James Blake – Love What Happened Here

Nothing makes me happy like a new James Blake release. Thank God the past couple of years have been full of them. Love What Happened Here came out earlier last month (listen to the title track here on Soundcloud, I have no idea who frankyboy is), and the fact that I only came across it today because it was reviewed on Pitchfork scares me. New year’s resolution: start following other music sites.

Quick recap of 2011 for James Blake: His awesome self-titled debut ended up hitting most year-end best of lists, but the Enough Thunder EP that came out in October garnered a mixed reception. A lot of people especially disliked his bare, piano-and-voice cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” Personally, I loved every track off the album and the EP which tells me again that I need to stop relying solely on Pitchfork for critical opinions.

Love What Happened Here is a 3-track EP in the vein of his earlier 2010 releases like CMYK and Klavierwerke, and has an overall similar sound as well. The title track especially reminds me of CMYK (this isn’t really surprising: it’s been around online since 2010), with the way Blake changes up the synth sounds every so often and intersperses brief vocal samples throughout. The result doesn’t disappoint, either melodically or rhythmically. Blake couples unorthodox percussion arrangements with synth motifs that blend perfectly together in a way that few artists can deliver.

“At Birth” is a slightly different. A throbbing bassline that exemplifies Blake’s dubstep roots runs through the track, with lonely vocal samples popping up every few bars before fading out. “Curbside,” however, really stands out from the pack. It’s got a big, pounding beat that involves what sounds like a timpani and haunting vocal samples that really make for an uncanny mix. The percussion starts out like a hip-hop beat (emphasized by the “no-no-no” samples that could be Kanye starting off “Stronger”), but the way that the soulful samples fit with the rest of the track make classifying “Curbside” to a genre a difficult task.

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but for all the love I’ve got for Skrillex and other heavyweight dubstep artists out there, I do enjoy watching the development of artists like Blake who epitomize this quieter, more detailed strain of dubstep. I think some online communities have even started Skrillex vs. James Blake debates. To make matters worse, Blake even publicly denounced the former type of what he called “fratboy” dubstep (Wikipedia calls it “brostep”) at one point, calling it a “direct misinterpretation of the sound.” Oh no, can this mean… dubstep war???

Skrillex - Bangarang (EP Review)

Skrillex is actually a man called Sonny Moore who used to be the lead singer and guitarist in an emo band called From First To Last (They were actually quite good!). The band disappeared into obscurity after the release of their second LP and I thought that would be the last anyone would hear of any of them. This was back in 2004.

A year or two later, Sonny attempted a solo electronic project imaginatively titled 'Sonny'. It seems here he picked up a few tricks because in 2009 he released his first EP as Skrillex and blew the world of Dubstep wide open.

Skrillex, love him or hate him, is the most well-known name in Dubstep. He is adored by thousands of fans who strongly feel he is the cutting-edge of music progression this decade, whilst at the same time having an equal amount of people apparently hate his guts because of his help in the commercialisation of Dubstep.

I have to admit I found myself more inclined to the 'haters' camp even having listened to each of his new remixes. However, with the release of his new EP, 'Bangarang', he makes it very clear he is all about the music and all my prejudice about him melted away with the listen of one track.

'Bangarang' is seven tracks of Dubstep, Trance, elements of progressive house and guitars being thrown in and Skrillex seems to be evolving to use Drum and Bass and Jungle beats in a concoction of electronic beauty.

The first song is aptly named, 'Right In', as that's what he does. Less than 30 seconds from pressing the play button and the track is in full force. “It's another one!”  Says some person before blasting the bass. This is the only track he does on the EP without collaboration.

Swiftly to the second track, 'Bangarang', which starts off with some funky 70's style guitar, while the first collaborator Sirah (I've never heard of them either) raps. The drop is quite literally the most impressive I've ever heard him produce.

'Breaking A Sweat' is the third track. It is notable because the collaborators are the surviving members of The Doors (If you don't know who they are.... shame on you) plus an eerily accurate prediction (at about 2:35) from the late great Jim Morrison about the future of music. Great and intelligent DJ'ing from Skrillex.

The fourth track, 'The Devil's Den', features Wolfgang Gartner and is an absolute banger. Get a copy of it and play it at a party, make sure everyone sees you put it on. Everyone will love you. 'Right On Time', the fifth, features fellow electronic music artists, 12th Planet and Kill The Noise, a classic track setting the level for which all Dubstep should now be based. The sixth track, 'Kyoto', welcomes back Sirah from the second track to do some more rapping with Dubstep over the top of it.

The closing track is wonderful. 'Summit', has a simple riff but is majestic in it's delivery and builds and builds until you almost can't take it anymore. Ellie Goulding (also worth checking out her work) features and sings perfectly complementing Sonny's voice. On hearing this song, I downloaded this EP as fast I could, which inspired me to write this review.

