Skrillex Talks Grateful Dead, Taylor Swift & More

Wow. You know you have hit the top of the top when Rolling Stone magazine calls you an expert. This article is about Skrillex calling RS, as a resident expert, weighing in on their Expert Opinion column. They played for him nine songs, old and new, and asked his opinion. Below is the Reader’s Digest version of what he had to say about these songs. You may head over to the original article to read RS resident expert Sonny Moore’s full take on the subject. I never thought we would see the day where a dance music maker is called and expert and asked his opinion. There is hope for the future.

Skrillex compared the Grateful Dead to Alice In Wonderland, calling the song “China Cat Sunflower” ‘psychedelic and free-flowing.’ The Band’s song “Stage Fright” brought through tough truths about what the industry is like for an outsider, or insider even. We come to find out that “Cry Baby” by Janis Joplin is one of Skrilly’s favorites. He really seems to know and understand the blues that Joplin sings, and most adorably says that if a woman wrote this about him, he would be flattered. I am sure there are many girls out there wanting to sing many a sad, sad song about their tragic love for Sonny Moore.

Next on the list is Aphex Twin’s “Bucephalus Bouncing Ball,” which is one very familiar to our resident artist, who tells us that the Come to Daddy EP is in his top three albums of all time. He has this track memorized as if it were us with one of his tracks. Next on the list is Radiohead’s “I Might Be Wrong.” This band was the pre-emo emo, with a tinge more talent than those who came after them. That is with the exception of our favorite emo rocker turned electronica. The guitar riff in this song is one of the first Skrillex ever learned, proof positive of the direct influence Radiohead had on what came next. That is how it should be with music. An evolution of sounds. Speaking of artist’s evolving, Skrillex thinks that Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar’s “Bad Blood” is an example of just that. He calls the song ‘an awesome testament to how artists evolve.’

I would say the last three tracks on this list are equally examples of artist evolution, but in different ways than the traditional. First of the final three is “Drop FM” ft. Hannah Diamond, by A.G. Cook of PC Music. Skrillex talks of wanting to work with PC Music, and tells RS how he wanted to sign them as well. It is telling of just how knowledgeable Skrillex has been, is and always will be about not just electronic music or dance music but about MUSIC in general. This whole list encapsulates that fact, and epitomizes our favorite expert. Next on the list is everyone’s favorite new rapper and everyone’s favorite new archetypes, Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen”. ‘The anthem of the summer, as Skrillex tells it. He is right. There isn’t much this man is wrong about, if you haven’t figured that out yet. The last song on this list is off Jamie xx’s next level album, In Colour, and Skrillex calls his sound vintage. Again, he is right. The entire album is this bass-heavy, vintage goodness that everyone should have in their rotation.

And that is it. A little insight and knowledge from one of the greatest experts we know, Sonny ‘Skrillex’ Moore, dishing out the good goods from way back when to just about right now. So much is right about this article, the music that Skrillex plays in his sets, and the stuff he talks about on the interwebs. Skrillex selects only the best, and here is more fire for your earholes.

Skrillex Talks Grateful Dead, Taylor Swift & More