Start Here Season 3 - Episode 3: Dubstep
Apr 1, 2026
Joe Muggs, journalist and author of Bass, Mids and Tops, maps dubstep’s rise from Croydon roots to global force. He breaks down the genre’s deep sub-bass, wobble modulation and half-tempo structure. Conversation covers raves like DMZ, crossover with metal and pop, and why bass feels both soothing and alarming on the dancefloor.
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Big Apple Records Sparked Croydon Dubstep
- Croydon, specifically the Big Apple Records shop, was the literal birthplace of dubstep with DJs like Hatcher labelling instrumental B-sides 'dub'.
- Young producers imitated and intensified that shop sound, which seeded the Croydon scene and the genre name.
Snare On Three Created The Croydon Sound
- Mala and the Digital Mystiks flipped tempo and rhythm by placing snares on the third beat, creating the cavernous boom that defined early dubstep.
- That rhythmic choice and sparse production set the template many Croydon producers followed.
2006 DMZ Rave Signalled Breakout Year
- 2006 marked dubstep's breakout with BBC features and the DMZ rave in Brixton moving to larger venues due to huge queues.
- That symbolic expansion signalled the scene shifting from insular to globally noticed within a year.