Elijah and Skilliam’s Essential Grime Instrumentals

Imagine, just for a second, how different the grime landscape would be in 2015 without Elijah and Skilliam. Difficult isn’t it? It’s pretty much impossible actually. The lads have been operating under the Butterz moniker for the best part of a decade now, launching their eponymous blog back in 2007. Since then they’ve kept up a residency on Rinse FM, founded a record label, and put on night after night of top tier grime action, going on to be two of the most respected and revered figures in the scene.

With Skepta taking over the world and Stormzy, well, storming up the charts, the grime rennaisance’s shown no sign of slowing down in 2015. Not that it ever went away. Still, wrapping up the year nicely is Elijah and Skilliam’s essential new compilation, the aptly titled Grime 2015. Featuring everyone from Wiley to Rabit, Swindle to D Double E, it’s the perfect present for the Channel AKA addict in your household. Or anyone with any semblance of taste really.

To get you in the mood for it, we asked the boys to put together their 10 essential grime instrumentals…ever! Tuck in below.

1. Rebound X – Rhythm And Gash

Elijah: This might be the biggest grime instrumental? It had a massive burst of new energy because of DJ EZ playing Flava D’s remix everywhere this summer and has been getting the reaction of a new track even though it actually came out back in 2006. It’s rare that you will go to a night playing this music and not hear it.

2. XTC – Functions On The Low

Brought to a lot of peoples ears by Stormzy this year with his freestyle “Shut Up”, it’s another track that’s reached a lot of ears for the first time. I even heard it being used as a bed on Newsnight a few weeks back. A Ruff Sqwad classic.

3. Wiley – Nightbus

The obvious Wiley one to pick is “Eskimo”, but this is one of his most crazy productions. The vocal he did on it is also one of his best ever, and it came at a time where war dubs were frequent and his Sunday night show on Rinse FM alongside Roll Deep & BBK was essential listening.

4. Treble Clef – Ghetto Kyote

When you try and describe what grime is to someone, or they have a rough idea of what they think it is. It’s probably not this.

5. Preditah – Circles

One of the biggest tunes of modern times. Definitely helped Preditah become a huge star in his own right, one of the first producers to break out and forge out a career DJing the circuit in a major way.

6. SX – Woo Riddim

This was a cross genre smash that still goes off today. Probably one of the best selling grime 12″s in the last 10 years.

7. R U Really From The Endz (Instrumental)

This doesn’t get a lot of credit as a Grime track but I definitely heard DJs battering this back in the day. Listen to any Nasty Crew set from 2003 and this tune is always played.

8. Skepta – DTI

The shine has been on Skepta as an MC this year but people forget he is also one of the best producers to ever do this. He’s one of very few people to have anthems right from the start up until now.

9. Joker – Gully Brook Lane

Gully Brook Lane is usually associated with dubstep but it was loved just as much on our side too. It was one of those that made people ask what the difference between grime and dubstep was for a while.

10. DJ Wonder – What (Instrumental)

This, and so many variations of it will probably never stop being played. If someone wanted an obvious grime instrumental to show to someone, this is a good example of one.

Elijah and Skilliam’s Grime 2015 is released today on Butterz. Buy or stream it now.

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