2-step garage | |
---|---|
Stylistic origins | UK garage Drum and bass R&B |
Cultural origins | Late 1990s, London, UK |
Typical instruments | Sequencer - Turntables - Samplers - Keyboards - Drum machines - PC |
Derivative forms | Dark 2-step |
2-step garage, or simply 2-step, is a typically British style of modern electronic dance music, and a relatively popular subgenre of UK garage.
Characteristics
The rhythmic structure of 2-step is influenced by hardstep.[1] The rhythm of 2-step essentially lacks the 2nd and the 4th bass drum kick in its 4/4-time rhythm.[2] The drum pattern can be irregular.[3] The tempo of 2-step usually ranges from 125-135 bpm.[4][5]
The bass of 2-step is influenced by soul and funk.[6]
2-step often features house-style vocals[7] or vocals in the style of contemporary R&B.[8][9] It is usual for producers of 2-step to modify source a capellas in their tracks.[citation needed] MCs are often featured on tracks of 2-step.[citation needed]
The overall atmosphere of 2-step is soft, lyrical, melodic and erotic.[10]
History
Though generally considered British music, there are different opinions on this fact. There is a widespread opinion that 2-step first appeared in the USA around 1995, with remixes such as "Never let you go" [who?]track.[11] Another widespread opinion says that the first 2-step tune was either the remix of "My desire" tune made by Dreem Teem or "Destiny" by Dem2.[12]
Around 2000-2003, 2-step fell in popularity.[13] By this time, 2-step influenced the emergence of grime music.[14]
Artists
See also
References
- ^ (2004) "Popular Music Genres: An Introduction", ISBN 0748617450, 9780748617456, p.216: "This later beat structure, originally developed in hardstep drum'n'bass, led this form of garage to be renamed 2-step garage"
- ^ 2Step garage: "..it does this by removing every second and fourth kick from the 4-to-the-floor pulse, creating a lurching, falter-funk feel."
- ^ 2Step garage: "More adventurous 2-step producers program irregular kick-drum patterns..."
- ^ (2002) "The Techno Primer: The Essential Reference for Loop-based Music Styles", ISBN 0634017888, 9780634017889, p.31: "It involves Hip-hop loops at tempos usually associated with House music around 125-135 bpm"
- ^ (2004) "Inside Clubbing: Sensual Experiments in the Art of Being Human", ISBN 1859737137, 9781859737132, p.30: "Then you move onto the underground garage of today, which is again about 130 BPM, but as it's a two-step beat it feels slower."
- ^ 2Step garage: "..it does this by removing every second and fourth kick from the 4-to-the-floor pulse, creating a lurching, falter-funk feel."
- ^ (2002) "The Techno Primer: The Essential Reference for Loop-based Music Styles", ISBN 0634017888, 9780634017889, p.31: "2-step relies heavily on [...], House-style vocals,.."
- ^ (2002) "The Techno Primer: The Essential Reference for Loop-based Music Styles", ISBN 0634017888, 9780634017889, p.32: "The 2-Step movement started in the UK with producers doing illegal remixes of songs by major R&B artists. They would sample the a-capella versions of various songs on 12-inch records imported from USA"
- ^ (2004) "Rave Culture and Religion", ISBN 0415314496, 9780415314497, p.190: "The Sunday scene also introduced R'n'B to the second or backroom at events, which, in turn, influenced the emergence of '2 step' garage. This addition drew heavily on R'n'B influences, especially in the terms of its vocal arrangements."
- ^ 2Step garage: "Like 2-step, lover's rock was a UK-spawned hybrid of silky US soul and Jamaican rhythm, that restored treble to the bass-heavy frequency spectrum and replaced militant spirituality with romantic yearning."
- ^ An alternative view on the history of the UK Garage: "There was a lot of controversy about who actually produced tha first 2 step tune. Some say it was [...] mix of "Never Let You Go". Others say it was tha Dreem Teem's mix of "My Desire".
- ^ An alternative view on the history of the UK Garage: "There was a lot of controversy about who actually produced tha first 2 step tune. Some say it was [...] mix of "Never Let You Go". Others say it was tha Dreem Teem's mix of "My Desire".
- ^ (2004) "Popular Music Genres: An Introduction", ISBN 0748617450, 9780748617456, p.216: "Come 2000—3, the two-step rhythm structure became less and less popular.."
- ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/44706-the-month-in-grime-dubstep "This love of the past as well as the present is unusual in grime, where many of the youngest UK "youngers" grew up referencing little musically before grime, so that even 2step garage-- the sound's predecessor-- was old school. This stripping out of old patterns for a time allowed grime to hyper-evolve in 2002-2005, so that it massively outstripped all UK urban genres this decade in terms of innovation."
- Simon Reynolds: 'Adult hardcore' The Wire, April 1999