Cracking the Kode: Kode 9 and Hatcha

Kode 9 and Hatcha have emerged as two of the biggest DJs and producers in the relatively faceless genre of dubstep, the millennial afterparty answer to the tough rhythms and rude bottom-end blare of drum 'n' bass. Dubstep artists play a sister style to drum 'n' bass that often matches the tempo but puts atmospheric emphasis on the half-beat, projecting a slightly slower and more languid feel, as in Jamaican dub. Hatcha's "Just a Rift" and Kode 9's "9 Samurai" capture an intensity and tension with spare beats and muted sub-bass.