'Bangarang' is the fourth EP by Electro House/Dubstep producer Skrillex. It was released for download on Beatport on December 23rd, 2011, was made available from other music download sites on December 27th, 2011, and will be physically released on January 24th, 2012.

Skrillex Copycat

Skrillex Copycat 

Will Dubstep Finally Die in 2012? Five Signs the End Is Near

For all the hype still surrounding it, dubstep won't be popular forever.

From collaborations with Korn to Christmas carol remixes, signs of its imminent demise are springing up all over the place. But will 2012 be the year that dubstep finally dies? Or will it desperately cling to life and linger like a zombie for another whole year?

Well, we here at Crossfade think that the Dubpocalypse is almost upon us. See the cut for five signs the end is near.



5. Nobody Even Knows What Dubstep Is Anymore
Talk to any "real dubstep fan" and they'll probably tell you that 2011 dubstep is not like true dubstep. They'll name-drop a few producers, mention something about the old days, and bemoan the evolution of Skrillex and brostep.

This friction between the "real dubstep fan" and angst-ridden teenagers over what actually constitutes dubstep sparked the genre's mid-life crisis. Plus, the average person's idea of dubstep retains neither the "dub" nor the "step" attributes for which the genre was named. The dub-style sub-bass was replaced by distorted mids and lots of wobble, while the two-step was basically abandoned in favor of someone screaming in your face for 40 minutes.

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4. Nearly Every Possible Dubstep Track Has Already Been Made
At some point in 2012, it will become impossible for producers to create a new, original dubstep track. It won't be for lack of creativity or trying. But there are only so many ways to arrange female vocals, a wobbly bass, and a huge drop. And we as a society are fast approaching these limits.

Thanks to the proliferation of music software in recent years and the deluge of newly minted musicians that followed, it became a race to see who could churn out the gnarliest wubs on their copy of Native Instruments' Massive synthesizer without straying too far from a particular structure. Rather than evolve organically, dubstep became homogenized, which meant many more musicians would have to cover the same ground.

Because of this, every possible variation on dubstep will soon be exhausted, every last temporal avenue explored, every possible combination of filter and LFO discovered. Very soon, there just won't be any more dubstep left to make.



3. Post-Dubstep Is the New Real Dubstep
Despite the mid-life crisis, artists like SBTRKT, Egyptrixx, and The Weeknd have been moving dubstep back towards its roots in the UK garage scene. Following their lead, many "real dubstep fans" finally accepted that the name dubstep had been co-opted. Together, they decided to move forward with post-dubstep.

It's too early to determine whether this is just a desperate attempt to save the genre's legacy. Or whether the post-dubstep movement will flourish with this newfound independence from brostep.



2. It's Been Tainted by the Mainstream
It was only a matter of time before mainstream music hijacked dubstep. But it would take more than a forgettable tracks by Britney Spears and Rihanna to subvert the genre. In 2011, word of a collaboration between Skrillex, Kill The Noise, and Korn hit the interwebs.

On the surface, collaborations between hot new artists and MTV relics may seem like harmless profiteering. And yeah, between getting bored, being broke, and running out of ideas, dubstep producers have every reason to sell out. But cashing in has its own consequences ... Would you listen to a Downlink/Nickelback track? What about Datsik/Creed?

Oh, and don't forget that Downlink and Datsik joined Korn on tour, further strengthening the newly christened union between dubstep and radio rock. Now the only place dubstep has left to go is the commercial rock 'n' roll airwaves, where music goes to die.



1. Dubstep Christmas Music Exists Don't look now ... But YouTube is chock full of shitty dubstep remixes of shitty Christmas songs. Scientifically speaking, when Christmas music invades another genre of music, the rate at which people start to hate that genre over time skyrockets!

To make matters worse, people are actually listening to these yuletide brostep abominations, presumably to piss off their parents, without regard for the sanctity of dubstep itself. And unfortunately, it's much too late to act. The first dubstep Christmas music appeared online in December 2010. By December 2011, the number of searches for "Christmas Dubstep" was up a staggering 1500 percent.

The statistics speak for themselves, and the diagnosis couldn't be clearer ... Acute Christmas music poisoning. All we can do now is try to make dubstep's last days comfortable.

Trippy Skrillex

A girl who looks like Skrillex

WATCH: "Dubstep" guy SKRILLEX attacked by Bee on stage...

Womp Womp Womp! SKRILLEX brings the techno jams under the guise of dubstep all while making shitty haircut enthusiasts and the makers of Harry Cary sunglasses happy. Aside from looking like an idiot, he also moves like an idiot while chainsmoking and appearing to fuck his laptop. If the comedy didn't hit you right there, perhaps you haven't seen this image that's gone viral over the past few days featuring Sonny Moore trying to evade an animated bee. It's great. Seriously, kid - take a shower.

New Skrillex Album, ‘Bangarang’, Out Today!

If you’re already sick of all the Christmas music playing everywhere, why not cleanse your palette with the newest EP from Skrillex, “Bangarang”.

The highly anticipated album features collaborations with The Doors, Ellie Goulding, Wolfgang Gartner and many more. Skrillex, nominated for 5 Grammys, promises this new album demonstrates his growth as an artist.

In the new year, you can expect the Dubstep dynamo to be performing to plenty of crowds in the new year.

He announced two multi-venue takeovers of L.A. and New York in the next two months. He’ll surely make his way up to Canada in no time. A Skrillex concert is the equivalency of the biggest college party of all time.

Don’t hesitate and purchase “Bangarang” via Beatport and have something good playing through your speakers if Christmas music just doesn’t do it anymore.

Live Music: Nero at Royale in Boston

Pembroke — There are some shows that, no matter how long you have to wait, or how hard it is to get tickets, that you must see. I kept repeating this to myself as I waited from approximately 9 p.m. to 11:20 p.m. for Nero to take the stage at Royale in Boston on Dec. 15. The electricity and build up for this show were enough to let me know that I was in for a great show.

In the end it was worth the wait. In the last few years, the emergence of dubstep in America has taken the country’s club kids under its wings and given them something they can call their own. But, aside from Skrillex and a few others, dubstep legends like Rusko and Nero have largely been left out of the mainstream until now. It also seems like, judging from the crowd in Boston, that the audience for this kind of music has skipped past the 20 some things and onto the younger generation, as most of the people crowded into Royale certainly needed to be ID’d.

But, as dubstep has come of age, so have the DJs spinning it. And here we have Nero.

Hot on the heels of releasing Welcome Reality, Nero’s Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray have showed that they’re up for the challenge of producing dance friendly beats while stoking the dubstep fire for the younger generation. Whether its on their new album or performing live, the UK duo have honed their ability to tear through a dance set, taking it from grimy, pulse-punching to the ear-candy electronica with a few knob turns.

The band peppered in a few bigger tunes from their recent Welcome Reality album, opening with "Doomsday" and "Guilt" and playing most of the crowd’s seemingly favorite singles as arms thrashed and legs kicked.

There were also popular tracks like “Warp” by Steve Aoki, “Bass Cannon” by Flux Pavillion and “Levels” by Avicii.

Kids wearing beach gear, sunglasses and ‘Sex, Drugs, and Dubstep’ crowded onto the dance floor from the moment Nero hit the stage. Even before the set, they danced into a frenzy, hoping to get the UK DJs onto the stage by some sort of dance magic.

If more people expanded their understanding of dubstep beyond the usual tracks to see its roots in European dance evolution, more people would enjoy bands like Avicii and Nero. When you break it down, it’s just dance music, through and through.

Nero finally closed down with System of a Down's "Chop Suey", evoking a healthy amount of early 2000’s nostalgia for a very fitting crowd.

Stereoboard Tour of the Week - Korn - Tickets Onsale NOW!

A heavy metal band making a dubstep album? Who’d have thought it? OK, so by now – unless you’ve been living on a desert island for the past year – you’re probably more than aware that Korn’s latest album ‘The Path of Totality’, which was released earlier this month, has taken the band in the largely-unexpected direction of dubstep. Not that they’ve abandoned their nu-metal origins completely, but it’s fair to say that this latest move by the Californian rockers may have come as a bit of a shock to some.

For their tenth album release, Korn were never likely to let us down by bringing out anything simple and predictable, let’s face it. But this latest foray into the realms of electronic music may have come as something of a surprise to even their most dedicated followers. However, according to frontman Jonathan Davis, in a recent interview with Billboard, ‘The Path of Totality’ hasn’t come entirely out of the blue: “We were dubstep before there was dubstep. Tempos at 140 with half-time drums, huge bassed-out riffs. We used to bring out 120 subwoofers and line them across the whole front of the stage, 60 subs per side. We were all about the bass.”

Another important point to note is that, despite more than a shadow of a doubt from various critics and even some old-school Korn fans, the response to ‘The Path of Totality’ since its recent release has been far from a complete disaster, even earning the band a number of praising reviews. Of course, if they were going to do a dubstep album, it seems that Korn have certainly gone the right way about it, getting the likes of Grammy-nominated producer Skrillex onboard to assist. In addition to being a renowned up-and-coming dubstep artist, Skrillex – aka Sonny Moore – is no stranger to rock, having previously been the lead singer with post-hardcore band From First to Last.

In the same Billboard interview, Davis confirmed that Korn’s younger fans have really taken to the band’s new sound, but that the old school are not so easily convinced: “These kids are onto something completely innovative and new. It's pure and awesome and underground and heavy and different, not like stale-ass metal and rock'n'roll. I love them all, but the old-school metalheads are not open to change.”

