Nine years ago, Skrillex was but a blip on the radar. Sure, his Skrillex and Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites EPs earned him massive acclaim from within the EDM community, the latter even earned him a GRAMMY for Best Dance/Electronica Album in 2012, but in the year between its release and its award, he released one of his best EPs ever, Bangarang.
Bangarang was without a doubt the project that put Skrillex on the map in the larger musical zeitgeist. Teaming up with the likes of The Doors, Sirah, Wolfgang Gartner, Ellie Goulding, and 12th Planet & Kill The noise, these seven tracks (plus the orchestral suite from Varien) secured him a consecutive win for Best Dance/Electronica Album the next year, as well as another win for Best Dance Recording for the title track.
Officially released on December 23, Bangarang did it all. Taking influences from electro house, dubstep, progressive house, trance, and more, it sounded effortless and far ahead of its time. Starting things off with “Right In,” literally digging right in to the madness of the project, Skrillex solidified his place as a top-tier artist for years to come. His next big project wouldn’t come for another three years, his debut album Recess, but Bangarang was all we needed. 
Celebrate this release by listening to it once again.
Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP
