Will Homden Updated on Dec 3, 2023 3 min read

8 Iconic Post-Dubstep Artists

For me, post-dubstep refers to the brief period of 2009 - 2012, during dubstep’s commercial heyday.

The term ‘post-dubstep’ was first thrown about in the late noughties, but there isn’t a consensus on what it means and refers to.

Therefore, it’s only right that I start this post with my interpretation of what ‘post-dubstep’ means.

For me, post-dubstep refers to the brief period of 2009 - 2012, during dubstep’s commercial heyday. It emerged at a time when dubstep had infiltrated the mainstream, with the likes of Skrillex and Nero pushing a sound that was a long way away from the original dub-infused 2-step sound.

Post-dubstep felt like a counter to this. It often encompassed tracks that retained some of the loose features of dubstep (such as the bpm range or 3rd beat snare) but with less emphasis on overt bass and more incorporation of other genres such as garage, R&B, and ambient.

Overall, I think post-dubstep is less characterized by its musical features and more characterized by the era and context it originated from. Alternatively, you could argue that for this reason, ‘post-dubstep’ has little meaning, and we should all stop confining artists and tracks to subgenres.

So, without further ado, here are eight of the most era-defining post-dubstep artists.

James Blake

James Blake is the most well-known artist associated with post-dubstep. He was (and still is) massively influential, achieving mainstream success as a solo artist and a producer for the likes of Kendrick and Playboy Carti.

His early releases on Hessle Audio, Hemlock Recording, and R&S Records, plus his self-titled album in 2011, made James Blake one of the leading UK electronic music producers. These releases were unique, fusing elements of dubstep, R&B, and various other genres.

James Blake’s remixes under his Harmonomix alias epitomize how he pushes boundaries, especially his remix of Mala’s dubstep classic, Changes.

Mount Kimbie

Mount Kimbie’s first album, Crooks and Lovers, is a personal favorite of mine. I’d never heard anything like it when it came out in 2010, and it’s one of those albums that keeps on giving the more you listen to it.

Their first EP, Maybes, was an instant classic, propelling Mount Kimbie into the limelight as one of the most innovative UK electronic music acts.

Joy Orbison

At this point, Joy Orbison is an electronic music legend, having released bangers for 15 years. However, his very first release earns him a spot here.

Hyph Mngo was ranked in a bunch of ‘best of’ lists in 2009, and it’s regarded as one of the most influential dubstep (or post-dubstep) tracks of all time.

Jamie xx

At this point, Jamie xx is arguably bigger as a solo artist than as a member of The xx.

His first solo project, the remix album of Gil Scott-Heron’s We're New Here, received widespread critical acclaim for blending Gil’s vocals, numerous samples, and UK electronic music percussions. Considered a post-dubstep album, NY is Killing Me is the standout dubstep-inspired track from the album.

Fantastic Mr Fox

I’m not sure what happened to Fantastic Mr Fox - he hasn’t released music since 2014 - but his releases in the five years from 2009 are amazing.

His debut release, Sketches, came with an excellent remix by SBTRKT (another highly influential UK producer), and his fourth EP, Evelyn, contains my favorite tune of his, Over.

Addison Groove

Focusing initially on deep dubstep under the name Headhunter, Bristol producer Tony Williams then started putting out juke- and footwork-inspired tracks as Addison Groove.

Foot Crab remains his most well-known track, but This is It is my favorite of his 140 bpm juke style tunes.

Untold

Untold is the founder of Hemlock Recordings, the label that gave James Blake his debut release, Air and Lack Thereof.

He released many of his own innovative EPs from 2008. Two of my favorite Untold tracks include the weird and addictive Anaconda and Stereo Freeze, an absolute banger that was released on R&S Records in 2010.

Burial

Given my 2009-2012 definition of post-dubstep and Burial’s initial emergence in 2006, I couldn't decide whether to put Burial on his list. However, it just felt plain rude not to, which perhaps undermines my whole definition… 🤷

Burial’s influence on UK music and the post-dubstep scene can’t be understated. His sound is so distinctive, and although his debut album was often labeled a dubstep album, it’s more of a mesh of UK electronic music styles and doesn’t really fit in any box.

Because it fits conveniently into my defined post-dubstep era, Kindred (released in 2012) is my Burial pick.