Credit: Tempa
Skream!
[By: Skream]
Genre: UK dubstep
Rating: 80
Cohesiveness: 59
Track quality: 74
Beginner-friendly? kind of
Written 2025/12/17
Skream's self-titled album is a cult classic, an essential album for any electronic listener. Not only was it one of the first records to define the progression into a new era for the UK's musical landscape, but it was (and is) just a really good record as well.
Indeed, "Skream!" is often considered one of the earliest album-form embodiments of the new style of darker, bassline-driven garage, coined as 'dubstep'. And no matter what you think of modern dubstep, it is undeniable that this style (and, in turn, this album) has fundamentally changed the way we look at both atmosphere usage and club culture in electronic music, cited by industry greats as a key influence even to this day. And it should be noted that the original wave of dubstep Skream spearheaded was very different to the growls of today's dubstep - in 2006, dubstep was simply a gritty, powerful extension of UK garage, that had only recently begun to break away and come into its own.
Dubstep at the time reflected a contrarian approach to a growing consumerism that was threatening to swallow London, portraying a certain detached, melancholy identity that was only really challenged by its equal presence at clubs. This was escapism, this was a reframing of the youth's identity, this was the new style of teenage rebellion that, unlike the rowdiness of punk, stayed quiet in the shadows and counted its lucky stars. This was an industrial, grimy answer to an industrial, grimy world.
"Skream!", as a record, is much the same. It is the life of the party, a sonic representation of the function's energy and its nervous participants. For every rowdy bassline wobbler like "Stagger" or "Check It", there's a melody-driven atmosphere like "Summer Dreams", or a distinctly personable cut like "Rutten". Skream weaves his beats with reflective, well-placed sampling to lend his self-titled record personality - and for an album in the mid-2000s that relied on its production to make any impact, personality is a massive asset.
But perhaps not as massive of an asset as the production itself. Now fully severed from UK garage, Skream whips up some of the slinkiest, most technical beats of his time, challenging the ear with resolute basslines and drums beat to a razor edge. It's not all tough, intense beats, though - Skream takes pause at multiple points through the album to embark on thoughtful, synth-driven, reflective journeys, almost as a breather between tracks, but far too populous to be considered just interludes. In fact, these atmospheric tracks are arguably the skeleton of the record, whilst the harder-hitting dubstep cuts are its ammo.
Cultural identity may have been formed by its earliness to the genre, but it was rooted by technical skill and character. Retrospectively, the impact that Skream's self-titled album has had on bass music - and electronic music in general - is incredible, especially for an album that expresses the unassuming. Imbued with UK flavour, this is one pillar of electronic music that justifiably stands tall.
Listen on Spotify here.
Tortured Soul [Atmospheric] | (/100)
A very minimal, atmospheric cut that feels somewhat cinematic with its lead. Skream progressed this opener very well, never losing the cinematicism but constantly throwing in fresh, strong drums and a couple of well-placed sound design moments.
Midnight Request Line [Standout] | (/100)
When we talk of dubstep classics, "Midnight Request Line" is one track that is always mentioned. It's got a fun little opening sample that moves into an echoey, smug synth lead and some skittering backing percussion. Perhaps it's not the most engaging cut on this record, but it's a legendary track.
Blue Eyez [Upbeat] | (/100)
Thumping sub-bass and a spoken-word sample elevate the triumphant production above its otherwise plain atmosphere. This is quite a simple track, but it achieves what it needs to, and more.
Auto-Dub [Melodic] | (/100)
"Auto-Dub" is a much shorter track comparatively, with under three minutes of runtime, and the shortness does hurt it a litte. Otherwise a very consistent track though, with some nice synthwork and a simple beat.
Check It [Switchup] | (/100)
w/ Warrior Queen
Warrior Queen puts in a very nice flow with her vocal performance, and the beat absolutely goes off, but the way the vocal is mixed sounds jarring and awkward amongst the atmosphere of the tune. Had a lot of potential - I would recommend the instrumental version more, though.
Stagger [Intense] | (/100)
Amazing track for the insane wobbly bassline it brings. "Stagger" is an amazingly engaging track, managing to cram in a ton of wubby dubstep stylistics - with its sly bassline and drumwork - without sacrificing the minimal nature of its surrounding tracks.
Dutch Flowerz [Laid-back] | (/100)
This is a nice and chill tune for the album, particularly at this stage. It's got a big bassline, but it's not as arrogant or overbearing as some of the harder cuts off the record - it's a vibe to listen to for sure.
Rutten [Standout] | (/100)
This is the other big hit from this album, and it certainly shows through a lot more than "Midnight Request Line" did. "Rutten" hosts a filthy bassline and a couple of whistly flute leads, drawn out over 6 minutes of runtime. The lead is a total earworm, along with all its sound design accomplices, and the spoken-word section at the end about "spliff politics" is very charming.
Tapped [Catchy] | (/100)
w/ JME
JME's flow is very good and the mixing of his vocal is better than that of Warrior Queen's on "Check It". His hook is catchy enough and Skream's production feels like it suits his grime very well, lying somewhere between a full hip-hop beat and a dubstep roller.
Kut-Off [Standout] | (/100)
"Kut-Off" opens with a digital-sounding synth that develops and modulates throughout the track, and occasionally switches into this crazy off-section with shuffling drums and an oscillating lead. And about halfway through it randomly just plunges into a compressed firing of bassline on all cylinders, staying in the established motif but having a blast with dynamicism.
Summer Dreams [Laid-back] | (/100)
Having a carefree garage cut be your longest track on the album (by a considerable amount of time, with this one bordering on 8 minutes) is always a blast even to this day, and Skream harnesses it particularly well, with "Summer Dreams" being a joyous cut with plenty of movement and a swaggering trumpet to match.
Colourful [Standout] | (/100)
Powerful, rhythmic beatwork backs an echoey atmosphere, punctuated by a muted female vocal sample - almost reminiscient of Burial's work - and a generally heavy-handed approach to song composition, especially with the sharp synthesised lead.
Emotionally Mute (Outro) [Melodic] | (/100)
Skream chooses to end off this album with a brighter, more melodic take on the emerging UK dubstep sound. It's got similar atmospherically-sensible stylistics as the rest of the record before it, but with a more synth-driven edge to it, and less pounding basslines to show.
- Kut-Off (/100)
- Stagger (/100)
- Rutten (/100)
- Tortured Soul (/100)
- Summer Dreams (/100)
- Tapped w/ JME (/100)
- Blue Eyez (/100)
- Dutch Flowerz (/100)
- Colourful (/100)
- Midnight Request Line (/100)
- Check It w/ Warrior Queen (/100)
- Auto-Dub (/100)
- Emotionally Mute (Outro) (/100)