For the last 3+ years I’ve been following dubstep in the Cape Town area. ‘Ghost Town’ by Suspicious Stench was the first dubstep song I had ever heard – and liked. I admit it is partly because ‘Ghost Town’ was used in the Shaun of the Dead soundtrack – one of my favourite movies of all time. None the less, I was easily convinced to visit Step Up, Cape Town’s new monthly dubstep party.
The first Step Up I visited was on August 23rd, 2008. Since then I’ve watched the scene explode within Cape Town and the globe, with major stars such as Snoop Dogg and Britney Spears dabbling with the genre. The sub-genres of dubstep have blossomed over the years as has the scene in Cape Town, with Step Up now being Cape Town’s longest running monthly dubstep party.
Like most people who listen to electronic music, part of our education is dictated by the DJ’s selections and preferences. I admit that I hardly know the names of dubstep bands or song titles, yet know dozens of songs upon hearing them. Pretty poor form on my part, I know, however, one of the reasons I love dubstep is BECAUSE of my lack of knowledge. To stand on a dance floor and NOT know every lyric, to NOT know which way the song will travel, gives me the greatest auditory pleasure, because I am taken on an unexpected journey through the beats.
Hence, when I saw the Mala Step Up event on Facebook, it didn’t mean much to me. My lack of dubstep literacy won once again. Luckily for me, I always support the local music scene and thus attended Step Up none the less. And thank God I did. Mala played an AMAZING set. Deep and saturated with the old school dubstep sound that had originally hooked my attention. It was a sentimental surprise for me, as I thought that sound no longer existed, assuming that it had been dissolved by the ever evolving nature of music. Yet there was Mala, filling Fiction with the soulful, deep, yet rocking sounds of early dubstep and I mean classic style, not old songs.
Although the audience had been boozing and it was after 2am, the audience was truely present throughout his set. Grooving to his mellow but full beats and having a good jol (party), irrespective of the set being quite different from the usual post 2am thumping Step Up sets (also good fun!)! It was only after the gig that I learned that Mala is part of the Digital Mystikz, (one dubstep band I do know!) two of the most influential dubstep producers of our time.
Thanks to Step Up for hosting Mala and giving the audience a quality international artist. Respect also goes out to FLETCHER (who I thought had already played, not Blotchy) who gave up his set when Mala offered to keep playing! It takes a big DJ to actually let a big DJ nick your set for the greater good! Thank you!
www.facebook.com/pages/Step-Up-Dubstep-Cape-Town/143627934316
ORIGINAL POST DATE: 21.05.11
