Cloaks

Cloaks represents the most abrasive and experimental wing of the UK dubstep movement that emerged in the mid-to-late 2000s. Primarily associated with the duo of Steve 'The_Bug' Goodman-adjacent aesthetics and the Werk Discs label (founded by Actress), their sound identity is defined by a rejection of 'clean' digital production in favor of industrial grit, noise, and found-sound textures.

Their career arc saw them move from the fringes of the bass scene into a more abstract territory where the boundaries between dubstep, power electronics, and musique concrète blurred. Culturally, they occupy a space similar to artists like Vex'd or Raime, where the 'dark' side of electronic music is explored through physical pressure and sonic decay. Critical consensus highlights their ability to maintain a rhythmic 'swing' despite the overwhelming amount of distortion and non-musical noise present in their mixes. They are often cited as a bridge between the South London dubstep explosion and the broader European industrial-techno revival of the 2010s.