Soundtrack To My Life: Skream

The Croydon legend lists the tracks that mean the most to him.

Skream @ Desperados Party
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Image via Desperados

Skream @ Desperados Party

Oliver 'Skream' Jones has seen at all. Having first emerged in the heady days of dubstep's formative years—an era he captured perfectly on his debut self-titled album—Croydon's Skream has since gone on to expand his horizons beyond the minimalist, dark 2-step he cut his teeth on. Over the years, his productions and DJ sets have taken in house music, disco, techno and more and in the process he's become a producer/DJ no longer confined to, or associated with, any one sound. Nowadays, there's no such thing as a "definitive" Skream record, and that freeness is plain to hear.

Just last month, ravers were treated to an example of that when he played Desperados' Epic House Party at London's new Magazine venue, a club night with just a few special touches to set it apart from the rest. Door security was handled by Risky Roadz's Grime Gran, while everyone in the crowd was given a custom-built haptic jacket so that they could literally feel the music. This was just one in a list of impressive events being run by Desperados as part of their #WeAreTheParty campaign, and to celebrate, we tapped up Skream to talk us through the tracks that made him the artist he is today.

Your move from dubstep to house and techno has been one of the smoothest transitions we've ever seen. How have you found it?

It's crazy to think it's been nine years since the transition. It's been amazingly smooth, and I'm so thankful for the promoters who just let me do me.

Do you miss the dubstep days of old?

I had such an amazing time, so I'm just so grateful. I don't think it's possible to miss those days because I'm still making music and doing the same thing. I do miss some of the people I used to be with all the time—a lot of them were like family.

What would it take for a dubstep revival in 2019?

I write music at all tempos so there's definitely a chance of me writing a record at 140BPM. I've got some stuff in the pipelines, but it won't happen in 2019. Keep a lookout!

Who are some of your favourite house and techno producers out right now, and why?

There's these three boys from Liverpool, called Matter Of Fakt, that I've recently signed to my label. Their production is amazing and they're bringing something new to the table: high-speed techno with funk elements and live vocals—really fresh. There's also Eat Enders who are very popular at the moment—they've got such a groove to their work, but still keep it very minimal.

Plans for the rest of the year?

Well, recently, I partnered with Desperados and party legends Elrow to transform one of London's newest venues, Magazine London, into the most welcoming house party—people's wild party ideas were turned into a reality! I played a five-hour set, while party-goers got to experience wild surroundings, including octopus bartenders. I've also just released "Song For Olivia" and I've got a lot of music coming out before the end of the year, including work with Patrick Topping's label, a remix coming out on Dense, and I've also signed an EP for Jamie Jones' Hot Creations label. And then there's the tour, which will take me all over the place. 

Soundtrack To My Life...


 

Skream — "Midnight Request Line"

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"This one changed my life, completely, and it's quite easy to see why—it opened the world up to my music and put me in a place where I might not have been otherwise. This song paved my way to where I am today."

El-B — "Buck & Bury"

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"There's a number of songs by El-B that I could choose, but this, for me, is a real game-changer. I remember hearing 'Buck & Bury' for the first time with DJ Hatcha, and is still, to this day, one of my favourite tunes. Everything about it is so different from what was around back then. It was the back end of bubbly garage, so it was being pushed to the underground scene. It absolutely made my life when it was released; an absolute, timeless, classic."

Jocelyn Brown — "Somebody Else’s Guy"

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"Jocelyn Brown's 'Somebody Else's Guy' is one of those songs that's been with us all our lives: from weddings, to birthday parties—you name it! It's also my mum's favourite song and it's definitely the tune that got me into disco. Even now, when I hear this song, it makes the hairs on my arms stand up. I played it the other day and it still gets the reaction where everyone sings along, no matter what age. A definite highlight was dancing with my mum at her 50th birthday to this track—we were absolutely going for it and I was spinning her around! It was a great moment."

Photek — "Complex"

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"Some people know, and some people don't know, that my brother HiJak was part of the crew in TANNATI back in the day. 'Complex' is a tune that still stands the test of time, thanks to its production and drums. I remember the first time hearing it I was absolutely blown away. It wasn't around the time HiJak was playing it, probably years later, and yet I still listen to it now, and I try and play it at as many after-parties as I can. It's also a go-to track when I have writer's block. Everything about it, including the arrangement, is next level."

Masters At Work — "To Be In Love" f/ India (MJ Cole Remix)

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"There's not much difference between this remix and the original, but MJ Cole is just a don—always has been and always will be. The reason I picked this mix of 'To Be In Love' is because it introduced me to the original. I remember hearing it years ago on pirate radio and it's just that timeless vocal from India that's still a classic. Absolute masters at work! You can still play it on any dancefloor, anywhere, and it will get people singing along and grooving to it. It's still one of my all-time favourites and will be played by me for many, many years to come."

Instra:Mental — "Voyeur"

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"Everything that Boddika aka Al Bleak and Damon Drummer, aka Jon Convicts, did around this time has shaped me into what I've become. 'Voyeur' came out at during a major turning point in my career, as I was listening and experimenting with new sounds. It's just an absolute game-changer! There was nothing else like it, and I'm not sure there's much like it now: it's dark, it's sparse, and the vocals are so creamy—I love everything about it. Luckily, I managed to release it on my now-defunct label, and now I need to re-release it. Again, this stands the test of time. We worked on this together and I'm still so happy to have got my hands on the record. 'Voyeur' was vital during the post-dubstep era."

Skream — "Bang That"

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"I have to put this one in the list because it was the first 130BPM or slower production that was sort of accepted by people. You can definitely tell I was in a transitional change musically. I was quite honoured when Alex Boysnoize approached me to sign it to release on BNR. Although my frequency is all over the place, I still listen to it and it still bangs."

Menta — "The Soul"

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"I wouldn't be able to make a list of songs that have shaped my life without mentioning a production by Artwork aka Arthur Smith aka The Menta. I think 'The Soul' was the first drumplay I ever cut. This song was at the turning point of garage becoming something else; it was the perfect intro tune. Everything about it—the bassline, the drums—it was so deep, and the vibes just made me get where we were going, or where I wanted to go, anyway. It just showed off Artwork's timeless production skills."

Grain — "Untitled 4"

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"I was always a fan of the Grain stuff when Hatcha used to play at Ford back in the day. A lot more recently, I've been trying to figure out what I want to write. For me, 'Untitled 4' is everything I want to do while putting my own spin on it. I love the fact that Arthur was trying to merge garage and techno, and he did it spot on! Everything about it was an absolute belter and I still play it regularly."

Skream — "Song For Olivia"

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"I know this is another Skream record, but I have to put 'Song For Olivia' on the list. Obviously, it's the song for my newborn, and it's definitely a new part of my life. It's a new turn in my production and I think it's the best song I've produced in a while—maybe the best, production-wise."

 

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