#bro-step

An American Bro-Step classic.  

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Because of the clip that has been circulating around the internet recently in which Rusko expresses his disdain for the heavier side of dubstep, I feel compelled to document my thoughts on the subject. This is because I am disappointed in the direction that the dubstep scene has been headed recently, and it’s not because of DJs who spin what pretentious assholes like to refer to as "bro-step". It's because dubstep has recently joined the likes of jungle, punk rock, indie, and (to a lesser degree) hip-hop as one of several genres whose fans spend countless hours arguing over what its "real" sound is and complaining about its downfall. In the aforementioned interview, Rusko acknowledges that he is somewhat responsible for “bro-step”, but says that it has gone too far, and that he has tried to make his recent tracks more melodic in an effort to combat the ultra-heavy, ultra-filthy sound that the genre has been progressing towards. When I first heard this, I couldn't believe it was real. Here was Rusko, a producer/DJ whose last album featured a track where he collaborated with Gucci Mane, bitching about other producers ruining the dubstep scene. I've always thought that people who complain about their favorite musicians "selling out" are whiny and stupid, but they're practically tolerable in comparison with those who are willing to outright abandon a genre just because someone started making music of that genre that doesn't appeal to them, and people they don't like started listening to it. It's completely illogical; In my opinion, Rusko's latest album 'OMG' is some of the worst dubstep ever made, but I'm not about to act as though he destroyed all the dubstep I know and love by releasing it. I can't stand a lot of these newer dubstep tracks with trance-y sounding synth lead-ins, but it doesn't bother me because the mere existence of them is not preventing the dubstep I like from being made, and even if it somehow did, that wouldn't change the fact that plenty of it had been made in the past. And don't get me wrong, I hate asshole bros just as much as the next person with any sort of counter-cultural mindset, but I’m not about to let the fact that they enjoy some of the same music as me stop me from enjoying that music, just like how I’m not going to let the arrogant purists that are part of the electronic scene stop me either. I have no problem with genres of electronic music evolving into a new sound that warrants it’s own unique genre labeling, but why is it always the jaded assholes that get to come up with these labels? These people who call the heaviest, filthiest dubstep “bro-step” are the same douchers that started calling the kind of music that was popularized by artists like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher “Intelligent Dance Music” or “IDM”. I love IDM, but I hate having to say “I listen to IDM” because I feel like I might as well be saying “I listen to Imbetterthanyou-core”. Unfortunately, it seems that it has to be this way, because the people who are in touch with the core values of the rave scene strive for positivity, open-mindedness and unity, and therefore are not eager to split all the music they love into subgenres which alienate listeners, unlike their elitist counterparts.

            Now, if you agree with everything I’ve said thus far, you might be asking yourself, “If the producers and DJs that appeal to people who hate on bro-step are still producing new records and putting on shows that are as good as they ever were, then why would they get so illogically angry over the popularity of DJs and producers that they never even wanted to listen to in the first place? And furthermore, why would they be angry about a producer they like gaining popularity?” My speculation has brought me to a conclusion that is really quite simple. I believe that these “dubstep purists” care more about the sense of identity that the music gives them than the music itself. Being so naturally and powerfully drawn to a genre of music that had a small underground following made them feel unique and special. Not only that, but they felt that because their brains were wired to like this lesser-known genre of music they were more advanced than people who listen to popular artists who get radio play. Of course, these feelings quickly faded once dubstep gained a larger audience that encompassed the people who the original fans of dubstep saw as being beneath them. So naturally, not wanting to climb down off their high horses, these smug assholes choose to believe that dubstep is on a major decline, and that in its current state it is no longer worthy of their holier-than-thou musical preferences. They’ve even gone so far as to try and re-label the sound that dubstep is rooted in as “future garage” or “future bass”. I can deal with these terms, and even started using them for a little while, but I had to stop because I can’t stand the reasoning behind them being created. I love all kinds of dubstep, so why should I use a term that was created for the purpose of alienating a small portion of dubstep from the rest of the genre?