Skream - Still Lemonade

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  • Though Skream's move towards 4/4 might still be controversial to some dubstep devotees, by now he's proven himself an honest enthusiast of techno and house. The problem with Oliver Jones' output since that shift is that it feels novice, bland and by-the-numbers, the sound of someone trying to imitate a craft they might not fully grasp. (He's also been roundly criticized for using untouched sample packs to make his tunes.) Coming on Crosstown Rebels ahead of a new album, "Still Lemonade" is an important release in Skream's career. The new platform might establish him as a legitimate member of the house and techno community once and for all, though "Still Lemonade" leaves his biggest problem unresolved. "Still Lemonade" sounds like Skream trying to figure out what makes a festival banger tick. He aims for the sweet spot between euphoric and melancholic but clumsily overshoots, leaving the track with an overwrought melody and synths that feel too cheap to really get the message across. Redshape's remix attempts to salvage "Still Lemonade," giving it a tougher techno chassis and bolstering it with some melodramatic drum hits. Of course, you can't make a new sports car out of rusty junkyard parts, and so even in the seasoned German producer's hands "Still Lemonade" sounds anemic. As a DJ, Skream might fit comfortably in the house and techno realm these days, but by the sounds of "Still Lemonade" he still has a way to go on the production front.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Still Lemonade B1 Still Lemonade (Redshape remix)
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