The Bowdoin Orient

This week, I am switching gears to discuss a genre of electronic dance music—dubstep—that has reached unprecedented levels of popularity over the last few years. For those new to the scene, dubstep songs are set at around 140 beats per minute, are usually dominated by a powerful bass line, and typically incorporate heavily manipulated sound waves to produce a unique style of electronic music that is bound to set any listener's head bobbing.

Due to a strong focus on the individual sounds—like the bass-heavy "wobbles" or the modulated sound waves—these tracks are best when heard on a solid set of speakers. Part of the fascination with dubstep is its ability to affect multiple senses; one does not just hear the bass, but feels it as well.

In fact, Bassnectar, one of the more popular dubstep artists, cites natural disasters like the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake as a musical-influence because it was the first time he had heard such massive sub-bass during his childhood. Only recently have musicians been able to harness the power of bass and use it creatively in their work.

Bassnectar has taken full advantage of this opportunity with his remix of Ellie Goulding's "Lights," and his famous track "Bass Head," a name that devoted fans proudly label themselves to show their support for the artist.

They have a right to be proud too; Bassnectar released a strong mixtape, "Color Storm," a week ago to follow up "Divergent Spectrum," which they released last month. Listen to "Matrix," "Upside Down" and "Red Step" off that album (on some great speakers) to get a feel for the powerful bass that Bassnectar wields.

Dubstep songs might initially sound very similar to the new listener, but a comparison between different artists quickly dispels that misconception. Rusko, popularized by his "Pro Nails" remix and "Woo Boost" among other songs, is another huge name in the industry also known for his juicy bass "wobbles." But while Bassnectar experiments with various genres and tempo changes, Rusko is more interested in layering samples and sound effects over a traditional template to produce musical tracks that invariably lead up to a killer bass drop.

Differences aside, the bass drop is a staple of the genre, and you will be hard-pressed to find a song that does not exhibit some sort of build-up before launching into this "drop," aptly named because of its focus on the lowest bass-ranges. Even mainstream pop songs have begun to take advantage of these bass drops, as evidenced by Britney Spears' "Hold it Against Me" and Rusko's impending collaborative release with Rihanna.

The challenge for new artists is to distinguish themselves from their predecessors by creating unique songs and powerful drops without sounding recycled to fans who are accustomed to dubstep sounds. The artists who successfully accomplish this have been gaining the biggest followings.

Zeds Dead, a Canadian duo, has made a name for themselves by employing especially hard-hitting bass drops, as in "Here Comes the Boom" and their remix of Dragonette's "Volcano." They have collaborated with hip-hop artists as well, which has proven to be a worthwhile risk. Their song "Out for Blood" features verses by Omar LinX (a Toronto-based rapper), which take the place of traditional buildups as they lead into the drop.

Risks that push the boundaries of dubstep are what make the future of the genre so exciting. Jantsen (who collaborated with Bassnectar on his "Red Step" track) has produced a song called "Sultan of Swing," which employs a catchy swing ditty before launching into an especially juicy bass drop.

Meanwhile, Berlin's White Noise produced a remix of Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang" song this summer—an engaging dichotomy between the slow and beautiful Sinatra voice and the guttural bass patterns that accompany it.

Lastly, a few months ago, Omnitica released "Yo! Ho! And A Bottle of Bass!" which is undoubtedly one of my favorite dubstep tracks of the year. It opens with a beautiful, pirate-themed string introduction that serves as the melodic backdrop for the rest of the song.

Omnitica's subsequent bass drop is impressive, but the song exudes an insane amount of energy with rock-influenced breakdown section that follows. When one recognizes the cohesiveness of the song's various components, it becomes evident just how much creativity and planning went into the production.

While veterans like Rusko and Bassnectar will undoubtedly continue to produce hits, I am earnestly looking to artists like Zeds Dead to pave the path of dubstep's future. Genre crossover is where new and exciting things can happen, especially in a genre so heavily reliant on sampling and modifying a variety of sounds.

I particularly believe hip-hop holds the greatest potential for successful collaborations, since dubstep's focus on dirty bass lines and the drop leaves plenty of room for rappers' verses. Listen to Zeds Dead's "Out for Blood" and Superginger's remix of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Gimme the Loot" to hear some first-rate examples.