| UK bass | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Mid-to-late 2000s, United Kingdom |
| Other topics | |
UK bass, also calledbass music, is a genre ofelectronic dance music that emerged in theUnited Kingdom during the mid-2000s under the influence of diverse genres such ashouse,grime,dubstep,future garage,R&B, andUK funky.[1] The term "UK bass" came into use as artists began ambiguously blending the sounds of these defined genres while maintaining an emphasis on percussive,bass-ledrhythm.[2]
UK bass is sometimes conflated withbassline orpost-dubstep.[3][4] It is not to be confused with thehip hop andelectro-based genreMiami bass, which is sometimes called "bass music" as well.[5]
The breadth of styles that have come to be associated with the term preclude it from being a specific musical genre.Pitchfork writer Martin Clark has suggested that "well-meaning attempts to loosely define the ground we're covering here are somewhat futile and almost certainly flawed. This is not one genre. However, given the links, interaction, and free-flowing ideas… you can't dismiss all these acts as unrelated."[3]Dubstep producerSkream is quoted in an interview withThe Independent in September 2011 as saying:
The word dubstep is being used by a lot of people and there were a lot of people being tagged with the dubstep brush. They don't want to be tagged with it and shouldn't be tagged with it – that's not what they're pushing... When I say 'UK bass', it's what everyone UK is associated with so it would be a lot easier if it was called that."[6]
In the United Kingdom, bass music has had major mainstream success since the late 2000s and early 2010s, with artists such asJames Blake,[3]Benga,Burial,SBTRKT,Sophie,Rustie,Zomby,[7] andSkream.[8] The term "post-dubstep" has been used synonymously to refer to artists, such as Blake andMount Kimbie whose work draws on UK garage, 2-step, and other forms of underground dance music, as well asambient music and earlyR&B.[9][10][11][12][13] Outside of nightclubs, UK bass has mainly been promoted and played onInternet radio stations such asSub.FM andRinse FM.[14][15]