Music Tech Review: Dubstep Hip Hop
As the juggernaut that is dubstep continues to roll into the mainstream and other genres of music, Delectable Records puts forward its take by melding heavy dubstep-influenced bass lines with bouncing glitch hip-hop beats. Dubstep hip hop combines the kind of infectious grooves and heavy bass lines of super-producer Tipper with the more glitch-laden and deeper sounds of the late, great Merck Records.
The Pack weighs in at 637MB of 24-bit audio in your choice of WAV and Apple Loops formats, and comprises a total of 343 loops and one-shots. As you’d expect from a hip hop-based pack, the tempo sits at a steady 90BPM, rather than dubstep’s 140BPM, which can be seen as faster or slower depending on your take on dubstep’s half-speed beats. The off-shoot is that there’s more space for head-nodding groove rather than full-on bass attack.
The samples are divided into folders of break synths, broken stylus tops, dubstep inspired bass, full drums, loud kicks and processed tops for loops; bass drops, Kick shots and SFX noisy for one-shots.
First up the beats and top loops are all expertly programmed, with intricate glitch details that add complexity but never get in the way of the groove. However, although quality is high, theres not a lot of variety and many of the drum loops feature the same pitched kick drum, which may not fit the key of your track. Luckily, there is a folder of different sounding kick loops that can be combined with the processed tops to create your own, more flexible beats. The FM synthesis-style synth loops are unashamedly digital but have style and charm, and dubtep basses contain your basic wobbles and talking synths alongside more rhythmic bouncers that take advantage of the slower tempo.
The only let-down is a lack of variety in the one-shot kicks and basses, while the FX, although original, are a little wild and unpredictable. Overall, though, this is a well-written pack with a distinct style that puts a refreshing spin on the dubstep sound
8/10