Maybe it’s the sight of glow sticks that is putting them off. Glow sticks at a Korn gig? Apparently so: “It's really cool to see glow sticks at the show, to see dance music culture infiltrating and becoming one with the metal community.” Hmmm… Convinced? We’ll leave it to you to decide when the band bring ‘The Path of Totality’ over to the UK and Ireland in March.

Regardless of what your opinion is on dubstep and other electronic music, there’s no denying that there’s still plenty of the old Korn that we know and love on ‘The Path of Totality’. Or as Jonathan Davis recently put it: “We didn’t make a dubstep album. We made a Korn album.”

However, if the new album isn’t really your thing, don’t forget that Korn still have another nine albums and seventeen years in their back catalogue and no doubt they’ll be bringing plenty of that along with them in March. Are you ready?



Sun March 25th 2012 - O2 Academy Brixton, London
Mon March 26th 2012 - O2 Academy Birmingham, Birmingham
Wed March 28th 2012 - Manchester Academy 1, Manchester
Thu March 29th 2012 - O2 Academy Glasgow, Glasgow
Tue April 3rd 2012 - O2 Academy Bristol, Bristol

The Dubstep Era is upon us.

Just as the '80s spawned movements like hair metal and synthpop, the '90s gave way to grunge rock and hip hop’s-golden age, and the first decade of the 2000s birthed house music and autotune, our current generation will undeniably go down in history as giving rise to the phenomenon that is dubstep.

As this music culture begun by experimental producers in the underground scene of early-millennium London continues to evolve and transform into myriad subgenres and styles, the general public that’s not privy to frequenting raves and light shows remains in the dark, and the music fest regulars remain divided about what exactly is going on underneath all the womps and scratches.

One of the biggest names and most divisive figures in this equation is Sonny Moore, also known as the five-time Grammy-nominated electronic DJ, Skrillex, whose sold-out performance at The Moon in Tallahassee on Monday, Dec. 12, as part of his Mothership Tour still has the town’s ears ringing.


After reinventing himself into Skrillex about three years ago, the Los Angeles native and former lead screamer of From First to Last has taken the traditional wobbly bass of dubstep and basically thrown it into a hyperactive hadron collider and then cranked it until it sounds like pulsing vomit from the mouth of Satan himself. He’s selected the most extreme and energetic nuances out of traditional dubstep, combined them with an epilepsy-inducing spectacle of light, and amplified everything to the highest gauge the average concert-goer’s senses can realistically process.


By injecting this style into his own versatile beats along with remixes of some of the most popular acts in the pop world including La Roux, Lady Gaga and Benny Benassi, Skrillex has heralded dubstep’s transition into the mainstream by making the perfect music for the current demographic of American college thrill-seekers.
As a result, opinions on his public reputation are somewhat polarized.


Whereas some praise his eccentricity and originality, others lambast him for spitting out the opiate of an idiotic mass while portentously mourning the loss of the subtleties of dubstep past. If the performance at the Moon is any indication, however, audiences don’t seem to mind about the latter group’s opinions.

That distinction is crucial to understanding what Skrillex, and dubstep in general, is and is doing in this generation.

The music is less interested in impressing critics and music aficionados than it is in driving hordes of people together with synthesized, synchronized and syncopated impulses. On Monday night, the Moon was host to all walks of life: constant ravers sporting electronic toys in their mouths and rainbow Pomeranians on their boots, frat boys caught in a continuum of fist bumps, hip-hop enthusiasts, MDMA-riddled dancers, artists seeking inspiration in the sheer spectacle of it all, PLUR-obsessed “Kandy Kids,” wide-eyed newcomers and seasoned veterans alike. In that moment when Skrillex screams through the music for everyone to jump to the beat together and dance, though, it’s impossible to not feel connected to the hundreds of people whose brains are being massaged in unison by dozens of stage-dominating speakers, regardless of any previous division.

When cannons of confetti blast out over you and every individual piece changes color with the rhythmic pattern of dizzying lights, a feeling of elation is unavoidable. It’s no wonder there were guys handing out Capri Suns and “Good Vibe Tribe” arm bracelets free of charge near the front of the stage; the love in all that madness is undeniable.


Even so, the music is like a f***ing religious experience the first time you hear it live.

All these elements showcase how an artist like Skrillex can still sell out during a recession when the average ticket price is so extreme. For example, if you weren’t lucky enough to get involved in one of the Tallahassee-based contests like local clothing company Top Notch Era’s free ticket promotion a few months back, the average price ended up upwards of $120.


While it was previously dismissed as an inevitable fad that would just fade away quietly, it’s now clear that dubstep is here to stay. With the rise of artists like opening acts Foreign Beggars and Two Fresh and Skrillex’s cementation in music history with the first-ever Grammy nominations for an electronic artist, it’s easy to see that dubstep is a powerball that’s ready to roll full steam ahead.


Hopefully the post-modern hippies of the dubstep movement will pave the way for a more tolerant world. Every generation does have its soundtrack to freedom and love, after all. Ours just happens to involve raging.

