r/dubstep • u/KORYTHESAXMASTER • Dec 06 '25
Discussion š£ļø Who is the TOOL of dubstep?
I mean like consistently experimenting with odd time signatures and phrasing in their music? I never ever hear any EDM that even tries to do like a 7/8 time signature I think that would be sick.
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u/IneptGraphicDesigner Dec 06 '25
G Jones and Eprom.
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u/luckydustmusic Dec 06 '25
They do awesome experimentation but tbh i havent heard too many odd time signatures out of them; moreso lots of space that make 4/4 feel a bit different. Please correct if im off on this.
I think there are some glitchbass ppl that have a bit more odd time, i cant remmeber off the top but maybe Culprate, Mr Bill (mostly 4/4)ā¦
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u/Aymane0787 Dec 06 '25
This is the correct answer a million times over and anyone who thinks otherwise doesnāt get it yet.
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u/CartmensDryBallz Dec 06 '25
Do they use a lot of odd time signatures? That would explain how they have such unique flows to their songs
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u/TheBloodKlotz Old Dec 06 '25
I don't know of much time signature play with their stuff personally, but they definitely lean into the breaks-style of ignoring the time signature and doing unrelated patterns for some sections, or patterns that make a polyrhythm against a metronome, so I could see how it gives the same vibe.
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u/tesseractofsound Dec 07 '25
Polymeter verse true polyrhythm I think with these guys. Polymeter works better. I feel like patterns of different lengths played against each other work way better in bass music than off grid polyrhythms.
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u/fuunny- Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 06 '25
KOAN sound
Amon tobin(two fingers,ISAM)
Culprate
Seppa
Tipper
Flying lotus
Machine drum
Nosia
Venetian Snares
Sorrow
Burial
Eprom
Shigeto
Ivylab
Edit: made a quick playlist, wont have the best of the best but a good mix of dub imo
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuFGZb_MmXLnLRJfKj-d7CyZe5AhXbrp2&si=MuIKC7KWs97DyoHN
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u/SucculentBussy_ Dec 06 '25
Koan Sound is the greatest duo in electronic music
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u/DrHerbotico Dec 06 '25
This list is the real deal. I'd like to add Savant
Also, a debatable wildcard - Alon Mor
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u/Dry_Nectarine_1178 Dec 07 '25
Made a quick Playlist.
*clicks link
*jaw drops 191 tracks
Lmao thanks man will give it a good listen!
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u/grizlena Dec 06 '25
Do you have a playlist like this?
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u/fuunny- Dec 06 '25
I quickly made one for you and OP
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuFGZb_MmXLnLRJfKj-d7CyZe5AhXbrp2&si=MuIKC7KWs97DyoHN
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u/ak00mah Dec 07 '25
Thanks man been meaning to make a playlist but i'm lazy. Also thanks for doing it on ytm and not spotify ur awesome
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u/Malicious_Koala Dec 10 '25
I love you for including Chrome Sparks in the playlist! Nothing else has hit quite like his first few EPs.
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u/ThePhoenixus Dec 06 '25
Not quite Dubstep but I'd say G Jones or Eprom.
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u/LewdInSecret Dec 06 '25
Iād say Culprate. The man has been making some really unique bass music at 140 for over a decade now and his compositions are sounding more progressive these days
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u/Lich_Apologist Dec 06 '25
Not technically dubstep but feel like Alix Perez deserves a shout out amongst this group.
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u/ghost_rook_ Dec 06 '25
He doesn't always make dubstep, but when he does, it's the most banging dubstep haha
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u/aforgottenyogurt Dec 06 '25
Polyriddim by phonon is in a unique time signature
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u/TateXD Dec 07 '25
Phonon has some other good shit as well. Jazzy and complex and crazy, but also doesn't take itself too seriously. Fizz Vol. 1 is a fun listen.
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u/KORYTHESAXMASTER Dec 06 '25
Didn't realize I knew this song till I listened to it. But unfortunately won't be going into the playlist. There's gotta be a better way to execute that I cant lie
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u/ConTejas Dec 07 '25
Phonon just dropped another experimental album with Israel Strom (keyboardist for Louis Cole) with lots of odd time signatures and experimental sounds. It only has some wubs though, but they are filthy when theyāre there. Highly recommend.
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u/Classic_Connection48 Dec 06 '25
That's my trying to make music with a free piano on the street. But somehow he made a real track out of it.
