This article originally appeared in the March 2010 issue of inGen Magazine.
In the ever-shifting sonics of electronic dance music, a new sound emerges every so often that separates itself from its predecessors and becomes more than the sum of its influences. As the second decade of the century begins the new sound is called dubstep. Over the past ten years dubstep has evolved and matured; now it is poised to break through the boundaries of its scene and cross-over into mass appeal. Although dubstep has its roots in London, San Francisco’s vital dubstep scene is at the vanguard in the propagation of this cutting-edge sound.
Dubstep is the endpoint of a mutation of sounds that began in London back in the 90′s. First there was hardcore and then drum’n'bass, a combination of hyperactive drum breaks and thick, rolling bass lines. As that scene settled into a dark niche in the late 90′s, 2-step garage emerged with a slower tempo and the swing of its sparser beats. Then came grime which, as the name implies, took a darker approach to the 2-step sound by incorporating elements of hip-hop and dancehall into the equation. Then, a subtle shift occurred when the bass got bigger, more complex and moodier: dubstep was born.
Dubstep’s history in San Francisco’s clubs began with a monthly called Grime City, started by Ben Enzyme and Emcee Child. Already hooked on the 2-step and grime sound, the infiltration of dubstep records onto the decks was a natural progression. Juju, a well-established drum’n'bass DJ, also began to push the sound at his Narco.Hz events. Then in 2005, DJ and promoter Ripple threw the now-legendary party, Superheroes and Supervillians, which was the first party to fly in top UK dubstep DJs.
Promoters soon took notice of this new sound and began to push forward with monthlies and one-offs. The Full Melt parties along with events thrown by promoters such as Surefire Sound and An-ten-nae put down the foundation upon which the current scene thrives. The sound spread outside the city as well to Northern California’s vibrant festival circuit including Symbiosis, Raindance and Lightning in a Bottle. Spearheaded by Lorin and his Bassnectar project, dubstep along with its mutant cousin – a sound called glitch – has become an integral part of main stage music at outdoor events.
As these events began to create a stir in the club scene, behind the scenes, local producers began making tracks that were finding their way onto the UK’s airwaves such as DJ Mary Ann Hobbs highly-respected BBC Radio1 show. San Francisco now boasts a bevy of established producers: Antiserum, Djunya, Babylon Systems and Eskmo are a few of the artists who have been making waves both in the US and internationally with their productions.
As the scene continues to grow a new wave of artists and fans are being drawn to dubstep’s massive low-end frequency manipulations. In addition, San Francisco now boasts the largest vinyl dubstep record shop on the West Coast. Red Sky Records (224 7th St.) was opened in September 2009 by co-owners Jon Holliday and Beau Bales aka General Nao. The store has also become a nexus for the scene, hosting local up-and-coming acts like the Spit Brothers as well as international stars such as Boxcutter and Ramadanman.
One of the main factors in the rise of San Francisco as a major player in dubstep culture is Surefire Agency. Started by Miro and Sam Supa, Surefire has become the number one booking agency in the world of dubstep. One look at its roster reveals a who’s who of dubstep producers and DJs, including UK artists Shackleton and Peverelist who both released critically-acclaimed full-length albums in 2009. With this accessibility to so many top dubstep acts, Surefire Sound, the production side of the company, is able to bring to the Bay Area the most current and important artists from around the world.
What makes the San Francisco’s dubstep scene the most interesting though is the rate at which it is growing. As Sam Supa explained to me, the dubstep scene today has changed from what it was six months ago to a year ago and beyond. With a whole new generation of kids getting turned on to electronic music, for many of them dubstep is becoming the first underground sound they are listening to.
Most recently, some of hip-hop’s top artists, such as the Wu-Tang Clan and Lil’ Jon, have begun to collaborate with dubstep producers. This cross-pollination of scenes only heightens dubstep’s visibility within the US and abroad and raises the chances for cross-over appeal. As dubstep continues to expand beyond the boundaries of its underground sub-culture roots, San Francisco is already leading the way into the future of electronic music.
