all your mind on it and the flow of the music. You have to let go of everything. Wow I sound like a nutcase now but for me I go into a "zone" with dubstep and that's the only way to appreciate it. You just put your mind somewhere else and feel the music and the beat. And of course, "bad" dubstep is going to be a horrible experience. Get yourself good decent dubstep to listen to.

[myspacemybroke]

It's someone making up for the fact that they can't play an instrument by drag and dropping a bunch of sound files on a computer. I really wouldn't bother myself with trying to become a fan.

[kholland65]

Try producing it, its way harder than that. I produce electronic music and also write music for a rock band. Electronic music is way harder to produce, trust me. There is way more to it than dropping a few sound files into a program. You would swear you were looking at schematics for a rocket if you all all the knobs, parameters, samples, instruments, effects, envelopes, etc. that are all evolved with created it. There is a reason producers are also usually sound "engineers".

[dudeman]

harder to produce sure but not play, little skill is necessary in other words

[myspacemybroke]

Yeah, what dudeman said.

@kholland65: do you have any idea what a rocket schematic even is, or what it looks like?

Yes that is exactly what dubstep is. Sound, not music.

[kholland65]

Alright man. Go ahead and lecture a music producer about what is music and how hard it is to make. For those who think its easy to make here is what things look like in my DAW when making it link I doubt you have any clue what is going on. Dudeman, who cares about skill to play, 99% of music out there is easy as hell to play. You obviously aren't a musicians because everyone knows the hardest thing is music is writing, not playing.

[myspacemybroke]

I never said it was easy, I'm sure it takes plenty of skill in its own right. It's fairly unique (although getting to not be with the popularity and mass production) and complicated sounds, but I still refuse to accept it as "music".

[Konnour]

Pretty much I have no idea...

Probably Marsians sent a message to the Earth.. but people here now dance to it and call it dubstep.

[dudeman]

i was listening to dub step before it got cool, now I got to find something else nobody knows about to be cool again, thanks guys friken a holes messing up my coolness

[BassHeadCick]

HELL YES I LOVE DUBSTEP! I LOVE The WUBWUBUWB Bass and its just so orgasmic!! a great way for me to have an orgasm!! <3 <3

[CAN_I_HAS_BA]

its great music for running or something to listen to while walking.

[KoolAidDrinker]

It's the best music of this generation

[LoveBambi]

You don't dance to dubstep..you FEEL it :D

[lolli]

I don't even know what it is.

[Xoxocutekitty]

I don't know.