Dubstep bands are becoming more common as the style of music grows in popularity. Illustration by Claire Gross, Lord Botetourt High School

By Jessica Wiegandt, Lord Botetourt High School

Lord Botetourt junior Ben Sander, and senior Tyler Beger, have something in common. They create a type of music called Dubstep.

The genre of music is unique and growing in popularity. Many singers now have a Dubstep vibe to their music, Sander said.

The teens work both individually and as a team to create their music.

“It’s electronic,” Sander said. “You nod your head to it. It’s very bass heavy.”

Beger described Dubstep as “lazy music,” and he agreed with Sander’s explanation. Beger has been making Dubstep since he first heard a group called Skream in ninth-grade.

“When I heard them, I thought, ‘Hey, that’s cool,’ and started digging through the genre,” Beger said. “It’s a really big culture [of music] in England and lots of people there are really into it.”

Sander learned about the genre of music through Beger about two years ago; he was into making the music, and thought he could make it too.

“Beger took it on himself… and I followed,” Sander said. “We used to work together in the making process, but now our styles are so different it’s difficult.”

All that’s needed to make dubstep beats is a computer, a program for creating the music and speakers. Beger and Sander use the program FL Studio.

“Usually, I just open up the program and mess with some different instruments, and that’s how I get going,” Sander said.

Beger has a different method.

“Sometimes, I’ll be in school and hear the beat in my head and I’ll write it down,” he said. “The ideas stem off each other and before you know it, you have a song.”

Sander said that they don’t think the quality of their music is high enough to sell, but they wouldn’t be opposed to selling it if somebody offered to pay. Instead, Sander and Beger release their music online.

“I’m really picky with what I put online,” Beger said. “I have about 60 finished unreleased songs, and I’ve released about ten so far,” Beger said.

He doesn’t want to release music that he feels isn’t as good as it can be.

Sander said he puts all of his finished music online until he grows tired of it. Then, he’ll take that song down and put another in its place.

Dubstep is in the electronic genre of music. It is a worldwide genre, but it’s not as popular here as it is in other areas of the world. Dubstep originated in England in 2002 and was featured on BBC radio soon after, creating the popular rise in the surrounding world, according to www.udubstep.com.

Nevertheless, Sander said that it’s basically all he listens to; especially after creating beats for the last two years.

“It’s probably the hobby that’s stayed with me the longest,” Sander said. “You never really run out of ideas for music. And when you think you have, you’re re-inspired.”