Konstantinos Karakolis
Konstantinos Karakolis
Skrillex season is officially upon us.
From frenetic, brain-melting beats to emotional and sometimes throwback moments, Skrillex’s first full-length effort in nine years, Quest For Fire, connects past and future in a truly stunning fashion, while exhibiting the ambition and versatility everyone expected from the pioneering producer.
Skrillex’s 2014 album Recess was arguably a career-defining moment, followed by a colossal tour, and an equally impressive run under his collaborative effort with hitmaker Diplo, Jack Ü. Fast forward to almost a decade later, and Skrillex has been tapped by the likes of The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé as a producer. He also explored a wide number of styles by way of collaborations with electronic music trailblazers such as RL Grime, What So Not, JOYRYDE, Boys Noize, DJ Sliink and more.
Skrillex is an undisputed superstar, and one would expect an album rollout of such caliber to be drawn out and meticulous. Yet interestingly enough, Skrillex’s approach in unveiling Quest For Fire piece by piece was as rapid-paced and chaotic as the project’s sonics themselves. Following a double album teaser right at the start of 2023, Skrillex quickly unveiled “Rumble” alongside close collaborators Fred again.. and Four Tet. Featuring fierce vocals from UK grime star Flowdan, the bass-heavy single had quickly become one of last year’s most anticipated IDs after it was played by Fred again.. during his breakout Boiler Room set, while it took a life of its own upon release, instantly inspiring countless producers to make their own remixes of it.
Following the colossal success of "Rumble," Skrillex continued dishing out single after single throughout January, giving fans an additional glimpse into his second album of 2023, which was also revealed alongside its title track, “Don’t Get Too Close.”
After a Liam Underwood-directed basement set, that served as a mesmerizing teaser for the record, Quest For Fire has now arrived in full and serves as a testament to Skrillex’s unmatched sonic vision. Previously released single “Leave Me Like This” featuring Bobby Raps enchants listeners with its distorted basslines, while “Xena” traverses from tribal trap drops to techno-tinged sections, laced with Nai Barghouti’s ethnic vocals.
Despite his status as an electronic music icon, Skrillex’s pulse is still at the heart of the genre, something which is evident in the diverse list of guests on Quest For Fire. While rap icon Missy Elliot delivers infectious bars on “RATATA,” long-standing French visionary Mr. Oizo lends his production talents. Superstar Swae Lee’s singing is prevalent on “Too Bizzare,” a previously released, punk rock-leaning single, yet it is now remade into a gritty dance record with help from Posij, a Dutch producer who has been sharing music under Noisia’s VISION imprint for some time now. Noisia's Sleepnet lands on “Tears” as well, alongside pioneering bass music producer Joker, while bass music hero PEEKABOO displays his minimalistic yet heavy chops on "Hydrate."
Long-time friend Porter Robinson lands on the album’s heavenly closer “Still Here (with the ones that I came with),” which includes vocals from Bibi Bourelly and makes for an emotional conclusion to the chaotic yet mesmerizing sonic journey. High-pitched vocal chops, UK garage grooves, and emotional chords clash as Skrillex says goodbye–but not for long.
At the time of writing, Skrillex is getting ready to perform a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden alongside Fred again.. and Four Tet, the grandiose conclusion in a series of last-minute, pop-up shows the trio played in London, and subsequently in New York.
As the world is digesting Quest For Fire, Skrillex is gearing up to release Don’t Get Too Close later in 2023, which is slated to include previously-released collaborations with the likes of PinkPantheress, Trippie Redd and Bladee, as well as new ones with Kid Cudi, Corbin, Chief Keef and more.