2-step garage

2-step garage, or simply "2-step", is a genre of British electronic dance music, and one of the main subgenres of UK garage.

Features

The name "2 step" is a category that is used to generically define "any type of irregular and nervous rhythms that do not conform to the traditional 4-to-the-floor of the garage > classic".

One of the main characteristics of this style is the atypical structure of the bass drum in the rhythmic pattern. While most dance music uses a typical four-on-the-floor, the 2 step only features a bass drum hit on the first and third beats of the measure, and is often combined with other percussion elements. in triplet or rhythms played with shuffle. This beat manages to create a "jerky, wobbly funk feel" effect, not found in house or techno. Although the presence of only two bass drum beats per measure can give a slow sensation compared to traditional 4x4, the tension is maintained thanks to the use of the snare (snare) played off time, the construction of rhythms playing appropriately with the accent or swat of the head at certain times. In addition, the syncopated use of the bass line or other instruments plays a vital role. The difference between the rhythmic pattern of the 2 step and the house can be seen below:

Two Steps:

House:

2 step bass lines have a lot in common with other styles that are considered direct precursors of it as well as UK Garage, such as drum and bass and jungle. 2-step vocals are usually female and similar to R&B, although they are also related to the hardcore tradition carried on by drum and bass. On the other hand, the manipulation by the producer of the vocals is very characteristic of 2 step, to the point that the voices cut up and changed in this way have been considered as another element of the percussion of the songs.

Critics have also noted the influences of hip hop, and drum and bass, particularly the techstep subgenre.

History

2 step emerged in the mid-1990s as a substyle of jungle, being played on English pirate radio normally as opposed to, but surely as a development of, speed garage (which does keep the 4x4 rhythmic form). The 2 step was programmed on the radio, initially, at "sensitive" moments, such as Saturday mornings or Sunday afternoons. But once the style began to gain popularity, nights dedicated entirely to 2 step began to appear, especially in London.

In 1999 and 2000, the 2 step reached its peak of popularity, achieving some commercial success. One of the biggest commercial hits of the time was Artful Dodger's "Re-rewind" featuring R&B vocalist Craig David. Beginning in 2000, the genre began to decline in popularity, gradually leaving to be programmed progressively.