Skream feature – ATM 2006

Skream feature – Published in ATM Magazine, 2006

Welcome to the Future

Skream is what you’d call a bit of a musical wonder – soon after he started making music at 15, he became one of the producers responsible for establishing the grounds for the evolution of Dubstep. Then a few years later his anthemic ‘Midnight Request Line’ would prove to be crucial in fuelling the fires of a worldwide interest and spread of the sound. In just under 6 years he’s proven to be one of Dubstep’s most interesting and talented producers. Something he is about to further establish with the upcoming release of his first solo album.

It all started when he heard some friends making beats – having DJed from the age of 11, making tracks ‘was the next logical step’. Around the same time he’d started working at the Big Apple record shop in Croydon, a shop and label that were deeply influential in the birth and early developments of Dubstep. Through Big Apple, Skream met Hatcha, the pioneering DJ who at the time was spinning the darker 2step sounds emanating from the south London borough. ‘That stuff just took me, I was on that commercial sort of Garage, but the twist and difference in the sound was just mad.’ He then hooked up with Benga, another young and influential producer, by playing beats down the phone to each other, and started on a road that would lead him to become one of the most prolific producers of any genre – as testified by the 1000+ tracks sitting on his hard drives five years later. ‘I wasn’t interested in school one little bit, I was a little fucker, but music was something I could concentrate on and being involved in it was always something I wanted to do – it seemed like a good career choice if you could get in there’.

With inspiration from the likes of Artwork, Menta, Hatcha and Horsepower Productions, the young Skream started making beats on a bust up old PC and some easily available software – namely Fruity Loops, a program he still uses to this day and one that many people front on but which in his hands is seemingly capable of producing the most arresting and enticing tracks. Him and Benga started cracking the sounds that inspired them so much and, as is always the case, ended up with something that was entirely their own. ‘We just concentrated on beats and bass – we were always trying to clock the different ways to make bass. I listen back to the stuff we did now and it was different. The production quality wasn’t the highest but it didn’t matter because people were just looking for something new’. Something new is what people got, with both of them releasing their early tracks on the now defunct Big Apple label and in the process helping to herald a change in the scene and sounds.

A few years passed and a lot of things changed – Grime, another offshoot of Garage and 2step, arrived and blew up, while new producers, such as Digital Mystikz, injected a renewed sense of direction into Dubstep which by then was moving on from the 2step days and evolving, slowly but surely. Their arrival deeply impacted on Skream. ‘Around 03, I was going out a lot, and the scene was shit – I was too young, but when these guys started coming through I’d hear their music and it really gave me a kick up the arse. Mala brought a more musical side to the music, like little hooks and shit – and that’s what people want, hooks. Beats and bass can only go so far. If Mystikz hadn’t come about the time they had, I don’t think things would be the same today. Them boys put a lot of graft in.’ With this in mind, Skream stepped up his game, did part of a music tech course, which helped him refine his skills, and set about evolving his productions to a higher standard, taking in influences from all sorts of music and churning out tracks that have established him as one of the most versatile and talented producers on the scene.

And then in 2005 something happened. A track he had made around Christmas 2004 would change things – it got battered at Dubstep nights, picked up by Grime MCs and DJs, brought about Skream’s second coming and helped kick start a chain of events that would bring a lot of attention to Dubstep, and the young producer. The track was ‘Midnight Request Line’, released on Tempa. Ironically for a track that started life as a Grime tune it has become an anthem of huge proportions, with everyone from Grime to mainstream radio to minimal Techno playing it out. And then earlier this year Drum & Bass also chipped in thanks to the DJ Zinc remix – a favour Skream is about to return with his own take on ‘Flim’.

While Skream does at times feel like the tune has got bigger than himself, he’s thankful for what it’s brought him and the scene – a lot of interest and vigour, as well as important things like better record sales. Still there are many more tracks, as exemplified in his recent ‘Skreamizm vol1’ EP, on his hard drives that have the potential to be as massive. His remix of Sunship’s ‘Almighty Father’ is one that he particularly loves, and so do the fans. It’s been so popular with the track’s vocalist, Warrior Queen, that they’ve now collaborated on a track for his forthcoming album – and it’s another monster to watch out for.

There’s plenty more on the plate for Skream this year – ‘Skreamizm vol2’ is dropping later in the summer, he has upcoming trips to New York, Canada, Berlin, Switzerland and possibly even Australia and more importantly his first solo album on Tempa. The process of putting it together was a crucial experience for him, something he has learnt a lot from – having to choose finely between pleasing himself, pleasing fans and putting out something that can stand the test of time. When we spoke it was done, the only hitch was there were 4 tracklistings for it – still you can expect it to be one of the most interesting releases of the year, with a mix of old, new and classic stuff that will undoubtedly continue to further his reputation as one of the most talented producers around. As we end the interview, I ask him how he feels about the future? ‘I feel good. Dubstep is here to stay and people are recognising that now. The scene is a close-knit community, we all know and respect each other and we all push and help each other forward. 06 has been the year for everyone and all those who’ve been grafting since 2000 are coming through and I can only see it getting better.’