Summary:The debut full-length release for the Grammy-winning electronic artist includes guest appearances from Chance the Rapper, Diplo, Ragga Twins, and Alvin Risk.
Buy Now
Buy on
Record Label:Atlantic / Big Beat / Big Beat Records
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.
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.
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.
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.
Skrillex does it again. He offers us a dose of heavy brostep with all is fair in love and brostep and try it out, unique drops at ease mySkrillex does it again. He offers us a dose of heavy brostep with all is fair in love and brostep and try it out, unique drops at ease my mind, ragga bomb, **** that, and recess and some more relaxing songs like fire away and stranger. A very good album. My favourite is all is fair in love and brostep.…Expand
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.…Expand
Mildly disappointing but still good overall. The defining sound that he had from Scary Monsters and More Monsters is almost completely goneMildly disappointing but still good overall. The defining sound that he had from Scary Monsters and More Monsters is almost completely gone now and he's pretty much turned into your basic dubstep artists with one key difference; He knows how to give electronic music life. "All is Fair in Love and Brostep" is a good opening track with strong vocal synthesis, an acceptable electronic riff and that **** of sound we all have come to expect from Skrillex. "Recess" is probably my favorite track and the prime example of how (as I mentioned earlier) he gives his music life via applause samples, happy and distorted computer like vocals and distant laser synths with amazing production value. "Stranger" is a lot different from anything we've heard from him before with a main synth that might drive some people mad. I enjoyed it, but nobody else in the house did. "Try it Out" is the song we've all heard before, but nonetheless it is enjoyable. I can't think of any individual strong points but as a whole it sounds great. And now here we get to (what I consider) the **** part of the album; "Coast is Clear" and "Dirty Vibe". Instrumentally both are fine, but each has godawful vocals. Dirty Vibe isn't really my thing but I actually enjoyed it before the **** rap element came in. The animosity I feel for this is the same I feel for Sirah. "Ragga Bomb" is a nice track with a good synth, nothing amazing but perfectly listenable and enjoyable. "Doompy Poomp" is very different and actually reminds me of Caravan Palace quite a bit, and seeing as Caravan Palace is one of my favorite bands I of course enjoyed it. **** That" as a whole is average at best, the drop being simplistic. "Ease My Mind" is probably the best song on the album with an amazing Middle Eastern themed drop and nice vocals (even though they're sampled but whatever). Fire Away is the most tame track on the album but it's nice anyway. A solid 7/10.…Expand
Recess isn't the stereotypical Skrillex album we all probably expected. Instead, it drops in flavors of club hip-hop, reggae, dubstep, andRecess isn't the stereotypical Skrillex album we all probably expected. Instead, it drops in flavors of club hip-hop, reggae, dubstep, and drum & bass to create a much more eclectic offering. The result is mostly good, but where the Bangarang EP succeeded more was in the hooks that netted Skrillex serious radio play. "Stranger" is a tight hodge-podge of the aforementioned genres. Kill The Noise and Fatman Scoop make the title track perhaps the most Skrillex-like cut on the record and serves as one of the highlights. You'll also find the Alvin Risk collab "Try It Out", originally featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, remixed to mostly good results. The rest of the album does little to really stand out, but there may be a track or two that stand out to one person than the other. I think the only disappointment is that I expected a bit more from a full-length album. Still, I wouldn't consider myself disappointed but rather a bit underwhelmed with the finished product.…Expand
I'm a pretty big fan of the edm and dubstep scene, and I do enjoy Skrillex. When I listened to the album though, it felt like a weird mesh ofI'm a pretty big fan of the edm and dubstep scene, and I do enjoy Skrillex. When I listened to the album though, it felt like a weird mesh of reggae and dubstep mixed together. Unfortunately it wasn't that good, There were a couple of songs on here that I liked, but the majority of the album didn't really work for me.…Expand
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".…Expand
