Dubstep Ethics

joe muggs · Post by **joe muggs** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 5:34 pm

So last week I had some good conversations with quite a few of the big dubstep players for a thing I've written about the way dubstep's blown up internationally in 07 - and some very interesting themes came out of it...

Most of all it kept being emphasised that this scene is still a very supportive one; even though, especially this year, it's grown massively beyond the tight social circle that created it, it appears to have retained the friendliness and mutual respect which that group of people came with - and it even retains that within new scenes as they spring up in different countries. Obviously this is not always the case - there are always conflicts and jealousies in artistic movements, and you'll always get the odd person who just pays lipservice to supporting others - BUT I've been around a lot of musical movements over the years and dubstep really is notable for the warmth and lack of arsey egos amongst the people creating and raving to it. That also manifests itself in the fact that most of the producers seem to actively welcome new acts coming up and bringing new influences to the pot: as Benga said "dubstep moves, that's what it does, you can't just rinse one style if you come up with a big tune or you stagnate, so it's actually helpful to get the influence of new people and new sounds". That is in dramatic contrast to certain other genres of dance music where you end up with a clique of major DJs who jealously guard "their" sound and inevitably strangle its creativity!

What are your thoughts on this? Am I being overly idealistic? Is there some kind of code of ethics at work here? DOES dubstep really have that friendly vibe, and if so, why? Does the music itself somehow feed into that? Can it last?

boomnoise · Post by **boomnoise** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 5:50 pm

for me, community in dubstep almost transcends the music itself.

thesimonpure · Post by **thesimonpure** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 5:57 pm

Dubstep family values

this is such a great community

keepin' it posi fo real.

steppa · Post by **steppa** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:09 pm

big love in the community, no egos, no beef.

An amazing movement imo, each and every

boomnoise · Post by **boomnoise** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:10 pm

i should elaborate given that this is one of the best forum posts for a while.

i shall

but when i'm less festively drunk.

pompende · Post by **pompende** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:11 pm

community step.

i support eggos not egos.

ory · Post by **ory** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:13 pm

That was the first thing I noticed with dubstep back a few years ago. I guess it's because it's still a young scene, but still it's remarkable that we have over 10 000 members and we're still able to keep things cool and respectful. I haven't noticed any of the big jocks/producers even trying to boost their ego out of proportion either.

efa · Post by **efa** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:18 pm

Wikipedia wrote:Ethics, a major branch of philosophy, encompasses right conduct and good living. It is significantly broader than the common conception of analyzing right and wrong.

First you will have to define what the Dubstep ethics are.

dubluke · Post by **dubluke** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:20 pm

i find the community spirit really important, going out to a dance and comin back having met at least 20 really nice people in one night alone is a great feeling, and the friendliness and community is what one of the most important things for me, i think this can be demonstrated in the way that i can go out to a dubstep night by myself (not that i'm a johnny no mates

) and be safe in the knowledge i will definetly meet some new people or run into someone i already know to skank out and chat with (sometimes even more important for me)

i also think lack of ego thing is really demonstrated in the lack of any superiority complex amongst DJ's, in a lot of scenes the main acts will lock themselves away in the VIP booth until they have to play, and will treat you like dirt when you try and chat to them even if you have supported their music for years, i have never found this with any of the big acts in dubstep, they are always friendly and will chat away with you for ages etc.

big up all dubstep family, large up your bassyfaces

joe muggs · Post by **joe muggs** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:28 pm

EFA wrote:
Wikipedia wrote:Ethics, a major branch of philosophy, encompasses right conduct and good living. It is significantly broader than the common conception of analyzing right and wrong.
First you will have to define what the Dubstep ethics are.

Well that's what I'm asking I guess.

Couple more thoughts: when I was watching the crowd go spare to Rusko the other week, I suddenly had a flashback to c.1991 - the way the reaction to a bass drop or whatever is so instant is like nothing I've seen since tracks like 'Energy Flash' or 'Dominator'. Jungle was as powerful, but in a different, more edgy, raging way - but Dubstep really keys into that rave instantaneous good feelings thing.... but there isn't that diehard muppet aspect that rave/hardcore had where it became a macho contest about how quickly you could destroy your body and sanity doing pills in the double figures AND whizz AND acid that caused an awful lot of casualties. So has dubstep consciously or unconsciously learned a lesson from the rave days? Obviously some things are lost along with the madness of the rave days - the danger and destructiveness and madness of it could create mindblowingly wild atmospheres - but ultimately all the bad shit, the ripoffs and thugs and drug dustbin mentality weren't desirable or sustainable on that scale.

