Skream - Outside the Box

As the title suggests, Outside the Box is Skream’s (real name Oliver Jones) attempt to break free of the restrictions that come with being regarded as a dubstep artist, which is a pretty brave move considering he is one of the people responsible for pioneering the international phenomenon. The album includes a plethora of collaborations featuring La Roux, dBridge and instra:mental with varying degrees of success.

The first couple of tracks indicate that Skream’s adventurous spirit may be the death of this album, as opening track Perforated starts off promisingly enough with swirling samples that increase in tension but fail to go anywhere.

On 8 Bit Baby, Skream teams up with Murs and proves that collaborations don’t always bring out the best in the artists involved. The LA rapper provides uncharacteristically sloppy verses that essentially amount to how much better the duo are than everyone else. The rapper’s unimaginative bragging is so devoid of wit that it is almost laughable, and Skream’s monotonous beat and sample combination does not make for interesting listening either.

How Real is one of the album’s finest moments thanks to a glitchy two step rhythm that ascends in momentum only to abruptly dissolve into a twisted euphoric dance breakdown. Freckles’ heavily chopped, bionic vocals work in perfect harmony with Skream’s production.

The Croydon producer flexes his dubstep muscle on I Love the Way, with a reliable blend of nocturnal menace and sparse beats, but it is Wibbler that will satisfy fans of his early work. The wobbly bass and piercing snare drum explosions are certain to turn his live sets into a frenzy of violently jerking bodies.

It is rumoured that Skream is currently working with drum and bass legend Goldie, and this seems highly probable considering the satisfying breakbeats and powerful female vocals on Listenin’ to the Records on my Wall. This track sounds like it could have easily been written during Goldie’s Timeless era.

Metamorphosis and A Song for Lenny are both valiant attempts at emotive electronica but, although well executed, they simply sound like diluted versions of Moderat tracks.

This is a very adventurous record for a producer who is still in the early stages of his career. It is honourable that he is not simply trying to milk the success of previous hits Midnight Request Line and that mighty La Roux remix. The only problem is that sometimes his efforts are frustratingly misguided. Still, if you skip the first couple of tracks and you are on to a winner.