Recess
by Skrillex
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Mar 27, 2014
    83
    It's spectacular, almost exhaustingly so. [28 Mar 2014, p.63]
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  2. Rolling Stone
    Mar 20, 2014
    70
    Many of the elements that drove Skrillex's initial success are still somewhere in the mix on Recess: the suffocating low end, the serrated edges, the industrial-strength aggression, the disorienting collisions of sound shards, the vocals distorted until they sound like alien transmissions.
  3. Spin
    Mar 20, 2014
    70
    This wobbling between attempts to impress the dance music cognoscenti and to make songs as purely delightful as "Coast Is Clear" defines Recess, and occasionally bogs it down.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Mar 25, 2014
    63
    Skrillex is good enough to kill the Brostep monster he created. He just didn't quite finish the job here.
  6. NOW Magazine
    Mar 20, 2014
    60
    The album shows he’s progressed since bursting onto the scene four years ago, but it’s definitely not going to change the minds of those who think he’s ruining dance music.
  7. DIY Magazine
    Mar 20, 2014
    60
    This is the sound of an artist who has allowed himself to take a break and record eleven tracks he would like to rele
  8. Fact Magazine (UK)
    Mar 20, 2014
    60
    If you dislike fidgetty edits and squealing high frequencies fine--go and listen to Eleh--but if you like dance music crashing into the most mainstream of the mainstream on a skateboard, being cheeky, rude, funny and giving you a massive rush when you listen to it, then here it is. Recess. Enjoy.
  9. AllMusic
    Mar 20, 2014
    60
    This already busy album becomes even busier with so many cooks in the kitchen, and shoots off nonstop fireworks as if this was Skrillex's audio variety special, sponsored by the wing of the stereo industry that sells, re-cones, or fixes subwoofers.
  10. Consequence
    Mar 25, 2014
    58
    With Skrillex’s synth swipes holding it together, the album cannot help but become disjointed due to the numerous collaborators.
  11. Pitchfork
    Mar 21, 2014
    57
    The progression from early singles to first album isn’t nearly the same arc as it was just 10 years ago, but it’s still weird that the first full-length showcase for Skrillex as self-contained album artist feels more like a transitional record than a debut that plays to his strengths.
  12. PopMatters
    Apr 4, 2014
    50
    While the album will most likely not be considered a classic, it will undoubtedly satiate the Skrillex diehards.
  13. The New York Times
    Mar 20, 2014
    50
    Recess arrives feeling more like a checked-off item on a bucket list.
  14. Resident Advisor
    Mar 20, 2014
    40
    Even at its biggest, it sounds disappointingly thin.
  15. Sputnikmusic
    Mar 20, 2014
    30
    There are almost no redeeming qualities to be found here, and the whole thing is shamelessly derivative, thoroughly lacking in any sort of creativity, and (worst of all) a logical point in Skrillex’s career arc, one which has been pointing downhill ever since 2010. Listen at your own risk.
  16. Pretty Much Amazing
    Mar 20, 2014
    25
    Ultimately, the highlights here are still middling fare, and mostly, I just couldn’t wait for Recess to be over.

Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Most Discussed Album of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 75 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 75
  3. Negative: 23 out of 75
  1. MooziikMaster
    Mar 21, 2014
    1
    I used to enjoy the creativity of Skrillex's sound. Unfortunately, last summer, I went to a music festival and was sorely disappointed withI used to enjoy the creativity of Skrillex's sound. Unfortunately, last summer, I went to a music festival and was sorely disappointed with his performance. To go into further details, his bizarre requests for the audience to "sit on your ass!" on the muddy ground was too much. He then protested to stop playing more music if the crowd did not comply with his odd plead. Maybe he was trying to create a cool gimmick that would make the experience more enjoyable, but when you treat your audience like crap and act like a dictator, you lose fans very quickly.

    Other than my newfound, passionate hate for Skrillex's personality, I gave his music a chance. Even if an artist is displeasing, their music may still be worthwhile. This possibility is not the case for the shaved-head rat of a man. With hollow beats and bass drops that sound all too familiar from previous releases, there is nothing left for Skrillex. His career should have ended after Bangarang.

    One of the first mistakes he made was introducing a plethora of guest stars onto several tracks. Not only does the use of faux-rappers dampen the mood, but it defeats the whole purpose of dubstep. There are no lyrics in a dubstep track. One of the pioneers of this sound went against his own rules and created a monster. With no tracks that grab your attention for more than a minute, Recess is a sorry excuse for a debut album.

    A shallow, self-centered personality emerges within the tasteless tracks, taking away 50 minutes of someone's life. Not only are the tracks repetitive and unoriginal, they pierce the ears with electronic screeches. That seems like the icing on the cake.

    Well, you know what they say: "The bigger they are, the harder they fall".    … Full Review »
  2. awhedge
    Apr 2, 2014
    2
    If you are looking for a solid debut album playing on Skrillex's previous strengths - run. Run far away from this album. If you are simplyIf you are looking for a solid debut album playing on Skrillex's previous strengths - run. Run far away from this album. If you are simply looking for something innovative and new, once again you will be disappointed. With a sound like an experiment gone wrong spiced with the flavor of late 90s Fatboy Slim and Moby hits, DJ Accucrack, Enigma and some rapper, Recess fails to make a cohesive statement and fails to deliver something that sounds like it belongs in 2014. Horribly disappointing and only slightly entertaining, especially if you are a fan of Skrillex's previous work. If there is an audience for Recess, I do not know who it would be.… Full Review »
  3. ThisisART
    Dec 12, 2014
    10
    Sonny Moore's best work to date. Each song tastefully reinvents the way electronic music is handled, as we're finally hearing more progressiveSonny Moore's best work to date. Each song tastefully reinvents the way electronic music is handled, as we're finally hearing more progressive and elongated explorations blending multiple genres such as Jazz, R&B, World/Ethnic into Dum'n'Bass, Dancehall, and of course, Dubstep. To be completely honest, no other producer could viably release an album as introspective as this into the mainstream, let alone drop it on the dance floor. Skrillex has proven himself an artist—easily 2014's answer to Pet Sounds or Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.… Full Review »
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