After a killer autumn term, Muzik Events landed a huge all night long party with Skream. His b2b with Eats Everything back in March was something else, so we headed down to Code Warehouse last Saturday to catch Skream’s ‘Open to Close’ show.
Over a decade ago, Oliver Jones a.k.a. Skream was already a big name on the electronic music scene and an influential exponent of the dubstep sound. He produced several singles including his debut LP Skream! in 2006 and was also seen to co-found Magnetic Man with collaborators Artwork and Benga. Together they produced a debut album and took dubstep worldwide in 2010. Today, Skream doesn’t regard himself as the dubstep DJ he once was. It’s been four years since he announced on twitter that he will no longer play dubstep, stating that “dubstep is just a game now” and that “the movement is over”. But since then, Skream has built a reputation as one of the biggest and best tech-house DJs in the world, performing across the globe at the biggest festivals and clubs.
Skream’s no stranger to an all night long set, with this being his second open to close tour since 2016. His experience of big crowds and the general love he has for his profession were clear as soon as we arrived at Code Warehouse. Even in the early hours of the night the floor was packed and the crowd bouncing, the atmosphere was electric. Skream showed off his extensive musical knowledge playing genres across the house and techno board. Dropping tracks such as ‘Tech This Out’ by Eli Brown, which was released earlier this year and Anthony Georges Patrice’s momentous ‘Parallel Romance’, his selecting finesse was infallible. With disguised transitions keeping the crowd alive, he increased the tempo throughout the night, slowly introducing his audience to more African-style tracks, which were met with great enthusiasm.
As the night progressed, he dropped the classic ‘Touch Me’ by Rui Da Silvas. Controlling the crowd, on occasion Skream would tease the crowd with filtering, readying his audience for a big drop and the activation of the smoke machines. A standout euphoric moment was when he played his own track ‘Settled’, which induced an array of cheers and of course, many punters putting their phones in the air to capture the moment. Skream’s show in Sheffield firmed up why he has such a loyal following – his technical ability and careful selection are second to none. It’s clear that years of experience under his belt has carved him into a fearless DJ. Needless to say, we’re already hyped for his return to the steel city and Muzik Events Boxing Day and NYE events!
hit their with Rob Tissera and Steve Luigi on December 22nd and are back at Code Warehouse for with CamelPhat, Denney and Eli Brown & Jhonnson.
