Magnetic Man

What do you get when you put three boys from Croydon together and throw in a smidgen of dubstep? Why of course, you get...
Yes, Benga, Skream & Artwork, three experienced dubstep boys from down South have formed what is tipped to be the 'Super-group' of dubstep. After hearing the album (which is rated pretty high on the UK iTunes chart) I must admit it is a far cry from the niche underground dubstep sound that was barely heard outside of London for the longest time (nearly ten years ago)

Dubstep itself is a select 'vibe' born out of the sounds of UK Garage, 2-Step and a passion for Jamaican dub plates and over the last few years has created a distinctive presence in the global dance electronic music scene. We even have a dubstep scene here in Malaysia (albeit small). Check out a Malaysian Dubstep collective made up of three lads MH, Reza & Tubby, better known as Bud Culture here or you can join their facebook group here - these lads work hard to keep the Dubstep vibe alive in KL City and beyond by throwing exclusive dubstep parties.

Back to Magnetic Man, what I'd say they've done specifically is take these key elements of dubstep and add a touch of 'commercialism' (dare I say it) making it more palatable and accessible to those who have not been comfortable with the beats, grinds and dark sounds of dubstep in the past. Collaborations with the likes of John Legend, Miss Dynamite on paper, help open the minds of previous 'non-believers'

What I am most excited about with Magnetic Man is their LIVE set-up, something that is not common as most Dubstep LIVE performances are DJ sets (to my limited knowledge). Apparently they sync three Macbooks via Midi with each of them taking responsibility for the beats, the bass grooves and toplines. Maybe I'll get to catch them when I hit next the summer festivals in London for 2011 *fingerscrossed*



So for now I will continue to familiarise myself with the sounds of Magnetic Man without forgetting to say a big Thank to Matt for introducing me to them. Matt is (and I quote a mutual friend Adam here) "a treasure trove of useless but amusing facts and figures... " Check out a little of what Matt has to offer on his blog about pop & pop culture here