Skream
Skream at Metropolis in Leeds
Background information
Birth name	Oliver Dene Jones
Born	(1986-06-01) 1 June 1986 (age 26)
Genres	Dubstep, UK garage, dub
Occupations	producer, musician
Instruments	music sequencer, samplers, drum machine, personal computer
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Tempa, Tectonic, Disfigured Dubz, Deep Medi Musik
Associated acts	Benga Artwork Magnetic Man Example
Website	https://www.facebook.com/Skream

Skream in July 2009

Skream (born Oliver Dene Jones in West Wickham, Bromley, London^[1] on 1 June 1986) is a Dubstep producer based in Croydon.^[2] One of Dubstep's first^[3] and most prominent producers, he has played an important role in the genre's development.^[4] His debut album Skream! was released in 2006, and was followed up by Outside the Box in 2010. Skream is also a member of the Dubstep supergroup Magnetic Man,^[5] along with fellow producers Benga and Artwork. The group released their self-titled debut album on 8 October 2010.

In an interview with The Independent (UK) in September 2011, Skream was quoted: "The word Dubstep is being used by a lot of people and there were a lot of people being tagged with the Dubstep brush. They don’t want to be tagged with it and shouldn’t be tagged with it – that’s not what they’re pushing ... When I say ‘UK bass’, it’s what everyone UK is associated with so it would be a lot easier if it was called that."^[6]

Origins [link]

As a teenager, Jones worked at Big Apple Records, a Croydon-based record store that was at the centre of the early Dubstep scene; even prior to this, Jones had become acquainted with Hatcha, another Dubstep pioneer, because Jones' brother worked on an adjacent floor in Big Apple Records.^[1] As a result of this encounter, Hatcha was the first DJ to play Skream dubplates.^[2]

Skream began producing music at the age of 15^[1] (using FruityLoops)^[2] and claims to now have roughly 800 songs in varying stages of development, including a number of early disco and funk inspired records.^[7] Jones would regularly 'bunk' school and spend the day at Big Apple Records through his teenage years. On various occasions he would also go to FWD a club night which was originally held in the Velvet Rooms but later moved to Plastic people in shoreditch that would play underground sounds. DJ's such as Hatcha would do live shows here. Skream's early productions were often with another alumnus of Big Apple, Benga, and are of a decidedly darker and less melodic nature than later releases.^[8]

Rise to prominence [link]

As Dubstep gained notice from conventional media such as The Guardian^[3] and Pitchfork Media,^[4] Jones' music started to take on a more melodic sound; less overtly influenced by the darker, UK garage influenced sounds of early Dubstep artists such as Horsepower Productions, with Dub, House, and even Jazz influences instead.^[8] The 2005 Skream track "Midnight Request Line" has been described as "Dubstep's most recognizable crossover hit,"^[9] and has been praised by producers as diverse as Grime producer Wiley, and Minimal Techno producer Ricardo Villalobos.^[10] The key change in the chorus, which The Wire has described as "an epic change of key and tempo that recall(s) the classicist mannerisms of Derrick May,"^[11] has been credited as being a key factor in the evolution of a more melodic sound in the Dubstep genre.^[8]

Skream has released records on a variety of UK record labels, such as Tempa, Tectonic, and Big Apple Records, including a self-titled album on the Tempa label. He has done few tracks with Niall Henshaw otherwise known as Spectrum.^[12] He has performed in Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan,^[13] as well as the UK.^[14] Skream used to host a weekly show on Rinse FM, called Stella Sessions. He now co-hosts the Skream and Benga Sessions.^[15][16]

On 17 June 2007, Skream was featured on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix.^[17]

On 15 September 2008 Harmless released 'Watch The Ride' CD mixed by Skream, following on from artists like Scratch Perverts, Zinc and Goldie. On 2 October 2008 Skream featured in a fly on the wall German TV show 'Durch die Nacht mit...' alongside Drum and bass artist Goldie. In this he said he currently had writer's block, but he was working on music in other genres, also they talked about a Skream & Goldie collaboration that may be on the cards. Skreamizm Volume 5 was released in December 2008

In 2009, he rose to further prominence when his remix of "In for the Kill" by La Roux became firstly an underground hit in the early part of the year before bursting onto the mainstream, being used in promotional material for the 2010 video game Bayonetta.^[18] Also in 2009, Skream has completed further remixes for Bat For Lashes and Toddla T.

In 2010, Skream's popular remix of "In for the Kill" by La Roux was featured in an episode titled "Hair" on the hit HBO series Entourage^[19] and "In the club" on the hit E4 series Misfits.

In the summer of 2010, Skream released his second full-length album 'Outside the Box'. The record earned a score of 7 out of 10 from SPIN magazine.^[20]

Also making records as a part of Magnetic Man. Magnetic Man is a live electronic music project consisting of Dubstep producers and DJs Skream, Benga and Artwork.

From January 2011, Skream, along with Benga, replaced Alex Metric in his 'In New DJ's We Trust' slot on BBC Radio 1. The duo impressed so much that they were given a weekly slot on Radio 1, starting in April 2012.

Skream and Benga performed together at Field Day music festival in Sydney, Australia on New Years Day 2012.^[21]

Personal life [link]

Skream is the brother of jungle DJ Hijak.^[22] In July 2011 Skream and his girlfriends's (Charlotte) first child was born - a son named Jesse.^[23]

Discography [link]

Solo [link]

Albums [link]

• Skream! (2006)
• Outside the Box (2010)

With Magnetic Man [link]

Albums [link]

• Magnetic Man (2010)

References [link]

External links [link]

• Skream on Myspace
• Skream on Facebook
• Skream on Twitter
• Skream's channel on YouTube
• Skream and Benga at BBC Programmes