Few artists still make the same kind of dubstep that was coming out around 2010-2014, whether that’s brostep or just “old” dubstep. And that’s okay — styles and tastes change, trends evolve. However, there’s a fair amount of fans who don’t vibe with the current iteration and still yearn for the sounds of yore.
Deadbeats, for all intents and purposes, appears to be leading the charge of embracing and reviving that older sound, especially after signing the new EP from Emalkay, The Others, and Subscape. Today, they host the release of a new anonymous artist, GRAIL SOUNDS, whose goal is honoring the “holy grails” of dubstep, which is where the artist’s name was derived.
When I first started listening to dubstep in the early 2010s, I quickly found Skream, Benga, Rusko, Caspa, Flux Pavilion, Doctor P, Joker, and more who were pioneering their own unique take on the genre. Nowadays, it feels like the sound has become largely homogenized.
GRAIL SOUNDS doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Nor do they claim to — the point of the project is to emulate and revive the older sounds. If you appreciate that sort of authenticity and purpose, and miss the old days of 140, you need to check out their debut single, “GULLY STRING,” out now via Deadbeats.