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"everyonewas around- like, what do we to was remem- enou$ It awkward," Best. "People are used to big, loud, spastic mu- sic. They're used to hearing with vocals, or they're guts to seeing lighting, and tug space" with no the is this a dark visuals. London-born dubstep, an electronic labeled genre with a signature sub-bass garage") is not rumble, gains a foothold in L.A. only aurally aus- tere, it grim, gothie aesthetic early electronic music, Jusrrx B. Harvrprow anon5rnity, to The Times says Best, is to let the music do the talking. ',I want HE British DJ-pro- people to come [into our ducer Scuba, a.k.a. and the only Paul Rose, has lhey're focused on is the stepped behind the turntables at the Sam Robson, co-owner Sonix club night at Echo L.A.'S of Boom re- Park's the Echo. It's his U.S. de- on Avenue ( but, and a mix of adventurous of the few local stores hop heads, jaded club stocks dubstep) knows scenesters and indie-electronica music takes some Iounge around in laid-back used to but points out A sioq drum and bass had a like rhJ,thm floats too. "People used to say, the air as Scuba begins to don't know how you dance He mixes into the next , this,"' says Robson, who and it hits them 1ike a ton DJs with a gloup called bricks: a massive, Professionals ( just nearly physical assault of to play the bass frequencies. The SARA AJIRI Music & Arts Festival) roars in appreciation, and GROOVING: Joe Nice, 10 years down the line, immediately rewinds and re- biggest Dubstep DJ, and bass is huge in Looks like he struck a at a Smog session. underground." if the ciw can mid-'90s The sound is clubstep, the bass' in the drum and bass week South London-born (Both genres emPhasize the an audience for this mu and bass' music revolution that,s an evolu- but drum sie deflnitely exists. tion of the garage/2step neck speed is at odds with Or not. Dubstep has its silent spots) and a close cousin of British step's all important "So much of it hop variant grime. Its In the Southland, dubsteP me to tears," says nant interpretation catchingon, albeit slowlY, thanks Francisco-based of and teehno and industrial metal cou to dedicated local Producers ducer Bassnectar (a.k.a. pled with its signature promoters such as SmogL.A. Lorin Ashton), who has Formed bY Colm DohertYand mmble was perfect for the equal-i played the genre's best tracks the ly moody and dystopian sci Best, but considers most of flick "Children of Men,,, started in 2006 excessively lethargie. at the featured dubstep on its sound bass club night Funktion fans can flnd the musie diffi- track. Vanguard in Hollryood, where cult. "It's not a friendly music, VJ. Since its birth inthe early Best worked as a resident and sometimes it takes a lot century dubstep has The two liked the music's of concentration," worldwide from obscure sub- SO Smog's Doherty, who Smog's de- genre of dance music to the fast- audience. At under the name Show- "session" a free at est-growing and -evolving elec- - PartY guns. tronic since drum Irish Bar & Grill that So far, dubstep has the in Northern Dubstep Smog Sessions (with Bql{g, Trio, Knife Dreams, E,M.U. w/Showguns)

When: Friday; 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Where; Casey's lrish Bar And Grille, 613 S. Grand Ave. Price: $10 nfo: (21-3) 629-2353; lwww.smogla.cam Pure Filth!

Wh-en: Tuesday, April 24;10 p.m to2 a.m.

Where: For location, log on to my sp a c e. c o m /th ete m pl e

$5 to $10

Angeler Otrtmes Thutrrday, Apdl l1l, 2OO7 calendarlivo.com/weekand

FANS Fromleft, Matt estup of TemP ofBoom; and Andrew Best, Smog. Colm Smog L.A., Sam Robson,owner homegrown producers Robson will prove it as Matty G and Nick Argon ofBoom hosts its Dubstep for dummies have been on the charts event on April 24. Britain) and New York City, will introduce a Baltimore-based dubstep DJ Joe Nice famously where the z-year-old Dub system (courtesyof defined the elements of dubstep as "space, bass has become a monthly ) that pace." often featuring the stars visceral bass and Pace refers to the music's 138 beats the British scene (such as 20- "I,m per minute avera€ie, but because beats fall on year-old Skream, responsible telling the sound guy, the half-step, the music's perceived tempo is for dubstep's most recogniz- lMake itl a littie more somewhere around 70 bpm. Dubstep's able crossover hit, "Midnight ' " Best says with Line.") chuckle. producers also make use of silent space between L.A., thElSiggest tur-n- The event might also give the beats and sounds, accounting for the spaee, was for a Smog-hosted genre the push it needs. and, finally, there's bass. last February "Dubstep isn't being pro- dubsteP DJ, U.S.' biggest enough," says Above that, any'bhing goes, from aggressive Joe Nice. But the citY has music buyer Ronon- advantage over New Hahn, who DJs dubstep nu-metal carnage (DJ Distance, Vex'd), vast, open expanses Jamaican roots reggae at dystopian soundscapes (Burial), futuristic "The first on Saturdays. And dance hall (Skream) and even avant-fo1k parties, You could hear sees the music's potential four blocks from all the time. "People I know interludes (Various Productions), with newer parked Your car, don't know dubstep but permutations continuing to the surface. 'We had one of into electronic music, guys from Dub War come gravitate to it and Dubstep has benefited greatly from the play, he was like, and what it is," Hahn says. advances of Web 2.0. And many credit the never this off 'And once they hear it, flock to it." international BBC Radio One webcast of Mary Arrne Hobbs' "Dubstep'W'ars" special, aired in January 2006, for the genre's explosion worldwide.