The History
In the late 80s and early 90s, a new music style appeared called Rave which was a fusion of sampled and syncopated beats, breakbeats or other samples from many different music genres and, sometimes, samples of music or dialogues from films and TV programs. From around 1992, some tracks made of high-tempo breakbeats, with heavy bass lines and Jamaican music samples, were called “jungle techno” and later on just “jungle”. It became popular as a separate music style and was often played at parties and on pirate radio in the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqL61DEjJEY
An oldschool jungle track with samples from Jamaican music
The popularity of d'n'b at its best time was similar to several other dance genres in the UK, for example hard house. But towards the turn of the 2000 its popularity became smaller since speed garage delivered several hit albums. It was characterized by high tempo and heavy bass lines with drum and bass but, on the other hand, it followed the existing characteristics of "house music". Its fresh style was an advantage in the media. London DJ C.K. says, "It is often forgotten by my students that a type of music called "Garage House" existed in the late 1980s alongside Hip House, Acid House and other forms of House music." He continues, "This new Garage of the mid 90s was not a form of House or a progression of Garage House. The beats and tempo that define House are entirely different. This did cause further confusion in the presence of new House music of the mid 1990s being played alongside what was now being called Garage."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN247VkxaE4
Some DJ mixing oldschool speed garage music from vinyls
Anyway, the birth of new subgenres and related styles such as liquid d'n'b brought many new artists coming up with fresh ideas and techniques, being a support for the constant development of the genre. Till today, d'n'b often appears in the commercial media and pop culture (TV), as well as it is a starting point for the next styles - grime and dubstep.
The evolution of d’n’b can be depicted with the use of the following examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTRLZgxfGEM
Jungle produced by a popular producer DJ Zinc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcsihKarC6s
Modern liquid d’n’b produced by Lenzman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMNfcOH00TA
A commercial d’n’b track by Chase and Status
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihwzG5-W8tE
A typical modern dubstep track with vocals
Discussion:
Listen to the tracks above, they were placed in a chronological order. Does music gain more quality and it becomes better when it goes commercial? Present your opinion.
Do you know dubstep? Do you like it? Why did it gain such a great popularity?
Will electronic music become more and more popular? Share your opinion.
On behalf of Wojciech Czajkowski (s4554)
There are two ways of thinking. When artist started to play commercial music he become no artist any more. Second way is if he wasn't able to play commercial music he would definitely stop playing due to starving and poorness.
ReplyDeleteI'm rather against first ideology. Everybody has to be little commercial to achieve fame and reputation.
Never heard about it. But in my honest opinion it's kind of "mass music", without any message.
Only I can say, I grew up in a punk rock and metal style. My first cassette tape was Nirvana. Still have it :) But now, when I've heard about thousands of rock and metal styles I became sick. Now we have ____ - Rock:
Alternative
British Invasion
Christian
Classic
Electroclash
Experimental
Garage
Glam
Goth
Hard
Indie
Jam
Metal
New Wave
Pop
Progressive
Psychedelic
Punk
Rockabilly
Ska
Surf
Swing
Urban
And that's crazy.
Yes. I would become more popular for sure. First: everybody can do that. You don't have to have special skills or talent to install and lunch a PC application just to create music. Second - is the cheapest music ever. Only you need is a PC and a bit of imagination.
From songs listed above I liked only one. In fact, drum and bass tracks that I heard, that I got from my friends are different from those but I really enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteAs for the dubstep I have a few songs that I liked for instance:
// Mt Eden Dubstep - Still Alive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDYIdBZUl2Y&feature=related
// Mt Eden Dubstep - Sarah McLachlan: Silence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nymjfq2kXnI&feature=related
"Will electronic music become more and more popular?"
I think this is a difficult question, but I can say that electronic music is most suitable for larger events. As events at the disco or youth events as for instance "juwenalia".
Your subject is really very niche I think :-) There are so many subgenres I have never heard about that I'm losing the issue ;-) I don't like the last track as the previous ones, but I find different qualities in them, because their character is different.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I haven't heard about dubstep till know, but I like it - perhaps because I also like raegge and ska music. It's just... nice ;-) I don't know why it is so popular - perhaps because it is a drop of nature in electronics?
Electronic music already got very popular and I'm sure this tendency will continue. It's easy to make so many people create it and share via internet.
These several tracks above are quite good, but I can not imagine to listening only them;] It's know that commercial music are made better - more carefully.
ReplyDeleteI don't know dubstep and I never heard about it.
It's hard to say… Everything depends on fans of this type of music and their friends.
Is going commercial something bad? To be honest I like commercial music and I'm mostly listening to this kind of music. I do however respect niche genres, as Asia called them.
ReplyDeleteTrends come and go and probably with drum'n'bass it will be similar. In Poland and all over the world.
i can't find anything interesting in this beside that it's good if you want to totally sail away:) I understand it tought but i'd go crazy if all music was like that.
ReplyDeleteBeing a musician myself i don't see the difference between all these kinds, but either I see one between those many kind of rock (with exceptions). Strange:)
I am not so advanced in music to hear the difference between glam house, acid house and so on... for me there are no so many genres of music and it is no necessary to give separate name each of them, music is without barriers and there are some "hearable" differences we can notice. Few words about quality. There are songs which nowadays are specially stylized on old tracks with all noises and scratches in the background. Sometimes it is annoying me that new songs are so clear and you are going to the concert and you cant recognize that song because it is not possible to play it so clear beyond studio.
ReplyDeleteI am fan of rock and metal music and for me this is a real music! For now I can not hear the songs that you embedded, because I use 3G connection.
ReplyDeleteI don't like dubstep. It is not in my taste.
All these tracks hurt my ears.. As I said in previous part of your presentation I don’t like this genre. So I’ll try to refer to all music. I can’t say that’s better when it goes commercial. It depends. There are many situations when some artists are not known to wider audience and thanks to the magic touch of the well known producers their songs become hits. (for example timberland and one republic). In such cases going commercial is good. But still I’m not sure that the music, because of this, gains more quality. It is more about popularity.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of dubstep so I do not know what it is. But I made a little research and.. this is still electronic music which I hate now!
Would it be more popular? I hope not. Nowadays people don’t know what good music means..
I wouldn't say that going commercial is the end of artistic career. But it certainly puts some limitations on the musician, as producers & publisher not always agree on artists' vision. The worst of all is the image change or its overemphasis. I don't listen to radio, so I guess I avoid listening to most of the commercial artists.
ReplyDeleteI've heard dubstep before but I'm not sure I would be able to identify it ;) Electronic music has a big audience but I have no idea if it's becoming more popular or the other way around. Commercial music is becoming even more popular than ever so I guess it will be setting trends for the masses.