Skream At Juno Download

Review: Although it's fair to say that the slightly more commercial nature of some of Skream's recent productions have divided opinion, this single for Mala's DEEP MEDi is one of the darkest and most visceral things the producer has done for some time, harking back to the days when he was one of the UK's most vital producers of experimental music. "Gritty" pushes its considerable weight forward with a stuttering low end, searing textures and punishing kicks, whilst "Phatty Drummer" utilises skeletal rhythms and tribal percussion in conjunction with nightmarish melodies. With dubstep splintering off into numerous different forms, its good to know that one of its earliest figureheads can still be relied on to craft some of the best soundsystem-destroying music in the business.

Review: Dubstep overlord Skream finally offers up the next instalment in his long running "Skreamizm" series, his first since 2009. While last year's Outside The Box LP allowed him to experiment with varying genres and tempos, this six tracker sees him knocking out the anthems with consummate ease. "Xmas Day Swagger" is a dancefloor banger, simplicity itself while "Indistinct" brings a shuffling beat and an Eastern vocal. "Tweedle Dee, Tweedle DUMB!" featuring Trim will appeal to the grime heads and "Abstruse" and "Snarled" are stripped back head nodders. EP closer "FNKONOMIKA" is a blissful minimal D&B track which oozes sheer class.

Review: "Exothermic Reaction" has been floating round for around 18 months now without release, perhaps due to Skream's involvement with Magnetic Man. Whatever your feelings on his poppier side project, this release is one of his best under his solo name for a while. The title track has a particularly alienating melodic quality, reminiscent of his classic "Midnight Request Line", but with a more slow building structure, lumbering bass and whip crack snares. Accompanying track "Future Funkizm" is the complete antithesis to "Exothermic Reaction" and every bit as bright as the title suggests. Featuring a neon bassline and synths that sounds almost Daft Punk-esque, Skream weaves this futuristic palette around some seriously tight grooves.

Review: The dubstep don turns his hand, as he is apt to do, to a bit of jungle. Returning to where he left off with "Burnin' Up" in Sept '09, Skream re-works the Loleatta Holloway sample, adding some warm, reverberating bass and clinking piano keys to "Hats Off" alongside rolling breaks and euphoric builds. "Heavy Hitter" does exactly what it says on the tin with smashing snares, grizzled b-line and thumping kicks, Hatcha style. "Rigging" is a bit more grimey, dominated by groaning SFX, clashing SFX and murky subs. "Sea Sick", possibly the rowdiest of the three dubstep cuts with wrenching synths a-plenty, concludes the EP.