As Pitchfork's Ezra Marcus wrote in his review of the producer's 2018 album, Compro, "[A] challenge emerged: how to engage with the beloved, vast '90s dance canon of hardcore music, Amen breaks, and ambient techno, without resorting to facile nostalgia. The best Skee Mask songs do exactly this; they don't sound quite like anything else."
This is all to say that Skee Mask's Miami debut and rare U.S. appearance at the Ground on Friday, May 17, is a must.
One cornerstone of Skee Mask's work is his emphatic mixes and the mosaic of dance genres woven into them — techno, breaks, drum 'n' bass, dub techno, dubstep, and jungle. Numerous examples exist, but his 2021 BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix is filled with nuances and brazen track selections. Essential Mix host Pete Tong describes Müller's electronic music blend as "uncompromising" — the ne plus ultra of genre switching.
Müller's North Star also comes by way of his production.
He began producing under the moniker Scntst for Boysnoize Records, only to reincarnate as Skee Mask in 2016, releasing three albums on the German label Illian Tape.
Whether you need an amuse-bouche of Skee Mask's discography to see why he is worthy of checking out, or you're a diehard fan, New Times has put together a sonic primer by electronic music's one and only.
"50 Euro to Break Boost"
Müller has a penchant for breaks bursting through foggy, ethereal synths. On "50 Euro to Break Boost," the scuttling beat remains the prominent feature. Aside from the IDM-sounding synths in the background, Müller miraculously adds loud guitar strums straight out of a Western soundtrack. The track's breadth is packed into its five-minute runtime. It's the perfect addition to an underground DJ's setlist, but don't be surprised to hear that even the likes of Peggy Gou have made a point to highlight the luster of "50 Euro to Break Boost.""Breathing Method"
"Breathing Method" is a track meant for a warehouse rave setting, with enough full-throttle elements to instill a little fear. The eerie breaks and percussion are off-kilter and not made for dancing. Strange voices emerge from the ether, leaving you with more questions than answers. Overheating pads create a fever dream of abstract noises that make you want to keep your head down and avoid attention. Still, the bellicose sound of "Breathing Method" is why it's noteworthy. Múller wants you to dance and decompress."Dub Schneider"
Listening to this track, you're left to guess if this was released in 1994 or 2024. Müller's fixation on '90s electronic music is crucial in his mixing and latest releases. Released in March, "Dub Schneider" is a testament to the young producer's well-trained ears. The track has the prominent features of dub techno: heavily delayed synths, on-the-minute-beat pattern, and overall liquid flare. Still, the track isn't overly polished. The drums have a graininess that makes you think they were produced well before the Las Vegas Sphere was built — and certainly while Skee Mask was still in diapers."Session Add"
As much as Müller has a reputation for furious electronic music, he is also a worthy ambient artist. No better example can be heard than the track "Session Add" off his 2018 opus, Compro. The first four minutes of the track are replete with ambient, hazy pings and pangs that bounce around as if composed in a mile-long tunnel. Hazy synths creep in the background while an unsettling beat is brought closer and closer to the fore. The beat slides into a bop-your-head-rhythmic hook at the four-minute mark — parting two sides before mixing it all together."UWLSD"
"You must then learn how to groove," the echoing voice says at the beginning of "UWLSD," one of few tracks where Muller uses vocals. He samples what sounds like an interview with an unnamed producer describing the importance of groove and funk to an artist's craft. Then the breaks implode, and heavenly vocal snippet tangos with the snarling beat and IDM twists and turns. Speaking of which, IDM superhero Aphex Twin dropped Müller's track during a set in the Netherlands last year. The lip-biting euphoria surge of ambient overload and reverb vocals rip through Aphex Twin's drill 'n' bass like a chainsaw against a steel wall.Skee Mask. With Marie Qrie and Jonny From Space. 11 p.m. Friday, May 17, the Ground, 34 NE 11th St., #2, Miami; thegroundmiami.com. Tickets cost $16 to $27 via dice.fm.
