Good Dubstep?

[Tha1ChiefRocka]

I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but I've been listening to an album that would be before the genre blew up for a minute, and it's not trash.


Repercussions by Distance

Anybody ever listened to this one, or have any recommendations for earlier dubstep albums?

[Kool Keith Sweat]

Most anything from Kode9, Burial, or Zomby (my personal favorites are Memories of the Future, Truant/Rough Sleeper, and With Love). The Tectonic Plates and 5 Years of Hyperdub compilations. Pinch's Underwater Dancehall, Scuba's Sub:stance, and Two Fingers s/t.

[Tha1ChiefRocka]

Thanks keith, I know a couple of those, but that'll give me a good start.

This track in particular on this album has been buzzing around my head quite a bit.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4AFzcErusbk

[bobbyb5]

I like these old standbys:


Where Were U In '92? by Zomby


Skream! by Skream!


Chapter II by Benga


FabricLive.37 by Caspa & Rusko

[bobbyb5]

[Skinny]

Well, as you are probably aware, everything by Burial. Then:

Horsepower Productions - In Fine Style
Kode 9 / Loefah / Digital Mystikz - Grime 2
El-B - The Roots of El-B
Mala - Mala in Cuba
Mount Kimbie - Crooks & Lovers
2562 - Aerial
2562 - Unbalance
Africa Hitech - 93 Million Miles
Silkie - City Limits Volume 1
Ikonika - Contact, Love, Want, Have
The Bug - London Zoo
Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior
Zomby - With Love
Zomby - Ultra
Zomby - Mercury's Rainbow
(those three are more recent but are almost like love letters to early dubstep and grime)
Zomby - Zomby EP
James Blake - CMYK EP
James Blake - Klavierwerke EP
Untold - Gonna Work Out Fine EP
Joy Orbison - The Shrew Would Have Cushioned the Blow EP
Wiley - Avalanche Music 1
Ruff Sqwad - White Label Classics
Terror Danjah - Gremlinz (The Instrumentals 2003-2009)

And then various compilations like 5 Years of Hyperdub; the Skull Disco compilations; 116 & Rising (the Hessle Audio comp); Night Slugs All-Stars Vol. 1; Future Bass, the Box of Dub series, the Steppas' Delight series (basically any dubstep compilation that Soul Jazz put out); the Tectonic Plates series; then you've got stuff like The Roots of Dubstep, Sound of the Pirates, etc., which gives you a taste of some of the darker UK garage stuff that was a big influence on dubstep (as also represented by the top three LPs from the above list).

That covers some instrumental grime and some of the more skeletal UK garage that basically evolved into dubstep, plus some of the more tech-y stuff that evolved out of that, without ignoring the DMZ-influenced side of things. As with any dance music genre where the music's primary function is to light up the rave, compilations are often your best port of call, but everything I've listed here is bordering on essential really. Hope that helps.
_________________
2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.

[craola]

[Tha1ChiefRocka]

Ah, The BUG, he's another good one. Thanks for the recommendations. I think I've neglected this type of music for awhile because of the awful stuff that became popular when I was in high school. I can take a step back now and appreciate it more.

[CharlieBarley]

I like Deadpool's comments about dubstep in the film Deadpool 2. After I saw that film at the cinema I went home and listened to a shuffle of dubstep music. It was totally ace. Are Chase and Status dubstep? I know they're commercial but I like some of their stuff.

[RoundTheBend]