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Comment by teachrdan | Hacker News Reader

For those who don't know, "Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word 'rhythm'. In the context of reggae and dancehall it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section... A given riddim, if popular, may be used in dozens—or even hundreds—of songs, not only in recordings but also in live performances."

The actual riddim sounds completely uninteresting to my American ears. But the novelty and catchiness obviously connected to millions of people at the time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjw7m-BKmQ8

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> The actual riddim sounds completely uninteresting to my American ears

Dub and reggae are a part of the so-called soundsystem culture. That booming bass line is meant to be heard over an enormous PA system (often home built) designed to rattle your bones!

I remember not getting dubstep (also derived from dub before it’s export to the US and commercialization) because I was listening to it on my PC speakers.

When I finally played it through my hifi it was like a whole sonic landscape suddenly appeared and only then did I finally get it.

Quick note to those that were potentially triggered when they read "dubstep"... Early dubstep was based on two-step and garage music, while at the same time heavily based on dub and reggae.

Digital Mystikz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9H3i0T1iN4

Spaceape - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfyRjyKj05I

Goth Trad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d12dJbE_xxw

Listen to some of the early dubstep and you'll start to understand that parent probably didn't mean Skrillex, etc...

BBC Radio 1's original Dubstep Warz session is a great introduction to the original dubstep - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RyOlkDgy2g

Kode9's recently released Dubstep Warz behind the scenes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_wmgpQO6iQ

Nice to see some heads on HN! Great list, and RIP The Spaceape.

You can find proper sound system culture in the states, though not much is happening since COVID. Tsunami Bass has an enormous PA and Reconstrvct hopefully will be back one day. Analog in Brooklyn did have a whopping home built system but it was sold off and the club is under new management these days.

Here's a glimpse into what this sort of stuff is like at a show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8037wYWZkU. That's the Dub Livity system.

The DJ cuts (low pass) out the bass line, teasing the crowd, until the 2:05 mark, as the MC toasts. The bass shakes everything – you can feel it in your bones. It's visceral. You can see why it was, and is, and continues to be a spiritual thing for many people.

Technically low-cutting is called highpass rather than lowpass. I don't exactly like the low/high pass terminology myself either though; you end up putting a high pass at a low frequency to remove bass, and low pass at a high frequency to remove treble.

High/low pass = high/low frequency components pass through. Simple?

Yeah high pass / low pass have always seemed totally logical to me. At least once I knew what they meant.

I suppose they're not 100% intuitive or self-explanatory, but I can't think of a better alternative.

Can you tell it has been a while since I played a set? :) thanks

Because you let the high frequencies pass through on a high pass filter and vice versa

> Nice to see some heads on HN! Great list, and RIP The Spaceape.

Can't believe my eyes I'm seeing this on HN. You can get the same experience at home with a SubPac. I'm not exaggerating!

> and RIP The Spaceape

I really feel this loss in many ways. I've yet to find anyone that can match his prophetic lyrics, ominous voice, and Jamaican patois (combined with Kode9s and The Bug's music). Although I find all of the Spaceape material indefatigable to listen to. Self titled "Spaceape", Backwards, Kingston, etc.

So young... Very sad indeed :(

Hehe, I remember telling an American friend about 10 years ago that I was really into dubstep at that time. She was appalled and couldn't understand why a somewhat decent person like myself could listen to that kind of music. Much later, it dawned on me that she was thinking of US bro-step like Skrillex, while I in fact was listening to "UK Bass Music" like Benga and Skream and Digital Mystikz and Loefah.

All my homies hate Skrillex!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hLlVVKRwk0

I only watched the first few minutes so far, and the storyline quite reminds me of myself being quite fascinated by hearing my first jungle tunes about 15 years earlier. Nice!

That was excellent. :) Thanks for sharing.

Can Skrillex really be a bro when he's named after a Kingdom Hearts game?

I don’t care what anyone says about it being “trendy” or whatever, Skrillex album Bangarang is one of my absolute favorites listened to extremely loud like in a car with a lot of bass. It just gives me tingles.

Coki - Old Hope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9az72epXweo Skream - Rutten https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOttZSnzG7s Burial - Untrue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os9DYRZyk-w

Coki is just amazing. Although some might consider most of his stuff "Tear Out".

Red Eye - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yKxn54lXW8

Goblin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd3s_jubB_s

Spongebob - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIpc817U_R4

Burial is my go-to focus music... it's so atmospherical that it immerses me another place where I can really focus, and pump out my work. Specifically a couple of mixes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6OMwz2uXGM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=286BRp1iDNs

Goth Trad's boiler room is so much fun. There aren't too many folks who'd mix dubstep with drone and rhythmic noise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vN9i0BDIR8

Never seen/heard this... looks and sounds amazing so far.