The Dub Step Christmas House [VIDEO]

With it’s quick stops and starts and robotic nature, dub step is a natural for a Christmas light display.  Click through for some Skrillex meets Kris Kringle.

We’ve seen some amazing light displays set to everything from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to Slayer.  Now we have Santa Skrillex delivering dub step to all of the little boys and girls.  Get ready to get your robo-Santa swerve on.  P.S. In case you were wondering, the song is “First Of The Year” by Skrillex.

Skrillex With 12th Planet Fillmore Miami Beach December 17, 2011

Better Than: All other dubstep productions. Yeah, that's a pretty big statement to make. But, well, we just made it.

"Holy shit. WTF?"

The first words that came to mind when I saw it. Daft Punk had its pyramid. Deadmau5 has his cube. And Skrillex has The Mothership -- a gigantic Transformers-like structure with 3D image projections. So trippy. So rad.

There were dancing Chihuahuas, infinite colors, swirls and shapes, and even a motion-sensing robot man that mimicked Skrillex's every move. It was some acid trip kind of shit.

On Saturday night, Skrillex brought overloaded womps and wobbles to a sold-out show at the Fillmore Miami Beach. It was the last stop on his 48-gig Mothership Tour and the crowd was absolutely insane, an ocean of arms and heads bobbing in unison.

Basically, the audience was an out-of-control cult of dubstep fanatics in neon, metallic, fishnets, and finger lights. And Skrillex was the cult leader, controlling the mob's every move with each turn of a knob or push of a button.

Opener 12th Planet warmed up the candy ravers with a mess of dubstep, hip-hop, and house. The bass literally shook the place. Head-banging babes near the stage threw up peace and love signs on cue. A kid who could not have been older than 10 years old was solid jamming when 12th Planet ripped Kanye and Jay-Z's "Niggas in Paris," all while his mom recorded this jam sesh on her iPhone.

The DJ rocked a supersweet Overthrow tee, reppin' the Miami-based record label and party collective. The peak of his set was a massive stage dive. He swam through bodies and then back to the stage.



Skrillex took his position on The Mothership to a roar of cheers from the audience. Straight madness. His hair whipped in all directions as he raged to his own music, hyping up the hoards of people below him. And the smile on his face let everyone know how much he fucking loves his job.

He added womps and wobbles to a number of classics, including Biggie's "Hypnotize" and Damian Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock." He even got a bit romantic, pulling out a lighter for the intro to "Cinema."



But Skrillex's masive finale made the rest of the show seem like a rehearsal. He closed out with the big daddy mash-up of mash-ups, switching back and forth between his three most epic tracks: "All I Ask of You," "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," and his remix of Nero's "Promises."

The night was dubstep brain pulverization. Mad respect.

Critic's Notebook

The Crowd: The new generation of ravers.

Overheard in the Crowd: "Who gives a shit. Fuck bitches, right?"

Random Detail: Dubstep cures cancer, according to a chick in pink spankies.

Cross “Skrillex Christmas Lights Show” Off Your List

Every year, Christmas feels less and less like Christmas. It’s part of getting older. The feeling is sapped from the holiday, and some days, after shopping and running around, all you feel like doing is lying down on the couch by the Christmas tree, batting at some stray tinsel and glitter. What you need in this situation is something that screams holiday spirit. Something traditional. Something that makes the entire family happy. You could have kids, but sometimes that’s not an option. In that case, there’s always dubstep.

Specifically, there’s this house, with a light show rigged to Skrillex (of course)’s “First of the Year (Equinox).” It’s more topical than “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” for everyone not doing, say, a Nightmare before Christmas theme; it’s also about two weeks too early.

And speaking of being early: for everyone who heard Skrillex this year and thought “oh man, that’ll be perfect for my Christmas light show”–you’ve been pre-empted. Go find new material, like other dubstep or “Party Rock Anthem” or something.

Korn Perform And Record Special Album Launch Show In LA

Nu-metal/dubstep mash-up band Korn performed a huge album launch show last week to mark the release of their pioneering metal/dubstep debut album ‘The Path of Totality’ – and it’s all been recorded in high quality for you to watch on YouTube, or embedded below.

The particularly controversial album, which has seen them stray from their metal roots and into the field of electronic music production, collaborating with the biggest names in dubstep (or brostep) like Skrillex, Excision and Datsik, is a far cry from the Korn of old and some of the more old school fans have been unhappy at the release.

But, frontman Jonathan Davis has claimed that fans should appreciate the new material and that Korn ‘were dubstep before there was dubstep’, and is totally a fan of their innovative new genre, which he calls a fusion of metal and dance. In reality, the album is totally marmite – it’s either loved by fans or hated by ex-fans. But what do Stereoboard users think of the record? Let us know in the comments section below.

