I believe I started developing a fondness for dubstep and 2-step when a colleague of mine played it at work. From that moment I wanted to dive right in and check out the scene. I found myself stepping into The Phoenix Bar last Friday, and the sounds coming from the venue were both new and exciting. As I got closer to the stage the bass was becoming bigger as it was throbbing and could be felt throughout my body.
Cotti was supported by Garage Pressure. This DJ got everyone furiously dancing and the tracks were faster than a typical dubstep track, however, there is nothing really typical about dubstep and 2-step as it uses such a diverse mix of sounds, samples and influences. I could sorta pick out dominant sounds such as the two bass line combinations, and a hint of 80s synth samples. There was a slight glitch in Garage Pressure’s set when a plug as pulled out somewhere, and silence filled the room; but everything was soon up and running and everyone started dancing once more, rectified in a professional fashion. There were other artificial sounds in the set such as a harpsichord, a woodblock sound, pan flute, jungle drums, monkey screeches, sci-fi sounds mixed with reggae and scratches to accompany the mixes taking place. Interesting stuff!
The crowd applauded once Cotti took his place on stage, and his set started with slow beats that won over even more enthusiasm to the Caribbean sound that is found in dubstep. There was modulation of sounds that created a melodic progression which complimented the bass. The two-part bassline or ‘wobbler’ is an interesting concept, as it is a defining element in dubstep, as well as the ‘shuffle’ beat that’s clearly defined as 2-step. You could feel the wobbler in the back of your throat; its thriving presence began to pick me out of my seat and onto the dance floor with other fans, moving with passion.
While the transitions between tracks weren’t as neat as the previous DJ, Cotti however managed to capture a lot of elements that make dubstep the genre it is – a mix of jungle, reggae and Caribbean influences. His fans were familiar with his work and feasted on what he had to offer. I couldn’t help thinking of pirates as the set went on, a symptom of having Caribbean sounds in the air. There were also industrial influences or ‘Grime’ – a depiction of the London and the industrial world. This grime aesthetic was also mixed with hip hop samples, giving it an awkward succession but presenting you with the uniqueness of dubstep.
There’s nothing formulaic about dubstep or 2-step – it has defining elements, but fans of the genre are keen to be exposed to hear new sounds. And this is exactly what I got at this gig – new sounds, and a combination that tickled (or bass-throbbed) my fancy and left me wanting more.
