Aftershock
The Seismic Impact of Dubstep
Lauren Martin(Author)
Velocity Press
Will be published approx. on 3. August 2026
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-80578-013-7 (ISBN)
Description
At the cusp of a new millennium, British electronic music was rapidly changing. Jungle and garage had broken into the mainstream, but were running out of creative gas - what fresh movement would next captivate the underground? On the outer edges of London, a small group of bass lovers had the answer. Through a new strain of subloaded beats that stripped jungle, rave, techno and garage for parts, this scene returned to the dub roots, prizing the fundamentals of soundsystem culture: bass, space and togetherness. They called it dubstep.
In Aftershock: The Seismic Impact of Dubstep, seasoned music writer Lauren Martin charts the origins of one of the 21st century's most innovative music genres in an oral history format. Through the testimonies of its architects and an immersive array of photography, flyers and unseen scene history, Aftershock chronicles the rise of artists like Skream, Mala, Coki, Loefah, Horsepower Productions and Rusko, as well as labels and parties such as Hyperdub, Tempa, DMZ, FWD>> and Skull Disco.
Together, this movement shook the British underground, exploded onto the internet, and, within a decade, had rocked global music at unprecedented scale. Through first-hand storytelling, Aftershock is a testament to how the imagination and persistence of a few can transform culture.
In Aftershock: The Seismic Impact of Dubstep, seasoned music writer Lauren Martin charts the origins of one of the 21st century's most innovative music genres in an oral history format. Through the testimonies of its architects and an immersive array of photography, flyers and unseen scene history, Aftershock chronicles the rise of artists like Skream, Mala, Coki, Loefah, Horsepower Productions and Rusko, as well as labels and parties such as Hyperdub, Tempa, DMZ, FWD>> and Skull Disco.
Together, this movement shook the British underground, exploded onto the internet, and, within a decade, had rocked global music at unprecedented scale. Through first-hand storytelling, Aftershock is a testament to how the imagination and persistence of a few can transform culture.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 170 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-80578-013-7 (9781805780137)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Lauren Martin is a Glasgow-born, London-based music writer, editor and interview host. Over the last 12 years, she's written for publications such as The Guardian and VICE, been the Features Editor at DJ Mag, worked for Red Bull Music Academy across editorial, radio and the Academy's lecture series, and lived in London, Berlin and New York City. She's worked for SoundCloud since 2025. Throughout her career, Lauren has championed alternative sounds, with a strong focus on underground electronic music.