''Monsta'' is the debut

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP) by the British band

I See MONSTAS I See Monstas (often stylised I See MONSTAS, and previously called MONSTA), are a British electronic music group. The group was formed in 2012 and consists of producers Rocky and Rufio (also known collectively as Pegasus) as well as singer Bryn ...

(credited as MONSTA on the release). It was released on 23 October 2012 through

Owsla Owsla (stylized in all caps) is an American record label and creative collective. It was founded by Skrillex, Tim Smith, Kathryn Frazier, and Clayton Blaha in 2011. Skrillex announced the label on August 17, 2011. The label's first release was ...

. The EP spawned a single, "Messiah", which entered the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

at number 154. "Holdin' On" climbed the UK Singles Chart to number 48, due to strong sales of the

Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead sing ...

and

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

remix. It also peaked at number ten on

UK Dance Chart The UK Dance Singles Chart and the UK Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the dance music genre (e.g. house, trance, drum and bass, garage, synthpop) in record ...

and number three the

UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...

Critical response

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'' noted that "Messiah" was "brimming

ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...

raw energy while a grinding bass rhythm chugs along in the background with an overlay of powerfully deep vocals". ''

Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...

'' commented that the

and

remix "should boost the production outfit further into the EDM stratosphere". ''Dancing Astronaut'' praised the release, commenting that "listeners can hear the power behind Skaar’s silky androgynous voice" and "adding the sounds of Skaar’s gritty soulful voice prove dubstep does not have to be the cliche “bass in your face” genre it has become".

Critical response

Track listing

Chart performance

For "Messiah"

For "Holdin' On"

Release history

References