For some, the most exciting grime release of the year wasn’t a new mixtape or album, it was a compilation of Wiley instrumentals from 2001 to 2006, organised by DJ Cheeky and set to be released on Wiley‘s own Avalanche Music label.

A 19 track CD compilation, it claimed to be the start of a “revolutionary grime instrumental series”, taking you “back to the days when Wiley sold 10, 000 records out his [car] boot and was doing pirate radio week in week out.” The good times, basically.

Well the good times have just gone bad, because the compilation, which was due out earlier this month, appears to have been pulled. Shops have not recieved physical copies, and recieved message board wisdom [on page 538 and 529 of the linked thread] is that the release has been pulled. The compilation did go on sale digitally via Amazon, Play and Juno, but the latter have now pulled the digital release, and we’d wager the others will follow suit if they haven’t already.

Kiss FM’s Logan Sama claims the reason for this is because Wiley pulled out at the 11th hour, while others speculate that he never gave real consent for the compilation to happen in the first place. The public will probably never know the real reason, but it is a shame.

Still, if it means we end up getting a proper vinyl compilation of classic Wiley instrumentals at some point down the line, then the ends will have justified the means.