Clunky genre tags are often a source of confusion. “Post-punk” and “post-rock” are the epitome of vague (there’s a reason we don’t call lunch “post-breakfast”), and the term “new rave” is as despicable as most of the music that scene has produced. “Dubstep,” an offshoot of the UK Garage scene, likely provokes similar head-scratching—especially among American listeners. The genre purports to combine dub—reggae’s reverb-soaked offspring—with a type of electronic dance music known as 2-step, a subgenre of UK Garage. To these ears, the dub claim is a stretch, but the dance-music influence is spot-on: while dubstep isn’t a sure recipe for getting sweaty bodies on the dance floor, it is built upon the same microscopic clicks and booms that define house music.
None of this terminological tip-toeing matters once you cue up the music, though, and this is a great time to do just that: on November 5, dubstep producers Burial and Pinch each released what critics have touted as the best dubstep albums of the year. So far, Burial has attracted the most hype, thanks to his decidedly anti-hype approach. Only a handful of people know the true identity of the anonymous producer, and that’s exactly how Burial would have it. Without any knowledge of who is behind the music, listeners must hear it completely on its own terms. Untrue, Burial’s latest and best release, continues the brooding Massive Attack atmospherics of the artist’s 2006 debut but adds vocal manipulations that make the singer’s pitch rise and fall with the fluidity of a sine wave. “Archangel” sounds like Cher’s vocoder-augmented voice twisted to the point of creating something very alien—and very cool.
Pinch’s Underwater Dancehall is even better, focusing on high-minded conceptual art without losing its anthemic appeal. “Brighter Day” is all subterranean bass rumbles and negative space, but guest vocalist Juakali’s Jamaican-flavored vocal advances keep the track bobbing and fun. Yolanda, another guest vocalist, adds empowering soul singing to the skittering, knife-and-fork percussion of “Get Up.” Underwater Dancehall appeals to both dubstep newbies such as myself and hard-core veterans, providing a second disc sans vocals for the “purists” who adhere to dubstep’s original instrumental incarnation.
Before the year is out, challenge yourself to turn a blind eye to dubstep’s tangled etymology and immerse yourself in some of the most insidious beats of ’07.
