Hear Skrillex, RL Grime’s Winding New Song ‘Waiting’
Skrillex, RL Grime and What So Not unite on the dynamic all-star collaboration “Waiting,” released Thursday via Grime’s Soundcloud page. The producers blend sampled chants, trumpet-like synth moans, chirping voices and speaker-blasting bass drops into an exhilarating four-minute barrage.
While the trio include several explosive, festival-friendly moments, they push the track along an unpredictable path, deconstructing the beat on two occasions. At one point, they pitch-shift sampled chants higher and higher into a strange climax; later, they cut out the groove to reveal humming, motorcycle-styled electronics.
In July, Skrillex teamed with Rick Ross for “Purple Lamborghini,” a collaboration for the Suicide Squad soundtrack highlighted by the producer’s trademark mechanized bass tones and the rapper’s signature boasts. The following month, the duo released an eye-popping video for the track, starring Jared Leto as the Joker, who joins the duo on a speedboat and at a nightclub.
Skrillex recently opened a Houston concert during Guns N’ Roses’ reunion tour, sparking controversy among the rock giants’ fans. Nonetheless, the EDM king shrugged off the backlash.
“I’ve always been a polarizing artist, so I don’t really pay attention to what anybody says,” Skrillex told Rolling Stone. “It’s so strange because I grew up playing rock music and punk music, and I’m a forever-evolving artist. When I first started making electronic music after I left [Skrillex’s former rock band] From First to Last, all my band’s fans hated that. ‘Where’s the old Sonny?’ When I started working with Jack Ü, the Skrillex fans were like, ‘What’s that?'”