Bass-heavy tunes a reflection of modern revolutionary music scene
I enjoy reading The Daily Gamecock for its insightful views on the local music scene and for the way that it promotes local artists (Haley Dreis, DJ Rob Banks or The Heist and the Accomplice, when it was a band, to name a few). I take pride that our prestigious university has the ability and funds to publish print media on a daily basis when the world is moving so rapidly to digital.
However, today I read an article titled, “Dubstep ‘new demon’ for Columbia music,” which does not live up to the standard I believe The Daily Gamecock sets for itself.
An opinion section is just that: a section where authors and journalists can express their opinions on a certain topic. But this article goes a step further and bashes not only the opinions of those who are against that of the author, but hatefully discredits their choice of music, their lives and their moral values. I am not sure where to start to correct the false information contained in the article or its lack of historic information concerning the topic — or the author’s blatant disregard to the progression of music and artistic progression.
I would like to say that dubstep (the synthesis of alchemic and alphoric dub music mixed with drum and bass) is not lacking in complexity. It would be daft of me to say otherwise.
As a electronic musician, I am personally hurt by the attack on myself because it nullifies and dehumanizes my way of life. I would encourage the author to think twice, and maybe try to write a solid six-minute dubstep song using his favorite sequencer. I’m sure he would find that making “fart sounds” and “womp-womps” is more difficult than categorizing them as such.
Also, the author’s calling the followers of dubstep “hippies” and “Wookiees” could be taken to extreme offense by some people to the point of racism and elitism. I don’t pay for my tickets to Bass Church and Ultra Music Festival with my parents’ money. Furthermore, I haven’t paid for my schooling with a cent of my parents’ money. I work every weekend of the school year and summers to save up money for these festivals because the music that is presented is revolutionary, so much so that I would compare it to the old Woodstock festivals of the past as being on par relative to their time in history.
Do not be quick to judge the music of today only because it hasn’t been around for 30 or 40 years. If you look at pictures from old U2, AC/DC, and Rolling Stones shows of the past you will see people who look much worse than the ravers you see at today’s bass rituals in your terms of “hippie-ness” and “Wookiee-ness” (hateful words, my friend).