Forward>> (FWD>>) was the founding London club night that incubated dubstep from 2001

Forward>> (FWD>>), founded in 2001 by Ammunition Promotions, was the first club night devoted to what became dubstep. Starting at the Velvet Rooms in Soho before moving to Plastic People in Shoreditch, it provided the first venue for producers to debut new music and for multiple strains of dark garage hybrids to converge — this confluence was called the ‘Forward>> sound.’ The club also ran a radio show on east London pirate station Rinse FM hosted by Kode9. Residents and regulars included Hatcha, Youngsta, Kode9, Zed Bias, Skream, Benga, Digital Mystikz, and later Geeneus and Plastician. The term ‘dubstep’ was adopted by labels like Tempa and Ammunition around 2002 to describe the emerging sound.

Examples

Key early Forward>> figures: Hatcha (pioneer of dark minimal direction, 2003), Skream, Benga, Digital Mystikz. The club’s dubplate format (10” one-off reggae-style cuts) allowed producers to test tracks before release.

Assessment

Describe Forward>>‘s structural role in the development of dubstep: what did it provide that other venues didn’t? Name two resident DJs and explain how the dubplate-based format shaped the emerging sound.