Drumsheds Presents: Spotify DIA/LOG with Skream & Benga: The Pre-Party Playlist
DIA/LOG is new live event series created by Spotify and Drumsheds, built around artists whose sounds, histories, or instincts have something to say, and an understanding that artists, genres, and music forms always exist in conversation with one another.
Its first ever edition celebrates UK Bass & Dubstep, with originators Skream & Benga headlining a three-room exploration with collaborators including Plastician, Sir Spyro and D Double E join the bill, alongside the likes of LTJ Bukem, SBTRKT, Jammer, Special Request, MJ Cole, and Flava D – pioneers in the worlds of Jungle, Garage, Grime, Drum & Bass and beyond.
Representing the new generation are Nitepunk, Jakes, Skalah, Carré, Dangermami, Rohaan, Bad Behli, GЯEG, Surusinghe and Emily Makis, exploring the intersections of left-leaning bass. Expect surprises, special guests, MCs, and more on the night. Expect to hear the following:
Skream & Benga: The centrepiece of the event and two of the key figures in dubstep’s original Croydon scene. Their story goes back to the genre’s formative years, when both were instrumental in shaping the sound that would go on to travel from small South London clubs to a global audience. The Drumsheds show celebrates 25 years of their friendship, music and influence.
Skream – Midnight Request Line: The production style of ‘Midnight Request Line’ (2005) by Skream is the definitive crossover moment for early dubstep, blending a bright, melodic top-line with devastating underground sub-bass. Written on Christmas Day in 2003 when Skream was just 17 years old, the track was originally intended to be a grime instrumental titled ‘Minus C’ before it transformed into the genre’s first global anthem.
Benga – 26 Basslines: A masterclass in aggressive, mid-range “wobble” sound design paired with syncopated, tribal-influenced percussion. Serving as a centerpiece of his seminal album Diary of an Afro Warrior, the track bridged the gap between the deep, meditative space of early 140 BPM dubstep and the energetic, maximalist synth architecture that would soon dominate global bass music
Digital Mystikz: Mala and Coki are among dubstep’s foundational figures and an essential part of the story of the genre’s early South London scene. Alongside Skream & Benga, they helped define the sound and culture around dubstep as it emerged in the 2000s, making them a natural inclusion in any snapshot of the line-up.
Mala – Anti War Dub: The production style of ‘Anti War Dub’ (2006) by Mala (released under his duo moniker Digital Mystikz) is the definitive blueprint for deep, meditative, and system-shaking roots-dubstep. Written between 2004 and 2005, the track shifted the genre away from aggressive garage mutations and toward a spiritual sound system experience centered around physical bass weight and vast, open space.
D Double E: One of the most distinctive and influential voices in British grime. D Double E brings another strand of UK underground music into the line-up and helps show how closely the histories of grime, dubstep and soundsystem culture have intersected over the past two decades.
D Double E – Street Fighter Riddim: The production style of ‘Street Fighter Riddim’ (2010), produced by DJ Swerve for grime MC D Double E, is a masterful exercise in minimalist, sub-heavy grime infrastructure. It exemplifies grime’s deep affinity with vintage video game soundtracks, using harsh digital textures, spacious structures, and high-impact nostalgia to create an unyielding battle arena for the lyrics.
Shy FX: A pivotal figure in British jungle and drum & bass, Shy FX has been pushing the sound forward since the early ’90s. His inclusion widens the musical picture beyond dubstep and connects the event to an earlier generation of UK bass and soundsystem culture that helped lay the foundations for what followed.
Shy FX – Original Nuttah: The production style of ‘Original Nuttah’ (1994) by Shy FX and UK Apache is a foundational blueprint for ragga-jungle. Produced when Shy FX was just 17 years old, the track’s sound is defined by raw, high-speed breakbeat edits, cinematic movie sampling, and an authentic Jamaican sound system aesthetic.
MJ Cole: A key figure in UK garage and one of the genre’s most celebrated producers, MJ Cole provides another important piece of the UK bass lineage represented across the bill. His inclusion helps connect the garage, grime and dubstep scenes that evolved alongside and influenced one another.
MJ Cole – Sincere: The production style of ‘Sincere’ is widely celebrated for introducing ‘intelligent garage’, a sophisticated, soulful, and heavily textured approach to UK garage. By combining his classical training with underground club engineering, MJ Cole subverted the genre’s typical aggressive energy with lush arrangements and intricate sample manipulation.
