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Time for the fourteenth instalment in the "Skrillex Book Club".
ICYMI, we're taking a listening journey through the discography of the great Sonny Moore and sharing some of our thoughts along the way.
Last week, we lifted him up.
This week, we got two little ones...
hit me where it hurts x (2025) & Kora (2026)
After last week's monumental listen, we get a little chance to unwind. I actually hadn't heard the first of these two EPs until today. And it's pretty good. Some little extras from FUS and original versions which are nice to hear though I think I prefer their appearances on the actual album better than here. I think the first two tracks on here are the strongest. 'fuze' sounds like it could've come out 10 years ago but not in a bad way. In an awesome way actually. It's a very nice combo of the newer Skrillex sound and the brostep we'd come to know him for. I think I still like the album VIP of 'while you were sleeping' better out of the two but this one is still cool. A touch too repetitive but really nice bass design. And the rest is just alright. I immediately recognized the title track from the tail end of 'ZEET NOISE' on FUS which makes sense as Dylan Brady is a featured artist on both. And once again, I like it better there. Most of the version on here is just percussion. It works on the album because its a continuous mix and so it doesn't dwell too long on the less interesting parts of the song. The version of Voltage on here is neat and has some nice drive to it.
Now, "Kora" on the other hand, this is where its at as the kids say. A surprise birthday release at the start of this year. This is the kind of sound design showcase I can get behind. Strip everything back. Keep it short and sweet but leave the listener wanting more. And oh man do I want more. In slight contrary to what I grasp the consensus is, I actually love every track here. I think they all hold their place well. Of course, the title track is probably the stand out. The bass, the MySpace era Sonny vocals, the censored bits and Ableton metronome in the latter half. Just beautiful. But really, everything is great. 'Yo Yan' may be the most lighthearted and kind of goofy of the three but it just has a certain catchiness to it. 'Someone Said' has some insane arps and the way that single vocal sample is manipulated in the ways that it is just blows my mind a little. Like how did he think to do that? I always love hearing elements of previously released songs that tend to get buried in their original form.
And with that, the canonical Skrillex run comes to a close. We laughed, we cried, we swore at Diplo a lot. We are now in the present day (not for long though). Yeah, there have been a couple singles since Kora but nothing notable enough to warrant a week quite yet. All in all, I'm left excited to see what we get next from ol' Sonny. There are a couple concerning things I hope don't become habitual like the stolen single artwork for 'hit me where it hurts x' and the allegedly(?) AI generated cover for Kora. But that aside, I'm liking what I'm hearing.
Now it's your turn!
What are your thoughts on this album? Do you love it/hate it? Have you even heard it? (if not, go listen, the image is a link to it's RYM page)
Speak your mind!
And join us next week as we return to where it all began....Or I guess, slightly before it all began....
