Mad Decent

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Lore & Background

Mad Decent, founded by Diplo, served as one of the two labels that released the Jack Ü album *Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü* on February 27, 2015, alongside Atlantic Records. The album featured a range of collaborations, including the internationally successful single 'Where Are Ü Now' with Justin Bieber, which won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. The duo's creative process included recording Kiesza's vocals for 'Take Ü There' in a hotel room after seeing her perform in Ibiza, finishing the song in one night. At the Burning Man festival, Jack Ü performed a notable set in 2014, debuting tracks like 'Take Ü There' and 'Mind' featuring Kai. The album also included 'Mind' featuring Kai, and tracks like 'Febreze' with 2 Chainz and 'Jungle Bae'—all played during a two-hour takeover mix on BBC Radio 1Xtra in early 2015. (Note: 'Holla Out' with Snails was a separate single released later and is not part of the album.)

In Their Own Story

In early 2015, Jack Ü took over BBC Radio 1Xtra for a two-hour mix, playing unreleased tracks including 'Febreze' featuring 2 Chainz, 'Jungle Bae', 'Cumbia' featuring Maluca, and 'Holla Out' with Snails. 'Cumbia' was later excluded from the album, while the others made the final cut. On February 27, 2015, the album dropped on iTunes, revealing unannounced songs like 'Where Are Ü Now' with Justin Bieber, 'Mind' featuring Kai and Skrillex vocals, 'Don't Do Drugs Just Take Some Jack Ü', and a remixed 'Take Ü There' with Missy Elliott. The album debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200, selling 14,000 copies in its first week, and was certified gold by the RIAA on June 22, 2016, for 500,000 equivalent units.

Reader's Guide

Mad Decent, as Diplo's label, co-released the Jack Ü album with Owsla, marking a key collaboration between the two imprints. The album's lead single 'Take Ü There' featuring Kiesza was released on October 4, 2014, reaching number sixteen on the UK Dance Chart. The second single 'Where Are Ü Now' with Justin Bieber peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the duo's biggest hit. The album received a Metacritic score of 70 based on 8 reviews, described as 'generally favorable,' and Rolling Stone gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Pitchfork's review noted the world-music influence from Diplo and Bunji Garlin, singling out 'Jungle Bae' as one of the best tracks.

Did You Know?

• Mad Decent co-released the Jack Ü album *Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü* with Atlantic Records on February 27, 2015.
• The album won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards in 2016.
• 'Where Are Ü Now' featuring Justin Bieber won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
• The track 'Take Ü There' featuring Kiesza was recorded in a hotel room in Ibiza and finished in one night.
• Jack Ü performed a notable set at the Burning Man festival in 2014, debuting tracks like 'Take Ü There' and 'Mind'.