Concluding a 15-year partnership with OWSLA/Atlantic Records, Skrillex delivered a puzzling yet genius parting gift. His latest album, humorously titled F*CK SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3 breaks convention and invites listeners into a supercut of his career. This amalgam of inspiration blends Skrillex’s signature raging dubstep with rare snippets from old mixes that only seasoned fans may catch.
Following an iconic return to the ULTRA Music Festival main stage, in typical chaotic fashion, Skrillex hosted a surprise preview for fans at Ice Palace Studios via an RSVP link on X. Keeping the adrenaline high, he then announced the album just one day before its release on Instagram.
Each album element feeds into confident self-parody, from the pedestrian graffiti cover art to the outrageous DJ tags to the arguably excessive 34 tracks. De facto, joking about one’s influence is acceptable when backed by true talent. This album solidifies this idea. Only a multi-Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-awarded DJ like Sonny can pull off a project where only 5 tracks exceed the 2-minute mark without being dismissed as “chasing streams” or something of the sort.
However, as EDM fans are aware, electronic mixes can be ultra-spliced and time-specific. Even one loop can be its own mysterious “leaked ID.” This being said, all the tracks flow flawlessly into each other, literally interrupting or finishing each other, but potentially making more sense to the average listener as an album with fewer and longer tracks. Regardless, it bangs.
With features from Dj Smokey, Ilykimchi, Zacari, Starrah, Boys Noize, Dylan Brady, and G Jones, six of the 34 tracks rise above the rest.
“ANDY”
This collab with Dj Smokey opens with an R&B groove for about the first 30 seconds, teasing a haven of rhythmic consistency. The album title then drops as a DJ tag, launching into a heavy laser dubstep. Sharp vocal chops stir into the mix and at the 1-minute mark, a short melodic verse briefly smoothes out the rough edges. An airy, eerie vocalization layers over a nasty bass drop with wet, slinging percussion dancing on top in spurts.
“MOMENTUM”
Ilykimchi, Zacari, and Starrah make their mark on this dizzying track that also starts with an R&B-style vocal sample. The beat moves fast, and the instrumentals bounce off every surface, thematically matching the lyrics and title. The stellar use of panning is nothing short of blissful. Starrah’s short verse over a trap hip-hop beat seals in a 3rd seamless switch-up.
“MORJA KAIJU VIP”
This VIP leans hard into riddim territory, potentially polarizing. Around 40 seconds in, the track flips on its head into a sparkly, pitched-up ballad vocal, morphing soon again with a dragging bass punch that drops into a ground-shaking solo.
“ZEET NOISE”
Reinforcing the brainrot-esque tags, this track with Boys Noize and Dylan Brady opens with “I sold my soul to give you this song.” Delivering on this threat, the hard techno beat is thick with an almost suffocating intensity and pace. Just past a minute, a bright synth melody fakes out the drop – another quick tease that doesn’t linger.
“DRUIDS”
Amping up the absurdity, “DRUIDS” presents to the listener “NUKE RADIO… WE MAKE YOUR EARDRUMS BLEED.” This sets the tone for something equally ridiculous and scary, but this track is neither. G Jones‘ creative influence is loud and clear: avant-garde trap meets uncomfortable mind-bending sound design. This track walks the line between esoteric and “who listens to this?” with its nearly 4D force of high-pitched scratchy bits and a nasty, digging bass.
“BIGGY BAP”
Continuing “DRUIDS,” this track with Wuki and Dj Smokey goes off the deep end. Several dramatic tags overlap each other, among them: “It might be illegal to hear this shit…” “You crazy Wuki” and a threat to put Skrillex “in a hole.” The irony seems to reach its peak, inducing sonic whiplash. But it’s okay because the arrangement is top tier.
F*CK SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3 proves that years into his illustrious career, Skrillex can still play in underground spaces without feeling inauthentic or pretentious. Behind the post-ironic veil of this release is a vanguard of electronic music, constantly pushing the envelope and reshaping his fame. Intentionally or not, this project comments on the debated legitimacy of artists and what music sounds like in a dopamine-dump digital world. And at the end of the day, Skrillex is a generational talent, making 46 straight minutes of chaos sound like one perfectly curated, extended song.
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