At a guess there were sixty thousand acclaiming him in front of the main stage of Primavera Sound 2026, is now one of the most anticipated artists on the bill of the next Kappa Future Festival in Turin. Numbers from headliner of primary importance for Skrillex, among the most influential and respected protagonists of the electronic scene in recent years. Just a few hours after the performance in Barcelona, “Soma” was surprisingly released, a divisive album, which is creating a clear split in the opinions of fans and critics. The “cons” essentially materialize in the lack of drop ecstatic and on the excessive insistence on the use of Latin rhythms, which in reality – upon closer inspection – represent the true characterizing point of the work, which thus stands out clearly compared to other publications of the producer American, already winner of nine Grammy Awards and various other awards around the world, firmly in the top places of the Top 100 drawn up every year by the specialized magazine Dj Magazine.
Sonny John Moore, this is his real name, creates his “global” album with “Soma”, strongly influenced by “world music”, especially – but not exclusively – of Hispanic origin, also the result of the dense network of collaborations that Skrillex has woven over the years. A hybrid that today leads him to blend techno and latin, EDM and Brazilian funk in a completely natural way. The opening is pressing, the sharp sound design from the title trackshared with the Georgian talent Nitepunk, one of the most disruptive figures of bass music contemporary. Blawan is the co-star, together with Randomer and MC Dricka, of the ambitious “Thistle”. Then, starting from “Tranki” the album begins to take a decidedly Hispanic turn, with some concessions to more cunning situations, as in the case of “Noche Without You” (the voice is by the Colombian singer-songwriter Feid) which resurrects the famous “Children” by Robert Miles.
Among the breakbeats of “Scut 2”, the tech-house drifts brazilian of “E o Bonde”, the intrusions hyperpop of “La noche”, the pounding pace of “Anybody” and the potential track filler “Duro”, Skrillex brings home the result not without difficulty, falling slightly short in the final part. From the teenage hyperbole of American dubstep, the ex-boyfriend from Los Angeles has grown up, having helped to deconstruct pop music and even attempted an intellectual way to dancefloor. Today he intends to develop a path capable of finding a balance between urban neuroses and pop-centric deviations, surrounding himself with highly selected first-choice collaborators. The result is a bridge built between club Europeans more à la page and the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the logbook of a producer total, which grants some concessions to the playlists while confirming itself as a sound architect of the highest caliber.
06/20/2026
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
