The rewind (pull-up) replays a track's drop on demand, functioning as real-time crowd validation in soundsystem culture

In dubstep’s soundsystem/dubplate culture, a DJ ‘pulls up’ (rewinds) a record to replay its drop when the crowd demands it — a track’s worth was measured in how many pull-ups it earned. At the DMZ first birthday, Coki’s ‘Haunted’ was stopped and restarted by DJs and crowd four times before ‘only on the fifth time did it actually get played out.’ Pinch distinguishes two triggers for the rewind: newness (‘I haven’t heard this before — I need to hear how it comes in again’) versus pure excitement for a track already known. Inherited from reggae soundsystem practice, the rewind is a participatory feedback loop that lets the crowd co-author the set and instantly validate a new dubplate.

Examples

‘Coki’s Burnin’ — In the club, drop it — four pull-ups. Skream and Benny play it — two pull-ups. By the end of the night, people were still screaming for it.‘

Assessment

Explain what a ‘rewind’ or ‘pull-up’ is and describe the two different crowd states that trigger it, distinguishing the rewind from simply playing a popular record twice.