THE DUBSTEP - TECH HOUSE CONNECTION (FT. APPLEBLIM)

I started obsessing about dubstep crossed with techno, or “techy” dubstep, then I started looking back and realized that it was a crossover that had been researched since the beginning of 140 in the early 2000s (labels like Tectonic, SPE:C, Osiris, Timedance, Woozy, Hotflush all started with the intention of bridging a gap). 

Tech house was always presented to me as a cheesy commercial scene that wouldn't interest me. Guys in white shirts doing coke and wafting seemed like something I'd want to stay away from, but it was also kind of fascinating, in a weird way, I began to feel drawn to this no-go zone I knew nothing about. 

Much later, I realized I had the wrong end of the stick: just as dubstep gained mainstream recognition through the “sterilization” of its signature sound (most people know from Skrillex), the same thing happened to tech house (on this subject, see RA's “What Happened To Tech House?” video). These two highly specialized, high-quality genres have been victims of their own success. You have to peel back the layers to get back to the genre's roots, which are generously organic and soulful. 

Discovering older, more underground tech house or minimal tracks has been like a breath of fresh air. It's the most natural and authentic feeling, the one of swaying to 120 bpm and letting yourself be carried away by the rhythm with a naughty smile on your face.  
A lot of 'tech house' (or 'minimal') tracks have a very sparse quality, few elements and a lot of emptiness. It's also very bass-driven. Stripped-down and organic, deep, bass-driven, powerful, subtle... it's all starting to sound like another genre I really like: deep dubstep!

Dubstep devotees seem to have looked to other genres for inspiration when 140 hit a dead end in the 2010s and began to gain recognition in the US. I met Appleblim, an absolutely key figure in this crossover, and he was telling me how artists like Martyn, 2562, Shackleton... had this more “feminine” sound, not the “bro-step” vibe, it was already moving away from it, bringing in new influences because they were fed up with the caricature it was becoming. The dubstep don Pinch literally calls a track “Croydon House”(2010)because it has the sonic palette of dubstep but the BPM of house. I later discovered that this type of dubstep had already been named: Post-Dubstep!  

Tech house can be fun/quirky, but also very headzie, its repetitive nature can lead to a trance-like state. Similarly, dubstep, which has its own wild personality, can easily tip over into aggressive/clownish “WAB WAB”, but when it's deeper, it's very immersive, even if its “wob wobs” remain rascally. 

Going back to RA's video on “What Happened To Tech House?” they say his spiritual home is Croydon. And we know that's where dubstep comes from! The magnets are getting closer. 

Appleblim kept coming back to a club night held at Berghain that seemed to be a playground for exploration in the late 2000s: sub:stance (the first was in 2008).
The night's founder, Scuba, invited the likes of DMZ for their Berghain debut, while Panorama Bar featured minimal labels like Perlon. Appleblim told me that Berlin technophiles came to sub:stance to listen to this new syncopated sound (dubstep) and take inspiration from it for their music. 

Everyone was inspired by everyone else, and that's the heart of this crossover. This results in things like DJ Pete's RA podcast, full of that crossover sound. Appleblim told me that they all hung out together and exchanged records, that Bristol music was selling very well in Berlin. In addition, Shackleton is another important name, as you could say he comes from dubstep, having launched his label Skull Disco, which also releases Appleblim music. Yet he was later remixed by Ricardo Villalobos, probably one of the biggest names in tech house, who also mixed dubstep records, reducing their BPM to incorporate them into his sets!

THE DUBSTEP - TECH HOUSE CONNECTION (FT. APPLEBLIM (& MARTYN))

Perpetual Now

At the Crest

Argo b2b Beatrice M. on Radio80000 - 24.09.2022

Take a Sip

support

🧃Take a Sip EP🧃snippets

Magic

Magic (Techno Mix)

Magic (Dubstep Mix)

Enter Life

Calibre

Response

Call / Response

Call

Everything reminds me of dubstep pt. II 

Truant - Untitled 4 (Y2)
Shut Up And Dance - Epileptic (Martyn’s No Strobe Mix)
Shu - Zero Sum
Slothman - Far I 
Coki - Tortured
Coki - Bloodthirst
TRG - Put You Down (Ramadanman Refix)
luke.envoy - So
luke.envoy - Uptown 
Geiom feat Marita - Reminissin’
Mantra - Mindgames 
Mala - Left Leg Out 
Truant - Bank Holz
Helixir - Atlantis
Youngstar - The Formula (Sirpixalot Remix)
Shandy - Tho Who
Wulf - Community Dub (Egoless Remix) 
BREEZ - Dem Vibrations
Peverelist ft. Pinch - Revival 
Loefah - Jungle Infiltrator
Loefah - Horror Show
Skream - I (Loefah Remix)
Pinch - Punisher (Loefah's SE25 Remix) 
2562 - Channel Two 
Rossi B & Luca - Jah No Dead

Everything reminds me of dubstep pt. II

Special guest shows from around the world. 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/guests/episodes/the-dubstep---tech-house-connection-ft-appleblim-12th-march-2025

The Dubstep - Tech House Connection w/ Beatrice M. (ft. Appleblim) 120325

Selection by @livwutang blends by Beatrice M. 

