The Creator of ‘Smutstep’ Wants You to ‘Let Your Freak Flag Fly’
A 404 Media interview profiles DARQ DAGR, the vocalist behind viral BookTok smutstep tracks.
404 Media interviews James, performing as DARQ DAGR, about smutstep, dubstep built around spoken lines for BookTok's romantasy audience. He describes a metal and country vocal background, says his wife's reading introduced him to the community, and credits a commenter with the genre name. He says another creator, Michael Ayok, growled for BookTok earlier and that he treats the work as unserious community entertainment.
- DARQ DAGR is Nashville vocalist James, formerly in a touring country band.
- He says a viewer comment supplied the name smutstep.
- He credits Michael Ayok as an earlier BookTok growl creator.
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From the original article
10 min read at 404media.co
DARQ DAGR combined BookTok romantasy and dubstep to create something new and somewhat controversial. “It’s accepting and embracing what you're into within a safe and healthy space," he said. "I think that's a really beautiful thing.”
By Samantha Cole · 404media.co
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