21 unreleased tracks that need an official release

Bicep are still rinsing this gem of an edit in their live sets and it always destroys the dancefloor. The original ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’ by First Choice is one of the most iconic dance tracks of all time, mixed by Frankie Knuckles and a crucial track for any disco head. Bicep’s edit brings the track into the future by highlighting the original and delivering an electronic assault of high pitched stabs. They’ve been known to produce brilliant edits of well-known tracks, just listen to their ‘SYNTHOL HIT’ mix from last year. They’ve released some of their standout remixes, like ‘Lovelee Dae’ by Blaze and ‘In Yer Face’ by 808 State, but ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’ might be a longshot.

Potentially one of the most beautiful tunes ever produced. Ever. ‘Alicia’ is one for the dubstep heads, the jazz heads, the “I like emotional bass bangers and I’m not afraid to show it” heads. Sampling Alicia Keys’, 'Feeling U, Feeling Me (Interlude)', the track did make a white label debut, however it can be assumed that due to copyrights it was never released officially. If the rips aren’t enough for you however, the sample can also be heard on Mall Grab’s 'Can’t (Get U Outta My Mind)'.

When Skream transitioned his musical style to be more focused on house and techno, the hearts of all his dubstep fans dropped as he had countless dubplates that never saw an official release. This was a major draw when he was touring as a dubstep artist, as fans were not able to hear the music he played anywhere else because he, and a select few mates, were the only DJs who had the records. Back in 2005 he delivered a Get Darker mix that featured a plethora of dubplates, which included the gem of a tune ‘Where Am I?’. A jazzy dub motif lays the foundation as a deep bass fills the atmosphere. Classic dub out of the UK.

With all the dubplates to his name, Skream took extra measures to make sure listeners could not get quality rips from the mixes that would surface online. That’s why in this rip from ‘Groovin’’, and the previous track ‘Where Am I?’, bird noises fill the space of the track. This carried throughout the Get Darker mix from 2005. Nevertheless, the rips give us a taste and a tease of the forbidden fruit that fans and DJs greatly desire. ‘Groovin'’ possesses that foundation dubstep sound and listening to it is almost like going back in time. Skream has been far removed from this sound for some time now, so it’s unlikely his dubplates will surface again any time soon.

With grime’s undeniable influence in contemporary chart music, it’s not surprising that many of the names behind the beats are making waves in the mainstream as well. Sir Spyro’s far from an industry novice; but after big-name collaborations with the likes of Stormzy reaching top-10; his instrumentals have never been more in demand. Here, AJ Tracey spits over ‘Grenade’, an unreleased belter.

Four Tet is a producer of the highest calibre and his harddrive is likely stacked with unreleased bits. 'BACK2THESTART' was shared on his SoundCloud one fine summer day in 2015, and if you were one of the lucky ones to see it, a limited number of free downloads were made available. He shared a bit about why he made the track, disclosing that he honestly had no idea: “Made this on a plane end of last year... Not sure what I was thinking or why it exists… When I start a track by searching "acappella" in Pirate Bay the music always comes out a bit different.” Think Burial and Four Tet collabs with deep bass and an intricate house/garage rhythm and you have the aesthetic of 'BACK2THESTART', except it’s a bit less brooding, yet no less brilliant.

Just last month rare, unreleased Dilla was unearthed as part of Gus Sutherland’s upcoming documentary, The Unseen: A Detroit Beat Tape. Archival VHS footage from the mid 90s was complied by Sutherland and archivist Justin Kovar for the ‘Ghetto Wishing’ visuals, and the track itself is an effortless gem from the late Detroit beatmaker.

When Kanye West's hit collaboration with Rihanna and Kid Cudi titled 'All Of The Lights' released back in 2011, it was arguably the mainstream track of the year. Remixes began to surface, as the industry was amidst the height of the trend where producers would remix pop songs with electronic variations. That said, Commodo's version delivers a warm, gritty dubstep version that stands the test of time. It's another gem that will likely never officially be released due to the sample used. But fans can beg Commodo for a free download perhaps?

Last year, The Bug shared five previously unreleased tracks with features from the late, great Spaceape. Having worked together before on pioneering projects within the Hyperdub hub, the reveal included a remix of The Clash’s 'Guns of Brixton'. With the familiar voice of Stephen Samuel Gordon, aka The Spaceape, over the top of the song, it’s a sobering listen in light of Gordon’s passing.

As jungle and drum ‘n’ bass roared through the 90s in a sea of illegal raves and pirate radio, stand-out tracks from the era still live on in the nostalgic hearts of the ravers. This Grooverider remix is a lost gem from the decade, and one many consider to be one of the greatest unreleased treasures to date.

Digital Mystikz’ take on Mighty Zulu Nation’s, ‘Justice Day’ is legendary. As the story goes, there are only 2 copies of this track in existence, belonging to Mala and Joe Nice respectively. Whilst the Croydon crew are infamous for their unreleased dubplates, (looking at you Loefah), this is a niche track even for DMZ. Beautiful and bassy, it’s a tune you’ll never forget, with or without a release.

Oh yes, him again. The elusive face of an era, (albeit a face only now revealed to us via a select selfie or two), Burial’s heartbreaking ‘Feral Witchchild’ sits alongside the likes of ‘True Love’ VIP and ‘Afterglow’ as tracks we can only assume will never be heard on wax. Here’s hoping though, with ‘Untrue’ celebrating its 10^th birthday this November…

An Eski-boy instrumental taken from a period known by some as the “Myspace Era” of Wiley. ‘Mystic Forest’ is a beat that works just as well today as when it was first produced. Taking a step away from the sound he was better known for at the time, it’s a melodic enigma as classic as the godfather himself.

Harrison and Jasmine trawled through the dusty depths of YouTube so you don't have to. Follow Harrison here and Jasmine here