Dubstep Allstars Vol.5 is the fifth album in the series of mixes showcasing the talents of the UK's most rapidly evolving and contagious genre. For those unfamiliar with Dubstep, it is a genre that has emerged in the past decade or so, but has begun to pick up speed in the last two or three years. It is a carefully crafted mix of heavy sub-basses, reggae, jazz, and other electronic subgenres such as Drum 'n' Bass and Techno. Perhaps its most distinctive characteristic is the famous 'wobble' bass line (a brilliant 'wup wup' noise that you have to hear to believe) accompanied with atmospheric and resounding syncopated drums. Having emerged from Croydon, Norwood and Brixton, Dubstep looks set to take over dance floors worldwide.
This Allstars instalment is mixed by one of the leading DJs in the scene; N-Type. Although the tracklisting says that the album has 38 tracks, N-Type has actually thrown in well over 50 tracks in to the mix - including the massive hit 'Night' by Benga. At a mere £7.99 this album is almost a gift. Each track blends seamlessly into the next, meaning one can easily listen to one song on its own, or dance to one huge 70 minute mix.
Although N-Type has not stuck to the 'traditional' rules of Dubstep by incorporating more vocals and MCing than usual, rest assured that this is one of the best albums to introduce anybody new to the scene to the wonders of the genre - especially as it includes a variety of some of the most critically acclaimed artists in the genre, such as Benga, Skream, Loefah, Kode 9 and many others. Alternatively, I recommend taking a look at Diaries of an Afro Warrior by Benga.
(Note that i have decided against a track-by-track for two reasons. Firstly, the tracks are all merged together. Furthermore, i do not think that it adds much substance to the review)
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