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When Skrillex asked drummer John Densmore of The Doors to collaborate for a documentary, he was met with at least a hint of derision.
“I’m partial to humanity making music,” the legendary drummer said to the pale, black haired producer who just recently took home three Grammy Awards.
The unlikely meeting comes about when some of the industry’s top names in EDM accept a musical challenge and create five fresh tracks in “Re:Generation,” a new documentary co-produced by the Grammys.
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| Skrillex - Photo Credit: Brian Nevins |
“[Re:Generation] came out of an appreciation for all kinds of music,” said Scott Kirkland of veteran DJ duo The Crystal Method. “It’s what we’ve been doing for years – bringing in someone like Tom Morello, Scott Weiland, Emily Haines, and seeing if we can come up with something that sounds fresh and different.”
[FIND locations for February 23 screenings of Re:Generation on the film's official website.]
Though their festival shares the name of the film, STS9 was not at all involved with the production of the film nor is this film related to a previous documentary of the same name.
For their R&B assignment, The Crystal Method collaborates with Motown icon Martha Reeves and Skrillex records his rock track with the remaining members of The Doors.
DJ Premier tackles classical music with the Berklee Symphony Orchestra and rapper Nas while Mark Ronson creates a New Orleans-inspired jazz track with Erykah Badu, Trombone Shorty, Mos Def, Zigaboo Modeliste and The Dap Kings.
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| Pretty Lights - Photo Credit: Brian Nevins |
The film follows each artist’s respective recording process, from DJ Premier’s one-on-one lesson in elementary music theory to The Crystal Method’s debut of its finished track to a live audience. The theme of giving new life to old music rings throughout.
“I think [the project] was well executed by everyone,” Kirkland said. “I love listening to the tracks that everyone contributed, and I think it really does hit that theme. We got some really cool stuff out of it.”
Bar-Lev, whose next project is a biopic about Jerry Garcia, gives greater depth to each storyline by following the producers outside the studio and into the lives of the artists they work with. The Doors take Skrillex to a Los Angeles boardwalk where they point out Jim Morrison’s old apartment, and Martha Reeves brings The Crystal Method to the Detroit church where she sang for the first time.
But the message in “Re:Generation” runs deeper than the glorification of established artists – it highlights the very real and, at times, very awkward moments bound to arise at the crossroads of old and new. The Doors’ Densmore also tells Skrillex on first meeting that his 19-year-old son, a Skrillex fan, convinced him to participate. His skepticism translated into a palpable, frosty tension.
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| The Crystal Method - Photo Credit: Brian Nevins |
The 84-year-old country legend’s response?
“I think we’ll just do it my way.”
“There are definitely [artists] who have been wary of what we do,” said Kirkland, whose struggle to appease Reeves is apparent in the film. Kirkland and counterpart Ken Jordan spend a promising day discussing ideas with Reeves but once they hit the studio, opinions clash over lyrics. It takes nearly 14 straight hours to record the track.
“I think she was wary of her image being portrayed in a different direction,” Kirkland said, but noted that he understands why musicians often hesitate to work with DJs. “But our thing isn’t hacking up someone’s performance.”
Returning to select theaters this Thursday, February 23, the film first screened to the public on February 16 – four days after the 54th Grammy Awards. In a feat unprecedented by an EDM artist, Skrillex won three awards and with five nominations including one for Best New Artist.
“We take great ownership in what’s going on because we feel that it’s long overdue,” said Kirkland, who has been at the forefront of EDM for nearly two decades. “We’re excited that the music we love is being appreciated by a much larger audience.”
That sense of pride through validation is mirrored in the film by tiny victories – a smile of approval from Erykah Badu, a handshake from Ralph Stanley – that mean so much to veterans like Kirkland and Jordan, and even 23-year-old Sonny Moore (Skrillex).
The Doors’ Densmore dishes out a backhanded compliment when he meets with Skrillex at an L.A. studio that offers an ironically prophetic take on the music industry.
“Our singer said that in the future, maybe music will be made by one guy with a bunch of machines,” he said. “And I think you’re it.
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Watch all the results from "Re:Generation" below:
Mark Ronson - Jazz - "A La Modeliste" (with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, members of the Dap Kings and Zigaboo Modeliste)
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Skrillex - Rock - "Breakn' A Sweat" (with members of The Doors)
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DJ Premier - Classical - "Regeneration" (with NAS and the Berklee Symphony Orchestra)
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The Crystal Method - R&B - "I'm Not Leaving" (with Martha Reeves of the Vandellas and the Funk Brothers)
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Pretty Lights - Country - "Wayfaring Stranger" (with Dr. Ralph Stanley and LeAnn Rimes)
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"Re:Generation" hits select theaters on February 23 for special screenings. Find out more information on the film's official website.
