i am slightly confused - which dubstep songs are digi dub?

funlovinlondonguy · Post by **funlovinlondonguy** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:32 pm

i have been doing some reading up on dubstep since i last visited this forum and have noticed a lot of people saying dubstep often veers a little too eagerly into digi dub territory. i have read some other posts about this topic, but i would like some more examples of which tracks in dubstep are in fact like digi dub. for instance, i just bought a copy of mary anne hobbs warrior dubz album - which is quite excellent i should add! - and am curious if people here thought the benga song music box was like digi dub?

elgato · Post by **elgato** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:40 pm

in my opinion no not at all... its dubby but retains a distinct sound and has elements which set it apart

examples...

a number of coki and skream tracks, the names of which do not come easily to me, a few kromestar tunes, a few hijack tracks. im sorry i dont know the names cos often theyre not the tracks which interest me so i dont remember.

officer by coki (check bleep.com...dmz004) is a classic example
just one of those days by coki
tuning (a dub tribute) by skream

that should give you an idea of what ppl are chatting about

bedward · Post by **bedward** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:45 pm

i would imagine those ppl are refering to tunes that sound like dub reggae, done electronically.
maybe "Dutch Flowers," and that sort of thing.
y'know, reggae?
but digi-dub (from what i remember) tends to be more stiff and stilted sounding. not fluid enough or colourful.

why do u want to know?

ufo over easy · Post by **ufo over easy** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:32 pm

People need to quit talking about digidub as if it's some kinda negative thing. Not all of it's crap. It's just not dubstep.

I reckon a few coki tunes are pretty much straight up reggae.

joseph-j · Post by **joseph-j** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:41 pm

UFO over easy wrote:People need to quit talking about digidub as if it's some kinda negative thing. Not all of it's crap. It's just not dubstep.

I reckon a few coki tunes are pretty much straight up reggae.

I agree about Coki, but sorry - digidub just brings back memories of people like *shudder* Dreadzone. Either that or some hippie shit. The thing I like about a lot of dubstep is that (in the case of Hijak, Coki etc) it sounds pretty... authentic (for want of a better word).

ufo over easy · Post by **ufo over easy** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:43 pm

Come up to subdub some time man..

billy blanks · Post by **billy blanks** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:00 pm

UFO over easy wrote:Come up to subdub some time man..

yes.

bedward · Post by **bedward** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:21 pm

the thing i have against digi-dub (if anything) is quantisation. (musical grids)
old school jamaican dance-music is often very simple harmonically and melodically, but there's so much texture and character from the way the sounds offset against each other.
like the b-line will be ahead of the drum for half a bar, and then slip behind. (for instance)
and some of the instruments will be tuned "sweetly," i.e. away from the rest, a bit sharp here and there.
so the music which could be notated like a nursery rhyme actually sounds very full, organic and gorgeous.

one like Coki does well cos his JA-esque melodies are actually a bit twisted, it doesn't sound like a midi version of a formally simple song.
sth which comes to mind right now is the way thelonious monk fekked with jazz melodics.
also, kode's imaginary/ghost beats.
the tension between what is actually being heard and what you expect to hear, or what you're reminded of.

anyway, if yr pretty familiar with jamaican "reggae" etc, the super cleaned up timing of a lot of digi-dub just destroys the feeling and leaves only the weakest part of the music; the note-numbers, simple, childish and cheesey.

basically, if i hear a simple reggae-ish tune, i want it to scratch and grate and flup and skrek along.
but once someone mutates the melodic shape enough, i'm not making that comparison anymore. it's something new.

bass clef · Post by **bass clef** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:29 pm

Dubstep is quantised too you know...
Anyways, I'm more than willing to admit that Digi-dub is mostly rubbish but that doesn't stop there being some amazing stuff. Early firehouse crew stuff like the sleng teng rhythm or "tempa" by anthony red rose are just jaw-dropping, raw and powerful with really innovative production.
Here's a mix of 80's / 90's digi stuff and bashment instrumentals i did.
it's about 65 tracks in about an hour. Tracklist is in the comments.

http://smokering.co.uk/main/dload.php?a ... file_id=87

bedward · Post by **bedward** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:41 pm

bass clef wrote:Dubstep is quantised too you know...

bedward wrote:one like Coki does well cos his JA-esque melodies are actually a bit twisted, it doesn't sound like a midi version of a formally simple song.
...
once someone mutates the melodic shape enough, i'm not making that comparison anymore. it's something new.

bass clef · Post by **bass clef** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:43 pm

djgyn · Post by **djgyn** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 6:23 pm

UFO over easy wrote:People need to quit talking about digidub as if it's some kinda negative thing. Not all of it's crap. It's just not dubstep.

Yes, I agree. Let's quit the hateration!

To contribute, some good examples of dubstep with very clear reggae influences are: Loefah - Root and Hijak - Babylon Timewarp

i am slightly confused - which dubstep songs are digi dub?

i am slightly confused - which dubstep songs are digi dub?

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