A companion to Skream’s compendium of early dubplates from dubstep’s pre-history, Unreleased Classics. Vol.2 2004 - 2006 is a report from the genre’s golden age. The Croydon producer had emerged as one of the scene’s prime movers, and his 2005 single “Midnight Request Line” would propel the nascent sound from South London to the international stage. You can hear how quickly the music was mutating; with every track, Skream tries something new. “Bonanza” swirls together dub sirens, ambient synths and electro-funk; “Basstrapz” is a staccato stepper with acoustic piano at its centre; “Fairytale” disappears into a whirlwind of conga and flute. As with Vol.1, the rhythmic diversity is striking, ranging from the spacious half-time lurch of “Boks”—which channels some of the most mammoth sub-bass he had yet summoned—to the nervous, grime-inspired arpeggios of “Shapeshifter”, whose double-time feel evokes memories of drum ’n’ bass. That these tracks stayed in the vault for so long raises an intriguing question: What would the history of dubstep have looked like if they’d gotten an official release back when they were new?