Alright peoples.
I guess my conflict with the infamous genre of "2-Step Garage" has been
resolved. Aaron Shinn pointed me to some MP3 examples of 2-Step and
while I thought most of the tracks were downright despicable (i.e. you can
tell the basslines, melodies and chords were usually not arranged by people
with any musical background, or taste, for that matter); I did listen to
the heart of the genre: the beat.
I was wrong to assume it had just an ordinarry "thud tss thud tss" house
beat. It does have the swinging house/garage groove in the hihats, but the
kick drum doesn't do the typical 4-on-the-floor humdrum you've heard for
the past quarter of a century. Think of it as having the house/garage
hi-hats but with a very snycopated hip-hop/new jack swing beat to it. In
many cases the snare ghostnotes (i.e. the two notes that follow the main
snare or clap beat on the 2 or 4) is accented.
To put it simply, you know that little "Gemilude" tidbit in the Basement
Jaxx "Remedy" album? That's kind of what 2-step garage sounds like.
Though the other examples I've heard weren't very impressive (the
musicianship was on par with sad 80s electro/high-energy, sorry) doesn't
mean the form can't be improved. A little acid-jazz inspired soulfullness
added to it can go a long way :)
Elson
- 30 -
: . elson trinidad, los angeles, california, usa
: . elson@westworld.com : www.westworld.com/~elson
: . groove to the futurethnic beats of e:trinity at www.mp3.com.etrinity
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