Skream Drops First Dubstep Track in 10 Years

English producer Skream is all set to circle back to dubstep after taking a decade-long break.

Oliver Dene Jones aka Skream took an unanticipated U-turn a decade back that wasn’t well received by all his fans. Though he had made a name for himself for mastering a range of electronic music subgenres, his work with Benga is perhaps what he’s known best for. Together, the pair helped popularize dubstep and helped bring it as far as it has come today.

This is precisely why a lot of people were disappointed when Skream stopped releasing dubstep tunes. “Kingpin,” a collaborative effort with Friction that featured Riko Dan, Scrufizzer and P Money, was the last time he put out such music and his supporters have been itching for more ever since. Ten years is a long time, but the good news is that the wait is finally over.

In a tweet posted during the early hours of April 11, the BBC’s Maryanne Hobbs revealed the UK producer’s next move: “Who’s ready for SKREAM’s first new dubstep track in ten years!!!” The anticipation surrounding this release is as high as anyone might expect. After all, ten years is indeed a very long time.

A decade back, Skream shifted his focus to making house music and DJing. In 2013, fans were surprised by his set at the Red Bull Discotheque at HARD Day of the Dead. This seemed like an out-of-character move for him, but it went on to become his identity over subsequent years. All this while, dubstep junkies have been waiting for his return, and the time has finally come!

On April 12, Skream released his long-awaited dubstep return track “Summoned.” As of now, not too many other long-term plans have been revealed. Is this a one-off drop for nostalgic purposes or will he fully commit to the part — we can’t say anything for sure as of now.

We do, however, know this: Skream has been discussing a reunion with Benga on social media plus he performed a rare dubstep set at Coachella last year, so it appears that the odds are in favor of a full-on return. The hero revisits the culture he bred — the perfect story! Though we are grateful for the single, let’s just hope we get a little more.

Karan Singh

I am an Indian American music journalist based in Los Angeles. My interests include (but aren’t limited to) downtempo, industrial, drum & bass and trip hop. After working in the publishing industry as a copy editor for nearly three years, I decided to switch professions and become a writer. I have a bachelor’s degree in English from UC Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in Specialized Journalism from the University of Southern California. My aim as a writer is to explore the forces that energize creativity. I’ve always felt a natural pull toward the arts and entertainment space, and my stories seek to magnify the facets of its adjoining cultures.

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