“What Uppp” Rusko greets in a British drawl. The 26-year-old dubstep artist has released a slew of successful tracks in recent years, including “Cockney Thug” and “Woo Boost.” Rusko seems startled but delighted at dubstep’s soaring popularity. “It’s pretty remarkable” he says, “because I don’t think any of us expected this to do what it’s done.” While some long-term dubstep fans might be bemused at the genre’s mainstream breakthrough, Rusko is positive. “I think it will do what it’s supposed to do. I’m happy as long as it’s good and doesn’t become a poor version of itself.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtMlB-BEMso[/youtube]

One thing that has changed beyond the size of the crowd is its age. “The kids are getting younger and younger at the shows, but I think there’s a really good age range. American kids go hard, and New Orleans kids go super hard.” He first visited New Orleans last year when he performed at the Voodoo Experience, an experience he describes only as “hot and sweaty.”

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that involves intense bass lines, nimble patterns of drumming, and clipped samples. “It’s music that makes you dance and feel good,” Rusko says. “In a way it’s slower than regular dance music, and there are some really melodic elements of it”.

For him, the creative process is often a waiting game. “I’ll think of an idea or sound and sit in my studio for hours trying to make that sound,” he says. “There isn’t a formulaic process. “I just sit there and wait what happens.” He hasn’t has as much time to sit and wait as he’d like, though. His year has been spent touring the world. He is also working on a project with Cypress Hill. “I can’t really talk about it,” he murmurs secretively “but we’re basically creating a supergroup.”

For his next album, Rusko wants to challenge himself to do something  different. “My sound, I want it to sound different but I also want it to stay true to where it came from” he says “I guess that’s the kind of balance you’ve got to do as a musician. You want to work with what you’re known for, but you also want to try something new. I don’t want to spend my whole life in a box”.

Rusko will perform at the Contemporary Arts Center Saturday night.