Play Hard, Train Hard: Brostep and Physical Culture

Scholarship on White power music, far-right music, and skinhead music—terms often used interchangeably—has thoroughly examined the intersection of far-right politics, sports, and physical culture. However, much of this research, rooted in sociology and political science, focuses on the social, cultural, political, and economic dimensions of this music while often neglecting its sonic and performative aspects (Teitelbaum, 2021). This tendency is understandable, as scholars in these disciplines are typically trained to analyze textual and verbal expressions rather than the affective and embodied experiences of sound. However, by centering analyses on lyrical content and ideological messaging, the scholarship risks overlooking how sound itself—the rhythms, tonalities, timbre, textures, and sonic intensities—shapes bodies, subjectivities, and physical practices. Furthermore, much of the existing literature is produced by scholars whose perspectives are often driven by (moral) opposition to the music, its ideological foundations, and, by extension, the individuals who are blasting the beats while lifting weights, running, boxing, doing cross-fit, kicking the ball or otherwise engage in straining physical exercise and regimen (Cotter, 1999; Germanaz, 2020; McCluskey, 2020; Grosholz and Pieri, 2023). This opposition or at least suspicion extends beyond the music itself to the physical spaces where it is consumed—gyms, stadiums, fight clubs, and training facilities—where far-right music becomes intertwined with notions of strength, endurance, and (hyper)masculinity. The relationship between sound and the body in these spaces remains underexplored, leaving open questions about how particular sonic qualities influence physical performance, affect, and identity formation and relationality. This paper seeks to critically engage with far-right music and its relationship to physical culture, shifting the focus from textual analysis to the music’s sonic and performative dimensions. How do resonances, vibrancies, tonalities, beat speeds, and other sound properties shape bodies and subjectivities in sporting environments? What genres of music are we omitting from our analysis by disproportionately focusing on “traditional” skinhead music? While far-right music has historically been associated with rock and punk-derived subgenres, contemporary sporting spaces are increasingly saturated with electronic and bass-heavy music that demands further attention. To address these gaps, I turn to brostep—a subgenre of electronic dance music (EDM) characterized by aggressive drops, distorted basslines, and high-intensity rhythms—commonly played in gyms, stadiums, and other spaces of athletic training. Using brostep as a case study, I explore how its sonic properties contribute to the construction of sporting bodies, affective intensities, and mediated (hyper)masculinity. Drawing on sound studies methodologies and building on the work of film theorist Lorrie Palmer, I analyze the interplay of technology, gender and media at the sonic level of brostep. I argue that music does not merely reflect pre-existing social realities but actively participates in their production. It co-constructs bodies, behaviors, and subjectivities in ways that transcend lyrical meaning, shaping the affective and embodied dimensions of physical culture. By shifting the analytical focus toward the material and affective dimensions of sound, this paper seeks to expand our understanding of the role music plays in the formation of far-right physical culture, highlighting the need for a broader sonic analysis.