Over the past year or two, with the gradual dissolution of the hardcore dubstep scene into a kind of post-dubstep and experimental bass and hip hop sub genere's, there have emerged myriad takes on what bass music could or should be. Much in the same way that Kompakt revolutionized house music in the early 2000's by fusing it thoughtfully with pop and techno to revitalize the genre. There are beginning to emerge producers and record labels that are, willfully or not, undertaking a similar revolution in the bass music underground.
What makes this music so difficult to discuss is that unlike Kompakt's efforts, which resided in a non commercial underground. This music has definitive ties to popular music. Hip Hop is alive and well in 2011 and much of the music on labels such as Tri Angle, shows a definite affinity for hip hop structure and many of these artists, such as James Blake and How to Dress Well, are indebted deeply to mainstream R&B artists such as R. Kelly.
Yet this music stands well apart from those influences. Artists like Forest Swords make music that blend a hip hop aesthetic with elements of dub, pop and even a touch of industrial folk to create music that somehow recalls the primeval forests of his native England. oOoOO in his track Burnout Eyes imposes the vague structure of a chopped and screwed track onto the atmospherics and vocals one might expect from a traditional 4AD band to produce something quite unique and affecting.
Whether witch house or whatever its eventual name will be will flourish is yet to be known. However, this innovative atmospheric music is captivating for its emotional intensity and innovative combination of disparite styles to create a new whole.
No comments:
Post a Comment