Electronic music gave way to a new sub-genre known as dubstep in south London in the early 2000s. Over the next decade, an Internet-based subculture grew up around the music style. The heavy, repetitive bass line is its most distinguishing feature.
Around 2003, DJs in south London dance clubs became the first dubstep artists. They started with existing techno music styles and increased the bass intensity before adding treble lines and minimalist lyrics on top. Typically, the music was entirely synthesized. With its pounding bass lines, dance club dubstep was meant to be felt throughout the entire body, not just heard.
Dubstep is distinct from other techno subgenres in a number of ways. It has a smoother, less jarring sound than garage or grime, which are known for their harsh, ragged, or grinding melodies. In comparison to its forerunners, some critics have dubbed the style “minimalist,” because the music’s entire focus is on the bass and sub-bass.
Dubstep made its way onto the Internet from south London. Its straightforward structure made it simple to compress into Internet-friendly sound files, which quickly spread across North America. Dubstep spawned a subculture that spanned the Atlantic Ocean, as anyone with basic music editing software and a good ear for the genre could contribute to its development. Dedicated message boards and blogs for the style were created, where contributors could upload, modify, and redistribute music. As a result, many tracks can’t be attributed to a single artist because they’re actually compilations of multiple producers’ work.
Few major record labels had signed dubstep artists as of 2011, possibly due to the collaborative nature of the genre. Tracks have been produced a few smaller record labels, but sales have been modest. Despite its thriving subculture, dubstep has remained largely a hidden musical genre.