Croydon Styles – Skream

Chances are you’ve heard of Skream. He’s one of the hottest producers about at the moment and is no doubt an ambassador for London’s newest urban sound, Dubstep. Such a task would weigh heavy on most shoulders, but Skream (aka Oliver Jones) carries the responsibility remarkably well for a 21 year old.

This all started when Skream was but a young boy. Not loving the school environment, Skream turned to his music heavily when only in year 11. Fast forward to today and you can see how he’s helped pave the way for a very exciting genre. His release ‘Midnight Request Line’ is seen as the recognizable crossover hit and got the ball rolling for Dubstep as a mainstream, respected genre of dark garage.

Throw this kid a Music sequencer, some samplers, a drum machine and a laptop and he’ll come out with something raw and sexy. With heavy dub sub bass his trademark style of music is easily recognized and cries out in the same way the dark, dirty streets of London do, with pure aggression. Sexy, sexy aggression. But he hasn’t done this alone, The likes of Benga and Hatcha, both involved in the dark art were a prominent feature on the pirate air waves of Croydon. And rightly so. There also been a lot of influence from Skreams older brother who was part of the raving outfit, Intanatty Crew. You might have heard of this crew considering Radio 1’s Grooverider and Bailey’s are well known as members.

I’ve seen Skream play a few times. The first was at a capacity crowd and Serbia’s masterful festival, Exit, held in Novi Sad. That was Epic. I also caught a glimpse of the gem a couple of weeks ago, when he played alongside Benga at Anni Mac Present in Koko. If your stomach can handle the sub bass, I can promise he’s worth a look. I’m hoping to catch him at FWD+Rinse at London’s biggest club, Matter in Late November.

If you want to enjoy the delights of Skream, have a listen at his myspace.

Thanks to Chris Hoyle for this wicked shot.