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Month: July 2021

AG Presents: Dubstep – Onhell

AG Presents: Dubstep – Onhell

Movements, Memories & Momentum in Music: Onhell Concludes AG Dubstep Series with Masterfully Multilayered Guestmix

By Jimmy O’Hara

Dubstep shows are light-years beyond mere dance parties; they’re multi-sensory, three-dimensional history lessons that celebrate the genre’s roots in Black culture on U.S. soil. One of dubstep’s grandparents is ‘80s house music, which was birthed by ‘70s disco, whose mother was ‘60s soul. This lineage links today’s beloved bass tunes to earlier genres, ranging from ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll and mid- 20th-century rhythm & blues to 1890s boogie-woogie and 18th-century folk spirituals.

Tracing this family tree matters because bass music — and the expansive creativity of its producers — has never existed in a vacuum. Electronic music and social movements are deeply intertwined. Many forms of music originating in Black communities arose as an intentional, liberatory, community-building response to structural oppression. At its core, dubstep is resistance and solidarity working together to decorate spacetime.

The interconnected, transformative nature of soundsystem music is evident in dubstep’s multilayered and versatile range of influences. Through a curious and critical lens, approaching dubstep with nuanced appreciation and delicate care becomes a bold act of deliberate courage. It is this understanding that underpins American Grime (AG) Presents: Dubstep, a podcast mini-series challenging listeners to dive deeper beyond the dubplates, dancefloors and disco balls.

“Dubstep originated from Black music,” says Onhell, a California-based producer. “All the best music originates from Black culture.”

Onhell’s artistic appreciation for music originating within Black communities is evident throughout his growing discography. In addition to creating original tracks, he remixes hidden and lesser-known gems from many of today’s renowned rappers and hip-hop artists, spanning 21 Savage and Yo Gotti to SZA and Gucci Mane. He’s particularly proud to perform for — and stand alongside — an expanding community of dubstep-lovers who reflect the collective beauty of human diversity.

“The community of dubsteppers is funny. It’s diversifying with more women, LGBTQ+ and people of color,” says Onhell.

Marginalized groups have always existed in electronic spaces, but are beginning to gain equitable representation and access to industry opportunities both on-stage and behind the scenes. AG and Background Noise partnered for this podcast project to elevate the movement toward bringing historically excluded talent into the fold.

“This makes me super happy,” says Onhell. “Dubstep is for everyone and full of love.”

Flavoring his bassline-heavy sound designs with low-end wavelengths and west coast wobbles, Onhell’s obtuse range is the optimal choice to conclude AG’s six-part series. His personal creative process is entirely unique, reflecting how he experiences his personality. Onhell describes this workflow as his visions shattering into virtually infinite pieces. Once his ideas split apart, Onhell puzzles his mental and emotional elements back together, giving extraterrestrial form to the externally invisible.

“I feel very split in my personality. Musically, in every way, I feel split — and not just in half, but in a million different pieces. It’s my job to split those differences into one being,” explains Onhell. “It’s not easy. But when it works, it feels amazing.”

The sixth and final installment in AG Presents: Dubstep, this week’s episode feat. Onhell splits listeners’ eardrums into a nebulous array of nutritious bass arrangements. Onhell was invited to participate by the beloved MC Jumanji, a legendary wordsmith and champion of grime known for carefully curating and narrating distinct dubstep functions.

In other words: Onhell — and all artists featured in AG’s garage and dubstep series — were each chosen to represent these genres for a reason. And within ten minutes of tuning in, listeners are bound to uncover why.

“MC Jumanji asked me to make a mix for his dubstep series,” says Onhell. “I respect him and appreciate what he’s doing for grime in the U.S., so naturally I had to do it.”

Audio-Analysis

Onhell’s half-hour journey begins with a raunchy, sewery raucous of sounds. The mix’s fast-paced rhythm finds minimal pause, creating an on-the-go atmosphere that accelerates those along for the ride. Paying tribute to the art of emceeing, Onhell incorporates clever voice-overs that guide the mischievous musical adventure. If mixes could drive, this one would outspeed opponents in high-risk highway races on the regular.

As the nostalgic-yet-modern sequence unfolds, Onhell opts for the notably witty and peculiar sounds of mid-2000s dubstep, channeling the likes of Mala, Benga and early Skream. Around the mix’s midpoint, Onhell unleashes a hypnotic soundsystem circus, steadily firing a coordinated slew of low-end ammunition in a ravishing, progressively robotic fashion. This thirty-one minute masterpiece showcases a thoughtfully eclectic assembly-line of mechanically-sound, boiling-hot tunes, all while hinting at dubstep’s legacy of roots in Black communities and lived experiences. 

The result: An instant favorite, reliable for kickbacks and afters, suitable for new students of soundsystem tunes, and flexible enough for campsites and solo nights in.


Infographic source:Dr. Portia K. Maultsby, Professor Emerita in the Department of Ethnomusicology at the Indiana University Bloomginton College of Arts + Sciences; infographic revised 2005.

AG Presents: Dubstep – Poklypz

AG Presents: Dubstep – Poklypz

Influence, Intention & Inspiration: Dubstep Producer Poklypz Delivers A Distinctive American Grime Mix

By Merissa Underwood

“It’s my thing…Dubstep. And if it’s not yours, that’s cool.”

For Poklypz, the AmericanGrime (AG) Dubstep series reflects the re-emergence of dubstep. It’s not dead, and never was. It just stepped out of the limelight for a little while. Those who are truly connected to the bass world have long held onto the genre’s roots. 

“I’ve been creating dubstep and other forms of underground music for over a decade.” Poklypz 

Poklypz’s natural ability to experiment with audio, draw from multiple genres, and surprise listeners with new sound designs are what sets his artistry apart. 

“UK Grime really inspires me, as well as rock and folk genres, artists like Bon Iver and James Blake.” He goes on to share. 

Poklypz intentionally deviates from the norm and finds creative sparks in places many would never consider. Preceding his producing days he was a classically trained violinist touring England. This experience inspired him to produce dark-bass oriented electronic music. 

“I love the underground soundclash culture style of UK Grime. It developed and influenced Dubstep so deeply. I’m really intrigued by the atmospheric feels, I just love how it doesn’t necessarily fall into what many people classify as ‘music’ as a generic term.” 

Although the electronic scene is expanding into mainstream spaces with collaborations between producers and pop stars, Dubstep remains highly misunderstood. Electronic music, and specifically dubstep are not just ‘pots, pans, car engine sounds, with a huge drop.’ It’s interpreted in an infinite amount of ways, and that understanding is part of what underpins AG’s ongoing dubstep series.

Much like the way cuisines differ across cultures, dubstep morphs into different beasts depending on where you find it bumping. Poklypz has more than a decade of experience producing UK Dubstep. Throughout his time creating new sounds, he discovered his own unique person. He also found solace in his community; oftentimes, he and his peers didn’t have access to mainstream support. Poklypz is grateful to have found a community (change to family or support so we don’t say community twice?) in AG, a collective that seeks to elevate his sound design and personal growth.

AG’s series is determined to bring their love of underground sounds to the surface. The sounds that AG wanted to dance & groove to weren’t playing on the radio or in clubs, so they created a space for it themselves. 

If it doesn’t exist, create it for yourself. 

In Poklypz’s AG mix, your ears will vibrate with low-end frequencies designed to lead you straight down the warehouse rabbit hole. His sound has a pervasive sense of sinister spookiness reminiscent of 4 am with no sunlight in sight. Rebellious and angsty, you’ll find yourself ready to scrunch up your nose and turn your bass face on for a sweet and savory half-hour of 140 bpm. Poklypz’s rule-bending approach strays from sound design norms infusing hip-hop grooves with ruinous OR ruthless experimental rhythms to arrive at a thrilling thirty minutes of dirty UK-inspired dubstep guaranteed to quench your weekly sound-system thirst. 

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Stay tuned for the sixth & final guest-mix in American Grime’s podcast scheduled for release Friday, July 30 feat. Onhell

Each Friday, be sure to travel back to the Background Noise newsroom for coverage, commentary and more. Throughout this six-week journey, our editorial team will cover each episode, tracing the rich history and groundbreaking evolution of dubstep right along with you.

AG Presents: Dubstep – Karnage

AG Presents: Dubstep – Karnage

Japanese-American Producer Karnage Keeps the Dubstep Genre Above Ground

By Drew Zwilling

“I want to show the sound of Japanese dubstep to the world,” says Karnage, an up-and-coming dubstep producer from Nagoya, Japan.

Karnage is grateful for the opportunity to showcase his new sounds that have long been locked away in his music arsenal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

With heavyweight releases on renowned labels like Youngtsa’s Sentry Records, Goth-Trad’s Back To Chill, plus both VomitSpit and Infernal Sounds under his belt, Karnage is paving his path in the dubstep world.

“I hope people enjoy my sound during this particularly hard time. My approach has been slowly changing and I hope people can feel that in this mix,” says Karnage.

Having lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, Karnage began producing dubstep as early as 2011.

“Music has been my passion ever since. The dubstep community is so important to me because I’ve established so many friendships all over the world through it,” says Karnage. “It’s all about the sound, as long as people enjoy and respect the music that’s fine by me.”

Karnage draws influence from many artists and genres. He hopes that his American Grime (AG) Presents: Dubstep mix will encourage listeners to better understand and appreciate the unique history and ongoing evolution of dubstep.

“For death metal, artists like World End Man, Endon, and Full of Hell Cephalic Carnage are my favorites at the moment. For phonk, I really like drift-phonk artists like Dominous Soul and Xteage,” says Karnage.

Karnage also looks to his friends for inspiration and motivation: “Shout-out to Dayzero, Distinct Motive, Rider Shafique, and Infernal Sounds Family.”.

Dubstep’s influence is evident as it’s helped people cultivate a worldwide community. Fans from around the globe come together over a shared passion for the ominous sounds that fans have grown to know and love. A new wave of producers is spawning from the woodwork, drawing inspiration from the forefathers of the dubstep genre. Collectively, up-and-coming producers are bringing the background sounds of dubstep into the fold and paving the way for a new generation to move the genre forward.

In this week’s episode of AG Presents: Dubstep, Karnage creates a half-hour soundsystem experience for you to explore.

Throughout this half-hour gem, Karnage flawlessly executes his unique flare, honing his take on the evolving sounds stirring within soundsystem spaces in recent years. The mix immerses listeners on a sonic journey fluctuating between playful and abrasive basslines. Shifting between shadowy troughs and glimmering crests, listeners will ride the wave of Karnage’s mind coming to full fruition.

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Each Friday, be sure to travel back to the Background Noise newsroom for coverage, commentary and more. Throughout this six-week journey, our editorial team will cover each episode, tracing the rich history and groundbreaking evolution of dubstep right along with you.

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