Trends: The Bass Drop

Although it's a form of electronic music, dubstep borrows many elements from rock. Structurally, it is not very different from nu metal, the key elements in both cases being a tight verse and an over-the-top chorus. The most defining aspect of a dubstep track is, of course, the bass drop. It is marked by a heavy (and often distorted) bass part. A 'low frequency oscillator' can be used to rhythmically manipulate an extended bass note. This gives it a distinct 'wobbly' effect that is usually accompanied by a syncopated drum groove.

The bass drop has already been discussed and glorified at length via many a Youtube video. For those who are new to the genre and would like a DIY approach to discovering it, I recommend doing what I did and entering 'dubstep' in the Youtube search bar. A few of my favourite bass drops are listed below.

Paradise (Coldplay) Remix/Glebstar  (Bass drop at 00:58)

Eyes On Fire (Blue Foundation) Remix/Zeds Dead

Magical World (Nelly Furtado) Remix/Bassnectar

Rude Boy (Rihanna) Remix/Chrispy

Ghosts N Stuff (Deadmau5) Remix/Nero

Theme From Requiem For A Dream (Clint Mansell) Remix/Parkus

Trends: The Return Of Dance Rock

(Happy new year, all. So this is a new section called 'Trends' that I'm introducing this month. Many of my friends have accused me of being stuck in a time warp and focusing on music before my time. I agree. I don't listen to enough of today's music, or even music of this decade for that matter. What I hope to achieve through this section is just that. I shall be needing your help initially, and would love it if you could keep suggesting me stuff. It could even be a local band you're trying to promote. Anything I particularly like, I shall feature on the blog, with due acknowledgement to the sender. Thanks, and happy listening.)

Honestly, if there ever was a strong sign that dance rock was making a comeback, it was the past year's catalogue. Listen to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "I'm With You" with its fist pumping grooves, or Radiohead's "The King Of Limbs" with its techno-beats, or Foster The People's "Torches" with its catchy rhythms, and you'll know what I mean. Dance rock has never seen such a mainstream presence since the glorious days of Elvis & Co. Let's hope it sticks, though. It's nice to see rockstars shimmying again.