Regardless of the thoughts on the new album, thousands of fans turned up to watch them perform in LA, armed with glowsticks and floppy hair. They appeared alongside their album collaborators Skrillex, Excision, Downlink and Datsik. Watch the performance below.

Borgore is doing whatever he wants

Opinion on dubstep is pretty sharply divided. Chances are you either love it or hate it, and possibly just don't get it.

The popular wisdom is that America hasn't quite grasped on yet -- even though Skrillex was just recognized by the Grammy committee -- and that dubstep is far more popular overseas. Borgore disagrees.

“Dubstep in America is huge. The only place dubstep is not big is, funny enough, England,” he said. “Kids just don't come to shows. You need to put every single motherfucker from dubstep on the bill to get 2,000 people [at a show]. America is a huge market. Denver specifically is huge, it's insane.”

He's right, the electro music in general is blowing up in Colorado. Within pockets of resistance, one of the big complaints is that it all sounds the same. But Borgore comes from a somewhat unique background as a pianist, saxophonist, death metal drummer and beat boxer. If you give the music a serious listen, you can hear the influences.

“It feels like everyone's releasing the same tune. All the DJs are coming from house or electro,” he said. “[But] I think there's a bunch of, like, musicians in dubstep right now where you can tell by a song, this is him, this is him, and I hope I'm one of them.”

Part of the draw is Borgore's fuck-all attitude. His label's website calls him a “provocation addict” and adds, “The aim is to bring you the music that the guys & girls at national radio love but can't broadcast.” His Facebook lists just one influence: fine porn. Really though, you need to see him in person to get the full effect.

“Me as an artist, I'm a hard horse to leash,” he said. “I'm just doing whatever the fuck I want.”

Let this video speak for itself.

Skrillex Remixes Avicii’s “Levels”

What do you get when you take two of the biggest names in the world of dance music, and combine them with the biggest dance music anthem of 2011?:  Skrillex’s remix of Avicii’s “Levels,” a song of absolutely titanic proportions. “Levels” is undisputedly THE dance music song of the year. It has been remixed by some of the biggest names in the world of music. “Levels,” which features a vocal snippet from Etta James’ 1962 classic, “Something’s Got a Hold On Me,” has helped to bridge the gap between the world of dance music and the mainstream when Flo Rida sampled it in his song “Good Feeling.” This song has been played all over mainstream radio, and even in special television presentations such as NFL games.

With the recent release of Skrillex’s remix of the anthem, “Levels” is more wildly popular than ever. As somewhat of an ambassador to dance music, Skrillex is largely responsible for the popularization of dubstep and dance music in general. Skrillex infuses the euphoric progressive house banger with a hefty dose of dubstep. He adds some refreshing filth to the tune, and his re-imagination of the original is wildly creative and teeming with innovation. I have to say that Skrillex’s “Levels” remix is definitely one of his finest- it is quite possibly the very best song he has ever produced. The mark of a good remixer and producer is the ability to take an already phenomenal song and place a unique spin on it, creating a product that is arguably just as good as the original. Skrillex masters this feat with flying colors. Be on the lookout for big things from both Skrillex and Avicii; 2011 has been an absolutely huge year for both of these talented DJs and producers, and I can only anticipate that the best is yet to come.

Check out Skrillex’s “Levels” remix here! What are your thoughts?

Not a Helicopter

I got old at some point. Cue the actual old people saying, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE OLD” out of their earhorns or whatever the fuck, but hearing the sound of a floor full of college freshman playing dubstep wasn’t dissimilar to Elizabeth Perkins walking into Tom Hanks’ room and going ‘wtf’. I didn’t bang a falsely matured teenage boy like she did, though, so I still have that going for me.

I heard this name, Skrillex, mentioned a lot recently, and, curious as to what new type of candy this was, I googled it. It’s a dude with some hair like you’d imagine a guy named Skrillex would have and he’s the hottest thing in music right now. When I say “hottest thing in music” I refer you to other people who keep saying he’s the hottest thing in music right now. I trust them because Google told me to. Here’s a Skrillex video. Personally, the hottest thing in music right now is the 1996 music video for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s (I had to look up how to spell it) Tha Crossroads.

So that should tell you something.

Skrillex Killed Dubstep

2011 has been one of the biggest years ever for Dubstep, quite possibly the most significant since its decade-old inception in the UK. The Pop music industry as a whole has witnessed a massive transformation taking place over the last year, as major artists from all around the world have begun incorporating the instantly recognizable sounds of dubstep into their music. Britney Spears and Rihanna, two of the biggest female stars in American pop-music have already “jumped on the dubstep bandwagon” so to speak, harnessing the unrelenting, high-energy sound typical of the dubstep genre to infuse their music with a whole new dimension of appeal. Even more telling, industry juggernaut’s such as Jay-Z and Kanye West licensed the classic Flux Pavilion track “I Can’t Stop” in their official single “Who Gon’ Stop Me”. To top it all off, dubstep-icon Skrillex has not only released recent collaborations with several music-industry giants such as Korn and The Doors, he also just received a whopping FIVE Grammy Nominations, including the first “Best New Artist” nomination EVER to be awarded to a DJ/Producer.

