Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites

This article is about the album. For the title song, see Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (song).
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
EP by Skrillex
Released October 22, 2010
Recorded 2010
Genre
Length 44:02
Label
Producer
Skrillex chronology

My Name Is Skrillex
(2010)		 Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
(2010)		 More Monsters and Sprites
(2011)
Singles from Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
  1. "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"
    Released: October 22, 2010
  2. "Rock n' Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain)"
    Released: June 20, 2011

Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites is the second EP by American electronic music producer Skrillex. It was released exclusively through Beatport on October 22, 2010 through mau5trap and Big Beat Records, while being released on December 20 for digital download via other online retailers and on March 1, 2011 as a physical release. It was recorded in 2010 at his apartment using a laptop.[2] The EP features guest contributions from Penny, Foreign Beggars and Bare Noize as well as remixes done by Noisia, Zedd and Bare Noize. It won two Grammys at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards: one for Best Dance Recording, and another for Best Dance/Electronica Album.

The EP has received generally positive reviews from music critics. It has since become a moderate commercial success reaching number 49 on the Billboard 200,[3] while also topping the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and reaching number 28 in Australia.[4] As of November 2011, the EP was certified Gold in Canada with sales exceeding 40,000 copies.[5] The EP's lead single, "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites", was a moderate commercial success internationally, peaking within the charts of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Sweden.[6][7][8][9][10] It has since been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with sales exceeding 500,000.[11] On November 30, 2011, it was announced that the EP was nominated at the 54th Grammy Awards for Best Dance/Electronica Album. On February 12, 2012, the album won the Grammy for that category. A follow-up EP, More Monsters and Sprites, contains several remixes of the title track done by Dirtyphonics, Phonat, The Juggernaut and Kaskade. It is named after David Bowie's 1980 album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).[12]

Reception

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [13]
Alternative Press [14]
The AU Review 8/10[15]
Punknews.org [16]
Resident Advisor 1.5/5[1]
Robert Christgau B+[17]
Under the Gun Review 10/10[18]

Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites received generally positive reviews from music critics. Jon O'Brien from Allmusic gave the EP a positive review, saying, "The three remixes from Noisia, Bare Noize, and Zedd are solid if unspectacular, with only the latter's chilled-out version of the title track providing anything wildly different from the originals. But the invention showcased on the first six bass-heavy anthems is more than enough to suggest that the U.S. has found someone who is capable of selling the dubstep sound back to its South London homeland".[13] Alternative Press also gave a positive review, saying, "On Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites, Moore has hit his mash-up groove, combining monster dance riffs with melodic ambience. The EP title is fitting, since these nine tracks (three of which are remixes) embody both sides of Moore; the rambunctious, punk-rock kid who screamed his head off in From First To Last (see the chaos of “Kill EVERYBODY”), but also the melodic, pensive adult who can seamlessly collaborate with pop singers like Penny and producers and rappers like Bare Noize and Foreign Beggars".[19]

Commercial performance

The EP has since become a moderate commercial success. In the United States, it has reached a peak of number forty-nine on the Billboard 200, and has spent more than thirty weeks within the chart.[20] It has also reached the summit of the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number three on the Dance/Electronic Albums.[21] It reached number twenty-eight on the ARIA Charts in Australia.[4]

As of October 3, 2013, the single "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites" has reached double platinum status, with sales of over 2,000,000 copies [22]

Track listing

No. TitleProducer(s) Length
1. "Rock n' Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain)"  Skrillex 4:44
2. "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"  Skrillex 4:03
3. "Kill EVERYBODY"  Skrillex 4:58
4. "All I Ask of You" (feat. Penny)Skrillex 5:40
5. "Scatta" (feat. Foreign Beggars & Bare Noize)Skrillex, Bare Noize Foreign Beggars 3:55
6. "With You, Friends (Long Drive)"  Skrillex 6:29
7. "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" (Noisia Remix)Skrillex, Noisia (add.) 3:24
8. "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" (Zedd Remix)Skrillex, Zedd 5:59
9. "Kill EVERYBODY" (Bare Noize Remix)Skrillex, Bare Noize 4:41

Release history

Region Date Format Label Catalogue
United States October 22, 2010[23] Digital download mau5trap MAU5CD004
United Kingdom November 15, 2010[24] CD mau5trap, Big Beat, Prime Direct
Australia December 20, 2010[25][26][27][28] Digital download Big Beat, WEA -
Canada
United Kingdom
United States
Australia February 11, 2011[29] mau5trap, Big Beat
United States March 1, 2011[30] CD Big Beat, Atlantic, WEA 5269182
Australia April 29, 2011[31][32] Digital download Big Beat, WEA
CD Big Beat, Atlantic, Neon, Warner, WEA 7567882717

Chart positions

Weekly

Chart (2011–13) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[4] 24
Australian Dance Albums Chart[33] 5
Australian Hitseekers Albums Chart[34] 1
Belgian Mid-Price Albums Chart (Flanders)[35] 8
Canadian Albums Chart[36] 24
Japanese Albums Chart[37] 87
Korean International Albums Chart[38] 88
New Zealand Albums Chart[39] 15
Swedish Albums Chart[40] 49
UK Albums Chart[41] 156
UK Dance Albums Chart[42] 11
US Billboard 200[3] 49
US Billboard Catalog Albums[43] 4
US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums[21] 3
US Billboard Heatseekers Albums[44] 1

Year-end

Year Chart Peak
position
2011 Australian Albums Chart[45] 81
Australian Dance Albums Chart[46] 9
US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums[47] 6
2012 Australian Albums Chart[48] 72
Australian Dance Albums Chart[49] 6
New Zealand Albums Chart[50] 48
US Billboard 200[51] 87
US Billboard Catalog Albums[52] 47
US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums[53] 7
2013 Australian Dance Albums Chart[54] 38
US Billboard Catalog Albums[55] 46

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[56] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ryce, Andrew (November 11, 2010). "Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Resident Advisor. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  2. ↑ "VIDEO: neontapedeck Interview with Skrillex". neontapedeck. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.billboard.com/artist/279545/skrillex/chart?f=305
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Steffen Hung. "Discography Skrillex". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  5. ↑ http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=&ica=False&sa=&sl=&smt=0&sat=-1&ssd=11/1/2011&sed=12/1/2011&ssb=Cert.%20Date&ssdir=ascending
  6. ↑ "Pandora Archive" (PDF). Pandora.nla.gov.au. 2006-08-23. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  7. ↑ "Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  8. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ "The Hot 100 : Jan 07, 2012 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard.com. 2012-01-07. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  11. ↑ "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - July 30, 2013". RIAA. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  12. ↑ Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. Inflatable Ferret.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 O'Brien, Jon. "Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites". Allmusic. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  14. ↑ Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites EP. AltPress. October 22, 2010.
  15. ↑ Fuamoli, Sosefina (May 2, 2011). "Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (2011 EP)". The AU Review. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Skrillex - Scary Monster and Nice Sprites (2010)". Punknews.org. December 13, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  17. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Skrillex". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  18. ↑ Thomas White, Jake (March 29, 2011). "REVIEW: Skrillex – Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites". Under the Gun Review. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites EP - Alternative Press". Altpress.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  20. ↑ "Billboard 200 : Jan 28, 2012 - (Chart position) | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Artist Biography by David Jeffries (1988-01-15). "Skrillex | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  22. ↑ http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22SCARY+MONSTERS+AND+NICE+SPRITE%22
  23. ↑ "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites - Download at Beatport". Beatport. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  24. ↑ "Skrillex: Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites (2010): CD: hmv.com". HMV Group. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  25. ↑ "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites by Skrillex - Download Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  26. ↑ "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites by Skrillex - Download Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  27. ↑ "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites by Skrillex - Download Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  28. ↑ "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites by Skrillex - Download Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  29. ↑ "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites by Skrillex - Download Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  30. ↑ "Amazon.com: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites: Skrillex: Music". Amazon. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  31. ↑ "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Deluxe Tour Edition) by Skrillex - Download Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Deluxe Tour Edition) on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  32. ↑ "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  33. ↑ "ARIA Report: Issue #1151" (PDF). ARIA. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  34. ↑ "ARIA Report: Issue #1095" (PDF). ARIA. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites". Ultratop (NL). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Canadian Albums Chart: Skrillex chart history". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  37. ↑ スケアリー・モンスターズ・アンド・ナイス・スプライツ (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Gaon Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  39. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites". New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  40. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites". Swedish Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  41. ↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 11.02.2012 (wk5)". zobbel.de. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  42. ↑ "2012 Top 40 Dance Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. UK Dance Chart. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Catalog Albums Chart: Skrillex chart history". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  44. ↑ "Heatseekers Albums Chart: Skrillex chart history". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Top 100 Albums 2011". ARIA. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Top 50 Dance Albums 2011". ARIA. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  47. ↑ "Dance/Electronic Albums: 2011 Year-end Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Top 100 Albums 2012". ARIA. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Top 50 Dance Albums 2012". ARIA. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  50. ↑ "END OF YEAR CHARTS 2012". The Official NZ Music Charts. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  51. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums: 2012 Year-end Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Catalog Albums: 2012 Year-end Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  53. ↑ "Dance/Electronic Albums: 2012 Year-end Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  54. ↑ "Top 50 Dance Albums 2013". ARIA. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  55. ↑ "Catalog Albums: 2013 Year-end Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  56. ↑ "American album certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 15, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH