THE FALCON'S - Pfeiffer - Pfeiffer University

By Caressa Samuel
When the first beat
dropped in the song “Lights”
by Skrillex, it was
hypnotizing, fresh, and new
to freshman Lauren
Simmons. It was nothing
that she had ever heard
before; a completely different
genre of music that she
instantaneously liked. As the
song continued to play, she
found herself dancing and
her head bobbed
involuntarily along with the
beat. When the final note
ended in the song, she turned
to her boyfriend, who was the
one blasting the music in his
dorm room and said, “What
was that?” He answered in
one simple word.
Dubstep.
“If I ever need
something to dance to,
FEATURES
NEW BEATS ON THE BLOCK
dubstep is definitely dance
music,” Simmons claimed.
Dubstep is a new
genre of music that can be
described as a funky
combination of techno,
electronica, and hip hop
smashed with heavy drums
and studio enhanced sounds
and beats. According to
Dubstepbeats.org, dubstep is
characteristically known for
its technique of “wobble beat”
which is rhythmically
changing the bass, making a
distorted type beat.
“It’s upbeat and I like
how they take older songs
and mix them with a new
beat,” senior Chelsea Demers
said.
Dubstep’s rise from
underground to mainstream
can be described in a similar
way. It’s gradual increase to
popularity started in South
London, England in local
nightclubs where DJ’s
experimented with new
sounds and techniques. Now
that the trend has gravitated
to the U.S., Dubstep became
a hit, especially on college
campuses.
“While the college
scene is notorious for having
an immense love for the
genre, it’s actually beginning
to upstream and a lot of
major-selling artists have
embraced it such as Korn
and Rihanna - two acts
completely on opposite sides
of the music spectrum,” Bear
Frazer, music writer and
Pfeiffer University graduate,
said.
This year’s
Grammy’s Awards was
additional proof of dubstep
acceptance into mainstream
music. Deadmau5 and the
Foo Fighters combined for a
rock and dubstep
performance and Skrillex,
who is the figurehead for
dubstep at the present time,
took home a whopping 3
Grammy’s.
“Really, the Grammy
Awards show is widely
considered as the most
prestigious night in the
music industry, and for just
a few of Dubstep’s dynamos
to get face time on that
particular program speaks
volumes of where the genre
can go,” Frazer said.
And where it’s going
is in the ears of thousands of
eager music lovers, or people
who are ready for something
fresh to listen to.
“I listen to it all the
time, especially when I
workout, it’s great workout
music. My favorite song is
Summit by Skrillex,”
Simmons said.
Popular artists of the
genre are as the
aforementioned Skrillex,
Deadmau5, and also
Bassnectar, all of whom are
recommended by Simmons.
So if you find yourself
dancing to the beat, don’t be
surprised.
“When the beat picks
up in a song, I automatically
begin to move. And it sticks
with me all day,” Simmons
said.
Pfeiffer University April 2012 Page 10