- Best New Artist
- Best Dance Recording (for THIS album)
- Best Dance/Electronica Album (for THIS album)
- Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical (for "Cinema (Skrillex Remix) from Benny Benassi's Cinema)
- Best Short Form Music Video (for "First of the Year (Equinox)" from More Monsters and Sprites EP)
This is a dubstep album (lord, what have I gotten in to here...) that was recorded entirely on a laptop. Speaking to today's digital age, it was first released solely as a downloadable album to dubstep online retailers, then later came out as a physical copy. It caught on pretty quickly, doing well on genre-based charts, and even hitting number 49 on the Billboard 200 chart. Electro house and progressive house are also elements used. I'm willing to take a chance here. Oh, and I just learned it's only one dude. Sweet. Let's roll.
I know I've heard "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" before. I don't know if it was my roommate, a random Spotify stumble, or in a club, but it's entirely familiar. There's actually something I love about the higher-pitched melodies that show up throughout it. It almost makes what could otherwise be construed as annoying downright lovely. The song is also a great length, allowing you enough time to enjoy the beats, but not dragging on so long that you are forced to change it.
"Kill EVERYBODY" is a little put-offish right from the title. It's not exactly a pleasant mix, but I'm not saying that because of the lyrics or title. It's just got this very harsh feel to every single element that makes it hard to listen to in any regular situation I can think to put it into. The robotic childish voice doesn't totally help matters either.
Penny is featured in the next track, "All I Ask Of You." Bah, all I can think of is Phantom of the Opera going into this. Damn frame of reference. We kick off with a volume-increasing couple of notes, then break into this pleasant vocal takeover that actually isn't awful. Okay, maybe I'm lying a little. She gets old pretty quick. This is no Broadway showtune.
"Scatta" featuring Foreign Beggars and Bare Noize kind of looses me a little bit. Okay, maybe a lot. It's a cool concept - throwing in some fast rap with it. It's also a beat that I think everyone's heard before in any kind of electronic mix ever. Moving on.
I'm not trying to bash this guy, really, but one thing I absolutely can't stand is the sound of a distorted record, and that's the entire sound at the beginning of "With You, Friends [Long Drive]." Once we get past that, awesome, love the music for the last two minutes or so. Very cool stuff. But that first part just drives me away from this one.
"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites - Nois Remix" and "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprite - Zedd Remix" are not bad by any means. However, I take a little issue with remixes in this genre. There are about a million. I appreciate everyone putting their own spin on things, I just don't love it as a part of the album itself, yah know? Unless you're going to give something substantially different, don't waste my time here - release a single with the various versions. Though, the second one has a little difference to it, at least at first - nice little latin-ish beat?
It ends with one more remix, "Kill EVERYBODY - Bare Noize Remix," which comes across as a little clearer than the first one actually. Not sure if this makes it more or less enjoyable. It's there though. It's a track. It's decent. And it's the end.
Something I love about every electronic act that I've come across is that they make their stuff available all over the Internet. He uploaded every single song right to the Vevo account to listen to whenever. Very cool way of getting your work out there. Artists need to realize it'll be out there anyway and find their new revenue streams. Be like this and make it available anyway. Then tour.
So, this wasn't a favorite, but I am glad I gave it a shot. Seriously! I found something, so that says... something, right? I'm willing to give the other works a shot too - says even more?
This was fun actually - getting through an EP was much easier than an album, and it gave just enough of a taste to not leave me burnt out. We'll see what else they have to offer in future reviews!