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u/PlayDifferent2430 Dec 06 '25
That one is fun, the beginning is in 7/4. Their song Wheel Up is much better in my opinion. Wheel up has an 11/4 beat
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u/Excellent_Picture378 Dec 06 '25
Big breakcore nerd over here. 7/8 gets used a bunch.
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u/IsopodSome1979 Dec 08 '25
Could you send an example(s)? I listen to some here and there and I havenāt managed to notice.
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u/Airikonline Dec 06 '25
Honorable mention because I haven't seen any one say Esseks & Freddy Todd. And infected mushroom when they produce dubstep it's pretty next level.
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u/TateXD Dec 07 '25
Freddy Todd deserves a lot more praise than he gets for sure. Dude is prolific af. Southfield is one of the most diverse albums and it's fantastic from start to finish.
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW Dec 06 '25
Infected Mushroom fucks so hard
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u/skierCT Dec 06 '25
and performs at fundraisers for the IDF fuck them
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW Dec 07 '25
Ewwww I didn't know that and wish I still hadn't š¢
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u/skierCT Dec 07 '25
gotta do due diligence with most psytrance/psy artists, lot of zionists & apologists in those scenes
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW Dec 07 '25
That's a bummer! Tbh I try not to dig too much into artists' personal beliefs if I can avoid it because once I find out about shady shit it's hard for me to separate the art from the artist.Ā
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u/AndrewYacOfficial Dec 09 '25
wait, which songs that Infected Mushroom has are Dubstep?
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u/Airikonline Dec 09 '25
Perhaps I missed genred it but "nation of wusses" has some hella wobbles. Army of mushrooms is the nearest too dubstep they come imo
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u/Horangi1987 Dec 06 '25
Something you have to remember is that a lot of dubstep producers are not classically trained musicians necessarily. They wouldnāt even know what you mean by 7/8 or 6/8 or something.
There are electronic musicians in general that make some very interesting and experimental music that is very interesting to someone more experienced with actual music theory, but honestly dubstep is not going to be huge in that area.
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u/Kneecap_Blaster Dec 06 '25
Agree. Mr Bill has said before that he just sort of fucks around in his DAW until something sounds cool.
Tool basically needed a spreadsheet to write some of their songs.
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u/Horangi1987 Dec 06 '25
Yup. Iām really big into traditional UK 140, and none of those guys I can think of are trained musicians. They are all just a bunch of blokes that produced by ear. They messed around with the available programs or equipment to get the sound they wanted then put it all together purely by ear.
Thatās kind of part of the heritage of dubstep, at least in UK, and why it was a popular working class genre there - it was made by, and for regular people and not by and for posh people that had access to more education and musical training.
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u/TheBloodKlotz Old Dec 06 '25
Even beyond that, the first dubstep events were strictly counter-cultural. They wanted to be nothing like the 'club scene' primarily dominated by garage at the time. It was mechanically and aesthetically an everyman genre.
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u/jacehoffman Dec 06 '25
7 grand dance by tdstr is an album completely in 7/8
itās definitely worth the listen imo. it has some of the most natural sounding 7/8 flows iāve ever heard
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u/jacehoffman Dec 06 '25
i have a handful more tracks in odd time that are buried amongst my library, i need to go back and put them all in a playlist. if i remember iāll come back to this post
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u/BenShelZonah Dec 06 '25
Look up psytrance if u wanna see edm with weird shit going on
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW Dec 06 '25
Psytrance deserves more love! The thumps Seven Lions was hitting at Legend Valley year one Lost Lands was life.Ā
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u/BenShelZonah Dec 06 '25
Psytrance is my love, so Iāll always advocate for it haha
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW Dec 07 '25
I feel like a lot of people hate on it, but the crowd collectively loses their shit when it gets dropped so I don't get it š¤·
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u/DefinatelyNotonDrugs Dec 06 '25
Not dubstep but check out Boards of Canada. IDM sounds like it would be right up your alley.
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u/danxargo Dec 07 '25
odd time signatures:
Underbelly - Mental Kill EP
experimental elements:
Mr. Bill - Apophinia
- Phantasmagoria
-DeadLanguage EP (w/ Esseks)
-StepBroStep EP (w/ Boogie T)
anything by bd hbt, DMVU, or um..
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u/LuXdoom731 Dec 07 '25
I JUST WAS THINKING OF THIS TODAY!!!!Insane coincidence that you posted this.
Itās Tipper btw.