Then I looked at Rusko and thought "shit man, you were FIVE when Energy Flash came out". My god I felt old then!!

repr0bate · Post by **repr0bate** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:16 pm

perfect friendly vibes at events, but for some reason this forum reeks of uptight egotism & elitism. which is a shame as it's seen as a sort of flagship.

boomnoise · Post by **boomnoise** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:17 pm

repr0bate wrote:perfect friendly vibes at events, but for some reason this forum reeks of uptight egotism & elitism. which is a shame as it's seen as a sort of flagship.

haha.

repr0bate · Post by **repr0bate** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:19 pm

boomnoise wrote:haha.

it really does, tbh.

i'm not the only person who thinks this either.

braiden · Post by **braiden** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:20 pm

i dont even like the music i just like being seen with boomnoise really

the wiggle baron · Post by **the wiggle baron** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:22 pm

Think youve stumbled across a few bad threads reprobate!

Considering this is t'interweb, its a hell of a place.

repr0bate · Post by **repr0bate** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:24 pm

The Wiggle Baron wrote:Think youve stumbled across a few bad threads reprobate!

Considering this is t'interweb, its a hell of a place.

i've been lurking for a long time

you're not all that bad but my point still stands.

merry xmas

the wiggle baron · Post by **the wiggle baron** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:28 pm

repr0bate wrote:
The Wiggle Baron wrote:Think youve stumbled across a few bad threads reprobate!

Considering this is t'interweb, its a hell of a place.
you're not all that bad but my point still stands.

...How can you complain about anyone, ever, being a dick (or however you put it) and then say something like that

JOG ON!

dubluke · Post by **dubluke** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:28 pm

howstrange wrote:i dont even like the music i just like being seen with boomnoise really

guilty

i like to absorb his geordie accent and santa costume

joe muggs · Post by **joe muggs** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:30 pm

That's just "teh internets" isn't it? I don't think I've ever seen a public forum that didn't have some kind of infighting - it's the combined fact of willy-waving web warriors and the fact that sarcasm etc don't come over well online....

But back to the topic, the other thing I guess is that there's a strong influence from the culture of true-school techno. I remember Hatcha saying that even in the glitzy 2-step garage days he was always inspired by techno raves like Lost where it's just a dark room and the music... and weren't some of the Big Apple crew originally involved with Club UK back in the day? Anyway, techno at its best always had a lot of heart, and was about community as much as hedonism, and deliberately used the 'facelessness' of electronic music to fuck with traditional ideas of artist ego: see Mad Mike of Underground Resistance still going strong 20 years on, still supporting his local and global community etc...

There's also something in what Burial says about the male-female qualities of tunes; because of the reliance on bass and how the body reacts to bass, dubstep - even real jump-up dubstep - always has a sensuality and sexiness that prevents it getting too macho and headbangery, and I guess that carries through into the type of people that are attracted to it. It's one of the few strands of club music where people openly, and often, talk about "emotion" in tunes.

It also seems to be a scene that is not ashamed of intellect. Not in a nerdy or show-offy way - it has no need to call itself "intelligent" like bloody "intelligent drum & bass" (which of course just meant "drum and bass without all those scary black people involved"), but you have smart, educated characters like Kode 9 or Mala who can get deep into philosophical ideas without coming over as poncey.

What really boggles me about the good vibes in dubstep events is that they manage to sustain it despite the fact that probably a majority of people are caning the hydro - something that in other circumstances can lead to things getting quite edgy and suspicious!

repr0bate · Post by **repr0bate** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:30 pm

The Wiggle Baron wrote:...How can you complain about anyone, ever, being a dick (or however you put it) and then say something like that

JOG ON!

did you misunderstand it or something?

Dubstep Ethics

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