Riddim

Riddim is a subgenre of dubstep that emerged in the mid-2010s, named - through reggae and dancehall usage - for the repetitive backing patterns its tracks are built on. Where brostep favoured maximalist drops, riddim strips the sound to a minimal, wonky swing: a single distorted bass figure loops with mechanical insistence over sparse drums, the emphasis on rhythmic lurch rather than melody or build. Producers such as *SVDDEN DEATH*, *Virtual Riot* and *Subtronics* turned the style into a festival mainstay, and its looping, chant-friendly patterns made it the dominant dialect of heavy dubstep by the end of the decade.