What started as an entirely underground movement has begun to gain mainstream recognition, and the community response to this transition has been dramatic and highly conflicted to say the least. To fully understand the ramifications of what Skrillex has accomplished, we have to begin by looking at the structure of another genre that has gone through a very similar evolutionary process, the Hip-Hop industry.

The first lesson to be learned from the history of Hip Hop is the supposed fate of the underground and the role Skrillex is playing in “reshaping” the sound of dubstep. Hip Hop is by far one of the most influential and expansive musical genres currently in existence. New Hip Hop acts are constantly emerging, many of them reaching millions of followers within their first few months of touring. However, despite the monumental reach and power of contemporary Hip Hop, it has still maintained a wonderfully rich and vibrant underground culture that is hardly diminished at all by the explosion of Hip Hop and Rap in the mainstream. If Hip Hop becoming mainstream didn’t kill the underground, why would the story be any different for Dubstep? If anything, the underground has matured and evolved into a relatively unaffected category separate and distinct from the Hip Hop mainstream, but with the added benefit that underground artists are able to make a living from their craft.

There is another important aspect of Hip-Hop that deserves to be noted in order for this comparison to be relevant. The dominant role in Hip Hop is almost always granted to the MC (just as in pop music it is granted to the singer). This is not to say that it is impossible to gain attention as a Hip-Hop producer, but it is certainly significantly more difficult as the majority of the attention and praise is awarded by default to the MC. In many cases, incredibly talented producers are ignored entirely as relatively untalented figure-heads spit mediocre rhymes over their producers finely-honed instrumentals. Whatever your personal opinion concerning Skrillex may be, his nomination for Best New Artist as a dj/producer has the potential to completely change the way this model functions, opening wide the doors for a whole new generation of producers to gain the respect and attention they so rightly deserve.

At the end of the day, producers make music so that people can listen and enjoy it, just like all other musicians. Any success for the Dubstep community at large is ultimately a success for the industry as a whole. Brilliant producers like Skrillex are casting light on what the mainstream has been missing out on, and this illumination will only serve to benefit those who follow in his footsteps; whether they choose to produce in a mainstream or underground style is completely irrelevant . Until very recently, many critics have been reluctant or even unwilling to consider producers to be musicians, instead preferring to think of them as some other sort of entertainer unworthy of the “artistic” title of “musician”. With his boundary shattering nomination for Best New Artist, Skrillex has boldly demonstrated the falsehood of these unjust claims, stating that he’s “only hoping that his nomination this year will carry on to the next year, and open doors for more people to come up and be noticed and recognized as actual musicians.”

The important thing to keep in mind is that when people begin to accept Dubstep as a whole into what people refer to as “actual music”, the generally accepted value of the producer will increase dramatically. Before Hip Hop was recognized as part of popular music, it was extremely rare to find an artist that was able to support themself solely from their musical career. The same is true now for the producer; the general populace is relatively ignorant to the musical complexities of dubstep, and as a result it is extremely hard to get recognized as providing a service genuinely worth enough money to live on. Most producers are instead forced to rely on a side-job that prevents them from focusing all of the necessary energy on production, a vicious cycle that inevitably prevents many talented individuals from ever reaching their full potential. When the genre is accepted as an essential part of popular culture, talented producers will have a much better chance of being able to direct all of their energy at developing their musical career rather than struggling to support their musical through various odd-jobs. Although dubstep being incorporated into the mainstream may dramatically increase the number of producers (and many of them will surely copy Skrillex, as he is the very definition of “Whats Hot”), it is important to remember that there will always be an underground, and there will always be quality producers of all styles and varieties….it’s just a matter of finding them!

If bridging the gap between the mainstream and the underground helps clarify for the listener how they can personally relate to and interact with the music they are hearing, there is certainly no harm in such a simple endeavor. If Skrillex being nominated for a Grammy helps pave the way for a whole generation of up-and-coming producers, that is a tremendous accomplishment regardless of how you feel about his music.

Drake, 'Take Care,' dubstep and feminine energy

Above is a good interview with Canadian sing-rap superstar Drake by Sam Chennault at Google Magnifier*. It gets especially interesting when Drake starts talking about dubstep and feminine energy.

Drake's album "Take Care" is number four on the Billboard 200 chart right now, standing out from other mainstream American R&B/hip-hop with its complete embrace of the London post-dubstep sound — post- separating it from the megafestival electronic/rave crossover dubstep of Skrillex.



Drake prefers the stark dubstep-soul of producers James Blake and The xx. He likes the way they manipulate digitally sampled voices in music — the hallmark of classic dubstep circa 2007, the producer-treated, wailing vocal snippet. Jamie xx does it with gravelly Gil Scott-Heron phrases in the title track on "Take Care," a song I predict will be a huge hit, where Drake teams up with Rihanna and sings a plea that could be paraphrased as "I don't care about your complicated past, life is lonely, be with me, you only live once."



