Dub shaped dubstep through three channels: the instrumental format, a sound-manipulation methodology, and the dub genre's aesthetics

Kode9 identifies three separate paths through which dub shaped dubstep. First, the practice of releasing instrumental versions of vocal tracks — El-B pushed dubstep toward this, just as dub was the instrumental of reggae. Second, dub as a methodology: manipulating sound to ‘create impossible sonic spaces using reverb, echo’ — foundational to all dance music. Third, the genre called dub itself, including sampling old Jamaican films and vocals. Kode9 lists soundsystem culture as a separate, elemental influence alongside these three dub channels. Distinguishing these paths prevents conflating ‘sounds like dub’ with ‘uses dub techniques.‘

Examples

El-B’s garage instrumentals pushed the ‘moody darkness’ from Metalheadz into garage — this is dub-as-format. The reverb/echo treatment on dubstep tracks is dub-as-methodology.

Assessment

Name and distinguish Kode9’s three dub influences on dubstep and give one musical example of each type from the early scene.