Solo @ The Arch, Neath
Sat 10 Feb
When you take a look at what 31-year-old Oliver Jones, the Croydon native known to legions of ravers as Skream, has achieved since breaking through in 2005, it really does make you sit and take stock. He was there behind the counter at his hometown’s Big Apple records. He was an ever-present at the FWD>> clubnight, in Plastic People, while his own early, skeletal and moody productions would, along with the likes of Benga, Loefah and DMZ, help define the genre’s early days.
As the sound moved into arenas and main stages of festivals, so did Jones – notably with his ‘dubstep supergroup’ Magnetic Man, a trio also featuring Benga and Artwork. But as the basslines got more ridiculous and dubstep found itself wrapped up in the creeping tentacles of EDM, Jones found himself at a creative dead end. At which point he discovered that he had a lot more fun making and playing 4/4 music – house, techno, and everything in between – and thus begun an unexpected second act to Skream’s career.
Since about 2013, save for an ultra-rare dubstep set, Jones has jettisoned the sound that brought him to international notoriety, much to the chagrin of more than a few basement-dwelling YouTube commenters who still seem utterly incandescent with rage that he wanted to try something a bit different. Known as much as being one of the hardest-touring players in the game (as well as his penchant for partying), getting Skream out west to Neath represents quite the coup for promoters Solo. He’s usually found at massive events like Cocoon or Elrow, headlining cavernous spaces like Motion in Bristol, so getting him off to head off the beaten track of the established club circuit is certainly commendable.
For what it’s worth, promoters Solo might be worth keeping an eye on in 2018 – they’ve quietly gone about getting some fairly big tech-house hitters over the past year or so, by themselves and in conjunction with Cardiff crew Memorex, notably the none-more-stompy stylings of Dense & Pika.
Tickets: £21. Info: 07791 923214
words KRISTIAN DANDO