Seems like there has always been a strong connection between Japan and Dub music, and may even be the same for dubstep (the original, non-"brostep").

Same is true for other places like Brazil, France, UK (obviously). I've heard that Dub music isn't or never was very popular in Jamaica, and it was always other places around the world that really embraced it and sound system culture. Maybe even keeping it alive.

If the speakers weren't taller than you, you haven't experienced dubstep.

(Real dubstep, I mean, that has dub in it - not that mid-range electric razor Skrillex shit!)

I remember not getting DnB, until hearing a story about how it rattled the listener's chest in London's clubs. I get the idea in theory now, at least.

seen .. much bettern to hear the song in context in a soundsystem live tape (several on yt) - and possibly with cough cough sacrament - e.g. coxsone, killmanjaro, etc.

<3 the 'digital raggae' electronic pre-dancehall sound

A somewhat Europeanized version of this Dub can often be found behind the query "steppa, steppers or dubtronica" of many platforms such as Spotify. Which, also, is best heard on either good headphones or with your head stuck down a giant soundsystem wall (don't do that, though, seriously)

You can do it, but get _good_ earplugs and nor for more than a few minutes!

(sSund system owner here)

You're listening to it wrong. /s

Dancehall riddims are tuned for the dancehall and, occasionally, the car show. It's a vibe and atmosphere that doesn't translate well to headphones. I can listen to 2 DJs in a clash go back and forth for hours with just 1 riddim. But after 1 play of Cash Money riddim, for example, I'm pressing FFWD for something else. Because the moment is gone.

I agree. I tried listening to Clint Eastwood's Jah Lights Shining earlier today thru a speaker system I'm DIYing and it's really not the same unless you've got proper speakers.

> The actual riddim sounds completely uninteresting to my American ears

ok, let me try to make it more interesting.

you seem to think riddim is something from the past. you may remember the music from "run the world" by Beyonce. that riddim is called "pon de floor" riddim. it was created by diplo. (warning nsfw video).

riddim is essentially coding patterns for music. since each riddim has a name it creates a DSL that lets DJs and MCs go meta with the music and focus on making the most catchy sound.

another interesting aspect is it's free from intellectual property. it makes for a good example of the impact of free culture on creativity.

> another interesting aspect is it's free from intellectual property. it makes for a good example of the impact of free culture on creativity.

You better believe Diplo got paid by Beyonce to use Pon De Floor in a track.

of course he did :) free culture does not prevent one from profiting from non-free culture. on a similar note, there's another thread on how Monty got paid twice for mysql.

And the other side of the coin: you better believe a lot of people were cease and desisted out of using Pon De Floor in tracks too.

My point was that riddims unfortunately aren't as free. But the culture around them uses them as if they are (at home, at small parties, in mixes for friends etc), until they're not (on the public internet, played at clubs, in mixes played on radio etc)

    The actual riddim sounds completely uninteresting to my American ears

Counterpoint: the actual riddim sounds awesome to my American ears. Although of course, it's a building block for a song, not a song itself.

> The actual riddim sounds completely uninteresting to my American ears.

I find the simple casio rhythm delightfully engaging and catchy! But that may be because I've heard it in so many reggae and dancehall songs I associate it with now. But the first time I heard those songs, they immediately caught my ear and made me want to dance.

Here's just an MT-40 playing the present. To me that's super catchy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq7B4MFbmgU

I don't know that this is the best example of a riddim if you were to look at the ones that got big in the US. Which there are.

In 2002, the "Diwali Riddim" came out, which is the basis of several popular songs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali_Riddim

the original beat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMASjABxHWE

Sean Paul - Get Busy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPQ3o14ksaM

Lumidee - Never Leave You (Uh Oh) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k03HK88HhmU

Rihanna - Pon De Replay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEauWw9ZGrA

Wayne Wonder - No Letting Go (0:30 to start the actual song) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT1XhnfMT5c

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Another big one is the Coolie Dance riddim. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d31drv0VQsU

Move Ya Body - Nina Sky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYbMvAB66KM

Culo - Pitbull ft. Lil Jon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy-vUCIm04M

> But the novelty and catchiness obviously connected to millions of people at the time.

And also spawned a huge amount of music: https://www.whosampled.com/Wayne-Smith/Under-Me-Sleng-Teng/s...

Several songs in this style

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIfzt7mtFyI

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