Skrillex has been on a sonic journey, alright. The title of his long-awaited second album, ‘Quest For Fireplace’, displays the journey that Sonny Moore has ventured on within the decade because the dubstep scene-leader dropped his game-changing ‘Scary Monsters and Good Sprites’ EP in 2010. Within the interval that adopted, he’s labored with everybody from Diplo and Justin Bieber to J Balvin and Ed Sheeran.
His debut album ‘Recess’ arrived in 2014, and whereas releases have been regular, a full assortment has been elusive. Created between LA and Japan over three years, this long-awaited second album is feverishly hyped, and he enlists megastars current and previous, as if to show his pop cultural affect isn’t any much less related than it was final time round.
Tapping into the TikTok-driven zeitgeist, PinkPantheress stars on drum’n’bass curler ‘Manner Again’ whereas Moore groups up with Fred once more.. for ‘Rumble’, a brand new staple at Moore, Fred and 4 Tet’s latest shock dwell reveals. First launched in Might 2021, ‘Too Weird (Juked)’, which boasts a potent screamo verse from Siiickbrain, receives a sped-up makeover – clearly, Moore’s finger stays firmly on the heart beat.
Contrastingly, ‘Quest For Fireplace’ – which options 25 credited visitors throughout 15 tracks – typically channels nostalgia. Dubstep prominently options: the sub-bass-heavy ‘Tears’, a link-up with style pioneer Joker, and the skittering ‘Supersonic (my existence)’ keep true to Skrillex’s sonic origins. The breakbeat-driven ‘Good Area’, that includes rapper Starrah and dolphin-noise-synths, seems like what Skrillex and Diplo would make underneath their Jack Ü moniker in 2023.
The throwbacks proceed to come back thick and quick. There’s ‘Warped Tour ‘05 with Pete Wentz’ a time capsule referencing Moore’s time in post-hardcore band From First To Final. The 47-second interview-based interlude’s inclusion serves no discernible function, aside from reminding the listener of his pre-Skrillex challenge.
Moore packs disparate concepts into every observe; conserving the listener guessing from every track to the subsequent has lengthy been his USP. That is notably true of the explosive ‘Xena’, on which Palestinian singer Nai Barghouti’s ethereal vocals swoop over percussive claps, earlier than the observe is spun again, remodeling right into a techno-paced exercise. However some songs, like opener ‘Depart Me Like This’ merely run out of steam. The submerged drop that follows the promising EDM-style development of Aluna collab ‘Inhale Exhale’ falls flat, particularly queued after ‘Butterflies’, a house-leaning collaboration with 4 Tet.
By the album’s penultimate observe, Moore acknowledges the breadth he’s lined in 45 minutes. “Virtually there guys, sorry; yet one more minute of this” he says at the beginning of the piano-based ‘Hazel’, searching for a second of stillness and calm amongst the noise.
Protecting a lot floor (‘Hydrate’ even bridges dubstep and reggae) means the album lacks a transparent narrative or overarching theme. Maybe that was Moore’s intention: to ship a set of genre-blending tracks that push issues ahead whereas succinctly showcasing his seemingly limitless versatility. But by fusing the previous, current – and as soon as once more setting a blueprint for the way forward for music – Skrillex’s standing in fashionable music stays unchallenged.
Particulars
- Launch date: February 17, 2023
- Report label: OWSLA / Atlantic Data
