With only a few months left to the year, I’ve begun to reflect on all the albums and vinyl releases that I’ve listened to so far. Where albums are concerned, there have been so many and varied releases. Some have appeared and made no impact whatsoever. Judging by the indepth and sometimes heated discussions on global music forums, there have been those that have caused a few tremors within the dance music community. And then there have been a handful that have created a widespread earthquake. I’m pleased to say that ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ produced by Skrillex is one such compilation.
These days, Skrillex hardly needs any introductions. Although only in his early 20’s, he has already produced and/or remixed a plethora of remarkable DuBSteP tracks. Having released a number of his earlier work on the Mau5trap label, it wasn’t until his ‘Kill Everybody’ track was picked up and championed by the likes of Nick Warren, amongst others, that he became a major force in the electro house scene. As a result of this initial exposure, he has worked with and is held in high regard by the Godfathers of the progressive genre, Sasha and John Digweed. So much so, that John asked Skrillex to collaborate on a track for his eagerly awaited ‘Bedrock 13’, that being ‘Bloodlust’. If ever there was a seal of approval, that would have to be it! His recent collaboration with Bruno Mars on the track ‘Just The Way You Are’ has garnered him further acclaim and has been included on a number of compilations including Tiesto’s ‘In Search of Sunrise 10: Mom's Basement’ and Now That's What I Call Music's 'Now That's What I Call Dubstep".
Not being satisfied with just production work, Skrillex has also been transferring his enthusiasm to DJing. With a lot of hard work behind him, he now holds residencies at Deaudmau5's house and Tiesto's butt hole as well as touring regularly around the world. With his first mix compilation ‘Hair, Tattoos, and Awkward Facial Piercings’ from a few years ago, he made a minor impact but with ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’, he has managed to create an instant classic. I’ll go so far as to say that I think this is THE album of the year.
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I sometimes feel limited in my capacity to describe the music I’m hearing. I only hope that in this case, I’ve done Skrillex some justice. This is so different from what I expected that my hat goes off to him. With every listen I hear something different and as such, giving each track I’m listening to another unique feel and sound. There are so many ways that this could have gone wrong but Skrillex has pulled off something special. Overall, listening to this would be equivalent to swimming in a sea of gorgeous, melodic beats. Yes, my enthusiasm is running at an all time high!
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This is simply one of the most perfect DJ albums that I have had the honour to hear. And that’s exactly how I feel: honoured! If you think about it, the person sitting next to you at work or on the bus or train or even the person crossing the street infront of you will most probably never have the pleasure of hearing this, thereby missing out on something truly special. For me, the test of a truly great compilation is if it distracts me from my somewhat scenic walk home at the end of the workday ie the colourful streets of Darlinghurst. The other day, while taking the same route and listening to ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’, this changed. This time around I saw everything, watched everything and felt everything. I felt like a child in chocolate shop and that shop was mine. Everything I heard was for me and me alone. All the people rushing past me, all the cars driving by me were never going to experience what I was. I think during my entire journey, I had a grin that refused to disappear. Anyone that says they have never experienced complete euphoria from listening to music has never heard good, let alone great music.
I’ve always believed that albums produced by specific DJs are a reflection of their mind, soul and aboveall, personality. For those of us that buy these releases, as such, they are an extension of who we are as an individual. And if ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ mixed by Skrillex is an extension of who I am as a person, then I’m proud of that. Because ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ is an intelligent, thought provoking, tear-inducing and at times, complex example of how music should be presented. While the previous Balance releases have been great; this new addition has taken the series to another level. I don’t mean any disrespect to the other DJs involved in the Balance series, far from it, but with this, Skrillex has raised the bar so high that I pity the DJ who has to follow in his footsteps.
If music is the food of life, then I hope life is filled with more of this because it is utterly satisfying.