The type of dubstep Drake inserts into his album, what Jamie xx specializes in and Drake's main producer Noah "40" Shebib does capably from time to time, is a collection of moods and feels rather than a specific genre. It's a group of sensibilities we call post-dubstep when massaged into dark R&B/dance pop with heavy low-end frequencies, considered to have feminine energy. Meaning the arrangements in a Blake or Jamie xx song feature beautiful melodic swoops and bold rhythmic restraint, qualities associated with women. It occurs to me that beauty and restraint aren't innate to women, or necessarily across-the-board desirable — but the sound works devilishly well with Drake's sensitive nightclub Lothario persona, and is also business-smart, selling to people who buy Adele records, the British belter who topped sales charts all year.

Basically, Drake has seen a new path to women, through post-dubstep. The cavernous electro-noiR&B of his early albums is not unlike "Take Care" — but those albums now feel like prelude to this, a post-dubstep pop record where he perfects his psychodramatic manipulation, casting shadows with music, then strategically emerging with self-effacing emotional rawness.

As he says in the Google interview, quoting rapper Kendrick Lamar and talking about his own brain-hacking technique:

"Women are the tastemakers for what we make. Women buy records. And I have this fascination with getting into the minds of women, and truly letting them know how I think as a man, and letting them know how I view them as women. That should appeal to men as well."

Skrillex

Skrillex

www.bloodcompany.net/skrillexep/
myspace.com/skrillex

"I've been deep into electronic music my entire life. The first records I ever owned were ‘Fat of Land' by the Prodigy and ‘Come To Daddy' by Aphex Twin," raves Sonny Moore, better known as emerging electronic visionary SKRILLEX. "Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails were also early influences. I've been dabbling in making electronic tracks on programs like Fruity Loops since I was 14 years old."

For fans of Moore's past incarnation as the lead singer of hardcore band From First To Last, the bass bin crushing dance floor beats of SKRILLEX might come off as something of a shock. But SKRILLEX is part of a new generation of artists that refuse to be restricted by preconceived notions or outside expectations. "Genre has never been important to me," he insists. "I've never thought about music that way."

Describing his current sound as "a mix of dubstep, electro and glitch all thrown together," new SKRILLEX release "SCARY MONSTERS AND NICE SPRITES" reflects all of the above and beyond. The uplifting post-trance synth melodies of "ALL I ASK OF YOU" (featuring the soaring vocals of Penny) stands in stark contrast to the face-melting electro bass blasts of the massive electro-dubstep hybrid "ROCK N' ROLL (WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MOUNTAIN)."

"I've listened to so much music for so long, it's more about instinct than influence," Moore explains about his sonic inspirations. "Coming up, I was into a lot of artists on the Warp record label like Autechre, Squarepusher, and Aphex Twin, so SKRILLEX tracks are inclined to have more changes than most dance tracks normally have. I can draw influences from almost anything. I just like to mess around and create cool new sounds and noises. I just go where the music takes me."

After just one hugely successful independent release, "SCARY MONSTERS AND NICE SPRITES" is the first SKRILLEX release on Big Beat Records, in conjunction with fellow electronic revolutionary Deadmau5's freshly minted Mau5trap record label.

"For years, the artists needed the record labels. I don't feel that way at all," Moore stresses. "SKRILLEX has been 100% independent until now. I think it's so important to be self-sufficient as artist. Working with Atlantic / Big Beat, and cooperating with Mau5trap, allows us all to work as a team and expand on what's already been built."

Following its release on Beatport, the 9-song EP dominated the charts on the site, with the title track claiming the site's #1 slot (the first time a dubstep track has ever done so), 8 songs breaking into the top 10, and multiple tracks claiming the #1 slots on several of the site's subgenre charts, including Dubstep, Electro House, Progressive House.

Aside from the immediate success of "SCARY MONSTERS AND NICE SPRITES," SKRILLEX has also made a name for himself as a highly sought-after remixer. He's already produced officially commissioned remixes for such A-list artists as the Black Eyed Peas ("Rock That Body"), Lady Gaga ("Bad Romance" and "Alejandro"), and La Roux ("In For The Kill").

SKRILLEX stands not only at the vanguard of electronic dance music, but the perpetually evolving new music industry as a whole.

"For me, it's important to believe in and love the music you're making. I gave away my first EP on my manager's website, just so people could hear the music," he enthuses. "It was downloaded by the thousands in just a couple of months, and it hasn't let up since. That's all the inspiration I need to keep making music.

"SKRILLEX can be anything I want it to be," he continues hopefully. "There are so many different avenues for music now. Video games, movie scores - the possibilities are endless, and I'm excited to be a part of it."