Sunday 6 January 2013

Skrillex - Leaving EP


What makes Skrillex so distinct is his utter balls-out attitude to production, turning every dial up to eleven.  Bass drops plummet like nuclear warheads, beats and samples violently interject one another, whilst screaming vocals vie for attention - often with self-referencing, comic effect.

So why has he gone all soft on us with his latest EP?  The bass is subdued, the melodies softly shimmer and the overall pace is a more relaxed offering.  The title track is a total departure from his previous material, whilst The Reason retains some of the usual energetic wizardry albeit with the edges smoothed.  This new sound is closer to the likes of Burial or Skream and, although it's expertly produced and club-friendly, it's in danger of sounding derivative.

The final track of the EP is Scary Bolly Dub - a return to typical womp womp womping.  It might be a remix of his own Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites but it lacks the flare of the original.

'Leaving' is the sound of Skrillex maturing as an artist.  These more chilled out jams are a welcome change of pace and an interesting exploration into new musical areas.  The character of his previous work is severely lacking but if this can be incorporated into the new experimentation, he'll be on to a winner for the long-awaited debut album.

3/5

Listen: 'Leaving' is available on YouTube.