- Dubstep-tech hybrids from one of 2024's most forward-thinking breakouts.
- Born in France to English parents, Beatrice Masters is a product of two environments. And like many third culture kids, this lends Beatrice M. a knack for seeing the realm of possibility beyond arbitrary borders and binaries. If the Rinse France resident's vocabulary—full of charming riffs like "technoïd dubstep" and "siblingstep"—doesn't make it clear, then this mix surely will.
Masters is a part of a wider cohort of artists giving the dubstep renaissance a fresh twist—take Carré and Introspekt in LA, EMA in Dublin and Mia Koden in London, to name a mere few. Collectively, they are not only pushing greater representation and diversity, but adding to the genre's foundations with a broader palette of sounds. Where dubstep got trapped down a brostep cul-de-sac in the early 2010s, 2020s already seems to be all about siblingstep.
Masters' elastic notion of dubstep is most evident in the catalogue of the label they founded in June 2023, Bait (sometimes styled as BAIT). There, you can find everything from 150 BPM bassbin screwfacers to dubbed-out breakbeats, as well as the burgeoning community who make up a healthy portion of Beatrice M.'s RA Podcast.
RA.961 finds Masters embracing the softer, more intimate edges of their sonic world. There's cuts from Grace Jones and rRoxymore, a fresh tech-house venture under the alias B. McQueen and heaps of siblingstep. All in, it's an hour of past reverberations, present rhythms and glimmers of future horizons.
How and where was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it?
Some of it was recorded at Pirate Studio in Tottenham near where I was based in October, some of it at my friends Vod Kasat and Itako's place in Strasbourg, where I've been for the last week in residency with my pop duo, Beatrice Melissa.
I always try to bring together the dubstep scene and the deep tech scene, as well as everything lodged in between (there's a lot of space in between). For this one, I went for an overall introspective, deep and dark tone, with ups and downs and pauses, rather than a full-on club set. While prepping, I realised dudes had made most of the tracks selected, so I thought I'd make a full femme, non-binary, trans productions set—there's enough "siblingstep" out there. I rejoice when looking at the tracklist made up of all my siblings.
Bait's compilations have explored the 150 BPM dubstep mutation that emerged over the last couple of years. Has the sound changed the way you play or produce, and where do you see it going next?
I find 150 to be an interesting BPM because it's difficult to think of any genres, specifically 150, whereas there'd be loads to name that are 140 or 160. 150 seems to be a grey area, perfect for speeding up dubstep which could otherwise be perceived as slow. Also, with music getting faster and more intense recently, it makes sense that there's an appeal for 150.
But, to be honest with you I'm actually slowing way down now and think that in the next few years, people will be drawn to more mellow BPM, 120, 130; it's easier to move your hips to! And we're all needing to inhale and exhale slowly with our contemporary lifestyles and everything going on in the world.
Does cutting dubplates factor into your creative process at all? If so, how?
I've been playing out mostly vinyl this year. I've cultivated an intense passion for wax, the story behind a record, taking the object out of its sleeve, placing your fingers onto the kick and letting go at the correct moment. But ironically, almost all my productions are digital releases only. Since I've been spending more time in London and hearing about dubplates getting cut, how easy it is, it's definitely something I’ve planned to do with my tracks. But now I only want to release music under the condition that it’s on wax!
You're known for supporting the French scene. Who are some of your favourite emerging French producers right now?
Talking with various people, there's a thought that the French have this weird take on bass music, whereas England being the island where it came from, music from the UK often tends to reference classic bass music. Frogs' own interpretation leaves my ears tingling and I think there's something really exciting going on with this scene. I could name Jan Loup, Trois-Quarts Taxi System, Christian Coiffure, Hewan Aman, Sarcus Sound System, Myako, ophélie, Bambi. I love being Franco-English and connected with both scenes.
What are you looking forward to in 2025?
Having an extensive collection of records, including most of Bait's catalogue on wax. Having my first releases on wax (yes, I get very excited about wax). And exploring a new alias of mine...
If you could play any party or club, past or present, where would you play?
The obvious answer is a FWD>> in the mid-2000s. But I'd probably not even want to play, just want to listen and watch people experience the freaky mutant thing that was going to be called "dubstep."
Tracklistgillielove - procession in dante's square
B. McQueen, Priori - ???
Beatrice M. - Entire Life
andrea_andrea - Crying4me
Laima Adelaide - Air (Kontinum Remix)
Myako - Spider Monkey
rRoxymore - Water Stain
Malesa - Fuego Lucia
Innersha - Yutori
softi - liquid silver
Beta Librae - Mammoth Melting Sugar
Old Man Crane - ???
Beatrice M. - Take a Sip
Old Man Crane - ???
Azu Tiwaline - Reptilian Waves (Kangding Ray Remix)
Klara Lewis - Untitled
Ehua - Jellyfish
Maude Vos - Hunni
Kozee - Sugarloaf
Mantra - Mindgames
Conzi - ??? (Ambit Remix)
Grace Jones - Crying Dub
Prieste5s - 2 Clicks
CCL - Plot Twist
No Sir - Dilate
DJ ADHD - Precision (Mia Koden Remix)
Introspekt - ???
Jan-Loup - Maree Basse
ex.sses - resurrections
Laenz - Choices (Untold Remix)
Xades - Deixa
Beatrice Melissa - ???
Jana Winderen - The Listener