Brostep

Brostep is a harder form of dubstep that emerged during the late 2000s and early 2010s and pioneered by artists like Skrillex and Rusko.

Brostep
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsLate 2000s – early 2010s, United States (mostly), United Kingdom (originally)
Fusion genres
Complextro
Other topics
Skrillex performing in 2012

In 2011, dubstep gained significant traction in the US market, by way of a post-dubstep style known as Brostep, with the American producer Skrillex becoming something of a "poster boy" for the Dubstep scene.[1][2][3] In September 2011, a Spin Magazine EDM special referred to brostep as a "lurching and aggressive" variant of dubstep that has proven commercially successful in the United States.[4] Unlike traditional dubstep production styles, which emphasise sub-bass content, brostep accentuates the middle register and features "robotic fluctuations and metal-esque aggression".[5] According to Simon Reynolds, as dubstep gained larger audiences and moved from smaller club-based venues to larger outdoor events, sub-sonic content was gradually replaced by distorted bass riffs that function roughly in the same register as the electric guitar in heavy metal.[6]

The term brostep, sarcastically coined in 2009,[7] has been used by some as a pejorative descriptor for a style of popular Americanised dubstep.[1]

Rusko in June 2010

The producer known as Rusko himself claimed in an interview on BBC Radio 1Xtra that "brostep is sort of my fault, but now I've started to hate it in a way ... It's like someone screaming in your face ... you don't want that."[8] According to a BBC review of his 2012 album Songs, the record was a muddled attempt by Rusko to realign his music with a "Jamaican inheritance" and distance it from the "belching, aggressive, resolutely macho" dubstep produced by his contemporaries.[9]

Commenting on the success of American producers such as Skrillex, Skream stated: "I think it hurts a lot of people over here because it's a UK sound, but it's been someone with influences outside the original sound that has made it a lot bigger. The bad side of that is that a lot of people will just say 'dubstep equals Skrillex'. But in all honesty it genuinely doesn't bother me. I like the music he makes."[10] Other North American artists that were initially associated with the brostep sound were Canadian producers Datsik and Excision. Their production style has been described by Mixmag as "a viciously harsh, yet brilliantly produced sound that appealed more to Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails fans than it did to lovers of UK garage".[11] The brostep sound also attracted the attention of metal bands. Nu metal band Korn's 2011 album The Path of Totality features several collaborations with electronic music producers, including Skrillex and Excision.[12] This style of dubstep is sometimes known as metalstep.

  1. ^ a b "Bass Invasion". Miami New Times. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  2. ^ "'The potential for disaster was just too big': small Canadian city shuts down Skrillex gig – FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music". 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Is dubstep the new metal?". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  4. ^ Dubstep 101: A U.S. Primer Archived 22 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine Andrew Gaerig, 12 September, Spin Magazine, Spin Media LLC.
  5. ^ "Dubstep Maker: The Software & Video Tutorial You Need". Ledger Note. 14 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  6. ^ Simon Reynolds, The Art of the Groove, in Computer Music, Computer Music Specials (p. 9), Wed 26 October 2011, Future Publishing Limited
  7. ^ Sherburne, Philip (7 October 2021). "25 Microgenres That (Briefly) Defined the Last 25 Years". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  8. ^ Rietmulder, Michael. "Fall preview 2011: Dubstep takes over the dance floor". Vita.mn. Star Tribune Media Company LLC. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  9. ^ Mellisa Bradshaw,"Dubstep producer tries aligning his output with Jamaican originals, with muddled results." BBC, March 2012.
  10. ^ I Like The Music Skrillex Makes': An Interview With Skream Archived 25 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine, The Quietus, 19 December 2011, TheQuietus.com
  11. ^ Muggs, Joe (12 December 2011). "United Bass of America". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  12. ^ "Korn Team with Skrillex, More Dubstep Producers for New Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.