Many artists in the music industry features writer claim to represent their local neighborhood, city or record label. But imagine carrying the weight of a whole genre on your shoulders. Skream, a Croydon, London based producer, is known by many as the ambassador of dubstep. Dubstep is one of the many subgenres of electronic music, and it has gained mainstream attention in the last few years. Skream’s latest album Outside the Box (Tempa) ambitiously attempts to pull dubstep out

from the underground and onto the world stage. Often the biggest problem with an independent artist attempting a breakthrough into the mainstream is keeping the hardcore fans happy while inviting new fans in. This problem arises because artists often water down their sound with mainstream elements. Skream, however, decides to mix dubstep with every genre imaginable on Outside the Box, while still providing enough thumping dance grooves to keep his underground fan base happy. Outside the Box is certainly not lacking in the heart-thumping, fist-pumping raves department. Tracks such as “CPU” and “Listenin’ to the Records on my Wall” are excellent dubstep songs that are also highly melodic, and should delight any electronic aficionado. The closing track “The Epic Last Song” is appropriately titled. Its driving, diverse grooves and excellent synthesizer

orchestration make the listener feel like he/she is in an epic, video-game boss fight. The album also has songs which stray a bit too much into the hard-core- techno side for most casual listeners’ tastes. “Wibbler” should really be called wobbler. It’s one of those songs audiophiles play when they want to show off the sub-woofer in their 1994 Plymouth Voyager and break some concrete. “How Real” is just too weird. The vocals, provided by Freckles, sound like a broken robot, and the beat is lackluster.

Although some hard-core fans might not be pleased, the best moments of Outside the Box come when Skream mixes dubstep with other genres of music. “8 Bit Baby” features rapper MURS on the mic and is an aggressive mix of underground hip-hop and electronica, while “A Song for Lenny” contains heavy usage of strings and sounds more like a classical composition than a techno jam. The most radio-friendly song and one of the highlights of the album is “Where You Should Be.” Featuring airy, captivating vocals from Sam Frank, the song fits dubstep beats and an R&B style melody all into a modern, hook-laden song structure. The album’s shining achievement though is without a doubt “Finally.” The song sounds absolutely huge. La Roux provides an absolute gem of a vocal, and Skream matches it perfectly with powerful production. The song’s lyrics speak of a savior appearing, and the mood appropriately goes from sad and lonely to hopeful and elated. It’s one of those tunes that steps outside any conventional musical genre.

With its slick production, bass-centric beats, and strong but spacious melodies, Outside the Box is a great album for electronic music fans and adventurous listeners alike. Whether you are a fan of dubstep or not, Skream undoubtedly accomplishes on his second album something few artists are able to do: evolve a genre of music in totally new ways.