Take us back to when the dubstep sound first started to form. Can you tell us about what was inspiring this innovative evolution of the music?

Rusko: The main base material that was molded into early dubstep was garage. The more minimal and harder "dark garage" sound was popularized by early tracks created by people like Skream. He can take it from here.

Skream: The genre’s origin has been pretty well documented. It was the end of UK garage as everybody knew it. Things were changing and to be honest, the change came about because a few kids were trying to make music on software that people were making in multi-thousand-pound studios. At first, we thought it was impossible. But through not having the equipment our idols were making music with, we ended up creating a mutation of UK garage that eventually transformed into dubstep.

You two are heralded as pioneers of dubstep. Who were some of YOUR musical pioneers? What else were you listening to at the time and what was it about dubstep that really captured your imagination?

Rusko: For me, it was a mixture of a couple of things. Iration Steppas’ Subdub sound system clash was a big influence with its heavy, electronically produced instrumental reggae. The other component, for Caspa and I certainly, was jump-up drum ‘n’ bass. The early 2000s saw a strain of heavy d ‘n’ b with wobbly bass and screechy noises blowing up alongside artists like GDub, Clipz, TC and Hazard who were pushing the jump-up style. Incorporating these sounds into the existing dubstep palate was the basic idea behind all those classic Rusko tracks.

Skream: My influences were mostly those producers making instrumental UK garage. That was the music I grew up on. Stuff by the likes of Horsepower Productions, Artwork, Menta and Oris Jay to name a few.

How and when did you two first come into contact with each other and how has your relationship evolved over the years?

Rusko: I first met Ollie at the afore-mentioned rave, Subdub. Previous to that, we had been chatting online for some time. In those very early days, the scene was so small and hardly any music was getting released, so AIM messenger became a sort of testing ground and trading place as we all helped each other out. The vibes were always nice.

Skream: I remember Rusko came to my studio back in the day to make a record that never got finished. I think it's called ‘Dungeons and Dragons’? I can't remember, honestly. Then we got booked to play a show together in Newcastle, England. I got a little loose and while we were playing b2b, I disappeared about 10 minutes into the show.

That’s a true story. I only thought about it the other day when I was speaking to Rusko about it. We weren’t from the same crew or the same area but we always had a solid rapport with one another. I think when it comes to what Benga and I were making around that period, we took it to one place and eventually, Caspa and Rusko took it to a different level entirely.

With any sound of any style of music, it needs to get taken by someone else and manipulated. That's what Caspa and Rusko did with their ‘Fabriclive 37’ mix in 2007. That release extends on a whole new generation of kids who got into dubstep.

How did the idea of doing an old school dubstep DJ set at EDC come to fruition? Why now?

Skream: The idea of me playing a set like this again is definitely not a new one. I've been getting asked to play sets of what I would consider my “older stuff” for fucking ages. I think a lot of the promoters and the areas that have asked me to do this are catering to crowds that have already heard what I have to offer a hundred times every weekend at dubstep night. I’m taking this as an opportunity to play to a crowd who, without many of them even knowing it, will be hearing the music that I made years ago which ended up influencing the sounds being played out at that stage during EDC.

12th Planet said to me about a year ago, “a lot of these new riddim sounds in the genre sound just like your old shit.” I'm not trapped in a time warp where I don't want to play my old music for the rest of my life, but I think playing my old shit at EDC will actually be like playing for fresh ears. I don't really want to go and play in cities for people who have heard these songs so many times already, because well... what’s the point? I want to play at a place where the crowd is hearing my stuff for the very first time.

I’ll be playing Skream records from 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. When I say it out loud, it doesn't make any sense to me, but what I'm forgetting is the kids who are 18, 19, 20 and 21... they were in fucking kindergarten in 2005! I declared I was never going to do it again because I'm only about moving forward, but I love the music I've made years ago. And I still do. So it's like, fuck it, whatever. Let's have a huge party.



Rusko: In a world of ‘riddim’, even my current tracks are classed as old school dubstep, in aesthetic at least anyway! And I am known for representing that sound everywhere I go, but especially at the larger US EDM festivals. I literally did NOT think Skream was gonna be up for this. It was the longest shot of longest shots as it’s well known he hadn’t played a dubstep set for years. Stylistically though, his classic output and mine - like a glove mate. It’s gonna be seamless.

