dubstep

Electronic wobble music

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged from UK garage in the early 2000s, characterized by heavy bass, syncopated rhythms, and the signature "wobble bass"—a low-frequency oscillation that sounds like machinery grinding or tearing.

The tempo typically hovers around 140 beats per minute.

The dubstep drop hit and the whole club went crazy.

culture

rave

Enthusiastic praise or nightlong dance

  • festivalOrganized public celebration
  • DJMusic mixer performer
  • SkrillexDubstep producer, multiple Grammys

moshpit · headbanging · warehouse · underground · nightclub · subculture · UK · garage · grime · Croydon

production

wobble

Unsteady side-to-side motion

  • basslineLow-register musical foundation
  • dropFall or release
  • LFOSub-audio frequency cycler

synthesizer · modulation · growl · snare · kick · halftime · riddim · 808 · sub · filter

sound

bass

Deep pitch or fish

  • wobbleUnsteady side-to-side motion
  • filthFoul, accumulated matter
  • grimyCoated in stubborn dirt

heavy · dark · aggressive · mechanical · robotic · screechy · growling · rumbling · deep · distorted

rhythm

halftime

Midpoint break in games

offbeat · swing · breakbeat · triplet · polyrhythm · stuttered · chopped

Categories
Opposites
sonic texture and production style

dubstepambient music

Tonal, moodscape-focused genre

smooth jazz · downtempo · easy listening · bossa nova · soft rock

musical structure and melody

dubstepclassical music

Western orchestral tradition

opera · art song · symphonic music · choral music · singer-songwriter

instrumentation and sound source

dubstepunplugged

Disconnected from power

bluegrass · chamber music · a cappella · traditional jazz · orchestral music

Family

step, steps, dub, stepping, stepped, dubbed, dubbing, dubber, dubbings

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Everyday, not technical · Rated G