PANGAEA - YOU & I
VON D - SHOW ME FT. PHEPHE
APPLEBLIM & PEV - CIRCLING
PLASTICIAN - DREADING (EL-B REMIX)
EGOLESS - EMPIRE OF DIRT
SICARIA SOUND - CAVED IN
SHACKLETON - I WANT TO EAT YOU
SEARCH & DESTROY - CANDY FLOSS
J:KENZO - CONQUEROR (HENY G REMIX)
SCIENTIST VS ASBO - DOG MONEY (LOEFAH & SGT POKES)
DUBAMINE FT. NAZAMBA - COOL & RELAX
ULRICH TROYER - LOST IN ADDIS
FIEND - JAH HEAR ME (J. SPARROW REMIX)
FOAMPLATE - HUNGRY GHOST
GIL SCOTT-HERRON & JAMIE XX - NY IS KILLING ME
GEIOM - UNNECESSARY STRESS FT. MARITA
GLUME & PHOSSA - JITTER
KYLE HALL - GIRL U SO STRONG
MIZZ BEATS - SANCTUARY
GEOIM & APPLEBLIM - FLAME TREE
KODE9 - 2 FAR GONE
WALSH & KROMESTAR - PANIK ROOM
SAULE - AFFLICTION
THE GOD IN HACKNEY - THE WORLD IN AIR QUOTES (ETCH AMALGAMIX)
MARTYN - LOVE & MACHINES FT. SPACEAPE
TIMEBLIND - BACKWARDATION
BANDULU - CONTINGENCY
CARRÉ - AIR SIGN
VACCINE - WISHFUL THINKING VIP
RSD - LOVING IT
QUEST - EDEN
PANGAEA - YOU & I

Everything reminds me of dubstep pt. III - curated by livwutang

Cheek - Venus [touch my step EDIT]

Shallow, Light & Safe EP

Safe

Shallow

Shallow (Al Wootton Remix)

Light

@sepehr-a @specrecords
First time I came across SPE:C was through Sepehr’s elegant chugger « Roll the Dice », I’ve now had the opportunity to do my own take on it, very much inspired by 2010s techy dubstep from the likes of Asusu, Fureshu, A Made Up Sound, etc …channeling milimalism and nostalgia. 
Also on the remix pack is Jasmin’s halftime groover remix of my track « Calibre » part of the Take a Sip EP I did on SPE:C last year

🎲Sepehr - Roll The Dice (Beatrice M.’s dubble six remix)🎲

SPE:C Remixed 2

Beatrice M. - Calibre (Jasmín Remix)

Out to @martharadio for having me on the show
Pic by Gabriel Sauvageot

SSSLIP & Beton Brut - Transit Limb (Beatrice M. remix) (Grid)
Beatrice M. & Jan Loup - Shallow (Al Wootton remix) (Garmo) 
Beatrice M. & Sub Basics - untitled (dub)
Beatrice M. & Theorist - Tangent (dub)
Beatrice M. & Theorist - Come w us (dub)
Beatrice M. & Jan Loup - Si, j'adore (dub)
Sepher - Roll The Dice (Beatrice M.’s dubble six remix) (SPE:C) 
Trois-Quarts Taxi System - Coma (Beatrice M. remix) forthcoming 
Beatrice M. & Sub Basics - untitled (dub) 
Beatrice M. - Seek (Soa420 gangsta remix) (dub)
Tim Reaper - Triumphant March (Beatrice M.’s school night remix) (forthcoming)
Beatrice M. - Magic (Slimy Ape remix) (dub)
Beatrice M. & Sir Hiss - Juice (dub)

Guest mix for Martha on BBC radio 1: 100% production mix (collab special) 24th June 2025

Housestep? Dubhouse? Whatever you want to call it, Appleblim's got it on this edition of the RA podcast.

RA.110 Appleblim

Words can't describe the feeling of knowing Mr Craig has had your track rolling in his studio, and thought it was worthy of an edit...love the way he takes the track down to it's most basic elements and lets the drums and bass do its thing...chuffed as f**k!!

Ramadanman & Appleblim - Void23 - Carl Craig Edit - Aus Music 2011

Latest in the Project Squared mix series, following on from Furesshu and label co-owner Paul Cooper.



Tracklist -



Asusu - Taurean (Furesshu's Edit) (Dub)



Falty DL - Anxiety (Planet Mu)



Spherix &amp; Sigha - Separation (Forthcoming Immerse Records)



Asusu - Weight (Dub)



Furesshu - Horizons (Asusu's Strip Lit Mix) (Dub)



XI - Dreaming Void (Forthcoming Surface Tension)



Furesshu - 1993 (Forthcoming Project Squared)



Kloke - Aquarius (Entrada)



Asusu - Lilies (Dub)



Pearson Sound - So Far Ago (Soul Jazz)



Chris Coda - u142 (DAT:Music)



<a href="http://www.projectsquared.net">www.projectsquared.net</a>



PSQ Mix

@baitlabel

Bookings:
UK/EU/ROW: carl@suomotubookings.com
NA/SA: josh@scaldinghot.xyz
FR: melchior@hellopedro.fr

Beatrice M.

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks