Skrillex, Rolling Stone Top 100 Recs.
FUCK YOU SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3 - #99
Goosebump Meter: 9.5/10
As an avid listener of EDM, I have a shameful confession — I’ve never properly listened to Skrillex. Dubstep was just not my jam. The last few times I’ve heard his music were the collabs with Fred Again… and Where Are U Now with Justin Bieber. So going into this record, I had no idea what to expect — and honestly, that was the perfect way to experience it.
It’s hard to review this without spoiling the experience, so consider this your warning — especially considering how well-constructed the whole thing is. I remember writing in my initial notes: “the live set would be immaculate.” Well, that’s basically what this is. It’s a literal live DJ set that doesn’t stop from start to finish — 34 songs with insane pace, melodies, beats, drops, synths… you name it, the record has it.
The songs are so short and flow into each other so seamlessly that, had I not been taking notes, I would have had no idea when one ended and another began. The recurring thought I had as I listened was simply: what the fuck. Just sheer disbelief at how well-orchestrated the experience is. Unlike typical records, I couldn’t isolate a single track as “the single.” Pulling a song out removes it from the conversation it’s having with the music that precedes and follows it. A critical part of the experience is being completely lost in the music.
And I was lost. The songs were flying by, and it all felt like one unified journey. That’s what I felt more than any single moment — like I was flying through a really well-crafted live set.
The beats come rapidly, one after another — moving from drum and bass into synths into rap into EDM and then back again. Deep bass into trap drums into an almost Porter Robinson moment, then Flume, then hints of Fred Again — what the heck is happening? I literally sat back at one point and said to myself, “This record is a masterpiece. What the actual fuck is going on? Maybe Skrillex is Andy Warhol??”
Pausing the record because my mom asked me a question felt like a crime. Also, not that anyone needs to know this, but I was in a hospital reception when I started the album, and it might’ve been the strangest place to hear it — yet somehow, the music was so good the whole thing felt surreal.
Have I been missing out on Skrillex? I mean… what? I don’t think this album will leave the rotation anytime soon. When I reached Druids, I almost checked how many songs were left, and I stopped myself — it felt like a grave mistake. There’s something magical about not knowing how many twists and turns are ahead.
There’s not much else I can say — so I’m leaving some raw notes on key songs. I hope you have fun reading my completely visceral reactions. I hope the record does something similar for you.
Recovery is the weirdest and best thing I’ve heard ever. The transition from Recovery to Andy is so fkn good.
Gulab is so dope what the heck - the little - gulab into momentum is stunning - also that one line in gulab which is in hindi i think is so good what the heck
I wish lil yachty was on momentum - not to say starrah aisn’t fire on there. - omg i could finally clock a transition into the next song.
OOOOO ANIMALS BEAT INTO MIRCHI TEST IS SO PRETTY - even more hindi - I feel seen as an indian what the heck
Hold on is dope af what the hell.
the end of see you again vip is gorgeous, reminds me of everything I love about porter robinson
AND A RETURN TO FORM IN MORJA KAIJU VIP
Korabu goes hard as fuck in the paint
Red Line Dash, wow, I need to see so many dance videos with this in the background.
ZEET NOISE and Booster belong in Cyberpunk 2079
The drop in Ultra Intro is unholy
JUNGUNDRA has an insane melody, what the heck is the synth even doing?
SAY GOODBYE- i got goosebumps no joke
I just love the name - MOSQUITOTOUILLE
Biggy Bap is the only song I don’t like so far - I take it back. This is cool.
Voltage pulled a bait and switch on me - I genuinely thought the record ended there.
AZASU is literally just the credits track - I didn’t even know you could do this in music?
Go listen to this ASAP.