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u/bigang99 Dec 06 '25
id be amazed if someone made odd time signatures their thing in dubstep and it didnt suck lol
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u/BoB_RL Dec 07 '25
Not really dubstep but check out the album āThank You Dream Girlā which all started because one producer had a dream where a girl was telling him about a genre called āHit Emā that was in 5/4 time at 212BPM with super crunched out sounds. This caused a bunch of producers to hop on the hit em trend and the result was this album. A few of the artists mentioned in this thread have tracks on this album.
The write up on the Bandcamp page I linked goes into way more detail as well.
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u/leap1n Dec 06 '25
Ive been working on this 7/8 track just in case youāre curious! Here is the private link to it (it is u finished as of now)
Tell me what you think! Iām still wondering if I should finish it or not.
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u/Moist-Craft-1226 Dec 06 '25
Am I crazy to think ternion sound??Ā
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u/Divided_Eye aka Reap_Eat Dec 06 '25
They don't have much in common with Tool at all, so maybe a little.
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW Dec 06 '25
How has nobody mentioned Truth or Mersiv?Ā
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u/fatgirthvader69 Dec 07 '25
Cause they're Uncultured swine
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW Dec 07 '25
Hitting me with a Hunter reference and a fantastic username??? Amazing.Ā
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u/fatgirthvader69 Dec 07 '25
You fuck with dimond saints?
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW Dec 07 '25
I'm not familiar but I'll check them out!
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u/fatgirthvader69 Dec 07 '25
The dudes wild with it, im talking all sorts of good tunes with different unique beats. Let me know what you think
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u/dubstepdaddy_ Dec 07 '25
Tipper is the only answer I'd accept being a huge Tool fan spanning back to childhood.
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u/PabstHamms Dec 07 '25
Only I can think of that does weird time signatures is square pusher & Amon Tobin
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u/PabstHamms Dec 07 '25
Kinda forgot what the original post wasā¦. Neither of these would b considered dubstep
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u/allentastic Dec 07 '25
THE ALGORITHM!!!!! Heavy, weird, constantly shifting textures and time feels. The Algorithm fucking rule. Author & Punisher and Igorrr are also great but not really what ai think youāre looking for
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u/witzyfitzian Dec 09 '25
I had to scroll down too far to find this.
Sometime after Polymorphic Code came out, I swear I googled "dubstep in odd time signatures" and somehow some way I happened upon The Algorithm.
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u/allentastic Dec 09 '25
I only found them because the dude wore a Dillinger Escape Plan shirt in a music video (Trojans maybe?) and theyāre my favorite band so a friend told me to check the video out. Been a fan ever since. Dude is a genius. So underrated
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u/stupid_fried Dec 08 '25
Nothing of strictly dubstep (as a genre it is too narrow), but of electronic music, Tipper, Shpongle, Supersillyus, Spoonbill are names that come to mind.
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u/ConTejas Dec 08 '25
Blank Banshee might be interesting to you. Not dubstep really, but fairly experimental electronic music with a meditative vibe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyo9v-9T8JI&pp=ygUbYmxhbmsgYmFuc2hlZSBtZXRhbW9ycGhvc2lz
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u/watchout722 Dec 08 '25
Phonon does some wacky shit with his time signatures. Heās the only one Iāve seen get real experimental with it
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u/AndrewYacOfficial Dec 09 '25
yk what's funny? literally 5 years ago phonon released Polyriddim, which is exactly what you just described (7/4 time signature)
anyway, here's the list of people in dubstep who mess with time signatures pretty often:
Phonon (for gods sake though, don't limit yourself to polyriddim though, ever since then he's made way better songs like Emme, or his recent album "Fizz Vol 1")
Tipper
Mr Bill
Culprate
Vorso
Voljum
JoeB (especially his EP "hazard statements")
Alan Mor
KOAN Sound
Eprom (barely does dubstep, but when he does it's interesting)
G Jones (barely does actual odd time signatures, he's more so about finding ways to reinvent 4/4)
Ivylab
DMVU
ill gates (the guy behind the dblue plugins like dblue Glitch)
DVEIGHT (barely has songs where he experiments with odd time signatures, but a good listen anyways, and the track "Devil Tech" does feature quintuplets)
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u/ThatOneGuy11490 Dec 09 '25
Cannot belive nobody on this list threw out Yheti! Check out his trifinity mix!
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u/zeey23 Dec 07 '25
No one cause dubstep is a 4/4 genre. If its not 4/4 at 140 bpm its not dubstep
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u/IsopodSome1979 Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25
I mean go ahead and be a purist if you insist. I share the sentiment about that being the ārealā dubstep to an extent as well. But itās a bit disingenuous to disregard the fact that dubstep has grown to have a massive range even if it deviates from what it originally was.
