Fast + filthy, raw + raunchy, drumstep is making the kids go crazy. Think hot sweaty dancefloor mayhem with crowd surfing. But what the hell is it? Drumstep is an offshoot of Dubstep and Drum’n'Bass. Think d’n'b with added wobble bass, a la dubstep.
BPMs are drum’n'bass speed, ranging from 160 to 180, perfectly suited for mixing with hip-hop. But instead of placing a kick drum on the 1st and 3rd bars and a snare on the 2nd and 4th, the kick is placed on the 1st bar, and the snare on the 3rd, slowing down the perceived speed of the break so it sounds half-timed.
Some d’n'b heads will claim that drumstep has been around for years, but with the dubstep movement currently reigning king of electronica in North America, never before did it have the chance to make such a lasting impression on the dancefloor. Curious to check some out? Look for the heavy artillery label on Beatport, and check out their Heavy Artillery Drumstep Compilation. The Track by Mr. Vandal and Grimblee is my personal favorite – Sombody’s Nightmare. But a word of warning: this is not soft listening music. It is hard sweaty dancefloor party music, straight up.