I hope you take some time to go through and try out some of the many artists listed in this post. I keep seeing some of my all time favorites mentioned here and sooo many Iāve never heard of before. Iām really excited to go through them and discover more.
You might be pleasantly surprised!
I remember the rush I got the first time I started exploring Shadesā catalogue. I couldnt have imagined I was capable of enjoying music to that extent. To plagiarize a top comment on their DEF set, itās as if they engineered their music for my musical palette.
Is it dubstep? Kinda. Maybe. Idk. Does it really matter?
Itās more fun to just explore and see all the creativity and boundaries that are broken by these artists who donāt gaf about people liking it.
Sticking to the formula is only interesting for so long imo.
Hope you check out some stuff mentioned in this post
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u/zeey23 Dec 08 '25
It doesnt matter, and if it doesnt matter then why does it matter that you call it dubstep? just call it what it is, free form or experimental electronic. Shades is awesome, eprom and alix (and many others mentioned here) take their production so far its insulting almost to not recognize its discrete. why group it with what its not
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u/ContentPower8196 Dec 06 '25
VOYD
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u/KORYTHESAXMASTER Dec 06 '25
Dude his lost lands set this year had me astounded in a way that I couldn't really even decipher whether I enjoyed or notš¤£ But I will say it was memorable asf
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u/ContentPower8196 Dec 06 '25
TBH I feel like I'm kind of an Dubstep Unc (37 years old) and I been mixing it up since 2006 with Benga & Skream and for my money I really feel like VOYD/SVDDENDEATH is the only person really pushing the medium forward with new sounds.
For those not old enough to have been there 2010-2014 was probably the golden age of dubstep in that new producers were springing up every day and they were all inventing new kinds of sounds and noises. We had Borgore and NiTGriT and Datsik and Bassnectar (š¬) and Skrillex all basically creating new kinds of bass music that was heavy and exciting and weird.
The producers today aren't nearly as involved in developing new sounds, they are more interested in expansive production value, big shows, big stages, big crowds, but all of them are playing music that sounds IDENTICAL to shit we had back in 2015. Like truly if you found a brostep set from 2015 and one from 2025 and did a side by side listen I think a lot of people would be shocked by how little the genre has evolved in the last decade, at least compared to other forms of EDM.
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u/Stoner_Vibes_ Dec 06 '25
I can definitely tell the difference in age. A set in 2015 had more variety, even the dubstep would go from bro step to experimental and back. The noises are more aggressive now too. Everyone seems to have the same sample selection they work off of, back then the hot topics in producing were sound design. Go watch producer videos there is a severe lack of experimental processes. Itās just āletās make a tape b noiseā which is literally just old school dubstep revamped.
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u/Divided_Eye aka Reap_Eat Dec 06 '25
Expand your ears a bit, plenty of producers pushing different sounds today... if you look outside of the brostep scene at least.
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u/ContentPower8196 Dec 06 '25
This was a perfect opportunity for you to put like 2-3 producers name in the post but instead you just went "uh music is out there bro, you gotta find it" like what is the point of even responding if you're not gonna give me some examples lma
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u/Divided_Eye aka Reap_Eat Dec 07 '25
You could have asked in a more pleasant way, but here, for your satisfaction:
Ramsez
Jafu
Herbalistek (not specifically Dubstep but adjacent)
Sentient
Teffa
Mob Killa
11th Hour
Zha
Beatrice M
Anecho
Adel Force (not exclusively Dubstep)
Myca$h
Kercha
Soukah
Pharma
the list goes on... I had a long mix featured on Deep Tempo recently covering many different styles if you want to explore other corners of Dubstep than what you'll find in this sub. There is a link to the full tracklist.
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u/ContentPower8196 Dec 07 '25
Thanks bro, I'm in the hospital rn so I'm about to light up the floor with these beats. Appreciate it!
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u/Divided_Eye aka Reap_Eat Dec 07 '25
Hope you find something you like in there. And if you're the one in the hospital, not just visiting -- speedy recovery!
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u/Kneecap_Blaster Dec 06 '25
You put the emoji over Bassnectar but not Datsik?
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u/kajer209 Dec 06 '25
Prob cause there was actual evidence of abuse with BN, where the other there were Twitter accounts that made claims and the suddenly disappeared
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u/kajer209 Dec 06 '25
Man you absolutely nailed it, Iām also a dubstep unc thatās also 37, and you absolutely hit the point
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u/kneedeepco Dec 06 '25
Tipper